Changing seasons bring with them scented wants and desires that vary as we move from one to the next. Winter is traditionally ambers and spiced citruses, spring demands the first hint of glorious greens, summer radiates solar florals, and autumn relaxes into comforting woods. However, where two seasons join is the exciting period because there’s an overlap that produces incredible choices and exciting variations. We’re now centrally in spring but, with summer on the horizon, the scent of green aquatic florals is the perfect fit. That means it’s the perfect time to discover the new Dancing Light candle from Told London.
There are certain products that, with the best will in the world, seem to defy reinvention. Companies are constantly tweaking bestsellers, adapting award-winners, even persuading customers that the same offering is somehow “new and improved”. It takes a real visionary to look beyond the tried-and-tested, and create something that pushes the accepted norm into a whole new realm. Unsurprisingly, the latest break-through product comes from an independent creator. Jonathan Ward has reinvented the diffuser, thrown in a generous splash of creativity, and is set to scent the season with his new Hermitage Noel Pourri Mouillé.
The dark days of the pandemic may seem like a lifetime ago now, as we all busy ourselves once again on life’s hamster wheel, but it has meant a massive shift in the perfume market. Those two years focused our attention away from personal fragrance, that beautiful juice found inside a glass bottle, and instead made us think about the scent of our surroundings. With so much time spent indoors, and without the option to travel, we all wanted some scented escape. That initial fragranced flurry saw many candle brands unfortunately fall by the wayside, but the demand had been ignited and it heralded the arrival of Purnima Fragrances.
One of the biggest challenges that faces any company is staying up-to-date and relevant in an ever-changing market. With so many choices thrust onto customers every day, remaining at the forefront of their minds is the constant goal. Sometimes a brand will opt for a revamp and refocus to continue the ongoing fight against the competitors, while other times they will do a full reinvention. Told London is the latest company to pitch perfectly when it comes to their reinvention and, alongside a recently announced Best Newcomer nomination in this year’s Fragrance Foundation Awards, they are already gathering a loyal following.
Those scented sticks that sit so comfortably inside your favourite diffuser are just as much a part of Christmas as the more traditional candle, although they’re often unfairly overlooked in the mad rush to suggest fragranced gifts and festive room aromas. We instantly gravitate towards the flickering flame, but there are thousands of reed diffusers that are also perfect for this time of the year. So, whether you’re looking for a seasonal hit of fir trees or an uplifting sparkle of seasonal citrus, I’ve picked out my Top Three Diffusers For Christmas. The only question is, will you be able to part with them?
The world of home fragrance is a massive industry, and it’s one that just keeps getting bigger. The idea of creating a scented mood or a feel within our homes has never been more popular, and this was really amplified during the periods of lockdown. That’s why with people still spending so much time inside their homes, for both work and for pleasure, your fragranced environment is so important. Whether that’s uplifting citrus, calming florals, or inspirational woods, the sky really is the limit. One company that have created the ultimate scented home pairing is Arran, and their After The Rain fragrance is as popular as ever.
One thing that's guaranteed to get people thinking about home scents is surely the changing of the seasons. We naturally mark these moments with different aromas, whether that’s a new perfume or even a shower gel, but the options for scenting our homes are a little more limited. Everyone has their opinion on the effectiveness of either a candle or a room spray, but when Le Jardin Retrouvé announced that they were launching a diffuser it came with an expectation of excellence. The company have a history of successfully challenging the way things are done, and that continues with their new Scented Stem Diffuser.
There are certain questions that can never be categorically answered. Is tea better than coffee? Is the BBC better than ITV? Should shops really be open on a Sunday? However, alongside these is the thorny subject of scenting your home. There are so many ways to add fragrance to your surroundings but it always comes down to a battle between the two undisputed leaders. Are you a diffuser or a candle household? There are pros and cons for both, so making a decision is always hard, but Ancienne Ambiance have risen to the challenge with their newly expanded Cedrus Cedar collection.
As we approach Christmas I think that it’s fair to say that we’re all grabbing hold of anything that could offer us the slightest piece of positivity after this rollercoaster of a year. Looking back over the past nine months of broken promises, shattered dreams, and worldwide chaos, wouldn’t it be great to just have somebody say “Trust me” and actually deliver? Well that’s exactly what the perfume industry's very own scented scientist Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays has done. She has skilfully combined both style and substance in a fantastic new diffuser that breaks all of the established rules, and is simply called Trust Me.
Christmas has always focussed on candles to provide the homely scented warmth that, for many, typifies the festive season. However, the fashion for diffusers is now starting to take a real chunk out of the candle market as customers turn to a more constant way to scent their tree-dominated rooms. The advantage of diffusers is that you don’t need to worry about blowing them out and, once Christmas is over, they can even be packed away with the decorations. With the hundreds out there to choose from I thought that it would be fun to pick my favourites in my first ever Top Three Diffusers For Christmas.
In the same way that some people have a “fragrance wardrobe” for different seasons, it’s not uncommon to see candles side-lined in the warmer months in favour of diffusers. Candles always remain popular for garden tables and alfresco dining but, inside the home, there is a definite pull towards the constantly scenting properties of a diffuser. There are many excellent ones on the market, even if they can often lack a certain originality, but if you’re looking to bring a little of the garden into your home then you need to discover Pause, one of Eloise Hall’s range of natural room diffusers that really are a breath of fresh air.
It’s springtime and that means that many people will be ditching the heavy household scents of winter and moving onto something that has a fresher and more vibrant nature to it. There are a few classic scents that we always bring out of hibernation at this time of year but, if you’re looking for something a little different to the citrus and windswept aromas, it’s always tricky to put together a collection that compliments each other. This is where Alejandro Klein has come up with the great idea of curating it for you by combining a diffuser, candle, and room spray. So, let’s see what his Spring Collection 2019 has to offer.
With the arrival of Christmas, perfume companies are always looking for inspiration for their festive offering. This can go off in many unusual directions and, whilst some hit the mark perfectly, others are often earmarked for the January sales before the first present is even unwrapped. One company that has excelled this year is Fragonard. From design through to product selections, and obviously a beautiful scent, they have released a patchouli inspired collection that offers customers an alternative to the ruby red and pine aromas that you usually get at this time of the year, and this is why it’s my recommended collection for Christmas 2018.
I've written before about various Perfume Workshops and even I thought that the novelty would surely be wearing off by now. However, on a recent trip to Grasse I was invited to take part in the new Galimard Organ of Flavours, which offers an alternative approach to the traditional "leave with a bottle of Eau de Parfum". This time you're creating a Scent Diffuser along with a matching Room Spray, and the selection of ingredients takes a very different direction to the usual perfume palette. Combining foods and feelings, let me take you back to Grasse and introduce you to Galimard's Organ of Flavours.
