Behind the Scents:
2020 Fall and Holiday Fragrances
Peel back the curtain and go behind the scents for an insider look at our six new fragrances for the fall and holiday 2020 season.
We pour love and care into every one of our fragrance launches, but this group feels particularly special. These are the first to launch as CandleScience Clean Scents™️, a new initiative focused on clean ingredients and transparent safety standards. While the concepts for these fragrances were established well before “social distancing” was part of our everyday vocabulary, it turns out that they fit pretty well with the shift in trends we’re seeing during this pandemic. Trends that look towards the familiar, the comforting, and that harken back to days long past.
One of the things that makes working with fragrance so exciting and special is the way a single scent can be so many different things to different people. Let our ideas and suggestions for each fragrance inspire you to create your own unique experience. Ready?
TRENDSPOTTING
A fresh, woodsy tree fragrance is an obvious inclusion for any new fall/holiday collection. We already have a diverse line of pine scents, so we wanted to include something a little more unique for this launch. Dry Gin and Cypress combines the familiar notes of balsam, oak, and cypress with the fresh, herbal bite of gin for a result that’s anything but ordinary. Perfect for any line of beverage scents or as a punchier version of a winter pine scent, Dry Gin and Cypress has lots of possibilities. Capitalize on the resurgent popularity of riffs on the classic gin and tonic, or use it as a blender for creating other custom cocktail fragrances.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
Out of the six label designs we created for this fragrance launch, this one might be the favorite. Minimalist containers and label designs are a desirable choice because they fit beautifully into any style of home decor. When you’re thinking about different scent names, this fragrance presents a great opportunity to have a little fun. Think names like Speakeasy or Shaken Not Stirred.
Alternative scent name ideas: Gin Martini, Shaken Not Stirred, Speakeasy, Cedar and Cypress
HIGHLIGHTS
Candle Safe: Yes
Soap Safe: Yes
Lotion Safe: Yes
Diffuser Base Compatible: Yes
Soy Performance:
Note Profile:
Top: Juniper
Middle: Gin, Red Currant
Base: Balsam, Oak, Cypress, Cedar
TRENDSPOTTING
Pomegranate Bitters is the long-awaited replacement for the discontinued Pomegranate. Not only is this version a CandleScience Clean Scent™, it is truer to the aroma of the fruit itself. Bitters are liquor-based flavoring agents popular in the craft cocktail scene for years now. The modernity of this fragrance is elevated with the inclusion of herbal notes and a bevy of essential oils, making it a great blender for creating beverage and cocktail scents.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
For this label design, we wanted to capture the apothecarial vibe Pomegranate Bitters exudes. We chose a shade of deep red for color, but any red that leans bright or deep would be perfectly appropriate when thinking about a color palette. Consider the direction and overall branding of your line when adding Pomegranate Bitters—keep the name as-is if you want to highlight the cocktail nature of the scent, or think about names like Forbidden Fruit if you want to capture this fragrance’s mysterious allure.
Alternative scent name ideas: Forbidden Fruit, Persephone's Kiss, Pomegranate Rose, Winter Cassis
TRENDSPOTTING
With this fragrance launch, we knew we wanted to include a fragrance or two that captures the coziness of suede, flannel, and cashmere. We’ve seen the popularity of these scents grow over the last few years and they seem to have almost reached peak trendiness with the current demand for comforting fragrances. Cashmere Plum is a fruit forward scent that is warm and homey, and offers a different take on fall/holiday fragrances.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
We went in a homey direction for our label design, but Cashmere Plum has the potential to fit with any aesthetic sensibility. Highlight the autumnal fruit nature of the scent with names like Sunkissed Plum, or curate a different sort of vibe with a name like Picnic Blanket.
Alternative scent name ideas: Sunkissed Plum, Picnic Blanket, Sweet Tuscan Plum
Love this label? Create your own with Avery WePrint!
Size: 1 1/8" x 2 1/4"
Material: matte white paper
HIGHLIGHTS
Candle Safe: Yes
Soap Safe: Yes
Lotion Safe: Yes
Diffuser Base Compatible: Yes
Soy Performance:
Note Profile:
Top: Citrus
Middle: Plum, Black Cherry
Base: Amber, Sugar, Light Musk, Freesia
TRENDSPOTTING
The desire for fragrances with a hint of smokiness has been trending for a while and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Notes of leather are similarly desirable in modern fragrance concepts. Suede and Smoke combines these two trends, resulting in a sensual, intensely earthy fragrance you’ll love for both everyday burning and for impressing visitors. Elegant on its own merit, Suede and Smoke is also a natural choice for creating custom blends.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
Our label design keeps things simple, straightforward, and refined. Believe it or not, the color you see in the Suede and Smoke candle we made is just a touch of our Black Liquid Candle Dye. For other color palettes, think shades of tan and brown, or different shades of gray and off white. With some creative names, you can really curate a specific vibe for this fragrance or denote that it’s intended for a specific segment of your market. Think names like Smoking Jacket or Cigar Club!
Alternative scent name ideas: Charcoal Suede, Smoking Jacket, Cigar Club, Embers and Oak
HIGHLIGHTS
Candle Safe: Yes
Soap Safe: Yes
Lotion Safe: Yes
Diffuser Base Compatible: Yes
Soy Performance:
Note Profile:
Top: Leather
Middle: Smoke, Amyris
Base: Light Musk, Moss
TRENDSPOTTING
Mahogany Shea wraps several different trends into a single fragrance. One of the trends we wanted this scent to capture was the growing demand for milk alternatives, like coconut, almond, and oat milks. The inclusion of interesting woody notes in fragrance has been hot for quite some time, with no sign of slowing down. Mahogany Shea combines these trendy concepts with the soothing allure of nostalgia for days when everything was, at least, comparatively, much less complicated.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
Pull some ideas from the Mahogany Shea mood board we created, or make your own with imagery that speaks to your interpretation of this fragrance. Play up those warm, comfortable vibes with earth tones or varying shades of off white and cream. If you rename your fragrances, think about what you’d like to highlight and what might appeal to your customers. Think Steamed Oat Milk for the trendy and environmentally conscious, or Milk and Honey for those who appreciate the simple luxuries of life.
Alternative scent name ideas: Steamed Oat Milk, Milk and Honey, Sandalwood and Shea
TRENDSPOTTING
It’s not a fall/holiday fragrance launch without a pumpkin scent! Pumpkin Rum Cake is a deliciously gourmand fragrance with the spice notes you expect and a punch of rum that elevates and intrigues. The inclusion of alcohol notes in fragrance is a trend we’ve seen evolve from niche to widely appealing. Bakery scents almost always come with an element of nostalgia, and Pumpkin Rum Cake is no exception. You’ll feel like a kid sitting at the counter in grandma’s kitchen—and present-day-you will certainly appreciate the inclusion of rum.
BRANDING INSPIRATION
With pumpkin fragrances, you can never go wrong with a straightforward, on-the-nose design. Take some ideas from the exceptionally cozy mood board we’ve created and let those autumnal vibes flow. Shades of orange, yellow, and russet make perfect sense for this fragrance. When thinking about other name ideas, you definitely want to stay within the realm of the gourmand for this delectable fragrance. Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake, anyone?
Alternative scent name ideas: Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Spiced Rum, Dark Rum and Pumpkin
