ELM RD. - The New Artisanal Home Fragrance Brand You're Going To Love (AD)

This post is in collaboration with ELM RD. All opinions, as always, are my own.

There's just something about home fragrance that feels so good. On the one hand, it's such a simple little luxury - treating yourself to a scented candle or room diffuser can be so easy and affordable to do. Yet it's also so much more than that. Scent has an incredible power to make us feel uplifted, chilled out or just plain indulged. It can remind us of our favourite people or special times in our lives, transport us to magical faraway places... a scented candle might be a small, attainable thing, but for those of us who love scent, its ability to work wonders on our feeling of wellbeing shouldn't be underestimated.

I am definitely one such person, and my home is never without scented candles or diffusers. Whether it's something fresh and floral in the hallway to welcome visitors, dreamy sandalwood in the lounge to evoke a feeling of relaxation or lavender by the bath to help me wind down before bed, I can't seem to get enough of home fragrance.

So, of course, I was beyond excited when I heard about ELM RD., a new home fragrance brand that launched late last year in the UK.

Born of a need to take time out from the daily grind and reconnect with nature and personal wellbeing, the memories and positive feelings evoked by scent are at the heart of the ELM RD. brand. Each product is handmade with love and care from 100% plant-based ingredients, meaning that they are all natural and vegan-friendly. Candles are made from a combination of rapeseed, soy wax and a blend of pure essential oils, with wooden wicks, to ensure a clean and long lasting burn. Diffuser oils are made from paraben-free botanical fragrances, a blend of essential oils and a vegan and eco-friendly diffuser base. Ingredients are cruelty free and sourced locally wherever possible, while the packaging is minimal and recyclable. 

Each range is based on a particular combination of scents, designed to stir memories or conjure up images of a specific time or place. From the delicate sounding Petals, inspired by the gardens of Versailles in the time of Marie Antoinette, to Chalet, a blend of atlas cedar, smokiness and spice reminiscent of an alpine retreat, it was almost impossible to choose a fragrance to try. They all sounded so wonderful! Each range offers two sizes of candle, a set of tea lights and a room diffuser, with the latter being the most expensive product at £38, which in my opinion is a good price for a high quality home fragrance product. 

For those who really can't decide, ELM RD. even offers a bespoke service, where they will conjure up a selection of fragrances to capture the particular feelings the customer would love to have represented by scent. I can imagine how lovely that would be for a truly special occasion, like a wedding, for instance. In the end, I opted to try out a room diffuser in Amira and a scented candle in Secret.

Amira

The Amira room diffuser is packaged in a sleek and minimal matte black bottle with black reeds, and looks very stylish on the mantelpiece in my living room. The fragrance is exotic and delicious with a hint of warmth - notes of mandarin mingling with frankincense, oud and geranium, inspired by palatial Middle Eastern architecture, desert landscapes and the Arabian Nights. 

I have a large living room, yet this small bottle fills it with scent beautifully, without being in the least overpowering. When I head in there to relax in the evenings, it washes over me as soon as I open the door, improving my mood instantly. I'm absolutely loving it and will feel quite bereft when it's finished. Even my husband has noticed how nice the room smells!

Secret

I went for a candle in the fragrance Secret because it's slightly different to the scents I usually go for. Containing tobacco, tonka and bergamot, it's designed to evoke the atmosphere of smoky Manhattan jazz clubs - a captivating mix of cocktails, leather seating and expensive cologne. It's a really addictive fragrance and a lovely choice for the cooler months as there is such a warmth and cosiness about it. I might not have gravitated towards this type of scent much in the past, but I have a feeling that's going to change now! Just like the Amira room diffuser, the candle is housed in sleek black packaging and has an impressive ability to fill the room with scent.

ELM RD. has seriously impressed me. There are a lot of home fragrance brands out there, but the quality of this one for the price is truly fantastic. The fragrances are sophisticated and utterly irresistible, while the all natural ingredients and commitment to sustainability will, I hope, encourage modern and environmentally aware shoppers to add this brand to their must try list. Any lover of home fragrance will not be disappointed! You can browse their collection here.

Do you have any scented candles or room diffusers in use right now? If so, I'd love to know what your favourite fragrance is.

Kate x