The love for lilac scented candles is growing (pardon the pun).
Think back five or so years ago to when lots of candle makers were releasing very fresh, green scents, with things like tomato being used a lot. Or, more recently, when we’ve seen a love for scents full of woodsmoke dominate. Now? Now, shopping trends reveal a penchant for all things lilac.
So, lilac scented candles: why the trend?
Trends always reveal a lot about society, from politics and current affairs, to the wellbeing of the general population. We all know about the roaring twenties kicking in after the great depression. Trends say so much than just what colours are popular right now; they reveal the current climate.
For example, a craving for very green scents could be connected to feeling stuck or things moving slowly. While a yearning for woodsmoke could reveal a need for comfort. So, in that case, what does the trend for lilac scented candles reveal…?
First, what does lilac smell like in a scented candle?
Lilac is a sweet, incredibly heady scent. It does have a slightly powdery note, along with some hints of rose, green leaves and vanilla too. It’s a very distinctive scent, the sort of floral scent that stops you in your tracks and makes you want to figure out what that gorgeous smell is. If you’ve ever sniffed your way up and down a street in Spring or Summer, trying to track down a gorgeous smell, you’d probably caught a whiff of lilac.
How lilac smells in a scented candle depends on what other oils it’s been mixed with and the quality of the candle brand’s mixing and oils. If you think of lilac as being overwhelmingly powdery, or a bit ‘old lady’ then it’s likely you’ve been burning a hastily made blend with low quality oils.
Our Spring ‘23 candle is a great example of a well-balanced lilac scent. We mixed the gorgeous sweetness of lilac with the herbal clarity of lavender and the scent of fresh rain.
How can a lilac scented candle impact your wellbeing
Lilac is a feel-good scent. It’s used by aromatherapy practitioners as a mood-booster and to calm the nervous system.
We always keep in mind the impact of any scent on our mood and the messages it sends to our brain when including it in one of our Original Scent Recipes.
It was the uplifting, wildly positive feel of lilac oil that led us to include it in our Spring ‘23 scent.
If you’re looking for a mood-lifting, sweet-smelling, joy-sparking scent experience then opt for a candle with a touch of lilac in.
If I love lilac scented candles, what other scents will I like?
A lilac-heavy fragrance is two things. One; it’s wonderfully sweet, and two; it’s floral. Those two things provide a brilliant starting point for finding other scented candles that you’ll love.
Try floral scents:
If you’ve got a soft spot for fresh flowers, or perhaps love to get your hands dirty in the garden, then try other strong floral scents like rose, lily, jasmine, gardenia and geranium.
Swap for sweet herbal scents:
You could also opt for the more floral end of the herbal spectrum with wonderful scents like chamomile, lavender or orange blossom.
Indulge in heady sweet scents
Why not try a simple classic like a vanilla scent. When vanilla is done well it’s a really welcoming, rich scent and shouldn’t be overwhelming or too sickly.
Opt for something fruity
If you love the scent of a lilac scented candle, there’s a good chance you’ll love a fig candle too. They have a similar feel and impact, with rich sweetness and a slight powdery finish. You could always experiment with fragrance notes like cassis, pear, or apple too.
But, can a lilac scented candle really change how I feel?
The short answer is, yes! The slightly longer answer is that smell is the first sense we develop in the womb. Our sense of smell is intricately wired to our brain - meaning, in layman’s terms, that scent communicates really effectively with our brains.
When we smell something, our brain responds - it receives the association with that particular scent and sends messages across your body and whole being in response. So if lilac is a positive smell for you, if you associate it with, say, endless, wonderful summers or perhaps the garden of a loved one, then burning a lilac scented candle will trigger those same, positive, associations in your brain. It really is a little bit magic.
How to burn your candle so its scent fills the room
You really want a scented candle’s fragrance to flood the room, don’t you? We love subtle scents, ones that don’t overwhelm and can work at any time of day, but even those need to fill every corner of the room and impact how you’re feeling.
Lilac scented candles are typically fairly powerful scents. Lilac itself is a strong, heady scent. If your rooms are very big, though, or if your candle’s got a lot of competition, scent wise, at home, then even the strongest of candles can get lost.
Here are some tips to make sure your candle’s scent fills the room:
Know your candle care
Make sure you follow the candle care guidelines that come with your candle. While there’s some general best practice throughout the industry e.g. always keep your wick trimmed, some advice will vary depending on specific waxes.
Place your candle centrally
If you can, place your scented candle at the centre of your room. Whether on a coffee table or on a tray on a pouffe, keep it as central as possible to help its scent fill every corner.
Light in advance
It can take 30 minutes or so for some candles to really start to impact the room. A luxurious way to burn candles is to light them a little while before you’re going to relax in the room. Try lighting a candle in your bathroom before you’ve even started running the bath, or lighting one in the living room before you’ve finished work for the night. It’s amazing the impact walking into a fully scented room can have.