The smell of travel: 6 scented product lines that will make you feel like you're on vacation
We've all heard that scent is closely tied to memory. Whether a smell is good or bad, it can evoke strong reactions and cause you to recall where you were or what you were doing each time you catch a whiff of something familiar.
Lately, we've noticed popular aroma-producing brands touting travel- and destination-themed collections that mimic the vibes of popular cities and travel experiences via smell. From oils and candles to toiletry offerings, here are our top picks to put you back in the jet-setting frame of mind -- whether you're between trips or not quite ready to travel just yet.
AromaTech's Cities and Journeys diffuser oils
AromaTech's Cities Collection features six scented oils designed to embody the ambiance of Vancouver, British Columbia; New York; London; Moscow; Dubai; and Tokyo. Using fun combinations like coffee, chocolate, Baileys Irish Cream, almond and sandalwood (New York) and plum brandy, leather, tobacco, cedar, vanilla and tolu balsam (London), the selections will have you reminiscing about that time you backpacked across Europe or took your first trip to the Big Apple. Similarly, the brand's Journeys Collection comprises Bora Bora Serenity, Alpine Summit, Amalfi Revelry and Redwood Nocturne.
Homesick's destination-specific candles
Whether you're trying to decide if you want to stay domestic or venture abroad, nothing screams "travel" like Homesick's Cities, States and Countries collections. In addition to candles inspired by each of the United States' 50 states, the brand also sells candles designed to remind the burner of various cities in the U.S. and Canada. At the national level, customers can choose from olfactory representations of the U.S. (Granny Smith apples with vanilla and cinnamon), Canada (butter, maple and vanilla) and the United Kingdom (rain, tea and sticky toffee pudding), as well as Brazil, China, France, India and Mexico.
Park Scents' theme park candles
While we're on the subject of candles that make you feel like you're really there, the candle options from Park Scents are fun and will make you nostalgic. From rides, resorts and attractions to food and drinks, you can reminisce about your last trip to Universal Orlando or one of Disney's theme parks with this brand's offerings. If you're a Disney fan you might be drawn to Poly Lobby, Mansion, Delicious Grey Stuff or Oranges. If Universal is more your jam, try Halloween Horror, Wizard Beer or Extra-Terrestrial Adventure.
XC Candle Co.'s Aviator's Candles
If the smell of Dole Whip, churros and the Haunted Mansion aren't for you, enter Etsy shop XC Candle Co. Ideal for any AvGeek or pilot, the candles come in more than three dozen scents. The most amusing options include Fly Good, Don't Suck (lavender); Line Up & Wait (salty breeze); Mile High Club (dry gin and tonic); Wake Turbulence (Mediterranean fig); Airplane Mode (mango and coconut milk); Redeye (fresh ground coffee); New Airplane Smell (leather); and Jet Fuel in the Morning (Jet A fuel).
Diptyque's Le Grand Tour body scents
If all this talk of jet fuel has you feeling like you need to freshen up, Diptyque's Le Grand Tour products can also figuratively whisk you away to several great locations, including Greece's Milies with soap that marries notes of fig, cypress and Mediterranean breeze; Venice, Italy, with a set of three travel-sized perfumes that combine fresh basil, green peppers, mandarin and vetiver; and Kyoto, Japan, with a bottled perfume that mixes rose, incense and vetiver. (You can also travel to Paris and Byblos, Lebanon, via candle.)
Demeter's Destination Collection fragrances
For more bath and body products to ignite your wanderlust, check out Demeter Fragrance Library's Destination Collection. Snag one of the line's six fragrances in a cologne spray, roll-on perfume, body and massage oil, shower gel or lotion. Scents represent six countries, including Thailand (warm, gentle, spiced breeze), Morocco (freshly ground spices in an open-air market), Ireland (an unspoiled meadow with a river running through it), Cuba (tobacco leaves, sugar cane and Latin spices), New Zealand (leaves, bark, grass, snow, ocean, river and stone) and the Great Barrier Reef (coral reef, shoal and islet).
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