If you're looking to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for your party or house guests this festive season, using the right scented candle can be as important as matching crockery and clean, crisp table linen.
"Scent is the ultimate home accessory," says Chris Wyatt of Jo Malone, one of the world's best-loved purveyors of home and personal fragrances. "A candle can make a house a home by creating a signature scent and give a lasting impression to your guests. It's as much a decorative touch as a bouquet of flowers or individual art work, and a well-chosen scented candle can match a mood or occasion."
The home fragrance market has come a long way from the discreet pomanders in the boudoir of the 1950s, the joss sticks of the 1960s and pot pourri baskets in the guest bathrooms of the 1980s. Nowadays, having a signature scent to match your wardrobe as well as your decorative style - not to mention one that seamlessly blends with the occasion - is de rigueur. At her royal wedding at Westminster Abbey earlier this year, the Duchess of Cambridge added Jo Malone Orange Blossom candles as a finishing touch.
Now the choice varies from scented reeds to scent diffusers, soy or wax candles, eco or luxe packaging, designer brand or supermarket staple, and your choice of candle speaks volumes about your social aspirations as well as decorative imprint.
Choosing a candle now is like choosing your perfume or aftershave. First you need to know the scent group to which you are attracted: floral, oriental, citrus or woody. You should also decide if that scent is relevant to your living space. To get the idea, use the scent bar at The One, where you can smell a wide range of luxury candles, including Linnea's Lights, Delirium & Co and Altru, alongside more affordable options.The climate and the time of year are also important considerations, as is the room where the candle will be placed. Certain scents are more effective in some rooms than others and can actually enhance the space in the same way as decorative touches.
"You can create a seasonal ambience for guests without changing the wall colour," says Wyatt. "Grapefruit is uplifting and fresh in the summer months while a scent like Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir is perfect to warm up winter evenings. Pine and eucalyptus are the perfect festive scents, while roses are ideal for intimate, more feminine spaces such as the bedroom and bathroom."
If you're buying a candle for a dinner party table, it's important to remember that taste and smell are also closely linked, so you should avoid anything too strong.
"If for any reason our sense of smell is impaired, it can affect our sense of taste," says Wyatt. "You should always choose scents that complement a meal rather than take it over. Avoid styling the table with heady, heavily perfumed flowers and choose scented candles that feature refreshing citrus and green top notes. It can also be interesting to light different candles as a long and leisurely meal progresses. When serving pudding and a dessert wine, a sweet, floral or honey is a good match. Something with juicy top notes of ripe peach and rhubarb works well with fruit puddings and sorbets."
When you have selected the right scent, follow a few rules to make the whole ambience more seamless. Firstly, to establish a "memory burn" on a new candle, it's important to let it burn for at least two hours or until the surface completely turns to liquid. This will help to avoid any tunnelling at the wax core.
Secondly, trimming the wick to at least five millimetres will help avoid blackening the glass of the candle. It's also important to recentre the wick each time you extinguish the candle - using a wick dipper will ensure this. And remember, of course, to make sure the candle is away from any direct sunlight or curtains.