Smells and Christmas go hand in hand. So we thought we’d take a look at the most popular Scents of Christmas that we get requests for at this time of year and have a look at some of the more unusual scents that put our fragrance creations team in the festive spirit.
If these Christmassy aromas don’t put you in a festive mood, then we don’t know what will.
Pine
Lets start where any good Christmas starts, by putting up the tree. Now many will attest that pine isn’t just for Christmas and with it being art of the evergreen family of tree who are we to disagree?
And this is clear from the amount of pine-based cleaning products available on the market all year round. But pine most definitely has to be high up on the list of Christmassy smells. Pine brings back memories of Christmas mornings, and conjures up images of sparkly Christmas lights and Christmas presents! That said, pine is a great scent for all year round.
Pine is for life, not just for Christmas!
Mulled wine
Another festive favourite! The aroma here is less about the wine and more about the spices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, allspice berries, dried orange peel and cloves.
Did you know that mulled wine was actually created by the Romans in an effort to defend their bodies against the cold winter. This taste for mulled wine then spread across Europe as the roman empire expanded and has since created other mulled products such as mulled port, cider and mead. This spicy and rich scent is great for room and home fragrancing.
Brandy
Staying with alcohol for the next in our list of top Christmas Fragrances.
Whether it is in or an accompaniment to Christmas deserts or a warming cocktail, brandy has always been associated with Christmas. The term brandy is derived from the Dutch word brandewijn, which literally means “burned wine”. Unsurprisingly, we encounter a wide range of burning smells throughout the winter and autumnal period. Whether it be the smells of crackling log fires and bonfires or roasted nuts, burnt or roasted smells are a true staple of winter, conjuring images of warmth, relaxation and homeliness.
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Cranberry
Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. In their raw form, cranberries are hard, sour and bitter. To reduce this tartness cranberry juice is usually sweetened or blended with other fruit juice or sugars. But beware before ladling it onto your Christmas dinner, at one teaspoon of sugar per ounce, cranberry sauce is more highly sweetened than many fizzy drinks.
It is however this sweet but sour combination that is such a winning combination when considering Christmas Fragrances. You can often find it within personal care products and shower products for its fresh and zingy qualities.
Chocolate
Who can get through the Christmas period without indulging in chocolate? Not us!
There is most definitely something Christmassy about chocolate. Whether it is foil wrapped chocolate pieces from your advent calendar or after dinner deserts, there’s nothing more christamassy than the sweet, comforting scent of chocolate. Giving chocolate as a gift dates back to the 12th century when the Aztecs presented chocolate drinks to their royalty, warriors and explorers. They believed the cacao beans were a gift from their gods and as a result only a very select few were allowed eat or drink it.
Luckily that is no longer the case and is now one of the most widespread product throughout the world. The United Kingdom is one of the main chocolate consuming countries in Europe, with a per-capita consumption of 8.1 kilogrammes per year. That’s a heck of a lot of chocolate! This gourmand scent is often used in indulgent bath and body products and often with a touch of fruitiness such as raspberry or other red berries to cut through the heavier scent of the cocoa.
Ginger
After all the sweetness you need spice!
Ginger originated from Southeast Asia. Alongside use in all manner of meals and deserts, ginger also makes up one of our all-time Christmas favourites, gingerbread. The most ancient evidence of its use is among the Austronesian peoples where it was used to flavour food or eaten directly. The leaves were also used to weave mats. Aside from these uses, ginger had religious significance, being used in rituals for healing and protection against spirits.
Ginger has been a firm favourite for retailers and manufacturers and is works great for personal care products. Ginger brings a tangy and spicy quality to more delicate scents and is a perfect fragrance for scent hand washes and body washes.
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Chestnuts
No Christmas fair is complete without the scent of roasting chestnuts wafting through the air. Sweet and nutty with that unmistakable additional charcoal scent. Bitter when raw, roasted chestnuts have a delicate and slightly sweet flavour with a soft texture similar to sweet potato.
We suggest trying this scent in cologne or combining it with floral notes such as vanilla for a unisex fragrance.
Dried fruit
Love them or hate them, the fruity but spicy aroma of dried fruit is about as festive as you can get. Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies are chock-a-block with dried fruit. Dried fruit garlands of orange are commonplace in our homes at Christmas. Pot pouri is also a winner with dried fruit fragrances. For many, there’s something comforting about their darkly sweet, brandy-tinged scent but for some, it’s a big no go.
Definitely the ‘Marmite’ of the Christmas Fragrances world!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another smell that albeit associated with Christmas Fragrances, has many uses throughout the year. Obtained from the inner bark of several tree species, Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic flavouring in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snackfoods, tea and traditional foods. The sweet, hot spiciness of cinnamon can also be found in mulled wine, cookies or eggnog. Its warm, inviting scent makes everything seem cosier and merrier and is perfect for those cold winter nights.
Mandarin
The mandarin orange also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. This fruit has long been associated with Christmas, not only as an ingredient in dried fruit combinations but also found in Christmas stockings in the western world. Finding a mandarin at the bottom of your stocking was said to symbolise gold. Read more about the history here.
However, at Chinese New Year, mandarins are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. Mandarin, in the fragrance world, has been heavily used for many years. Perfumer brands such as Tom Ford, Molton Brown and Prada regularly use it as a top notes in their perfumery. And although its fragrance is one that conjures up bright and sunny notes, it often has more character and depth than some of its citrus-based relatives.
Fig
Another scent where history has a part to play in its association with Christmas.
In the Middle Ages, Figs were one of the few foods allowed to be eaten during the Christian religious fasts of Advent and Lent. This may explain their continued association with Christmas, as in figgy pudding. Figs originate from the Middle East. They are grown widely in countries with warm climates but historic mention of them can be traced to the bible. Fig fragrances are regularly used in candles, soaps or room fragrancing.
Orange and Cloves
This fruity, spicy, festive scent combination is as traditional as they come. Pomander Balls are a very festive way of including this fragrance. The intoxicating aroma of clove-studded oranges instantly brightens up those long winter nights, and it does wonders to freshen up a cold, stuffy space. By studding an orange with whole dried cloves and letting it cure dry the scent can last for many, many years. This helps perfume and freshen the air and also of keep drawers of clothing and linens fresh, pleasant-smelling, and moth-free.
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The Carvansons Team would like to wish all our customers and supplier a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous new year.
About Carvansons
Carvansons is a world-leading creator and compounder of bulk fragrance oil. Our fragrances are used globally in the cosmetic, personal care, household and industrial manufacturing sectors. As a global fragrance manufacturer we create high-quality fragrance oil compounds, aromas and perfumes with a worldwide presence.
We work with many different companies throughout the world, which include both household names and smaller, niche industries. Whether your product is highly functional or beautifully indulgent we can create a fragrance that benefits and complements your product, brand and target audience.
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