Have you ever picked up a candle and paused for a second to think about the different scents you are picking up as you sniff the candle? Is there a time when you open a candle lid and am thrown into a vivid memory of a place or time? If so, you have scent notes to thank for awakening your olfactory system. Hence why scented candles are so popular and well-loved by most of the world.
The blending of scents to create unique smelling experiences has been around for thousands of years! At least 5,316 years ago a woman named Tapputi was the first recorded chemist who was a perfume maker. Almost 4,000 years ago a perfumery was operating on an industrial scale on the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Bringing us to modern times, perfumes and fragrances are still highly valued and used in the daily lives of almost all humans. Just look around your home and you can find fragrances everywhere from perfumes to soaps, candles, and even cleaning products.
Why do people love fragrances so much? There is an experience that a well-designed fragrance can elicit that brings us right back to a place in time, elevates our moods, and comforts our souls.
The goal behind Blue Spruce Candles is to provide a unique smelling experience that will stir your emotions and bring joy to your lives. In doing so, we custom blend many of our fragrances and list out the scent notes that you will most likely detect while burning your candle. On all our candles, you will find three scent notes listed. For example, our Best-Seller Blue Spruce candle list the scent notes as Spruce, Birch, and Gentle Rain. Read on to learn more about what you smell when you burn our candles.
Notes: In all scented candles with fragrance blending there are notes to describe the richness, emphasis, and liveliness of scents detected in that specific blend. There are three types of notes: top, middle, and base notes.
Top Note: Sometimes called a “head note”, top notes are the scent that is most recognized immediately when you open the lid and take a whiff of the candle. This will be your first impression of a candle and is usually what draws you to a particular candle. Top notes can be described as “vigorous”, “hearty”, or “potent”. Some more common top notes are spruce, lavender, eucalyptus, and pine.
Middle Note: Sometimes called the “heart note”, middle notes are the scent that becomes distinguished just as the top note is disappearing. Middle notes can be described as “relaxed”, “soothing”, or laid-back”. Some more common middle notes are jasmine, neroli blossom, floral, and cinnamon.
Base Note: Base notes are the note at the base of the scent when the middle note is disappearing. Base notes can be described as “grounding” or “rooting”. Some more common examples of base notes are vanilla, sea salt, nutmeg, and sandalwood.
Let’s break down one of our best-sellers from our spring line: Blooming Gardenia. When people would pick up Blooming Gardenia and smell this candle, a huge smile would spread across their faces, and they would exclaim “That reminds me of my house when I was growing up along the coast!” They were being transported to a time when life was simpler and all about having fun. Their brains reacted to the top note of Gardenia Blossom, a plant that bloomed where they grew up. As they continued to smell the candle the top note disappeared and they picked up on the middle note of Neroli Blossom, a scent commonly found in gardenia plants. Finally, as they were putting on the lid of the candle they picked up on the base note of White Musk, which gives the gardenia a hint of a musky, mysterious smell.
Grab a candle today and after reading the scent notes, take a few deep breaths and see if you can pull out the notes as they each appear and disappear. Of course, you might notice other notes as well which add to the emotion-evoking experience of candle burning.
Do you have a favorite candle scent that gives you a jolt of nostalgia or a sense of peace? Drop us a note as we would love to continue blending scents to match the scents you love!
Happy New Year! I hope the start of 2024 has been filled with joy, warmth, and moments of relaxation. As we step into January, I am excited to share our new monthly newsletter with you.
