Christmas Gift Idea: Luxurious Home Fragrances

It's that time of year again - and I don't just mean Christmas! Winter isn't my favourite season but it definitely has some perks. Unlike the richness of summer, the winter chill is a great excuse to start lighting candles and filling your home with rich and warming fragrances. At the end of October I was very kindly sent a Rathbornes candle and a Charles Farris Reed Diffuser to try out. Since I receievd them they've both been well pretty well loved, with the candle lighting many an evening pamper and the diffuser fragrancing my home from morning until night. I don't usually talk about these sorts of products on my blog, but I've honestly been so impressed with them (I've liked everything from the packaging to the rich and complex scents) that I couldn't help myself. 

This Rathbornes Cedar, Cloves and Ambergris Candle* (£16.00) was sent to me a couple of weeks ago and it was actually the first time I'd heard of the brand before. However, after some reading online (coupled with my own experience of the candle) I feel pretty confident in saying that I think Rathbornes products are really lovely. All of their candles are hand poured in Dublin using traditional methods and they're made from a beeswax blend fragranced with essential oils. This 75g single wick candle will burn for up to 20 hours, and it fills a room with scent beautifully.

Rathbornes' Cedar, Cloves and Ambergris fragrance is warming and rich, with a noticeable clove fragrance that evokes spice that's very seasonally appropriate. It's offers a complex aroma that mixes warm rosewood, orange zest and black amber. I've been lighting it in the evenings when I take a bath or shower, letting the candle burn for an hour or so at a time and enjoying the luxuriousness of the fragrance. There's a trick with candles that you should know - if you want to burn them for a long time then trim the wick really short before you light it. This reduces the amount of heat produced and allows a slower burn, stopping uneccessary wasteage. But if you want to light the candle for just an hour or so then leave the wick slightly longer. This allows more heat to be produced and the candle liquifies faster, allowing the room to fill with fragrance more quickly. It's a simple tip (told to me by candle maker Rachel Vosper) but apparently it will save you hours of extra burn time - meaning that you can enjoy your luxurious candles for that much longer. All in all, my first insight into Rathbornes candles has been really positive and I'm really impressed with the quality of their fragrances and packaging. I think these would make beautiful gifts, or a wonderful treat for yourself, this winter.

I was also very kindly sent a Charles Farris Reed Diffuser in Pine, Fir, Balsam and Cinnamon* (£32.00), and it's actually my first ever reed diffuser. I really do love the idea of these sorts of products as I like home fragrances but I'm put off by cheap, chemical filled products and I don't ever like to leave candles burning unsupervised. What reed diffusers offer are a safe way to fragrance your home throughout the day without any need for supervision. Reed diffusers work through the gradual evaporation of perfumed oils, and to give a fresh boost of fragrance you just turn your reeds over or gently swirl the oil to release more scent. Charles Farrid Reed offers complex fragrances, and with over 160 years of experience the brand delivers high quality, British products. The Pine, Fir, Balsam and Cinnamon Diffuser noticeably enlivens the room in which it's placed, and I found it to be a rich but also refreshing fragrance. Sized at 100ml, these diffusers last up to 8 - 10 weeks - that's two and a half month's of enjoyment! - and  I've been keeping mine in my bathroom (you can see in my photograph below how easy they are to tuck away even in smaller spaces). However, I think that they'd be a great addition to any room in your home. I've been quickly converted to them and I'd definitely consider buying another one for myself, or giving them as a gift, as they're easy to use, functional and they look and feel very luxurious.

What are some of your favourite home fragrances? And what do you prefer, candles or reed diffusers? I'm definitely veering towards reed diffusers!