Nest New York's Laura Slatkin on Holiday Home Fragrance Tips 2022

While lighting one candle of your favorite home fragrance may be enough to channel all things cozy and chic, there's still something special about crafting a robust sensorial experience from scratch. One person who has room spray, candle, and diffuser layering down to a science? None other than Nest New York founder Laura Slatkin, who draws on over 30 years of experience. In 1992 she launched Slatkin and Co. with her husband, Harry, which marked the beauty and lifestyle pioneer's first luxury home fragrance company.

Since the launch of Nest New York, Slatkin has developed an affinity for many scents, but when it comes to the notes that ground a festive feeling in her home, she tells BAZAAR.com that she usually opts for sweeter aromas. "Joy and peace, for me, comes in the form of a gourmand fragrance," Slatkin tells BAZAAR.com. "I love the way they envelope me and make me feel cozy and warm." Ahead, Slatkin shares more of the olfactory favorites to use this season, and gives us the inside scoop on extending the life of scented candles. Read on for the entrepreneur's expert scent placement and crafting how-tos for the holidays and beyond.

What are some key essentials our readers should use when crafting the perfect scent-scape?

During the holidays, everyone loves festive fragrances that tap into their olfactive memories of the season. You can honor the traditional essences such as pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves, and cinnamon with our Holiday home fragrance, or opt for the aroma of fresh fir balsam pine trees with Birchwood Pine. Recreate the warmth of a crackling fireplace with notes of smoky embers, frankincense, and oud with our wonderfully rich Hearth fragrance and you just can’t go wrong!

Nest New York Birchwood Pine Room & Linen Spray

Nest New York Holiday 3-Wick Candle

Now 25% Off

NEST New York NEST New York Hearth Scented Candle at Nordstrom, Size 21.2 Oz

Do you have any tips on helping scented candles burn longer?

When using your candles, trim the wick to one-fourth of an inch before lighting, and during your first burn of a new candle, make sure the wax melts from edge to edge before extinguishing it to ensure optimal performance. Always keep burning candles away from drafts, vents, fans or air currents, and don’t overburn! Regular-sized candles should only be lit for three to four hours at a time.

Is there a particular go-to scent (or two!) you always use to set the holiday mood? If so, what is it?

People literally stop me on the street to tell me that their holiday season officially begins when they light their Nest New York Holiday candle! Again, it’s all about tradition!

Are there any scents in particular that bring you joy or peace during this season?

Our new Crystallized Ginger and Vanilla Bean is the fragrance that I want to curl up with. It brings me peace, tranquility, and happiness.

Nest New York Crystallized Ginger & Vanilla Bean Candle

Nest New York Crystallized Ginger & Vanilla Bean Candle

What smells like home to you?

Home smells like home when it’s filled with a fragrance that scents your state of mind. Nest New York has a full range of fragrances to choose from, whether you wish to feel energized, soothed, happy, or refreshed, or if you wish to create a particular mood, like romantic or seductive. A home feels special when it’s filled with a beautiful fragrance that transports you and touches your mind, body, and spirit.

How many spritzes of room spray do you typically use?

I never thought about that, but, now that you ask, I do have a definite modus operandi. I spritz three times, no matter the space, in the form of a triangle: first high, then to the lower right, then to the lower left.

What’s the best type of scent to use in the living room when entertaining (i.e. citrusy, calming, woody)?

When entertaining year-round I always choose a citrus scent. Our citrus fragrances, such as Grapefruit, Amalfi Lemon and Mint, and Sicilian Tangerine, lift your spirits, which is important when entertaining; you want your guests to be in a happy mood. Equally important is the fact that citrus fragrances are crowd-pleasers. Everyone loves a citrus fragrance, they just don’t disappoint!

Nest New York Grapefruit Reed Diffuser

Nest Fragrances Sicilian Tangerine 3-Wick Candle

Nest New York x Gray Malin Amalfi Lemon & Mint 3-Wick Candle

If you had to choose, what’s your favorite Nest New York candle to light this season?

This year, I am obsessed with our newest addition to our Festive Collection so that’s an easy question. I want to be cozy this season, so it is definitely Crystallized Ginger and Vanilla Bean. But, if I am entertaining, I would reach for our most popular fragrance in our portfolio because it’s that time of year—holiday!

Related:

Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfl7KiwdOyZqGdkaHBqXvAbWlsaWhlhnh7x6iuZqyfYsCksc2tqpyZoJp6ra3Uq5hmq5yWway1zWg%3D