Guest and Giveaway: Scents of the Season

The following is a guest post from Cia Arielle at Cia Pink Pumpkin.
  

Anytime you play hostess in your home, especially around the holidays, the prospect can be overwhelming. You want your guests to enter a clean, warm, clutter free home and experience great food and company. Hopefully they will leave content, with such a good impression that they look forward to receiving another invitation from you.

Easier said than done, isn’t it? To create that kind of experience for your guests you truly must address every single detail possible, and I’m here to help with some often overlooked details… Scent. When it comes down to it, a well planned party will address each of the five sense- sight, taste, touch, sound, and scent. You’ll get sight by having a clean and well lit home. Taste is obviously addressed with a well planned spread of food. Touch will be taken care of with plenty of comfortable seating and a home that is not too hot or cold. Sound is easy enough by turning on some pleasant background music. But smell is the forgotten piece of the puzzle.

What fragrances do you pick? You don't want the same fragrance throughout the whole house, nor do you want fragrances that clash. Everything needs to make a cohesive statement without being overwhelming.

For your entrance area and den/man cave I would recommend neutral fragrances. Some of my favorites from this year's collection include Vanilla Cedarwood, Mahogany Teakwood, and Applewood Bonfire. These are all clean, yet slightly smokey fragrances with a very warm and subtle feel.

For the bathroom it's always nice to coordinate something where you can match the fragrance and soap together. If you're into pumpkins I would recommend Pumpkin Caramel Latte, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, or Pumpkin Cupcake. They all come in both candles and soaps. Don't forget to pair with an adorable illuminary and soap sleeve!

For the dining room, subtlety is key. You don't want a strong fragrance that will overwhelm your guests and possibly affect the flavor of the food. Cider Lane, Marshmallow Fireside, and Apple Ale are all perfect selections. You can do a large 3 Wick candle, but for such a decorative room I feel this adorable holder with three mini candles would be best. A full size sanitizer near the food is a great way to encourage your guests to spread love, not germs!

Since the kitchen and living room are in such close proximity to each other, I think the fragrances need to be well coordinated if not the same for these two areas. My favorite fragrance for Thanksgiving is Leaves, which comes in the traditional Bath and Body Works brand as well as White Barn (the difference being that the White Barn is lighter). Other fragrances that would be good for these areas include Spiced Apple Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, and Pumpkin Carving. These fragrances are all not only delicious, but very strong.


If you want to get the absolute best deal on these at Bath and Body Works, don't forget to use your coupons with the sales! The 3 Wick Candles are 2/$22 through November 13. Make your purchase in store and you'll receive a Holiday Gift Guide with three coupons in the front page... Free item up to $13 with any $15 purchase, $10 off $30, and 20% off.

Cia Arielle is a 23 year old fragrance obsessed bride to be living in the heart of America.






This week I am pleased to say Cia is offering this Exclusive Bath and Body Works Test Candle (carried in select stores only through Fall 2013) featuring three top selling fragrances- Creamy Pumpkin, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, and Roasted Pumpkin Butter. Contest ends next Thursday!

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