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      Blyth: Increases Investment in Wax Lyrical




CONTACT:                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jane F. Casey
Vice President
(203) 661-1926, ext. 6619



    BLYTH INDUSTRIES INCREASES INVESTMENT IN WAX LYRICAL
    U.S. Firm Becomes Majority Owner of Specialty Candle
                          Retailer


GREENWICH, CT, USA, February 29, 2000: Blyth Industries,
Inc. (NYSE:BTH) announced that it has increased its
investment in Wax Lyrical, the largest specialty retailer of
candles and related accessories in the U.K., bringing its
ownership position to 63% on a total investment of $6.6
million.  Blyth made an initial, minority investment in Wax
Lyrical in November, 1998.

Wax Lyrical is the largest specialty retailer of candles in
the U.K., with 40 stores located throughout the U.K. and
Ireland.  It also has 6 franchise locations in the Middle
East and Southeast Asia.  Commenting on Blyth's decision to
become the majority shareholder of Wax Lyrical, Robert B.
Goergen, Chairman and CEO of Blyth said, "Blyth is the
leading manufacturer and marketer of scented candles in the
U.K. and Continental Europe through our PartyLite Gifts
direct selling activities and through the wholesale
customers of our Colony Group and Gies Group.  We view Wax
Lyrical, with its strong brand identity, as another
excellent vehicle through which to tap into the scented
candle market in Europe, a market we believe has significant
growth potential over the next five years."  Mr. Goergen
continued to note that, "as we continue to explore the
European market for scented candles, which is still very
much in a developmental stage, Wax Lyrical provides a unique
way to test merchandising concepts and gauge consumer
reaction to our products."

Blyth Industries, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, CT,
designs, manufactures, and markets an extensive line of
candles and home fragrance products including scented
candles, outdoor lighting products, potpourri and
environmental fragrance products, and markets a broad range
of related candle accessories and decorative seasonal
products.  Its products are sold in the United States under
various brand names, including Colonial Candle of Cape
Cod(R), PartyLite Gifts(R), Carolina Designs(R), Ambria(TM),
Canterbury(R), Florasense(R), Jeanmarie(R) and FilterMate(R)
and in Europe under Gies(TM), Liljeholmens(R), Eclipse
Candles and Colony.  It is also a leading producer of
portable heating fuel products sold under the Sterno(R) and
Handy Fuel(R) brand names.  Net Sales for the twelve months
ended October 31, 1999 totaled $1,020,835,000.

Blyth Industries, Inc. can be found on the Internet at
www.blythindustries.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements",
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements include
statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies,
future events or performance and underlying assumptions and
other statements which are other than statements of
historical facts.  Actual results could differ materially
due to various factors, including the risk of maintaining
the Company's growth rate, the Company's ability to respond
to increased product demand, the risks associated with
international sales and foreign products, dependence on key
management personnel, competition in terms of price and new
product introductions, and other factors described in this
press release, in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended October 31, 1999, and in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
January 31, 1999.

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