November 2, 2007

Fragrant giveaway

The way someone's home smells can reveal much about who they are. Vanilla aromas indicate a somewhat conventional soul. Those who deck their homes with springs of lavender are romantic, if slightly frustrated, types. And if you catch a whiff of sage, forget about it. This person was recently possessed by demons.
If you'd like your home, or the home of your dearest friends, to exude nothing but clean sophistication, then we have good news for you. Interior designer Barbara Barry has just created a line of fabulous home scents, all inspired by the aromas in her own home. Comprising linen sprays, room sprays and scented candles, the collection will inject orange blossom, star jasmine and sandalwood in to your living room, citrus zest in to your powder room and as for the bedroom...sweet of course, with just a hint of vanilla.
Launching at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman this month.

Barbara Barry has kindly offered to gift a Bedroom Candle (retail value $48) to one lucky Stylephile reader. To win, please leave a comment telling us about your favorite smell in the world. The one that makes us feel most warm and fuzzy, wins. Deadline is Friday November 9 at 5PM. Be sure to check back then to find out if you won!

November 2, 2007 in OPENINGS/LAUNCHES | Permalink

Comments

Pachoulli. If you haven't yet, do so soon. It's the first time forever. A mystic's myrh, maddening langour, realized swelling froth. You can taste it.

Posted by francie | Nov 11 2007 8:03PM

who won?

Posted by daddy's girl88 | Nov 10 2007 2:36PM

My favorite fragrance is White Tea & Ginger. I just love the smell. It smells so fresh and clean & crisp and feminine all at the same time. I want to smell it all the time. From the house to the car, to my lotion I wear everyday. I just love to surround myself in it.

Posted by Linda | Nov 9 2007 2:15PM

I know its a little early for christmas memories, but my favorite smell that brings back warm and fuzzy feelings are going up to the woods with my folks as a kid and cutting down a tree. We had a camper on the back of our truck and we could smell the tree all the way home. mmmmm I love that smell :)

Posted by Dee | Nov 9 2007 2:42AM

Oh and to wholiff, that popcorn smell is from the dogs natural flora bacteria. Pasturella... I just realized that our comments had to be warm and fuzzy. I guess we are both out. LOL... But then again, your doggie is warm and fuzzy. ;)

Posted by candes | Nov 8 2007 11:56PM

My favorite smell is Aveda hairspray, It is a shame though that you can't smell it after it dries, Unless it rains on your hair.

Posted by candes | Nov 8 2007 11:47PM

When I was a little girl, I would give my dad the same present every year for christmas... of course it was never a surprise but he always acted as if he had no idea. It was ''Yves Saint Laurent: Kouros'', my favorite smell in the world. When ever I would go away to sleepovers I would bring one of his old bottles with me to fall asleep with. Other than my father, it was the most comforting thing. My father died when I was 15, and though it has been 3 years, I smell that white bottle of kouros (which is still half full since he wasn''t able to finish it) and I feel my father''s arms around me. I know it is just a plastic white bottle with some liquid in it, but that bottle brings me closer to my dad than any picture or memory ever could.

Posted by Daddy's Girl88 | Nov 8 2007 5:44PM

The smell of the snow... it makes me always happy and peaceful!

Posted by Vale | Nov 8 2007 1:34PM

the smell of new, crisp money always makes my heart melt!

Posted by Imisa | Nov 8 2007 10:25AM

The back of my baby granddaughter's neck is the smell that makes my heart soar.

Posted by Kay | Nov 8 2007 5:40AM

The smell of memories... Coffee on my father''s breath as he kissed me goodbye in the morning and we went our separate ways, he to his law firm and me to junior high. Ralph Lauren''s Polo on the skin of my first love, high school, unrequited, 1982. Summer, fresh cut grass, Coppertone, low tide, Michelob, cigarette smoke. The smell of bong hits at the fraternity where I spent most of spring, 1986, pining for the guy who ignored me the following semester. Wine, garlic and butter melding in a stainless steel skillet, a combination salivatingly strong enough to draw out the whole family from all parts of the house, to see what was cooking. My mom, fresh from a shower upstairs, blow-drying her hair, that particular sizzled smell mixed with Tiffany, the perfume she still loves these many decades later. The smell (and taste) of her lipsticks I’d try on when she wasn’t home, while I was still in junior high school. The crackle of kindling, ancient wood logs, that heady, hearty aroma, sleeping in front of the fireplace in the family room the night of the ice storm in 1973 (made famous in Rick Moody’s “The Ice Storm.”) The warm rich tones of cream, lobster and sherry in my mom’s lobster bisque that she only makes in winter. Chocolate chip cookies. Slow-cooked spare ribs. The unmistakable aroma of a whole chicken in the oven. Disintegrating leaves in the fall that call up visions of apples, pumpkins, and harvest moons. The smell of the tee-shirts left behind belonging to the guy who walked out that one night and broke my heart.

Posted by biltud | Nov 7 2007 1:55PM

My favorite smell in the world is the sweet scent of Gardenias. Their essence is simply intoxicating.They spark sentiments of romance, promote relaxation and reinvigorate the senses. They are absolutely heavenly!

Posted by Spontane | Nov 7 2007 12:12PM

I love the smell of cinnamon! I have cinnamon scented candles that I buy every year to make my house smell warm and inviting. I also like to simmer cinnamon sticks and orange peels on my stovetop. Maybe it''s the comfort of home cooking (apple pies and such) that makes me happy. I feel energized.

Posted by olympicgirl | Nov 7 2007 10:31AM

The greatest smell in the world is the Narcisso Rodriguez perfume, believe it or not the compliments flow unbelievably from women!! I've been stopped in the street in stores in order to be asked.."What are you wearing, it smells so nice..." Sshh...keep it our little secret!

Posted by karenjoy | Nov 6 2007 6:53PM

I have never been able to pinpoint the ingredients of this scent, but the warm, inviting smell reminds me of my deceased grandmother whom I adored and admired. It’s one of those things where I come across a particular soap in a store or in a drawer when I’m at my family’s house that the smell appears out of the blue, catches me off-guard and brings back childhood memories of spending summer days with my grandma – a very elegant woman who loved to take me shopping and walking all over town. It’s a sweet, comforting smell – soft, rich smelling soap like honeysuckle with chamomile, if I had to make a guess.

Posted by butterfly ew | Nov 6 2007 4:16PM

Softly simmering, slightly spiced mulled red wine...it fills the home with the scent and everyone walking in tothe party instantly feels cozy--better when its a party for 2!

Posted by Sarahleah | Nov 6 2007 3:48PM

This one was a no-brainer for me - hands down the smell I love more than anything is warm, clean laundry! I once had a boyfriend whose clothing somehow always retained that warm, fresh, clean scent. It's no wonder that there's a fabric softener named Snuggles!

Posted by awlrain | Nov 6 2007 2:47PM

The smell of my husband when he first wakes up in the morning. He just has a nice scent that make me feel safe.

Posted by Vanessa L. | Nov 6 2007 1:49PM

The scent of a lovely summer evening enchants me with the mixed fragrances of blooming roses, hibiscus bushes, stargazer lilies, purple lilacs with such a brief but dazzling life, all combined with the freshness of newly mown grass and the chirrup chirrup of crickets as they communicate under the glistening stars. Ahhhhhh life is great.

Posted by Marti | Nov 6 2007 1:39PM

Awww nothing like opening the front door to a breeze of the Lilac Tree.

Posted by MCJunkie | Nov 6 2007 1:15PM

The smell of the air when its about to rain....mmmmm...

Posted by oats4mer | Nov 6 2007 11:45AM

The smell of fall - the crispness of the cool air, the smell of wood burning in fireplaces all over the neighborhood, the smell of the leaves that have changed colors and fallen so delicately to the ground, the smell of my mom baking her famous pumpkin bread (the cinammon and allspice really make the house smell divine!). Fall is the greatest season of all and its too bad people don't get to experience it like those of us who grew up in the midwest.

Posted by MESA | Nov 6 2007 11:45AM

The smell of my husband Paul first thing in the morning. It's a subtle, lingering combination of Dolce & Gabbana, Crest toothpaste and that mysterious but oh-so-lovely "sleeping man smell" that makes me smile. As a bonus, this distillation of his "Paul-ness" remains on his pillow so that - with just one sniff - I can pretend that he's there, even when he's not. Pure bliss.

Posted by Leigh | Nov 6 2007 11:39AM

I absolutely adore the scent of sandalwood - exotic, yet comforting.

Posted by maryte | Nov 6 2007 11:30AM

My freshly washed baby towel. Sounds childish, and yes, it probably is, but it gives me so much comfort all the time no matter what. Snuggling with it gives me eternal bliss.

Posted by fb | Nov 5 2007 2:21PM

The exotic firey smell of Indian spices reminds me of my beautiful auntie Meena. The kitchen was her kingdom where she ruled over the hundreds of colorful spices that lined her tin. Her moods were reflected in the spices she chose- anger was chili, joy was cardomon and cloves, bitter was caraway. Even after the tables were cleaned and the dishes washed, the smell of the dish lingered in the air and in our clothes like fragrant souvinirs.

Posted by hapadesi | Nov 4 2007 7:56AM

The smell of autumn when a wood fire crackles in the grate and leaves crunch under your feet as you walk home to a spicy, cinnamon laced cup of hot chocolate. The scent of autumn is wood fires, first frost, falling leaves and chocolate with a hint of cinnamon. Living in Los Angeles this is the smell I miss most from my childhood in Germany and England!

Posted by timestop | Nov 3 2007 2:22PM

Four years ago on our honeymoon in Spain, I had my first experience with the subtle elegance of jasmine. It grows wild and unexpected in Andalusia -- on rooftops and in alleyways. The smell is unbelievably lovely, combined with the serendipity of walking through an unexpected pocket of it, following its trail like some olfactory Nancy Drew. I bought a small bottle of pure jasmine oil on my last day in Spain, and have worn it sparingly as my only perfume for the last four years. My husband now loves the smell as much as I do. The bottle is, of course, nearly finished. Unfortunately, in production, jasmine is often combined with so many other scents that the potency of the tiny white flower is hidden, diminished by more overpowering flavors. I fear I may have to book another trip to Spain soon, as there's nothing quite like the smell of that lovely little flower.

Posted by Wholiff | Nov 3 2007 9:12AM

sometimes my dog's fur smells like popcorn!

Posted by Ellena | Nov 2 2007 2:28PM