8 Festive Home Fragrances To Get You In The Merry Mood

By Ashleigh Cometti
Viva
Jo Malone London's festive offering includes the time-honoured Orange Bitters and Pine & Eucalyptus scents in diffuser or candle form. Photo / Supplied

There are many scents which tap into the magic of the Christmas season, and conjure up memories of gathering under the tree with a single sniff.

Traditional, Christmassy notes channel the cosy comfort of the Northern Hemisphere, but certainly don’t feel out of place during a Kiwi summer.

Think bracing fresh pine, woody embers, warming cinnamon, freshly baked cookies and refreshing mint.

Whether you’re looking for a foolproof gift for your Christmas host, or a scented delight to stash under the tree, candles and diffusers never go amiss.

While the best of the season help set the mood, their pretty packaging means they double as holiday trimmings for your mantelpiece or to decorate your Christmas table.

From pine-perfect candles to spicy, warming notes that evoke sitting fireside, discover our edit of the best-smelling, centrepiece-worthy scents below.

CANDLES

Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Home Candle, $120 Every year, Jo Malone London re-releases its limited-edition holiday favourite, now in its fifth consecutive year. Available in three sizes, including deluxe and travel-sized options, Orange Bitters presents a citrussy cocktail of sweet and bitter orange, punctuated by the warmth and sensuality of sandalwood. In line with this year's celestial theme, the design sees a star etched into the lid. Available from the Jo Malone London Britomart boutique, and selected department stores including Smith & Caughey's or online at Smithandcaugheys.co.nz

Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Home Candle, $120. Photo / Supplied
Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Home Candle, $120. Photo / Supplied

Carrière Frères Christmas Candle Siam Benzoin + Cacao, $111 For a twist on tradition, consider the gourmet, spicy nature of this limited-edition candle, which sees Laos benzoin and Ivory Coast cacao combine. Warming, woody and slightly sweet, this rich olfaction is a modern take on classic, Christmassy home fragrances. Adorebeauty.co.nz

Carrière Frères Christmas Candle Siam Benzoin + Cacao, $111. Photo / Supplied
Carrière Frères Christmas Candle Siam Benzoin + Cacao, $111. Photo / Supplied

Cire Trudon Candle 270g Gloria Candle Christmas 2021, $169 Reminiscent of carolers, Cire Trudon's gilt offering is a warming composition of Indonesian patchouli, Haitian vetiver and cedarwood, highlighted by spicy notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, alongside Italian lemon and Brazilian orange. This magical scent is one of five scented candles in the brand's limited-edition collection, all of which celebrate the opulence of Versailles and the Sun King for the festive season. Worldbrand.co.nz

Cire Trudon Candle 270g Gloria Candle Christmas 2021, $169. Photo / Supplied
Cire Trudon Candle 270g Gloria Candle Christmas 2021, $169. Photo / Supplied

Diptyque Sapin Candle 190g, $125 Another coveted Christmas classic is back for yet another year, this time housed in a beautiful votive flecked with real gold. The bracing pine and wood blend mingles with smoky embers to evoke a lush, green forest and evenings spent fireside. It's mossy qualities also lends a depth and sensuality to the scent. Sapin is also available as part of the brand's limited-edition Holiday Candle Set, which sees it twinned with Biscuit, a spiced cookie scent, and Flocon, a delicate interpretation of white musk exactly what you'd expect a snowflake to smell like. Meccabeauty.co.nz

Diptyque Sapin Candle 190g, $125. Photo / Supplied
Diptyque Sapin Candle 190g, $125. Photo / Supplied

Jo Loves Mulled Wine, Roasted Chestnuts, Plum Pudding Layered Candle, $149 Trust the queen of fragrance to formulate a Christmas candle you can really sink your teeth into. Formulated by Jo Malone herself, this limited-edition candle combines three scents in one, with each stepping into the limelight as the candle burns. Revel in the warm, sweet and rich aromas of mulled wine, which segue into nutty roasted chestnuts, before sumptuous plum pudding comes to the fore for a gourmand finish. Adorebeauty.co.nz

Jo Loves Mulled Wine, Roasted Chestnuts, Plum Pudding Layered Candle, $149. Photo / Supplied
Jo Loves Mulled Wine, Roasted Chestnuts, Plum Pudding Layered Candle, $149. Photo / Supplied

DIFFUSERS

Nest Birchwood Pine Reed Diffuser, $87 If you prefer to go flame-free, consider a reed diffuser to slowly disperse scent into the air naturally. This one by Nest highlights a woody blend of white pine, fir balsam and birchwood, with a base of white musk and amber. Use all of the reeds at once to intensify the reach of the scent, and at a minimum, remember to flip your reeds weekly to keep the magic going. Sephora.nz

Nest Birchwood Pine Reed Diffuser, $87. Photo / Supplied
Nest Birchwood Pine Reed Diffuser, $87. Photo / Supplied

Glasshouse Fragrances Night Before Christmas Fragrance Diffuser, $60 Christmas lovers will delight over Glasshouse Fragrances' best-selling festive fragrance, which comes in either candle or diffuser format. The red and gold vessel is sure to bring the Yuletide atmosphere to any space. The scent opens with top notes of blackcurrant and redcurrant, before unfolding to a heart of plum, lavender, lemon and rose. Musk, oak moss and spices come to the fore in the dry-down. Nz.glasshousefragrances.com

Glasshouse Fragrances Night Before Christmas Fragrance Diffuser, $60. Photo / Supplied
Glasshouse Fragrances Night Before Christmas Fragrance Diffuser, $60. Photo / Supplied

Ecoya Limited-Edition Fresh Pine At Dawn Mini Diffuser, $35 Year after year, Ecoya releases its Fresh Pine collection just in time for December 1, but this year the brand has reimagined this iconic scent in honour of its Christmas Chorus campaign, with scents designed for dawn, noon and dusk. A lighter take on the original, the 50ml Fresh Pine At Dawn Mini Diffuser disperses its scent of fresh pine needles and newly sawn forest woods alongside bright citrus and rosewood, for up to two months. Available from selected department stores and independent retailers or online at Ecoya.co.nz

Ecoya Limited-Edition Fresh Pine At Dawn Mini Diffuser, $35. Photo / Supplied
Ecoya Limited-Edition Fresh Pine At Dawn Mini Diffuser, $35. Photo / Supplied

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