As the autumn deepens and winter approaches, the mood that I want to create in my house invariably changes. Light floral scents lose their appeal and more robust woods and resins gain favor, as I look for fragrances that are more introspective, warm and inviting. And as the holidays approach, new scents (or repackaged scents) hit the market, all claiming to create that special ambience. Tocca’s Cortina (Brazilian Elemi Wood) candle is described on some websites as “a scent that evokes images of a roaring fire and the comfort of a mug of hot mulled wine”.
As I tend to dislike overly gourmand home scents, and or anything that smells too identifiably “holiday-esque”, that description didn’t convince me…
As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to look into the many products which donate a portion of their proceeds to a breast cancer related cause. The ones that stand out for me are those which have promised 100% of their sales profits to the research and charitable organizations of their choice. 
In light of the increasing awareness, discussion and even debate about climate change and the environment, I wanted to take a look at some ‘eco-friendly’ scented house products this month. I confess that I have never been a big purchaser of specifically eco-friendly products as I rarely find them as compelling (both on and off the shelf) as I do their non eco-friendly counterparts. That may only be because I am a willing victim of superior marketing budgets, but often I find the fragrances less interesting as well. There are of course many cases in the fragrance industry where ‘all natural’ is also a top of the line item, but they tend to be fairly pricey.
I recently purchased Red Flower’s Orange Blossom diffuser to put in a newly remodelled guest bathroom. I was looking for a fragrance that would be light, uplifting and refreshing, while also maintaining a certain air of elegance. I took a chance and ordered the Orange Blossom diffuser unsniffed as I generally have been so pleased with the variety of products I have tried from Red Flower. I was not disappointed!
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