A few weeks ago, I found a candle that had somehow been missed in the post-holiday clean sweep. Tsk, tsk. It was dark red and smelled of sugary cranberries - now very clearly out of season. I do lean toward rich, heavy spice, fruit and gourmand-style home fragrances in the colder months, but with the weather warming up and the gardens beginning to bloom, it's time to lighten things up. But with what?
Home fragrance companies are doing a wonderful job these days of sourcing interesting ingredients and creating amazing blends for scenting the home. Room sprays, reed diffusers and plug-in devices are giving candles some major competition, but that's where I decided to begin my home fragrance makeover.
I happened upon the semi-annual clearance sale (still going on!) at Yankee Candle and brought home a handful of heavenly votives. I found Star Fruit & Orange that appealed to me because it was fresh and light but slightly exotic, blending star fruit, sweet mandarin and pink hibiscus. Honedew Melon was spot on, and Pomegranate Fruit was rich and warmly fruity. The big surprise was the scent called Greenhouse, a subtle, herby scent with a hint of floral. Sparkling Lemon is a favorite, bright, wih a sweetness that rockets it out of the realm of household cleaners. Think of the possibilities for burning two different scents at once for a more customized home fragrance. These candles smell great even when they're not burning.
And speaking of household cleaners, Williams-Sonoma is really on to something with its Essential Oils Collection. This is not a new line for the company, but I've recently started experimenting with the scents and the home fragrancing possiilities provided by the range. While a candle is available in each of the scents, the result from using the dishsoap, hand lotion and counter spray throughout the day may be enough. I could have taken home all of the fragrances - they're all wonderful - but I settled on Persian Lime. It's a good, fresh, summery scent that works well in the kitchen and powder room. Basil, Olive Oil, Meyer Lemon and Pink Grapefruit are a few of the other scents in the line that was developed for Williams-Sonoma by Caldrea Company. In a video on the Web site, Caldrea CEO Monica Nassif talks about how the company used base ingredients one would find in "earth-friendly personal care products," and the hand lotion is rich and creamy. According to the video, the countertop spray incorporates a vegetable protein extract to neutralize malodors.
Caldrea offers its own branded lines of cleaning products, available at specialty stores and online. Scents in the line include Ginger Pomelo, Basil Blue Sage, Green Tea Patchouli and Sea Salt Neroli and you can find the critical cleaning mix of soaps, scrubs and cleansers as well as hand lotions, room sprays and candles.
Method Home also offers a broad range of fragranced home products and is widely available through Target, Loews, Costco, Whole Foods and many more including online. Fragrances include pink grapefruit, crisp apple and spiced pear.
For pure luxury, visit Jo Malone's collection of scents that can work on your skin, in the air and even on linens, with a personal care, spray and candle collection.
We layer fragrance on ourselves with hand and body lotion and perfume sprays. Why not do the same for our homes? Enjoy!
