‘Tis the season of mulling spices, citrus aromas and fragrant stocking fillers, so here’s a rundown of olfactory treats that need including in your letter to the big guy in red, from the latest innovations in home fragrance to limited edition perfumes…
Diptyque Do Son Eau De Parfum
Fragrance aficionados Diptyque never fall short of the mark and this limited edition perfume is the equivalent of a December walk under a low, hazy sun. The ultimate winter-fresh floral, it has a delicate musky character, accented with notes of tuberose, orange leaves, and pink peppercorn.
75ml, £90
SKANDINAVISK Skog Boreal Forest Diffuser
Inspired by relocating from London to Stockholm and Copenhagen, SKANDINAVISK has fast become one of our go-to brands for home fragrance. The Skog luxury diffuser’s deftly nuanced perfume is a tribute to the raw beauty of Skandinavia’s Boreal forests, its concoction of birch, spruce and pine anchored by aged leather and lifted with lily of the valley. This is tree hugging in a bottle.
200ml, £35
Miu Miu Eau De Parfum
Miu Miu’s first foray into the world of fragrance doesn’t disappoint; expect a fresh floral rush of jasmine and rose absolute followed by a natural, earthy backdrop of akigalawood. The result is seriously contemporary and, well, just look at that hyper-cute packaging. If baby blue pillowed glass and a lollypop-shaped stopper don’t please you, what will?
30ml, £48
Jo Malone London Pine & Eucalyptus Diffuser
We may not be winning any prizes for originality here, but it simply isn’t Christmas without one of Jo Malone’s iconic cream and black boxes nestled under the tree. This woody diffuser gets our vote for Christmas; think forest-fresh aromas after a heavy rain shower, with an invigorating nip of eucalyptus. Aaaall is calm.
165ml, £54
Acqua Di Parma Fruit & Flower Red Berry Candle
We’ve long championed the artisan colognes of this all-Italian fragrance house but have only recently delved into its candle range. Studded with tiny ruby flower buds, this beauty will fill your home with the subtle smell of wood and red berries, blowing all other mantlepiece accessories out of the water.
£85
Fresh Cosmetics Brown Sugar Eau de Parfum
As Fresh co-founder Lev Glazman points out, ‘There’s something addictive and comforting about brown sugar.’ This fragrance pulls off a grown up take on those childhood memories of baking, with its top notes of sicilian lemon, a peachy heart, and sheer caramel base. It’s nostalgic and modern all at once – we’re hooked.
100ml, £70
Heyland & Whittle Orange Spice Candle
You can’t get through Yule Tide without throwing some orange into the mix, and here’s a candle that delivers that traditional zesty hit without any pungent, overpowering sweetness. All the usual suspects are there: citrus, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, muddled together in natural soy sustainable wax for a long, slow burn.
£24
Words: Mary-Jane Wiltsher