There’s no reason why your house shouldn’t smell amazing. Take your fragrance layering to the next level and ensure your house smells as good as you do.
Not content with smelling sweet myself I want my home to smell amazing too. There’s a real sense of smug satisfaction when a friend comments that my house smells good. ‘Oh, does it?’ I nonchalantly reply as I try to disguise the fact that I’ve probably spent a good half an hour that morning in my efforts to make everything smell just so.
I don’t think I’m alone here. Many of us like to layer our fragrances - from using a scented scrub in the shower to layering a fragranced body lotion under our perfume. Applying the same rules to your house just makes sense – it’s fragrance layering to the max.
Here’s a few things you can do to help your home smell incredible. FYI, I do them all . OOT? Me?
Spray It
Forget those out-dated toxic aerosol room spays; the more modern scents are chic, subtle and work in harmony with your own fragrance. I suggest investing in a room spray from Diptyque. The scents correspond to their candles so you’re bound to find your favourite, plus the glass bottle and crisp artwork look nothing but beautiful on a shelf. I love Figueire, it’s green and fresh – the kind of scent that reminds you off spring when all the doors and windows are thrown open and your house is flooded with fresh air. At £36 they’re pricey – certainly more than a can of Febreze will set you back – but you need just the barest spritz to treat your home with for its scent for days.
I know the Aveda Chakra’s, £29 each, are technically body mists but here in the Marie Claire offices we use them as mood-altering room sprays. To say they smell heavenly really is putting it mildly. Each one (there’s seven) is designed to have a specific impact. Chakra 2 – our current favourite – is mood balancing and particularly brilliant for calming the nerves. Throughout the day in MC HQ you’ll hear ‘Ah, Chakra’. It’s a calming moment that re-sets our stress levels to (almost) zero. They smell pretty incredible too; if you’re trying to create a relaxing atmosphere at home or you’re having a cosy Sunday evening consisting of a hot bath and a book, Aveda Chakra is a must.
A citrusy linen spray lightly misted over your bedding and bathroom towels will subtly permeate the air. It has to be Jo Malone London for this particular task. The weighty glass bottle just screams luxury and the scents are satisfyingly uplifting. Acqua di Limone Scent Surround Linen Spray, £22.86 for 100ml, does the trick nicely and a little goes a long way.
If you’re feeling crafty you can always have a go of making your own linen and room sprays. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: First you’ll need to arm yourself with a variety of essential oils. Neal’s Yard Remedies make the best plus they have a huge selection to choose from. Each essential oil has it’s own properties; some will help to relax you, others will reinvigorate you. I suggest buying the Neal’s Yard Remedies Little Book of Essential Oils, £3.50, to navigate your way through your options.
Step 2: Combine 85ml of vodka with 350ml of distilled water in a spray bottle. Only use cheap vodka – there’s no sense in spending a lot of money on alcohol you won’t be drinking.
Step 3: Add around 30 drops of the essential oils you’ve chosen.
Step 4: Screw on the nozzle and give the bottle a good shake to mix the ingredients. Incidentally, MUJI have some great – and cheap – spray bottles. And you’re set; mist away over bedding, laundry and your bath towels, or go to town and spray directly into the air.
Get A Diffuser An aromatherapy diffuser is a no-brainer – get one – they look rather fancy, smell good and they last forever. I have one in my bathroom that has been going for at least nine-months and still shows no sign of running out. They appear pricey but considering how long they last they’re definitely worth the expense. All you have to do from time-to-time is turn the reads over to refresh the scent.
I find a relaxing scent of chamomile or lavender is at home in the bathroom or bedroom while something a little more upbeat is best placed near the front door so your guests are welcomed with a lively burst of fragrance.
Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Room Diffuser, £36, gets my vote for a relaxing scent. It combines jasmine with chamomile and sandalwood. It’s divine.
Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Scent Surround Diffuser, £58, is about as invigorating as it gets. Think herby basil, thyme and lime. It’s a wonderful thing for your guests to smell when they arrive to your home.
Go Big At £280 a Jo Malone London Luxury Candle is an investment for sure but what a way to show your home you love it! And speaking cost per gram, the larger candle is cheaper per 100g so if you do regularly treat yourself to a candle it’s more affordable in the long term to go big. The Luxury Candles have four wicks so they burn evenly and they don’t smoke, plus you’re looking at 230-hours of burn time so you really get some bang for your buck.
A Scented Garden After spending an afternoon at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May with L’Occitane I’ve been inspired to create my own scented garden. The L’Occitane garden was designed by James Basson who was influenced by Grasse with his huge plantings of rosemary and lavender.
Since then I have been adding my own scented touches to my patio area with a wonderfully fragrant Jasmine - which smells like heaven in the evening - (it’s even sweeter after I water it), plus planters full of lavender, rosemary, basil and mint. A couple of tomato plants add a green earthiness to the air that everyone comments on. If, like me, you love that kind of scent you should definitely check out Jo Malone London Green Tomato Leaf Home Candle, £42. It smells like a greenhouse but, you know, in a good way.