The Season to "Fall" in Love with Scented Candles

With fall around the corner, it’s time to bring out that new pair of olive-colored rain boots, the woven basket of chunky knit blankets, and your favorite assortment of autumnal candles. 

Some of our favorites for this season are the Home and Love luxury candles, which are part of our newly restocked and upgraded Harlem Botanical Collection (alongside Dream and our newest addition, Joy). Speakeasy is another one of our most popular fragrances in the fall. 

Fall candle scents tend to be rich, warm, heavy, and earthy. Why is that? Here are two possible factors that may explain this seasonal scent shift.

The natural outdoor scents change during the fall season  

As plants prepare for winter, trees shed their leaves and release aromatic, pine-scented terpenes into the air. Fall candle scents mimic these crisp, earthy natural fall fragrances.

The natural scent of fall occurs mainly from these chemicals, as well as decaying plant matter and other autumnal pollutants that get trapped in the ground. 

Decomposing plant matter also gives rise to a fungus called Geotrichum candidum, which contributes to the natural smell of autumn air. This fungus is described as smelling “sweet and buttery.”    

We associate Specific Scents with fall memories

The human brain is designed in a way that causes people to make strong connections between memory and odor. Olfactory signals get sent to get to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls emotional responses. 

In other words, we are programmed to associate certain aromas with good memories. 

Whether it’s the scent of the fresh Granny Smith apples that you picked with your kids on a chilly Saturday morning or the scent of your dad’s musky cologne that wafted through the kitchen as he prepared an over-the-top thanksgiving feast, smells are a large part of what makes the fall season feel so special. 

This is why scents like cinnamon, pine, pumpkin, etc, can trigger vivid seasonal memories that create a person’s definition of autumn. 

A simple way to find your favorite fall scents is to gain inspiration from the plants that are in season. Take note of your favorite fall fruits, spices, flowers, and vegetables: 

• Cinnamon: The scent of cinnamon is spicy, sweet, and classic. 
• Pumpkin: Pumpkin, one of the most popular symbols of a festive fall, smells like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. 
• Sandalwood: A member of the woody fragrance family, sandalwood is softly woody, smooth, warm, earthy, and seductive. 
• Cedarwood: Like the previous scent, cedarwood is also a member of the woody fragrance family. It is fresh, softly woody, camphoraceous, and slightly spicy with balsamic undertones. 
• Pine: A reminder of the great outdoors, pine has a spicy, sweet, refreshing scent that is sometimes described as slightly minty. 
• Mandarin: The tangy fragrance of mandarin is sweet, citrusy, and slightly floral with notes of neroli. 
• Musk: Commonly used as a base note in perfumery, the scent of musk is subtle, sensual, and sweet in small concentrations. Some people believe large quantities of musk can be overwhelming. 
• Clove: The scent of clove is spicy, sweet, warm, and natural. It is used as a spice in many fall treats such as pumpkin pie and gingerbread. 
• Apple: Apple has a well-known fragrance that is sweet, fruity, and slightly green. 
• Frankincense: Belonging to the woody amber fragrance family, frankincense is woody, earthy, resinous, and spiritual.

Our Favorite Fall Candles

With fruity, citrusy notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, and neroli, the scent of our Home luxury candle is perfect for people who embrace a slower pace of life during the autumn season. One of the best ways to enjoy this scent is after a thorough deep cleaning of your home. Lighting this candle in a fresh, clean space creates a cozy, warm atmosphere that you’ll never want to leave. 

As one of the most beloved fall fragrances in our botanical collection, our Love luxury candle is a wonderful option, especially for those who dread the cold. If you’re the person who starts wearing your winter coat in August, you need to try Love. Its base note of sandalwood will warm your heart even if you still feel chilly externally. 

Lastly, our Speakeasy luxury candle is the supreme choice for an autumn date night with its sensual base notes of palo santo and dark chocolate. Light this candle while getting ready to go to dinner with your special someone.