By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Bath & Body Works is taking a walk on the wicked side with its latest line of fragrances.
Fresh off the glittering success of its Disney Princess fragrance collection earlier this year, the retailer is swapping tiaras for thorns with its latest collaboration: The Disney Villains Collection.
Launching September 3, the line captures the essence of two of Disney’s most notorious icons of mischief; the Evil Queen and Maleficent.
It’s a darker chapter in the ongoing partnership between Disney and Bath & Body Works, one that leans into storytelling through scent. These days it’s all poisoned apples and creepy enchanted forests bottled into various perfumes, candles, soaps and lip gloss.
“The customer demand and excitement we saw with Disney Princess showed us that our formula is working, and now we’re taking it global,” Bath & Body Works CEO Daniel Heaf said.
On tap are 39 new products ranging from $1.95 to $79.95, from fine fragrance mists to the brand’s signature three-wick candles.
The Evil Queen fragrance combines dark red apple, wicked pear and vanilla suede; a nod to her infamous poisoned fruit. Maleficent’s scent blends sinister plum, midnight berries and mystical woods, evoking the villain’s eerie elegance and her dark forest lair.
Disney executives say the new collection is about more than smelling good (or bad? Hard to say), it’s about immersing fans in stories they already know and love.
“Our first collection with Bath & Body Works allowed Disney Princess fans of all ages to connect with their favorite characters in new and distinctive ways,” said Liz Shortreed, senior vice president of the Americas and Global Softlines at Disney Consumer Products. “We look forward to building on that success and enthusiasm with the new Disney Villains collection.”
For the first time, the collection will launch simultaneously in Bath & Body Works stores across the United States and internationally. Loyalty members can shop early Aug. 26–27 online and through the Bath & Body Works app.