FAVORITES: Home Scents For Spring/ Summer

There are very few things that make your home as warm and inviting as a scented candle or a fragrant diffuser. While fall and winter are about vanillas and musks, spring and summer pay homage to light, airy smells like citrus and coconut.

Here are a few of my favorite home scents for spring/ summer:

Space NK Citrus Mint - a summery mixture of fresh mint, sparkling citrus notes of bergamot, lemon blossom and petit grain. I light it every day on my writing desk. It sparks my creativity. $48.00 for 7.5 oz

 Alora Ambiance in Fico Diffuser - An earthly melange of green garden notes with fig as its richly sophisticated centerpiece. This fragrance perfectly compliments the season of freshly blooming gardens and livens up the home. $80.00 for 16 oz

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava - Inspired by a surfing trip to Hawaii, this sexy and sweet tropical blend combines sweet, berry-like notes of Guava with a bright, citrusy top note of Pomelo and a warm and subtle Coconut base. $22.00 for 10.5 oz

Thymes Azur - Reminiscent of the Ocean, soothing white tea, water lily and sea grasses that offer a unisex scent. The faint scent lingers long after the candle has burned. $26.00 for 9 oz

Infusion Organique Sands of Morocco - A bit more earthy then the rest of the scents, this candle combines spices of North Africa with fresh vanilla, aromatic sandalwood and warm oak moss to a blend of lemongrass oil and ylang-ylang. $38.00 for 6.5 oz

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin - Fresh limes and zesty mandarins are undercut by peppery basil and aromatic white thyme. A perfect choice for both men and women with it's inviting mixture of sweet and spicy. $65.00 for 200 g

Korres Quince - Made without parabens, sulfates or petro-chemicals,  this sweet scent is reminiscent of a day on a deserted beach. This candle, too, sits on my writing desk, a perfect compliment to the fresh scent of Space NK's citrus mint. $40.00 for 6.7 oz

 "Traced back to the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, candles were the main source of light and used to aid travelers at night. Centuries after the invention of electricity, candles remain popular due to their ability to diffuse pleasant or seductive scents, while also being part of the worship rituals in many religions." -- On the Korres candle tumbler

Jurlique for Fashion Week

With fashion week frenzy looming, it's nice to know there is some solace to be found. Jurlique will be on hand at a couple of fashion shows to bring peace and harmony into the rowdy backstage environment. We could all use a little R&R.

The all-natural, biodynamic brand will be relaxing and soothing the gorgeous girlies of fashion week 2010 with a remarkably scentual approach. A Jurlique aesthetician will be behind the scenes relaxing models with soothing hand massages using the brand’s infamous Lavender hand lotion at the VPL show (a.k.a. “Visible Panty Lines” designed by acclaimed fashion stylist Victoria Barlett, available at Blue & Cream. It was a top ten finalist for the CFDA Fashion Fund award in 2007) on Saturday. Another reason to model in my next life.

Using a diffuser, Jurlique’s Harmony essence (a serene blend of Lavender Oil, Clary Sage Oil and Geranium Leaf Oil) will waft through the air creating a blissful oasis backstage.

Jurlique will also be at the Karen Walker show (I LOVE drunky-face Karen Walker of Will and Grace - different Karen, I know) diffusing their Calming essence (a soothing blend of Geranium Leaf Oil, Rosewood Oil, and Lavender) backstage.

And then there's Phillip Lim (I'm blushing.... love him!). Jurlique will provide 150 Lavender Mists to Phillip's womenswear show (It’s Phillip’s favorite product!) and for 75 Citrus Mists for front row guests of his menswear debut.

Jurlique is SO in fashion...

You can purchase the essential oils at www.jurlique.com and give your room it's own peace-of-mind makeover. You can find a diffuser by clicking here. Just add in your favorite Jurlique oil and you're good to go.

Drugstore Find: The Fragrance Collection by Glade

I LOVE discovering a good drugstore deal. A simple thing like the perfect gloss or a beautiful smelling candle - at a nominal fee - is enough to make me skip around the block singing "Zippity do da, zippity day.... my oh my what a wonderful day!" - My friend Kaycee is making fun of me for this imagery...


My latest find is nothing short of brilliant: The Fragrance Collection by Glade. Before you reread, yes, I'm speaking of that Glade - household dooty spray, Glade, but I promise you, this ain't your usual synthetic Glade stench.

What it is: "A new, irresistible and chic home-fragrance offering of reed diffusers, soy candles, and multi-wick soy based candles."

Scents:

• currants & açai - tart red currants, tangy açai berries and red fruit accents
• sheer white cotton - floral, fruity and woody notes, including freesia and lime
• lotus bamboo - lotus notes with a touch of citrus on a bamboo
• base mcintosh apple (92.4 % natural) - the crisp scent of fresh picked apples, sweet and juicy yet
• slightly tart (93% natural) - earthly awakening nature-inspired fragrances for a mossy, mellow and soothing scent
• orange vanilla (94.2 % natural) - a favorite treat of fresh oranges blended in a rich, creamy vanilla

The Look: Sleek design, glass tumblers, diffuser has wooden top.

Beauty Banter Favorites:

• The apple soy candle smells like a crisp, Washington State red apple. It's literally mouth-water inducing. No matter where I light it in my apartment, the smell emanates throughout the entire space blasting me into some far away orchird. To. Die. $9.99
  

• The slightly tart diffuser is genius. It's little, pretty and unobtrusive. I have it on my bookshelf next to my front door and the moment I walk into my apartment, I am met by this beautiful, rich creamy floral aroma (it reminds me of The Body Shop's White Musk fragrance). AND it doesn't have that synthetic after-smell. It's actually quite decadent. $9.49
  

**Be cautious of the sheer white cotton scent - it literally smells like clean laundry. Not my thing... unless, of course, I've just finished a load (of laundry!).**

Where to buy: Your local drugstore or by clicking here.

I find that I've been spending an abundance of time indoors (partially due to the brutal weather, partially due to the depressing recession), so it's nice to have a living space that smells delish. These days, life is all about the simple things.

Liz Earle Orange Flower Hand Wash And Hand Repair

I've been on a passionate hunt for fabulous home scents lately. Candles, room sprays, even fancy hand washes. When the going gets tough, it's always nice to come home to a beautiful smelling flat!

Famed UK skincare line, Liz Earle, has repackaged their Orange Flower Hand Wash and Hand Repair (lotion). I have a minor obsession (OCD) with washing my hands so naturally I was anxious to put these to use! And now I can't imagine my sink basin without them.

Both come in simple, baby blue containes with pump tops (my fave!). Although I'd have liked the packaging to be more chic, I assume this is good for all you girlies living with your men (not I!!!) because this way they won't get irked by yet another product taking up prime sink space!

Not only is the packaging unisex, so is the fragrance (which is my favorite part). The orange flower is a fusion of sweet and spicy with a bit of muskiness for extra flavor! It's not overly fragrant and the orange is only a lingering after-smell (not tangy, like a freshly cut orange).

The hand wash contains orange flower water, pro-vitamin B5 and 7 pure essential oils. The hand repair has echinacea, hops, vitmain E, and pure essential oils.

The website offers the orange flower scent in a body wash as well... note to self - put this on Santa Wish List!

Fave Candles For Fall

Here at Beauty Banter we know how important it is to have a beautiful smelling home (almost as important as soft, exfoliated skin!). Naturally, like choosing a shade of red lipstick, there are SO MANY amazingly scented home fragrances to rummage through.

So, in the spirit of the Holiday Season (and cause we know what an easy and great gift a candle is to give and receive), we've narrowed down the selection to our top 5 fave candles for Fall, each with a distinct smell and memory to draw on.

In alphabetical order:

Diptyque Opopanax - A rustic-scented candle reminiscent of a log cabin. Notes of cedar give it a musky quality and a dash of vanilla offers warmth. Opopanax is actually an aromatic resin extracted from a plant in Egypt. Nostalgia brings me to a walk through the woods, my boots sloshing in the freshly fallen snow (if it ever actually snowed in L.A.). Now, if only I could pronounce the name!
Sweet rustic afterscent.
$60.00 for 6.5 oz

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir - A rich and spicy aroma with a hint of sweetness. Blend of pomegranate, raspberry (the sweetness), frankincense (the spiciness) and patchouli. Nostalgia brings me to my mother's house on thanksgiving dinner... a fire blazing in the fire place, mom in the kitchen catering to the turkey, and the yummy scent of pomegranate lingering in the air. That's what this candle embodies... happy memories.
Spicy afterscent.
$65.00 for 200 g
Nest Wild Oats and Bourbon - The warmth of bourbon combined with notes of mandarin ginger (spicy) and wild oats (rustic). This is the ideal blend of rich and earthy tones. Nostalgia brings me to a windy Fall day, all smells-of-life colliding in the epicenter of my nose. I make my way through the leaf-blown street and enter the foyer of a warm house with yet another fire blazing in the fireplace. Rustic decadence; the embodiment of Fall.
Rustic afterscent.
$32.00 for 8.1 oz


Tocca Agadir - A ripened scent of the "tobacco blend burned in the“narghila” pipes." Inspired by the countryside in Morocco (and I am half Moroccan), this aroma offers a sweet yet rich interpretation of the simple life. Nostalgia brings me to changing seasons, the leaves turning that incredible shade of orange and red, standing on a mountain top, breathing in the brisk air, warmed by the last rays of sunshine.
Sweet afterscent.
$35.00 for 10.6 oz

Trees Gift - A robust scented candle with 12 fragrant oils. Notes of basil, chamomile and lemongrass create a juxtaposition of aromas. At one whiff, sweet, yet another, spicy. Gift was formulated with purpose - to cleanse and purify emotions and release thoughts and attitudes to achieve happiness. Nostalgia brings me to a house on a cliff - waves breaking just below. It's an overcast day and the fog hinders sight yet the nose overcompensates with a blast of fresh and lively scents. Is it the ocean air, the sand on the dunes or the garden beside the house? It's a little bit of everything. Be warned: highly fragrant!
Spicy afterscent.
$65.00 for 6oz