New year, new me vibes coming in strong in our first thought piece of the year. If you’ve been keeping up with all the latest trend predictions for 2023, you will know that the fashion and design worlds will be riding Pantone’s ‘Viva Magenta’ train this year, while home and interiors will be getting all mellow yellow if Dulux’s ‘Wild Wonder’ has anything to do with it.
Not one to miss out on all the fun, this year we’ve decided to get in on the action and launch our very first SCENT OF THE YEAR! Our annual prediction of which scent note we think will be trending this year. One that sums up the current mood, in a surprisingly sensory way. So, without further ado shall we see what kind of a year 2023 is shaping up to be in the world of home fragrance?...
THAT'S SO LAST CENTURY...
Before we get into this year, cast your minds back to a pre-social media era, before every new brand was a disruptor and the ‘normcore’ trend was all about fitting in. Back in that not-so-distant past, florals were at the epic centre of the fragrance world. Candle scents were overtly feminine with perfumed petals like Lavender, Gardenia and Rose lacing all the scented candle shelves. Florals however are only one part of a rich and varied world of scent.
On the fragrance wheel, you will find 4 primary scent families – fresh, floral, oriental/spice and woody. In recent years we have been expanding our horizons beyond florals, spinning the wheel of fragrance fortune. This has coincided with a burning desire to bring the outdoors in and for all things natural, seeing complex WOODY scents become increasing popular amongst candle lovers. As such Cedarwood, Hinoki, Sandalwood and Patchouli are now some of the new go-to scents for many, and have also made the scented candle market much more genderless.
Even more recently however, this shift has started to evolve even further, as we start to transition from WOODY to FRESH fragrances. This is how Palo Santo started to reign supreme, with it’s citrusy woody notes appealing to both celebrities and candle connoisseurs alike. But as popular as Palo Santo is, we’re always looking for that next best thing. So, if you’re looking to be a home fragrance trend setter, you’ve got to look for the next ‘it’ scent in the FRESH fragrance family.
GIVE ME A SIGN (OF THE TIMES)
As with all trend forecasts – ours is based on a causality, or cause and effect. A trend that is either an amplifier or antidote to the cultural context. And our context is pretty complex right now. Pandemic, war, cost of living crisis and a looming climate emergency. It’s no wonder we’re all a hot mess. So, for this year’s scent of the year, we wanted to both reflect and help recuperate people from the ongoing backdrop of what’s seemingly feeling like a downward spiral (or a never-ending cyclone of shit).
Amongst all this however, there are glimmers of hope - and they can be found in the most unusual of places. Take the Chinese Zodiac. 2023 is the astrological year of the Water Rabbit, symbolising perseverance, good luck and adaptability in everchanging circumstances. This same sentiment is mirrored in the numerological symbolism of 2023, which characterises this as a year where we embrace our personal intuition and the collective energy of curiosity, compassion and contemplation. Using these elusive silver linings as our basis, we asked ourselves – ‘what FRESH fragrance can counteract complexity, whilst also inspiring our contemplative curiosity?’...
SCENT OF THE YEAR 2023: BLUE AGAVE
The answer we’ve been purposefully building suspense to is… the Blue Agave plant. A self-sustaining succulent, it thrives in the most arid conditions. It symbolises strength of character and making the best of a bad situation. Native to Mexico and the Caribbean, it is known locally as the blue ‘ornament’ that grows in desert-like landscapes and offers much needed relief in warmer climates with its rich, syrupy nectar and fresh, watery scent.
Feeling a little blue? Our scent of the year has the power to take you out of your everyday and into the exotic. Its fragrance can wash away your worries by channeling an aura of - ‘when life gives you lemons, make it lemonade’. A vibe everyone will want to get on board with in 2023. This is a scent to inspire daydreams of personal revitalisation, with its natural spa-like quality. Restorative and uplifting aroma to help us recover from the cyclone of complexities in the world around us.
THE NEXT 'IT CANDLE FOR 2023
Today is your lucky day. If Palo Santo has become your new go-to scent, but Blue Agave is giving you some seriously come and get me vibes – we have the candle which has both! MILE HIGH CLUB is the freshest scent in our collection. Where the energy-cleansing citrus wood scent of Palo Santo meets the revitalising, aquatic properties of Blue Agave. Complete with Rock Rose and Cucumber for a more rounded and arousing scent experience, this was designed to be love at first smell.
If you need any more convincing, how about this. Our MILE HIGH CLUB scented candle is also bang on the money when it comes to the 'Blue Beauty' trend that is set to soar this year. A planet-friendly movement with protecting the oceans, reducing plastic and removing harmful chemicals at its core. So not only is this the candle we all need in 2023 - its scent is also trendy as f*ck.
Happy DAYDREAMIN’ 💙