For me, Christmas should smell like my childhood holidays; it should smell like dessert. My family’s stove was in near-constant use from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day and at least half of its output was sweets. My grandmother, with her arms of steel (she kneaded dough twice a day — all year round — so we could have fresh bread for lunch and dinner), would mix, chop, shave, dice, grate, squeeze and roll her way through pounds of flour, sugar, butter, lard, chocolate, nuts, fruits and spices; her creations would scent the house. Whenever I smell molasses, allspice, nutmeg, or ginger, I think “Christmas!” It’s a wonder I’m not the size of a house since I spent my childhood feasting on cakes, puddings, pies, candy, cookies and jams. But as much as I love to gorge on (and smell) sweets, I dislike perfumes, candles and room sprays with a pronounced “dessert” theme. I’d much rather smell gingerbread baking in the oven than the scent of “gingerbread” emanating from a candle.
To fragrance my home during the holidays, I turn to another favorite category of “Christmas” scents: evergreens. I love the fragrances of pine, fir, juniper and cedar. Walking into a house at Christmastime and smelling the authentic scents of the forest (a fresh Christmas tree, garlands and wreathes of cedar, holly, laurel and pine) is like entering a room and seeing a miniature horse resting on the sofa: it’s surprising, charming, exciting.
Annick Goutal’s Noël home spray combines notes of lemon, bitter orange, mandarin and Siberian pine. Noël is a bracing hyper-realistic pine-leaf/pine-bark fragrance, with citrus notes acting as “frost” or “icy raindrops” on the “pine needles.” When I first bought Noël, I couldn’t stop spraying it; it was weird to be transported to a cool pine woods with each spritz. Noël is powerful and long-lasting, and as the pine note "calms," an invigorating orange-tangerine aroma remains in the environment (especially on fabrics).
There is a warning on the Noël box that reads: Toxic for aquatic animals. Could cause harmful long term effects for aquatic environments*. I beg all of you who share your houses with turtles, tropical fish, frogs, and hermit crabs to investigate the Noël candle instead of the room spray. I don’t want the cold blood of your aquatic pets on my hands this holiday season!
Annick Goutal Noël home spray is a limited edition holiday fragrance; it’s $46 for 100 ml.
The scent of natural pine (or fake pine and cedar done well) really is a glorious thing. I had a lovely evergreen candle from Thymes – I think I bought it in September, and finished it this week, which is unheard of for me (not a big candle person).
I’m looking forward to putting a wreath up inside this year, since I don’t have room for a tree. I might get this spray, although I’m not big on citrus. Is it uber-citrusy?
Fraiser Fir by Thymes. Really pretty.
Just bought the tealight set. Nice scent, if not particularly expansive…
Andrea: nope, it’s uber-pine-y
Nice story, Kevin. You sure were spoiled by Grandma with her daily fresh bread!
I think about spraying my house with a nice pine scent but I think my Dad ruined it for me. He put a fake tree one year when I was a kid, sprayed it with fake snow, and then sprayed it with pine scent. My mother dubbed it the Chemical Christmas and asked it we were all getting brain tumors! Dad’s gone now, but from that day to this, I can’t smell pine spray and not think of him. Ah, memories!
I’m still eating too much bread! HA! And the AG Noel won’t make you think chemicals…
But my aquatic African frog LOVES pine! He’ll be so disappointed I can’t share it with him. 🙁
I always thought frogs were like the “Fonzies” of the living kingdom. They just seem to have this coolness about them and this expression of “So what?” that I always found amusing.
I’ll pass that on to my frog. 🙂 He’s blind, so his look is more “Whuh? Huh?”
Miss K: NOOOOOOOOO!
This sounds perfect! I enjoyed the Pacifica Avalon Juniper candle last holiday season but it wasn’t strong enough to scent my apartment. Now all I need is a candied orange peel perfume or lotion and I’ll be set until January 🙂
Aleta; the scent of candied orange peel is great…as you eat it.
Christmas is many scents to me but above all the fresh tree – going shopping for the tree is one of my favorite things – coming home with my hands all pungent and the tree smelling great.
Home-scent-wise, my housemate (upstairs main house)simmers potpourri, which I love, and in my place (downstairs in-law) I usually burn cinnamon/spice-heavy candles. I despise candles that smell like baked goods – blech. And there are SO MANY.
Am i missing something? Arent cinnamon and spice used in many baked goods?
Well, yes – but I’m with Tama, I like spice scents but not the ones that smell like dough and sugar, with spice added.
Yes, but there is often a sugar/butter/caramel element in the bakery candles that can be pretty nauseating.
Tama: the only ones I can abide are the “vanilla” baked goods ones: icing, “white cake”…and those are basically vanilla and nothing else.
Wonderful review Kevin! My favorite part of Christmas was always the tree….getting it (of course the days of selecting and cutting your own are loooong gone) decorating it, the smell of it, skootching under it every day to pour a jug of cold water in the pan and then trying to comb needles and sap out of your hair (ok, that part wasn’t so fun when I had very long hair) . Christmas memories always come with the scent memory of fir and pine in the house. But alas, as an adult I’ve become sensitive to those molecules in the air and if I wish to continue to breathe thru the holidays–I can’t have those real things inside anymore. Long story short: I gotta git me sum of that room spray! STAT!
Ohhhh no they aren’t! We still go pick out and cut down our own tree every year. It’s so much nicer that way. Love love love the smell of evergreens! I grew up across the road from a pine forest, and used to play there all day during the summer, and go cross-country skiing there during the winter, so I have those associations as well. Alas, my husband is anti-room spray, and would choke if I spent that much on one anyway.
aww, you are so lucky! I’d love to do the Christmas tree traditional thing again—as a kid in upstate NY, one of my friend’s family owned a tree farm just down the road and my Grandparents owned a tree farm out near Buffalo/East Aurora …. but no real trees for me anymore, after about 3 days of a real tree in the house, my lungs burn and I can’t catch my breath, can almost hear the bubbling in my chest…. It feels very much like pnuemonia and I even ended up with a chest xray before we figured out that I was allergic.
But—my bottle of Noel is on its way…..
That’s such a shame Daisy!! 🙁 Are you sure an evergreen spray won’t aggravate your problem? [If it contains real essential oils that is.]
my doctors hypothesis is that it probably more a fungal thing since molds and mildew type stuff can be on the bark–and I’m allergic to molds already. I’ve never had a problem with room sprays…..although one time I got some scented wax things that you melt over a votive (from Yankee Candle) that made my breathing apparatus close right up! I never used to be allergic to anything…now the list grows longer every year. 🙁
ps. I’m also allergic to ironing and dirty dishes and make every effort to avoid both…… 😉
It really is a shame that you have that reaction. I used to love our outings to the Xmas tree farm. These days, I settle for a live door wreath and a holiday Yankee candle (I stay with relatives back east for the actual holidays anyway).
ps: I share that ironing allergy and find it worth every penny to outsource that work…. oh, and the laundry too.
Daisy: it’s a bargain price wise, isn’t it?
Honestly, I’ve never spent $46 on a room spray ever in my life….but just this one time I decided to splurge. I miss that Christmas smell so much and I don’t have much luck with candles—my candle burning policy is kitchen/dining rooms only—and only when someone is in attendance—so I have high hopes about this Noel. If it really does take me back to growing up with real trees and garlands , then it’ll be worth every penny.
Daisy: let me know what you think!
Lovely review, Kevin. I definitely want to check out both the candle and room spray. I’m always burning candles around the holidays, and am looking for something festive and bright given we’ll have guests this year. There’s nothing like burying my face (carefully) in the branches of a freshly potted tree and the crispness their fragrance leaves in the house. I do hope to have a real tree someday, and agree that spraying a manufactured one with “pine” fragrance just doesn’t quite work. 🙂
My mother was quite the baker as well, and though she was also a nurse who often worked four or five twelve-hour shifts a week, she did find time to keep up on her sourdough friendship bread and for the holidays, a fabulous sourdough creation stuffed with walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, cardamom, brown sugar, and a little butter. She’d glaze the top and decorate it with whole pecans and maraschino cherries. While I don’t like marischino cherries, they did add to the fantastic smell of the finished product, and it was just so pretty I almost didn’t want to eat a piece.
I adore real trees, but when I was a child we often didn’t make it out to a local tree farm to find one before they were picked clean, and now that I have kids and cats, I doubt there’d be more than a handful of needles remaining on the tree before we got the chance to pop presents under it. So until then, I’ll give this AG product a go. They seem to do a fantastic job when it comes to fragrance, and I’m glad to know that the room spray has good lasting power.
Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels where applicable. 🙂
Absolute Scent: I WANT SOME OF YOUR MOTHER’S BREAD!!!!!!!
There are soooo many great “Christmas” smells around. This one seems quite good. I could probably add it to my usual collection of seasonal room sprays (yes! like my frag collection, my room spray collection is ever expanding)
I still remember the year my parents purchased one of those shiny silver foil trees with the color wheel (yes, I AM that old). It just wasn’t Christmas without the pine smell. That atrocity lasted one season and then was relegated to the basement rec room in future years, thank goodness.
I don’t do all the baking any more, nor do I always have a real tree. But at the very least, I must have a genuine pine wreath or a swag – something to bring the forest home for the holidays.
The very happiest of Thanksgivings to all of you and your families.
LOL! Those foil trees were fabulous! Our neighbors had one and I thought it was just the coolest thing around. I’d like to have one now but my husband just rolls his eyes.
I feel the need to share that I would give my eyeteeth for a foil tree. I have to console myself with my fake powder blue tree for now. (I had a pink flocked real tree years ago, but the flocking got everywhere.)
Miss Kitty: I’m in Florida…we have foil trees in abundance in the thrift stores here. I think this is where they grow 🙂
Hmm…Florida did not agree with me, but maybe I need to reconsider…
That’s flocking terrible! Sorry Miss Kitty, couldn’t resist. I think the older I get, the more I’m developing the ‘dad’ joke syndrome.
Same to you, Teri!
Kevin- This was such a great review. I very much remember the holidays much the same way you do, but sadly, those days have passed. People grow up, move away, pass on, but the memories are there, thank goodness. I too would rather smell the real thing baking in the oven than have it simulated- There is just simply no contest and if I could drag the forest of trees into my place during the holidays, I would. I remember those chunky Christmas lights that my family would put on the tree, the assortment of holiday candy in the dish and the FOOD. Oh, yes and the bayberry candles!
Okay, I’ve reminisced long enough. Can’t seem to find those really good bayberry candles, like back in the 70’s.
Is it good luck to burn a bayberry candle on Christmas eve or New Year’s eve? I can’t remember.
Ooh, that’s my Christmas smell favorite! Evergreen boughs and bayberry candles! You’re right, real bayberry candles are getting harder and harder to find, but I only need two per year….. They smell so good, when they’ve burned down I put the wax remnants in my dining-room drawer to scent the napkins. I wouldn’t turn down beeswax, either.
Sounds like you had a great grandma, Kevin. With the real dessert smells wafting through her kitchen, why spray cinnamon and ginger?
Dolly, we used to find great bayberry candles at the shops in Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia…don’t know if they have an online store or not…
Hi Kevin,
This sounds like it would be a delicious candle; I like the extended scenting power of candles better than room sprays, I think. Now to track one down at a discount. Hmm… five votive set for $52. Anyone want to split some? HA.
Also, unlike you, I like both evergreen AND gourmand Christmas-scented home products, but I don’t like many evergreens (especially pine) as personal scent, but lean toward the spice-rack types of perfumes.
Yes? 😀 I’m not allowed room sprays, but he doesn’t fight candles.
I agree with you, Joe – I want pine scents for the house, not on me, and spice scents on me, not for the house.
Joe: the Noel spray LASTS…I spray it and I can smell it the next day!
Wonderful review Kevin! It makes me nostalgic for the Ralph Lauren holiday home fragrance that my mom used to spray with reckless abandon the house. It, too, would impart a lovely, crisp, piney smell that I still feel is more a holiday smell than any cookie/pie/spice candle could ever produce.
I’ve looked for it all over in the hopes of recreating that scent magic for the holiday season, but haven’t been able to track it down. What luck, then, to have AG present us with this treat!
Have a splendid Turkey Day all!
I had a fantastic RL room spray back in the late 80’s too that I loved. I think it was called ‘Thoroughbred’ and it was citrusy-spicy. It worked really well as a holiday home fragrance.
norjunma1: You too!
I’m so glad you reveiwed this Kevin. A fresh evergreen scent when it’s done well is awesome. I love the smells of the holidays – another reason this is such a special time of year. The smell of goodies baking, homemade pomanders, Christmas trees and simmering potpourri. Wonderful. Best wishes to all for a happy Thanksgiving!
Rustic Dove: glad I found Noel too…!
Every now and then I’m overcome with the urge to paint myself up with mehndi designs —at which time I make a brew on the stovetop, takes hours and scents the whole house: a handful of black tea teabags, a small handful of whole cloves, and a lemon sliced up, a couple spoons of fenugreek….in a big pan of water and simmer it for hours. It really smells wonderful (and you’re not required to mix up henna when it’s done) ….oh and since the fenugreek is for the tannins you don’t need it for scenting your house….
Wouldn’t a mehndi party be fun?!
It would! It takes so long though…..not just the painting but the application of lemon and sugar and the waaaaaaaaiting for it to dry enough to cover it with paper tape. Which I try to leave on at least overnight. It’s fun and I love the smell. The CEO rolls his eyes so much I fear he’s going to end up with some sort of ocular fatigue…
Oh no no…. with enough practice (“training”), one totally avoids any ocular fatigue. Trust me on this. Those muscles really get toned.
HA! very true—I’ve been married a long time, and I’m always up to something that seems inspire an absolute flurry of eye rolling. The CEO is practically ready for the Olympic Eye Rolling Team….
I adore the Noel candle, but haven’t seen it anywhere last year… Does anyone know if it’s back this year?
I googled it and it turned up several places. The spray, however was the best price at Saks.
Ohh sounds like your house was wonderful to be in around the holidays….. and not easy on the diet either 🙂
Now I’m pulling out all my cookie and cinnamon bun recipes and getting *ideas*….. I’ll have to check out the candle.
SmokeyToes: the house still smells great with food smells but unfortunately I can’t eat as much as I used too…NOT FAIR
Exactly!
I swear someone shrunk my pants over night in the drawer…..
We still go out about the 15th of December and cut a cedar tree for the house. (The CEO wishes me to make it clear that none of HIS acreage is growing trashy cedar trees, which signifies pasture neglect; the trees we cut down are usually on rented land and the owners are more than glad for us to come and get them.) And yes, it’s a pain to keep it watered… but it smells glorious.
I just bought a cheapie little Slatkin home spray from BBW, called Fresh Balsam. I’m sure it’s not on a par with a Goutal or Thymes, but it smelled pretty good for $3.
We’ll be having homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast Christmas morning… 🙂
We used to get a beautiful, pecan-laden cinnamon coffee cake thing from a friend for Christmas. One year we had some for breakfast and we all felt so horrible from the sugar we had to sit out in the cool air for a while. I seriously thought my sister was gonna barf. We got the “poison coffee cake” for many years, but never ventured to eat it again. We make either bran muffins or cheese bread for Christmas breakfast.
I love cinnamon rolls! But I have to have them later in the day….
PECAN LADEN CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE??? I am packing my snowman coffee mug and I’ll be right over.
yeah, tell your sister not to worry….backup is on the way!
I was just in BBW the other day and it smelled awesome from all the pine candles they had burning. I have one of their pine sprays for years when I didn’t have space for a tree and it was very nice. They also have a lovely “fireside” candle/spray that I am dying to get.
Sounds lovely, Kevin, thanks for your great review!
Where did you purchase it? I’m always on the hunt for good room sprays!
Alltheprettythings: eBay…$37
Kevin, thank you and that is more than reasonable … going to search it out now!
I just feel, growing up in Asia, that I missed a part of Christmas since we usually don’t have real pine trees as Christmas trees growing up. So for us, it really is the scent of desserts that evoke Christmas for us. In as much as I want the AG Noel for myself – it won’t smell Christmas for me, but I’m sure it will smell fabulous (thinking of buying it actually).
Now, I’m using the Creme Caramel by L’Occitane for my holiday scent (grew up with LOTS of Cremes Caramel during Christmas). What I like about it is that you smell the Caramel. For me, it’s not Vanilla passing itself as Caramel. However, I still want to explore more options. Did anyone try the Diptyque’s Marrons Grilles (grew up with Roasted Chestnuts as well)? How about Mizensir’s Noel a la Montaigne (scent of chocolate, brioche and spices)? Do you guys have a favorite Christmas scent you always must have during the holidays? 😀
Hi RGM! I grew up in Asia too and totally get what you’re saying.
I don’t have an Xmas scent. L’Occitane have got their Xmas range out in Adelaide and I am drooling over the Vanilla shea body cream. The other two, Candied Rose and a Cherry Blossom one, don’t do much for me at all.
Speaking of gingerbread, I always look forward to the Xmas themed lattes that the coffee franchises offer around this time of year. This year one was offering a cinnamon gingerbread concoction and I gave it a go – at first sip, I almost gagged. It was too much! But after a few more sips (I did pay for it after all, no way was I throwing it out) it grew on me. Gingerbread is one of my favourite smells … I think it was the cinnamon that threw me.
Pine is another favourite, it reminds me of my hometown and growing up near the beach. If AG Noel lands in Adelaide, I’ll make sure to give it a try! Thanks Kevin for a great review!
What’s better than moist, sticky warm gingerbread?! I wish it were drinkable!
Yeah, I’m hanging out till I get to Msia in 2 weeks – that way I can get stuck into the Starbucks Xmas frappucino range. I’ve never been disappointed with them.