More than any postcard, knickknack or selfie, scents are wont to bring on vivid recollections of distant places. There’s scientific reasoning behind this: your sense of smell is wired to the emotional learning centre of the brain. Now, jet-setters are tapping into the nose’s knack for nostalgia by collecting scented products from various locales to bring home. The resulting potpourri of memory allows the traveller to re-experience vacations past in just a whiff.
Naturally, fragrances are highly personal. For one individual, floral perfume may be reminiscent of a trip to Portland’s International Rose Test Garden, while transporting someone else to Echigo Hillside Park in Niigata. See where your nose takes you with this selection of products that purport to exude the essence of far-off destinations. —Sierra Riley
Icelandic Kelp Bar Soap, HALLÓ: With hand-harvested seaweed grown in nutrient-rich arctic waters, HALLÓ has created a luxurious soap bar ($8.99) that smells like “crisp, cool, clean Icelandic air with just a hint of earthy sweetness.” The medley of sustainably sourced essential oils will turn your shower into a dreamy island fjord. Follow with a post-shower snack of rye bread smeared with creamy salted butter for a multisensory Nordic experience.
National Parks Incense Cones, Good & Well Supply Co.: These hand-dipped incense cones ($33) come in three scents, each one a nod to an American National Park: Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains and Hawai’i Volcanoes. Packaged in retro aluminum tins, the cones are made in small batches in Seattle. Light one for a heady olfactory experience, the next best thing to taking a hike in the great outdoors.
SKOG Diffuser, Skandinavisk: Infuse your home with the aroma of Scandinavian woodlands. Named after the Swedish and Norwegian words for boreal forest, the SKOG diffuser smells of pine needles, fir cones, birch sap and lily of the valley. The perfume and reeds are stored inside a minimalist green glass vase, a discreet addition to any room.
Vallée de Farney Lotion, Maison Louis Marie: Inspired by the flora of the forests in Mauritius, Maison Louis Maris created this woody scent. Top notes of grapefruit, orange and black pepper are underscored by a musky vetiver base. Embody the vibrancy of Ferney la Vallée wherever you are with this light, summery lotion ($47).
Surf Candle, LOHN: Light up this Canadian-made soy candle ($44) for a moment of paradise. Lime, sea salt and earthy oakmoss will carry you away to the coast, back to the good old days spent catching waves and building sandcastles. You may even feel inspired to get lost in a good beach read.
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