While I love using scents to elevate my home year-round, there's just something about the winter season that really brings seasonal scenting into its own.
I'm not just talking about the classics, either, like candles boasting notes of wood fire and vanilla. Both winter and Christmas inspire natural scenting, with the use of seasonal spices and foliage to decorate your space and create a sense of welcoming warmth.
Here are my best home fragrance picks to help you create a chic and luxurious scented winter wonderland at home that is affordable, eco-friendly, and effortless.
Six Suggestions for Scenting the Season
No holiday season is complete without Diptyque's Sapin, and this year it's back in a gorgeous hand-laid gold glass vessel, which looks just as beautiful as it smells. Bursting with notes of Siberian pine, resin, cedar, and moss, this candle is a must-have classic at this time of year. As it's Diptyque, you can expect the usual clean, slow burn, and room-filling scent that will last all winter long. I usually begin burning this regularly in November, and it easily lasts me through Christmas. I can't think of a better fragrance gift to pop under the tree for a loved one to open and enjoy.
I only recently discovered Granado, but I'm already completely obsessed with the brand, which hails from Rio de Janeiro. Oud might not be the first fragrance you think of when you think of winter, but, to me, there's nothing more cozy, comforting, and sophisticated. This diffuser is crafted with woody and resinous spicy cedar notes, and is an effective way to make a home smell nice without candles in winter, which is particularly handy if you have any children or pets in the house. It uses cotton fiber diffuser sticks for long-lasting scent diffusion, and the reeds can simply be flipped if the fragrance starts to fade.
I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Jo Malone's stunning new Christmas collection recently, and this orange bitters candle is one of the best twists on a classic that I've seen or smelled. Of course, a citrus scent works year-round, but this unique take on the profile conjures up a warming winter cocktail, with notes of sweet, juicy orange, orange bitters, and sandalwood. Like Diptyque, Jo Malone is more of a luxury brand, but you really do get what you pay for in terms of quality. There's also an orange bitters diffuser available at Saks Fifth Avenue, and the ginger biscuit cologne is a newfound favorite of mine, too.
Cinnamon sticks are an absolute essential in simmer pot recipes for fall and winter, which is one of the best and easiest ways to make a home smell good for Christmas. These are non-GMO with a high oil content and strong aroma, and pair perfectly with citrus fruits, pine, vanilla, and clove. They can also be used for making potpourri, which makes a thoughtful handmade gift, and is an activity the whole family can get involved in. When Christmas comes, they'll also work well to freshen common festive odors, and to make mulling spices if you're hosting family and friends, which are indulgently fragrant and delicious.
This pick proves you don't have to spend big for maximum impact – something which I've found Yankee Candle does, and does well, time and again. This particular candle is fresh and clean, with notes of citrus, herbs, sappy needles, fresh pine, and sweet bourbon. It has a burn time of up to 50 hours, impressive for a candle that costs less than $20 and is comprised of a premium plant wax blend, ideal if you've been striving to pick non-toxic candles. For an even more impressive impact, why not try fragrance layering, combining this with a sweeter scent profile, such as the Yankee Candle Holiday Zest Scented candle, available at Amazon.
It may be faux, but this artificial yet realistic garland is durable, flexible, and perfect for scenting with essential oils to bring it to life as a hidden, gentle fragrance source. For this, customize the scents to suit you, the event or space, but I recommend using something like the P&J Trading Forest Pine Scented Oil available at Amazon or the Plant Therapy Christmas Tree Holiday Essential Oil Blend available at Walmart, both of which will fill your home with a fresh-cut fir scent, even if you don't have space for a living Christmas tree. As this garland is water-resistant, you won't need to worry about the oil causing any damage, either.
If you're after more recommendations or holiday gifting inspiration, I've also put together a guide to the best candles, best reed diffusers, best essential oil diffusers, and the fall scents I'm shopping from Net-a-Porter, all of which contain options to suit any budget.
