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                Blyth: Initiates Semiannual Dividend

                       
CONTACT:                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Richard T. Browning
Chief Financial Officer
(203) 661-1926, ext. 6628

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


      BLYTH INDUSTRIES DECLARES FIRST SEMIANNUAL CASH
                         DIVIDEND

                        

GREENWICH, CT, USA, March 30, 2000: Blyth Industries, Inc. (NYSE:BTH)
announced that it has declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share of the
Company's common stock for the six months ended January 31, 2000.  The
dividend reflects the Company's intention to initiate the payment of
semiannual dividends.  The dividend, authorized at the March 30, 2000
Blyth Board of Directors meeting, will be payable to shareholders of
record as of May 1, 2000, and will be paid on May 15, 2000.

Robert B. Goergen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blyth said,
"Blyth consistently generates substantial cash flow from operations
which we use to invest in Blyth's growth, as well as to repay debt and
repurchase shares.  We believe that, given Blyth's strong financial
position and prospects for future growth, the payment of a cash dividend
represents another important element in support of our goal to deliver
long-term returns to our shareholders."  Mr. Goergen added, "We further
believe the payment of a cash dividend will broaden the base of
potential investors since it will allow our stock to be considered by
those institutional investors that require dividend payments as part of
their investment criteria."

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) 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 January 31, 2000 totaled $1,097,450,000.

Blyth Industries, Inc. can be found on the Internet at
http://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 10Q 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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