Seasonal Scents: Our Favourite Autumn Friendly Fragrances

Autumn in Australia covers March through to May. It includes calendar events like St Patrick’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day, and hosts the start of the AFL season. The days are warm, the nights are cool, leaves start to fall off trees and crops are now ready to harvest. But what about autumn fragrances? Is there such a thing?

A symbol of plenty, ripening and abundance, autumn (or ‘fall’ as it’s known in America) marks the transition from summer to winter and the shortening of daylight hours. Attributed to earthy tones, deciduous trees and fresh fruit and produce, an autumnal ambience can be easily recreated from a range of candles and diffusers right here at Nerridah & Ross.

So, from carefully selected colours and characteristics, to specific scents and styles, we’ve got everything you need to embrace autumn friendly fragrances in your home today… 

March – Harvest Hues

When you reminisce about and visualise autumn, you think in green and gold, orange, red and brown. You think of the changing colours of the leaves, the bark on the trees and the sunlight streaming through. To best represent the environmental evolution undertaken in autumn, you should start here, with the colours of your candles.

First up, embrace stunning emeralds with Green Tea & Thyme, Lemongrass & Lime or an aquamarine Sweet Patchouli Pillar, and go for gold with a Candle of Prosperity infused with a Yellow Aventurine crystal or a Brass Orb candle (Oracle I or Oracle II) that can also double as a stunning piece of decoration. Then blend up into beige, burnt orange and soft peachy pigments with Nectarine Blossom, Coconut & Vanilla Bean, Oriental Musk & Crème Caramel.

Race into the reds with a striking Sandalwood Pillar or Flame Red Glass Orb, or go a little more subtle with Red Berries & Freesia or Red Berries & Peony. Natural browns and ochres come courtesy of Only Orb’s refillable teak orbs (available in OLE, OAR, OH!, OTTO & OM varieties), or if you fancy something brash and bold, grab a deep mahagony Smokey Woods Pillar from Elume.

And if you’re looking for something that sums up all autumn fragrances in one, the Dictionary Meaning ‘Home’ candle is for you. Inspired by the Hudson Valley, its scent is a delicious aroma of fresh produce, combining cucumber, mint and ginger with lemongrass and lime.

April – Perfumed Plants

According to a 2019 CBC News article, the reason behind the distinctive smell and aura of autumn is more about science than sensibility. “Fallen leaves begin to decay and their sugars and organic compounds in the leaf break down, creating the classic musky-sweet smell of a leaf pile”.

So, whether you associate autumn fragrances with something floral or something woody, we’ve got just the candle or diffuser for you. Ecoya, for instance, have released two scents specifically dedicated to the season. Their Autumn Limited Edition Saffron Madison candle (and car diffuser version) has top notes of iris and soft leathery saffron, paired with heart notes of patchouli and jasmine, and a base note of dry amber. From the moment you light it, it instantly envelops you in a rich and earthy atmosphere.

Their Autumn Limited Edition Sage & Cedar Madison candle is uber refreshing, with aromatic notes of sage and cedarwood, and a bouquet of rose and violet.

Although spring is the season most linked to the budding and blooming of flowers, autumn is a popular time for plants too. Lemon Myrtle is wide-spread in the subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, all the way from Mackay down to Brisbane. Its fluffy flowers appear in summer and autumn, followed by small, nut-like capsules.

Wyck’s Lemon Myrtle, Lilly Pilly & River Mint votive candles are an energetic combination of zingy lemon, vibrant eucalyptus, fresh mint, and peony. Vanilla is a spice, also derived from the flower family and make for great, velvety fragrance foundations in Ecoya’s Vanilla Bean candle and Scarlet & Grace’s Vanilla Caramel candle.

Trees and their foliage really come into their own in autumn. If you want to bring that instantly recognisable fresh, pine and peppermint scent into your home, our tree inspired products are just right for you. The Vous Pouvez You Can candle has a top note of pine needle, the Blue Cypress & Amber diffuser has warm traces of wood, musk and myrrh, and the Maple candle has beautifully blended notes of orange blossom and rich bourbon woods.

May - Fruity Fragrances

Cooler weather signals the abundance of fresh fruity favourites. From a common zesty citrus scent to something more exotic and tropical, these juicy, sweet and edible aromas are suitable for any space, and will bring the autumn fragrance feel alive.

Ecoya’s bold Blood Orange candle is blended with highly aromatic bergamot, with an impressive 80 hours of burn time, whilst their Juniper Berry Maisy Jar candle packs a potent perfumed punch with grapefruit, lemon, Tahitian lime and a pinch of rhubarb tea. Glasshouse Fragrance’s new Limited Edition Pool Party candle may be marketed for the summer season, but it’s base of pink grapefruit, orchid and peony makes it perfect for autumn too.

Elume’s Guava and Plum diffuser will keep the air sweet and luscious (and don’t forget a to grab a refill to keep it that way) and Surf Coast Candles’ Pomegranate and Raspberry candle is a delicious fusion of sun-ripened black raspberries and pomegranate warmed with sugared vanilla.

If you love pears, you’re in luck, with five fragrance varieties of the crisp and curvy green fruit. There are three types of French Pear products, from Surf Coast Candles to Ecoya to Scarlet & Grace.

Sheike Industries’ Opal Fig & Pear 24K pure gold leaf infused candle has the luxury looks, whilst Wyck’s Australian Wild Pear & Pepperberry votive candles come in hand-folded origami boxes in a vibrant assortment of aboriginal art designs. Their Kakadu Plum & Bush Cucumber textured pillars and candles have the spicy allure of musk and fresh cucumber and are made with natural plant wax and pure cotton wicks.

And if you want to give the gift of an autumn fragrance to a friend or family member, get a gift box that includes five natural soy wax tealight candles: a sparkling citrus cocktail of Indonesian pear, tropical pineapple nectar, sweet Mirabelle plum and pomelo, exotic sambac jasmine, sakura and geranium, and amber and red fruits.

Read all about our other Seasonal Scent blogs here – Summer, Winter & Spring.