Scent sense for the season

Published:

MAKING a room smell beautiful is an essential finishing touch for today’s rooms.

The trouble is nowadays that there’s a bewildering choice of home aromas to choose from, yet getting it right is as important as choosing the right personal fragrance.

After all, scents activate instant emotions and can trigger memories, and the right home scent will be a powerful signature of your style.

“People are as fussy about their home scent these days as they are about their personal perfume because they realise we react so much to smell and it instantly creates an atmosphere and mood,” says Rosey Barnet, artistic director of Shearer Candles.

“While many people will have a favourite home scent that they’re loyal to, others use home fragrances to conjure different moods or reflect different seasons.”

A house filled with alluring aromas instantly makes us feel comfortable and at home.

Find out your perfume personality type so you choose the perfect scent for your home.

DOMESTIC GODDESS

Celebrity inspiration: Anthea Turner. You are a hostess with the mostest and pay 100% attention to making everything perfect, from decor to dining.

Rosey says: “Domestic goddesses who love entertaining like warm, fruit and foodie aromas, but with a sharp twist. Pomegranate and ginger is a great combination for this time of year.”

SAVE: True Grace’s Fig, Cinnamon & Clove or Stem Ginger candle, £18, is eco-friendly as it’s made from 100% natural wax and comes in clear glass jars.

SPEND: Ginger Diffusing Reeds, a new aromatic reed diffuser from Origins, £35, has a warm and refreshing signature scent of ginger paired with lime, lemon and bergamot.

STYLE QUEEN

Celebrity inspiration: Kate Moss. You are always first to try out a new trend and hate following the crowd.

Rosey says: “She’ll love a trademark scent and may flirt with several throughout the year. An amber and rose blend is a stylish classic.”

SAVE: Amber and Rose Fondant candle, from £5.90 to £20, based on a Thierry Mugler scent, has a tuberose heart with top notes of violet and amber – from Shearer Candles.

SPEND: Molton Brown Air Constellation set, £69, has eight candles each with different exotic scents such as yuan zhi, wild-indigo, heavenly gingerlily, rose granati, naran ji, black pepper, blu maquis and white mulberry airlights.

PARTY GIRL

Celebrity inspiration: Paris Hilton. You are bubbly, gregarious and love a scent that people instantly admire and remember as your personal fragrance.

Rosey says: “Orange and cinnamon blends would be perfect as these are pungent, lively and unmissable when you enter a room.”

SAVE: Designer Sophie Conran’s Delight scented candle, £12, has the tangy perfume of lime and basil. It’s available from Portmeirion.

SPEND: Treat your senses to the Elemis Spa candle, £40, with aromas of cinnamon, orange and vanilla.

TRAVELLER

Celebrity inspiration: Victoria Beckham. You are always on the go and like nothing better than a changing landscape.

Rosey says: “This type is attracted to exotic Oriental scents like sandalwood, cedarwood and patchouli which will remind them of their travels and transport them far from home in an instant.

“But they’re loyal to their scent and rarely change it seasonally because its familiarity gives them a feeling of security and grounding.”

SAVE: Amethyst is a spicy Oriental scented candle, £25, from Nina Campbell that combines cinnamon and clove with a floral heart predominantly of roses.

SPEND: Amara has two scented candles in the Baobab collection ideal for a globetrotter. Its Miombo Woodlands candle has an anise cedar scent inspired by vast woodlands in the heart of southern Africa and its Maasai Spirit is a heady mix of lily of the valley and grapefruit. Both start from £41.11.

YUMMY MUMMY

Celebrity inspiration: Kate Winslet. You are always well groomed and like everything in your life to be fresh, appealing and sparkling at all times.

Rosey says: “Sweet but not sickly scents are the most appealing to this type, so I’d opt for those with a melon or grapefruit blend.”

SAVE: Spa Candles, £5.90, by Shearer, in a choice of mango, coconut, melon or passion fruit. Available from Shearer and Sainsbury’s.

SPEND: The fresh, but sensual, Eau d’Ambience by Clarins combines basil, patchouli and vibrant notes of lemon, geranium and sage. It costs £24 for a candle or scent diffuser and £20 for a room spray.

GORGEOUS GRANNY

Celebrity inspiration: Helen Mirren. You are more likely to be out looking glamorous while socialising than knitting in a rocking chair. But your home is important as a base for entertaining family and friends and you enjoy upholding tradition.

Rosey says: “She’ll want a chic update on a traditional scent like lavender, which has endured as a refreshing, but soothing, scent. I’d opt for lavender spliced with lime, which gives it a modern twist.”

SAVE: Choose from a cosy new Gingerbread Home fragrance oil, £4, or star-shaped tree decorations that can be filled with fragrance. Holiday Amphora infusers cost £5 each. Both from The Body Shop.

SPEND: Suit your mood by choosing a Victorian Winter triple-wick gift box, £20, from Shearer Candles and branches of Waitrose.

The selection of scents includes Pomegranate & Ginger, Frankincense & Myrrh, Orange & Cinnamon and Amber & Rose Fondant.