Globetrotting with Glasshouse: Asia & The Middle East

Here at Nerridah & Ross, we love to stock candles, diffusers, and bath and body products by Australian-based scent brand Glasshouse Fragrances. They have become a favourite of ours for producing joyful, powerful and popular scents based on iconic aromas, foods, feelings and places.

When it comes to places, it’s amazing how much of our memory, mood and experiences of a location we can link to smells. And even when you aren’t physically in your favourite place or have yet to visit your dream destination, that doesn’t mean you can’t experience some of it now from the comfort of home.

From the cherry blossom blooms of Kyoto and the flavourful street food of Ho Chi Minh City to the sandy skyline of The Arabian Desert, Glasshouse’s range of city-inspired scents is an alluring and aromatic insight into some of the world’s most picturesque places. A sweet-smelling snapshot of Japan, Vietnam and Dubai, the below collection will allow you to sample some of the best bits of Asia and The Middle East.

So, before you go off and book your next overseas adventure, let your nose take you for a test drive first…

Kyoto in Bloom - Kyoto

Kyoto is a tourist town known for its proud places of worship. From the iconic shape of a red Shinto shrine to the stacked, symmetrical roof of a towering Buddhist temple, it’s a place where people come to bolster their beliefs and marvel at the majesty.

The city has a lot to offer non-religious visitors too. Cherry blossom season (or sakura) is in full swing in Spring, and Maruyama Park is the perfect place to see them in bloom. Its famous weeping cherry tree comes alive at night with lights and market stalls. It’s also near a few other notable landmarks, including the Kyoto Imperial Palace (the former home of the Emperor of Japan), the Kyoto National Museum (one of the largest in Japan), and the Nishiki Market, where you can taste some traditional cuisine. You can also walk amongst soaring bamboo stalks, explore Zen gardens and meet real-life Geisha girls in the Gion District.

If you’re after a Glasshouse fragrance set that epitomises all these stunning locations, look no further than our Kyoto in Bloom range. A blend of white florals, amber and vanilla, our Kyoto in Bloom candle has a wonderfully calming effect with key notes of camellia, lotus, citrus, and sandalwood.

Packaged in golden green – a shade symbolic of the city’s twisted pine trees and Golden Pavilion – you can also get this scent in a few other forms including a Kyoto in Bloom diffuser refill, a Kyoto in Bloom car diffuser refill and a Kyoto in Bloom hand cream.

We Met in Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is Vietnam’s booming business and financial hub. A bustling mix of commerce and culture encircled by rivers and canals, it’s a cosmopolitan place where the classic and the contemporary combine. 

With towers on one side and temples on the other, Ho Chi Minh City attracts lots of tourists, traders and traffic. It’s famous for its food stalls at Bến Thành Market, Bình Tây Market, and Tan Dinh Market, where delicious dishes like pho and banh mi are readily available. Ho Chi Minh City also has a big coffee culture. Their local brews are known for having rich or sweet flavours, like a cup of Cà Phê Sữa đá (a popular Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk). During the day, the city’s history and heritage are on display at the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi Tunnels. At night, its vibrant nightclub scene comes alive.

Once again, Glasshouse Fragrances can capture all the above. With a We Met in Saigon candle boxed in neon green, you can open your olfactory senses to a zesty burst of lemongrass, lime, bergamot orange, and eucalyptus, reminiscent of the aromatic city streets at market time. 

If you want the vibe to last longer, don’t go past our triple-strength We Met in Saigon diffuser. And if you want to smell the city on your skin, our We Met in Saigon hand cream is a luxurious addition to the range.

Arabian Nights - Dubai

When most people think of Dubai in the UAE, they think of high-rises, luxury hotels, and mega shopping malls. It can be easy to forget that it sits alongside the dusty dunes of The Arabian Desert.

A city perpetually soaked in sunshine, Dubai is a literal coming together of the old and the new. It’s both ancient and advanced, blending conservative values with the convenience of modern life, making it a popular place for travellers. You can go from the dizzying heights of the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa) to the authentic architecture of the Al Fahidi Historical District. Shop til you drop with your pick of high-end fashion brands and boutiques or explore entertainment precincts and theme parks. You can even experience island life at Palm Jumeirah – a huge man-made marina in the shape of a palm tree – or take a safari (or camel ride!) through the sprawling desert sands.

Nighttime in Dubai is the angle Glasshouse has taken with its Arabian Nights range. Picture blue-black skies, dazzling lights and the silhouettes of skyscrapers. The Arabian Nights candle and Arabian Nights diffuser contain Middle Eastern-inspired blends of oud, frankincense, white rose, saffron and amber.

Explore our full range of Glasshouse Fragrances products online and check out our previous place-inspired blogs covering Italy & Greece, France & French Polynesia, and The Americas.