Pleasurable Pastimes

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Home Fragrance Innovates

 

Fragrances are taking center stage to include global influences that remind consumers of luxurious and pleasurable pastimes.

While aromas reminiscent of pleasurable pastimes continue to perform well, tea blends are among the newest to impact the market. A recent launch in New York City, fittingly held at Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon, introduced the Tea for You Collection by Xela Aromasticks. Freshly brewed tea has long been a calming aroma, and this interpretation offers home scenting with a collection of reed diffusers offering aromatherapy benefits in five soothing blends.

The Aromasticks bring the tea salon into the home with Tangerine Mandarin Chai, a soothing blend of lemongrass, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove; Jasmine Darjeeling, with a boost of stimulating jasmine, gardenia, violet and tea oil; Lavender Earl Grey, with invigorating citrus, lemon and patchouli; and Sunflower Oolong, blending gardenia and neroli with mint green tea, spearmint, lavender and verbena.

Echoing the home and hearth message is a new line designed for homes that includes those furry inhabitants who are part of countless traditional households. Now, there are pleasant pet scents available in diffuser formats designed especially for homes with pets. The canine and feline aromastick assortment from Xela, includes Purrfect, for cats, a blend of mint, lemon and thyme, which combines fragrance oils to naturally deodorize the air and provide a relaxing reaction from your cat, while the mint acts as a natural insect repellent; and Pup-Pourri, for dogs, offering an uplifting oil blend, to scent their personal space. Xela Aromasticks reed diffusers are made in the U.S. and packaged and shipped by nonprofit workers at Goodwill Industries, with a portion of the proceeds going to Goodwill, so dogs, cats and people will benefit.

Luxurious Linens and Gourmands Galore

The new Fresh Linen collection, from Hillhouse Naturals Farm Ltd., offers candles, diffusers, linen sprays, and laundry wash. The collection emphasizes classic American luxury for the home, featuring a Cashmere and Fresh Linen assortment for home and body. The Cashmere fragrance blends rose, magnolia, and sampaquita, with citrus and clove. Fresh Linen is a clean bouquet of lemon, orange, bergamot, rose, jasmine, and musk, said to be reminiscent of linens freshly washed then dried in the spring air. The products are available in candles, linen washes, laundry washes, and mists, and a Fresh Linen Vintage Textile Soak.

Hillhouse Naturals Farm, Ltd. also offers European kitchen scents, including French Chocolate, Lavender, Mediterranean Fig, Olive, Rosemary and Tiramisu, available in candles packaged in glass or brown ceramic pots; and its Mojito Collection, featuring bamboo reed diffusers, and candles in glass or tin, reminiscent of the classic summer cocktail from Old Havana.

“Fragrances are getting more sophisticated and authentic. Consumers can recognize a true flower or fruit. Specific destinations, i.e., countries of origin, are becoming popular as consumers’ expectations for more sophisticated fragrance grows. This is all part of the ‘affordable luxury’ trend we’re seeing across many product categories,” said Kris Anderson, Firmenich. New trends for fall and winter include Pomegranate/Cider, Mango Peach Salsa, Fall Festival (a spice blend with orange, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple), Indonesian Ginger and Sicilian Orange, according to Anderson.

Global Influences

Apropos of culture and travel, is Bluewick’s introduction of the Japanese-inspired Hinoki Candle Collection. Hinoki Cypress, in its native Japan, has long been a component in traditional customs. Its timber is used to build palaces, temples and Noh theaters, and its lemon-scented wood has been used in the creation of Japanese bath environments. Bluewick’s Hinoki Soy Candle Collection comes in eight scents, including Amberwood, Dragonfruit, and Lemonmusk, containing blends evocative of another time and place, to enhance the experiences of ancient customs and locales.

Dragonfruit—according to legend was created by fire-breathing dragons who forced it to grow on the prickly pitaya cactus, imbuing it with power for all who consumed it—is a red-fleshed melonlike fruit, which Bluewick blended with Chinese apricot, kiwi and South American cherimoya. Each candle is hand-poured, created with pure soy wax, organic cotton, paper core wicks, and all-natural fragrance oils, in keeping with the eco-consciousness so popular in home fragrance today.

“Other types of fragrances we are seeing more of include white and blonde woods, incense, frankincense and caramels,” said Firmenich’s Anderson. “In the edible/gourmand area, there are some new twists, including Cider Donut, Shortbread Cookie, Coconut Cookie Bar, Crème Brulée, and Frosted Pumpkin,” he added. Alan Sadovnick, Firmenich, cited key home fragrance market drivers as style and design, especially affordable design, high ergonomic design, products that look good and feel good in your hand, ambiance and emotion. “Home décor is also important since consumers currently feel they want to ‘hide’ their air fresheners because they lack a design aspect,” said Sadovnick. Hence, a new design emphasis has grown within the air care market.

“Consumers are looking to bring the outdoors in, which we call ‘the open window effect,’ and fragrance choice is key, as manufacturers are continually looking at the latest trends in the market to determine what’s next,” Sadovnick added.

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