Scented candles have always been popular as a gift. In the past when thoughts turned to home fragrances scented candles were really the only viable option, unless you decided to plump for something like an oil burner or incense sticks. However, trends in interior design are constantly changing with the introductions of new products, new designs and new styles.  One such example of this has been the increase in popularity recently of reed diffusers, also known as fragrance diffusers.

Reed diffusers are very straightforward to operate. They are made up of fragrant oil, a jar or other container to hold the oil and rattan reeds which are placed into the oil to start the process of diffusion. These reeds are very important – wooden sticks or bamboo will not suffice. Rattan reeds have an internal honeycomb-like structure which draws up the scented oil before dispersing it into the air.

Reed diffusers offer a number of distinct advantages over scented candles – they do not require a flame to operate so they can be safely used even if there are young children or pets in the home; they can be left to work when you are out, where it would not be reasonable or safe to leave a lit candle unattended;  and they offer the ability to vary the intensity of the fragrance they emit. When you light a scented candle, it will start to emit its fragrance as the wax melts, but there is nothing you can do to vary the scent. If you would prefer a stronger fragrance, all you need to do with your reed diffuser is turn the reeds over more regularly. Similarly if you prefer a more subtle aroma, just flip the reeds less often, perhaps once a fortnight instead of weekly, or else place fewer reeds in the jar of scented oil in the first place.

But this does not mean that  luxury scented candles have had their day. Reed diffusers undoubtedly have certain advantages over scented candles, offering an appealing modern look which some people find preferable. But there seems to be something deep within us which is attracted to the flickering flame of the candle, which cannot be replicated by any type of diffuser. Perhaps it dates back to ancient times, when crude candles and tapers were the only meagre source of light throughout long dark winter months.In terms of practicality, many candles are now found in jars or tins which provide a stable base and are not easily knocked over, reducing considerably the risk of accidents. You can ensure you get the best from your scented candles by observing a number of everyday commonsense precautions. On no account place a lit candle near something flammable because of the risk of sparks.  Always make sure you place a lit candle on a level surface, well out of the way of little prying fingers.  Never leave a lit candle unattended or leave a candle alight while you sleep. By observing these simple tips you can still enjoy the beautiful fragrance and romantic glow which only scented candles have to offer.

When it comes to home fragrances, reed diffusers are the new kid on the block, so to speak. Traditional favourites such as scented candles, oil evaporators and incense sticks, so beloved of  the Sixties counterculture, have their fans, but for many people the new number one choice in home fragrances is the diffuser.

Reed diffusers are a great way of adding subtle, continuous scent to your home – or indeed your workplace. However, fragrance is a very personal thing – just think how attached some people get to a particular perfume or cologne – so there are no real hard and fast rules about which fragrances work best in which areas of the home.

You may prefer to use a “gourmet” fragrance in the kitchen, so scents such as vanilla, cinnamon and orange tend to work well there. Invigorating scents like lemongrass, citrus and ginger are perfect for living areas, or the reception or hallway, because they are so fresh, welcoming and uplifting

One of the main reasons for choosing luxury reed diffusers over other forms of home fragrance, such as scented candles, is that they can fill your home or office with subtle, delicate and continuous fragrance, without ever being overpowering. Depending on the type or brand you pick, a scented candle may last for up to perhaps two hundred hours, while freshly picked flowers could well last for up to a week. Compare this with high quality reed diffusers which will still be filling your home with beautiful fragrance after several months. Once your reed diffuser has been set up, it is simplicity itself to use. It needs little or no attention, just remember to give the reeds a turn every now and then and that is it. You can now savour its beautiful fragrance, undisturbed, for months. This is one reason why some folk combine reed diffusers with other home fragrance products – for example, scented candles are perfect when you are looking to give your home a boost of fragrance. You can use your diffuser all year round and light a scented candle when you want an uplift in fragrance.

So then, what exactly should we be paying attention to when thinking of buying reed diffusers?

The first thing most people consider is how the diffuser looks and how well (or otherwise) it will blend in with the decor in their home. In fact most premium home fragrance manufacturers devote a great deal of energy and resources into ensuring their products look just as good as they smell. However, aesthetics aside, when it comes to picking your diffuser  there are a few pointers worth remembering to help you make an informed decision. Make an effort to pick a product which has a high concentration of fragrant or essential oils and as little alcohol as possible. On no account should there be any water in the fragrant liquid. Don’t be tempted to go for an inexpensive product which contains alcohol and water because this will simply prove to be a false economy. A reed diffuser containing large amounts of water and alcohol will evaporate rapidly, so the diffuser will not last a long time, nor will it be effective in distributing its fragrance throughout your living space. One simple point worth remembering is to steer clear of diffusers that are brightly coloured, because this tends to suggest they contain large amounts of alcohol and water. This should be distinguished from those fragrant oils which may change colour, becoming darker, after they have been opened and the oil has been exposed to the air. This is a perfectly normal occurrence and does not in any way affect adversely the way your diffuser works

Given how personal fragrance can be, the best advice is probably to experiment with different aromas and, indeed, with different products, such as a combination of reed diffusers and scented candles, to come up with the perfect fragrance solution for your home or office.

 

Home fragrances, from scented candles to reed diffusers and room sprays, have never been more popular. Maybe it has something to do with the state of the economy and the slowdown in the housing market, with people who would once have considered moving to a larger house now deciding to stay put, concentrating instead on making their homes as comfortable and attractive as possible.

 

Whatever the reason, the demand for home fragrances is certainly buoyant. For people who are considering scented candles or fragrance diffusers for the first time, a common question is which of the two will last longer in their home, which will provide better value-for-money? As a general rule it’s probably accurate to say that a scented diffuser will last longer than a candle, but that depends on how often you choose to light your candle. Most good quality reed diffusers, in particular those which use high-grade fragrance oils or essential oils, will last for 3 – 6 months, providing continuous fragrance throughout that time. The actual time your diffuser will last will depend on a number of factors, not least of which are how often you choose to turn the reeds over, the ambient temperature of your living or office space and where you place the diffuser in a particular room.  

 

Scented candles on the other hand have different burn times, usually between twenty and eighty hours, although there are some which have burn times in excess of one hundred hours, even up to a whopping two hundred and forty hours! A scented candle will, of course, only provide fragrance when it is lit.  If you buy a scented candle with a burn time of, say, sixty hours but only light it once or twice a week for a few hours, your candle should last you around three months. But that really defeats the purpose. Scented candles are not ornaments, although they do come in the most artistic designs, and with their attractive jars and lustrous colours they make a beautiful focal point for any room’s decor, whether they are lit or unlit. However, they are meant to be enjoyed, so you should light them as often as you wish, without concerning yourself about “rationing” your candles to make them last longer. Should your candle burn out – as it surely will, simply buy another one! Scented candles from even the finest manufacturers are modestly priced, allowing you to indulge your candle habit regularly without a guilty conscience!

 

So, rather than worrying about how long a candle or diffuser will last, the best advice is to consider instead which one serves your purpose better. A reed diffuser is the perfect solution for those who prefer to give their home a subtle, continuous fragrance without the need to light a candle. Imagine coming home from a hard day’s work to be greeted by the delightful aroma from your diffuser as soon as you walk through the door.   Reed diffusers are also particularly useful if you have young children or pets, where a candle may be in danger of being accidentally knocked over.

 

Scented candles tend to provide a more pronounced, intense aroma than reed diffusers. If you prefer to give you home a stronger fragrance “hit” from time to time – such as when you have friends visiting – then a scented candle is likely to fit the bill. Or why not combine both? Many of the best manufacturers now produce scented candles and reed diffusers in the same aromas, so you can match them up perfectly in any given room of your home. The diffuser can get to work when you are not at home, leaving you to light the matching candle when you get in, to lift the atmosphere and provide a deeper, more rounded fragrance for your home.

 

 

 

Whether you are searching for something special for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary occasion,  or you are looking for a unique gift for a close friend or loved one or you are just endeavouring to leave you with an elegant ambiance for your home, what about home fragrances?

Home fragrances have grown exponentially in popularity in the last ten years or sofrom the time when there was nothing available except cheap factory produced plug-ins, or even worse those horrible air freshener which smelled worse than the odour it was purporting to negate.

Of all the different types of home fragrances – scented candles, diffusers, room sprays and more – reed diffusers with their attractive reeds are increasingly the most popular. Fragrance diffusers are extremely sought after gifts and there are a several reasons for this.

Firstly there is the visual appeal of reed diffusers. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and designs, not to mention, of course, in a vast selection of different fragrances.

In essence reed diffusers consist of a number of different items which are simply put together to give you the final product. These constituent parts include the rattan reeds themselves, through which the fragrant oil is drawn by capillary action, the scented oil which gives the diffuser its fragrance and a jar or container which houses the oil and into which you place the rattan reeds.

The rattan reeds are usually a natural, dare-I-say-it “wooden” colour but some of the more elegant designs have black reeds. Once these are artistically deployed in the jar of oil they lend your room an almost oriental look and are certainly much more stylish than an electrical diffuser or even many scented candles. The jars which contain the scented oil can also be extremely attractive, ranging in design from a simple yet very stylish etched glass apothecary-style jar to more ornate styles in frosted glass or even dark or different colours of glassware which lend the final version of the diffuser a very attractive appearance.  There are even some manufacturers whose reed diffusers are made up from recycled hand-blown Venetian or Murano glass and these make the most beautiful gits for a loved one or friend.

Reed diffusers are also available in a variety of different sizes including smaller, travel diffusers. These diffusers make a perfect gift for someone who is constantly travelling out of town on business. They can be easily popped into a travel bag, briefcase or suitcase to be opened up when the recipient gets to their hotel. They lend even the dullest of hotel accomodation a luxurious air allowing the weary businessman or woman to relax at the end of a hard day.

When it comes to choosing reed diffusers as gifts – or indeed as a self-indulgent treat – why not give some thought to choosing a variety of these small travel diffusers in a variety of different fragrances to make up a gift set which any recipient is sure to love. Your selection could be made up of a choice of scents which your friend or loved one loves, or else you could make your selection based on a theme – perhaps a selection of diffusers in floral scents such as rose, freesia and gardenia, or else a variety of invigorating aromas such as ginger, clove and sandalwood. Alternatively, if you prefer to go for a larger reed diffuser you are sure to find one that would be perfect for use as a decorative focal point in your loved one’s home – perhaps sitting proudly above a fireplace or as a  lavish centrepiece for the dinner table or console.

So you see, irrespective of the occasion, scented reed diffusers give you the chance to buy your friends or loved ones a truly thoughtful gift, one which fits in perfectly with your recipient’s own sense of style and personal preferences. And the good thing is that they needn’t cost a fortune. Even if you choose reed diffusers from some of the world’s leading brands you will discover that they are relatively modestly priced, meaning that when you are gift shopping you can afford to pop one or two in your shopping bag for your own use as well! What more could you ask?

 

 

 

If you are looking for home fragrances to refresh your home, then you have a large choice available to you. Not only a massive choice of fragrances themselves, but you also have a choice of distribution or dispersal techniques and which you use depends on personal preference although many people use more than one.

 

There are scented candles that can look as good as they smell, or the clean lines of reed diffusers that disperse the aroma of essential and other scented oils. Alternatively, some people use oil burners or evaporators, while some people prefer to burn incense.

 

Candles come in an almost unlimited range and shapes of sizes, and they also offer a very wide range of scents from the popular floral scents to the more exotic sandalwood and cinnamon. While reed and other oil diffusers are certainly popular, candles have a certain ambience that people like, possibly because of the live flame and that they appear to being doing something in a way, rather than just being ornamental as reed diffusers are.

 

Incense sticks can be a bit harsh at times and make your room appear smoky, and they should be used in well ventilated areas, but so too should any other type of fragrance diffuser.  Reed diffusers have the advantage of being smoke-free, but a well formulated candle should also present no smoke until snuffed or blown out, when there will be a slight amount of smoke before the wick cools.

 

Overall, when deciding between the various forms of home fragrances, candles and reed diffusers are the two most popular and meet the decorative needs of your home in addition to offering a lovely fragrance. Many people elect to use a reed diffuser or electrical oil diffuser during the day and light up some scented candles or oil burners at night. Do not treat your scented candles as ornaments. While they are available in a range of attractive designs, to appreciate them in their full glory you need to light them and savour their delightful fragrance.

 

So which should you choose:  a diffuser or a candle? In many ways this is simply a matter of personal preference, but in others it depends upon any of a number of factors including:

 

a)  If you like the look of a burning candle, then that would be your obvious choice.People whose home are heated by central heating, with no open fire usually prefer scented candles. Oil burners also offer the same benefit, though to a lesser extend since the heat source is not always as prominent.

 

b)  Scented candles are available in a marvelous choice of shapes and sizes, and many people use candles, scented or not, just for their decorative appeal. Oil evaporators can also be found in an array of attractive designs.

 

c)  Candles are also available in a much wider range of perfumes than are essential or scented oils. The majority are derived from flowers, such as rose, although others are obtain from fragrant botanicals such as cedarwood or sandalwood.  There are also mineral sources of perfumes for candles.  Evaporators and diffusers must use a relatively low molecular weight oil in order for evaporation to proceed, so the range of perfumes is relatively limited.

 

d)  Diffuser home fragrances, such as reed diffusers, use the pure oil without burning it, and many feel that they get better value for money. This is not actually the case, and neither do the reeds last forever. They eventually clog up and have to be replaced. Oil burners (a misnomer) or electrical diffusers do not actually burn the oil, but need a heat source such as a candle or electrical supply.

 

e)  Reed diffusers can be used whenever you want and left even while you are going on vacation.  With candles, on the other hand, most people prefer to blow them out when they leave the house. There is generally no need for this since they have advanced since the days when they would burn right down to the bottom. Each type of home fragrance has different advantages – scented candles are perfect when you are at home while reed diffusers come in to their own when the house is unoccupied.

 

f) Electrical oil diffusers are popular, and although they use electricity they can be found in good range of designs. Nevertheless, they don’t have the ‘natural’ look of a scented candle or a reed diffuser.

 

f)  Oil diffusers of any kind are easily topped up, and all you have to do is to get them started and they will operate full time whereas scented candles have to be renewed once they have burned out. The electrical types generally need you to purchase new cartridges rather than top-up oil, and this can be a turn-off for some people.

 

Which you use is immaterial at the end of the day, because your house will filled with beautiful home fragrances that can mask any pet or cooking odors while enabling you to relax in a room that smells great and can often relax you through the neurological effect of the chemicals that provide that great smell.

 

 

Scented candles can add the final touch to any room.  Imagine you have updated your living space with new sofas or new curtains and a new carpet and you have added attractive paintings, prints and vases to give the room more character and more comfort.  You look around and realise that something is missing from the space. What could it be?

 

You have added items which enhance the senses with the use of colour and space in the room, the eyes are pleased by what they see, the textures used provide a good mixture and are lovely to touch, but something seems missing.  That little extra touch that really makes the room as you want it – something to enhance the look and feel of the room. That little extra is the way the room smells:  its scent.

 

A scented candle stimulates the senses, and completes the decor and feel of a room. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to the choice of candles available nowadays, from a simple tealight or votive, to an ornate glass jar candle or candle tin, suitable as a centrepiece to any room.

 

They come in different sizes and a range of attractive colours to blend with your room decor, or artistically clash with your colour scheme. Without a doubt, however, the most attractive feature of a scented candle is the delightful fragrance it imparts when lit. Not only is the dancing flame of the candle an added attraction to any living space, but the delightful fragrance it emits also contributes to the final design feature for  your home.

 

There are many different fragrances that you can have in a candle, ranging from fruit aromas such as orange, clove or grapefruit, to the smell of English roses, lavender or vanilla. You could even use a candle of formed pure essential oil in wax which will affect your mood while relaxing in the evening. The choice of fragrance is purely personal, but with so many scents to choose from you can happily ring the changes whenever the mood takes you.

 

Scented candles can be very long-lasting, some burning for up to 50 hours, and you have a choice of either paraffin wax or the more eco friendly soy wax which is better for you and for the environment. However, it is important for you to balance the various scents available from such candles since there are a very large number of possibilities, and just like perfumes, not all go well together.

 

Not only do these candles add to the look and feel of your own living space, be it the living room or the bedroom or even scented tea lights floating in the bath,  but you can also improve someone else’s living space by offering them a scented candle as a gift. They are available in strickingly stylish packaging, with the added bonus, unlike, for example, reed diffusers, that the aroma of the candle may “leak” through, permeating the atmosphere with a promise of beautiful fragrance once the candle has been lit.

 

If you have your own birthday coming up why not drop a few hints that you would like a scented candle and see what lovely gift you receive. You could hint on the scent that you would prefer, or leave it up to others and find out what they think would suit you and your living space. It is also worth bearing in mind that in addition to their beautiful fragrances, scented candles also offer a decorative element to any room. Both the candles themselves and their holders or containers can be very attractive.

 

You don’t place a beautifully fashioned scented candle in a pot more appropriate to a house plant or in a pint tumbler. There is a great variety of candles and accessories available nowadays, ranging from glass candleholders to ornate wrought-iron candlebras.

Once you have your scented candle there will be no need to put on the lamps in the room: the glow of the candle will give you a lovely low lighting, and that, coupled with the beautiful scent filling your space, will make you feel relaxed and happy that you chose scented candles as your final design feature.