Scents to suit your surroundings.

Mr S&S and I took a rare trip out earlier today to the gorgeous Buckfast Abbey, just up the road from where we live. 

A warm(ish), sunny day, with signs of spring all around - crocuses and daffodils beginning to appear, birds singing and bustling activity. 

The abbey is an absolutely stunning piece of architecture, but what I noticed straight away upon entering the gorgeous building was the smell. It's no coincidence that my profession is all about fragrance, given that it's the thing that impacts me first in any new environment. 

Wafts of blown-out candles and sandalwood hit me as soon as we entered and I immediately felt soothed. As we wandered around, it struck me on how incense is used so symbolically in places such as this. 

There is so much to read on the use of fragrance during religious and spiritual rituals, whether as part of a blessing, prayer or even purification. So it got me thinking...

We've explored the amazing effect that different scents can have on our memory and emotions in our last blog, but how about the way we use it to serve a purpose in our homes, or even at work?

Now we all love different fragrances, often for nostalgic reasons, in that they are deeply tied to memory. However, in our homes we may choose to use particular fragrances in different rooms to create a different effect or emotion. 

Now, let's think about when you have visitors (we often quickly bung on some wax or use a room spray, about 30 minutes before someone is due to arrive!)

Do you reach for a laundry fragrance to give them impression of a freshly-cleaned home (even if you haven't had time to dust) or do you opt for something soothing and cosy?

Let's now think about each room of your home - do you like the same fragrance throughout or do you prefer to change as you transition from room to room?

There are certain types of fragrances which really a really good job at either neutralising unwanted odours in certain places like the kitchen or bathroom and other scents which create a particular ambience. 

Let's start with the kitchen. Have you ever cooked something which leaves a strong, lingering smell, like fish or curry? Citrus scents, such a lemon, orange, grapefruit and bergamot are excellent as masking these. Laundry scents are also a great choice as they often contain citrus notes too! Choose something bright and fruity to help combat those pongs! 

Now we go to the living room - a place to relax, unwind, curl up and chill. Here we like to opt for cosy, soothing fragrances, like vanilla, sandalwood or amber. Soft & cosy, relaxing fragrances are perfect to get that cosy vibe! Also, you may want to consider a candle for added cosiness - candles do not always smell as strongly as wax melts, but there's something special about dimming the lights, lighting a candle and putting those feet up!

Now the bathroom can be the source of all sorts of weird an wonderful smells! Fresh, clean and spa type fragrances are excellent for the bathroom, as well as citrus and herbal scents like eucalyptus. Not only do they help to mask unwanted odours, but there's nothing better than visiting a clean, fresh-smelling bathroom!

We also are massive fans of keeping a non-aerosol room and linen spray in the bathroom. Not only do you not need to worry about supervising a tea light (and we can't use an electric warmer near water) but they are an instant burst of strong fragrance which will linger for a long time afterwards too!

If you work from home or have your own office at work, citrus, lavender and even coffee scents can be really useful to help you focus! Diffusers and wax warmers are perfect for these sorted spaces, using an essential oil blend, or something herbal like peppermint or rosemary. 

Finally, when bedtime calls, having a truly relaxing fragrance like lavender or chamomile can really aid that wind-down time. If those scents aren't your cup of tea, there's so many different evening scents to choose from, like fragrances with soft vanilla notes or gentle perfumes.  

Fun Fact! 
Trying to sell your home? According to idealhome.co.uk the smell of freshly-baked bread is the most universally popular amongst all age-ranges. If you're not feeling so handy in the kitchen, vanilla, coffee and laundry scents are also popular!

We'd love to know how you use fragrance in your home, so why not leave us a comment below!