9 Best Scents for Summer Escapism

Artisanally crafted and thoughtfully made, Bastide’s candles will take you right into a mid-summer moment in Provence. The line is inspired by the “remarkably unremarkable” – the early-morning wake-ups with the sound of bees buzzing and the smell of the lavender bushes outside the window; afternoon walks with figs in-hand; the late summer evenings spent in the garden for dinner with friends and family. These little moments end up being the ones that are remembered for years. Each of Bastide’s scents–Amber Soir, Figue d’ete, Miel De Lavande ($65 each)–has its own unique wax blend created to balance its fragrance counterpart for a purposeful scent and lasting product. And as if the sweet smell of Provence isn’t a gift enough, the candles are packaged in hand-blown bubble glass that can be recycled and used afterward as jars or tumblers.

Rosie Jane Johnston, a mother of three and celebrity makeup artist, founded her lifestyle brand, by Rosie Jane, in 2012 and continues to expand the line. The Australian native created the Tilly ($40), a coconut wax candle with a scent that was inspired by summers spent in Sydney. Rosie’s products are handcrafted in California and packaged in eco-friendly tubes. Delicate and sensual, this subtle scent will add a sweet hint of Australian summer to your space.

For those familiar with a West Coast summer and longing for remembrance of it, lighting up Krigler’s Charming California 215 scented candle ($105) is an excellent place to start. The Charming California 215 perfume initially launched with the opening of the Krigler Beverly Hills boutique in 2015 and was Krigler’s love letter to the city of stars. Now, the cheerful fragrance, inspired by the Jacaranda trees that line Los Angeles’ streets, blooming their striking blue and purple buds through late May, can be enjoyed throughout the home. 

A green and earthy scent that ignites a distinct memory of walking through a fresh farmer’s market that’s what we pick up when we take in Buckler’s Tomato Leaf Candle ($38). Made with 100 percent soy wax and hand-poured in Los Angeles, this candle has notes of garden herbs, verbena, sweet pepper, oakmoss, and basil. It’s the perfect compliment to any cooking or dining space. 

Place yourself right into fields of sunflowers and cypress trees, where the olive groves and vineyards roll as far as the eye can see. In a land where time seems to stand still, and every new view is just as magical as the one before, it can feel like there couldn’t be a more perfect place to spend summer. Where tomato vines meet wild primrose, TOCCA’s Tuscany diffuser ($35) helps to put those of us with Italy-withdrawals back in a Tuscan-state-of-mind.

The exclusive, peaceful, secluded Mustique–a private Caribbean island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines–inspired AERIN’s L'Ansecoy Orange Blossom candle ($80). This scent captures the sweet air from the island’s beachside flora: a mixture of orange blossom, cedar, and citrus of Petitgrain. Introduce this elegant and delicate-looking candle–it’s packaging is designed by artist Helen Dealtry–to one of your shelves or tabletops, and you’ll feel like you’re joining the glamorous and often recurring A-listers who share a love for Mustique.

Open up the doors and windows and let the sweet, vibrant smell of gardenia seep in and throughout the home. Inspired by the intensely fragrant white blossoms, LAFCO’s Fresh Cut Gardenia ($65) brings a piece of your garden inside. Each luxurious candle is packaged inside a hand-blown glass vessel, making it even more enjoyable to plant on a shelf or countertop.

Building onto the century-old legacy of a European immigrant family’s thriving floral business in Saratoga, New York, Gibson & Dehn was born. The luxury home fragrance brand was founded in 2017 to celebrate their namesake’s 125 years of continuous operations, which initially catered to the area's Golden Age of racing royalty and spa-going society. Their collection of candles and diffusers come in six different scents, each inspired and dedicated to Saratoga Springs. The brand was particularly inspired by the area's charmingly planted promenades and street-side cafés, immortalized in their Rhubarb & Quince ($44) scent.

Inspired by all that is Maui, the Lush Palm diffuser ($66 for 250ML) from Antica Farmacista will have you dreaming of easy, breezy island days. This scent–a personal favorite of Co-Owner & Creative Director Shelley Callaghan, who has a piece of property on the north shore of the island–encapsulates the warm Pacific breeze sweeping through the beachside Tahitian gardenia and among the dewy banana leaf palms and sweet plumeria flowers.