When I initially thought about festive scent, eau de toilettes/parfums crossed my mind. But does anyone actually want to smell “festive”? How does that translate? A mulled wine cologne? Ugh. Also, what’s the point of a fragrance you only wear once a year? So, instead, I’ve focussed on the scents we want to be surrounded by, as opposed to those we want to exude. Hence festive candles. What I like about these is they look lovely – your table setting will be a conversation starter – but smell exquisite, too, though not in a way that is so overpowering you begin to taste it in the gravy. This is because these candles were, mostly, created by perfumers – or in industry parlance, noses – who understand the alchemy of fragrance. They are at the top of the game when it comes to putting notes together and knowing how they will work in real settings. So their luxe scents are beautifully complementary as opposed to clashing. Which, in a room of gastronomic wafts vying for attention, is exactly what you need.
1. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Jasmin d’hiver £98, selfridges.com
2. Santa Maria Novella Melograno £75, smnovella.com
3. Miller Harris Scherzo £75, millerharris.com
4. Trudon Altaïr £103, trudon.co.uk
5. Carrière Frères Pin de Sibérie & Bois Fumé £60, carrierefreres.com
6. Christian Dior Ambre Nuit £86, dior.com
7. Diptyque Délice £67, diptyqueparis.com
8. L’Objet Côte Maquis £95, libertylondon.com
9. Goutal Paris Limited Edition Christmas £83, harveynichols.com
10. Ormonde Jayne Etoile £80, ormondejayne.com
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