Fragrance Layering

Fragrance layering is a term that has been used by beauty and fragrance companies for years. Women and men alike have been educated in applying their personal scents in multiple layers: bath and shower gels, shaving and body lotions, powders and colognes. What many people don't know is that you can layer your home fragrance, too! Start by deciding whether you want to layer a single fragrance, or create your home's custom scent by introducing complimentary fragrances. Once you've determined that, you can mix both passive and active fragrance forms until you find the strength you desire.

Here's what I do. I start with the season and select a fragrance that matches my seasonal decor. Right now I'm yearning for summer so my scents are Beach Walk™ and Sun & Sand™. I use an Electric fragrancer in an outlet near my door so that I get a whiff of my favorite scent as soon as I come home. Then I put a bowl of Sun & Sand™ potpourri in my foyer and a Beach Walk™ fragranced reed - in that beautiful Signature bottle - in my living room. All of these are products that fragrance the home around the clock so they add a great base layer of scent. Then, when I know I'll be home for a while I light candles to add that powerful punch and beautiful ambient glow. Fragrance layering - it's my favorite way to make a statement in my home!

What I Want for Mother's Day

For my first 37 years, Mother's Day was all about the fabulous mother figures in my life: my mom, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends. All of those great women who helped to shape and form me well into my adult life. Mother's Day changed for me in 2003 when I was the one being called Mom. Each Mother's Day since has been uniquely different and even more special than the next. None of the other women have lost their importance in my world, but I now have a 7-year-old who wants to make me Queen of the Day and I am delighted to indulge her! Thankfully, Yankee Candle® makes it easy for her to treat me well. She can give me a bouquet of Fresh Cut Roses or whisk me away to an Island Spa™! We can Drift Away™ and dream of a lakeside cottage or a Beach Vacation™. She can even brew me some Hazelnut Coffee and bake scrumptious Blueberry Scones! And, it's as easy as lighting a candle and creating memories.

The very first candle made by our founder Mike Kittredge was a homemade gift for his mom and today Yankee Candles® remain a favorite gift for moms around the world.

Now through Mother's Day May 9th, get 50% off any large jar or tumbler candle with the purchase of any other large jar or tumbler candle at full price at all Yankee Candle Company retail stores and on our website.

Notes from a Factory Girl

Today I had an opportunity to live the dream of so many Yankee Candle fans - I toured our factory in South Deerfield MA. In my 17+ years working here, this was certainly not my first time through, but I think each time I have a new appreciation for the skill and craftsmanship of our candlemakers. On that first tour in February of 1993, I remember being struck by two things: the happy energy in the factory and the commitment to quality. Each and every person talked about giving our customers what they want: a high quality candle and true-to-life fragrances. In 2010, the same commitment to our customers is true and nothing will interfere with providing them with the quality and fragrance they know and love. From searching the world for the best waxes and wax blends, to finding the perfect wick for each candle fragrance and style, to testing new and innovative processes designed to maximize the fragrance experience, our team is committed to earning the slogan "America's Best Loved Candle".

The Secret to My Gardening Success

Several years ago, our family's garden was part of the local garden club's annual house tour. Having participated in those kinds of events as ticket-holding guests, my husband and I were certainly intimidated by the prospect wondering long and hard about whether our humble gardens would stack up against the rest. So many others had much greener thumbs and an expertise in a certain area: award-winning roses, clever raised beds, tranquil water features, etc. What could be our hook? What would make our amateur patch stand out? As I was lighting my Blue Hydrangea candle several days before the tour, inspiration struck: ours would be a highly fragrant garden! The day of the tour I methodically placed votive holders with Blue Hydrangea Samplers® candles throughout our gardens. Where it was safe to burn them (no overhanging flammable foliage) I lit them, but in most spots I let the warmth of the sun do its job dispersing the fragrance. Our garden was long-remembered as the best scented one on the tour!

A Decade of Scents on the Go!

The year was 2000 and it was the dawn of a new millennium – for the world and for Yankee Candle® fans. Our Master Fragrancer Bob Nelson was excited with a new idea. What if we could put our signature fragrance on a car freshener? In truth, we’d known so many fans who had already scented their cars with such inventive ideas like putting Tarts® wax potpourri in the ashtray (not a good idea in warm weather!) that we felt confident there would be a market. But putting our precious fragrances into something other than candles was certainly a new and intimidating concept. We launched Car Jar® air fresheners with five of our best-selling fragrances at the time and crossed our fingers wondering if the idea would catch on. Now ten years later I still get excited each time I see our iconic Car Jar® in someone’s car - in fact, my daughter and I often play a car game on long trips seeing who can spot the most! Happy 10th Anniversary to the Car Jar® - a Yankee Candle® classic! And, our gift to you is a "Buy One Get One FREE" sale on Car Jars® now through May 9th!

Give a Year of Fragrance

My cousin’s daughter got married last year and I was trying to find the perfect gift for the young couple. Immediately after the wedding, they were setting up house near a Navy base across the country and they didn't want to take more than they needed with them. What could I give that would help them create a home so very far from friends, family, and everything they knew and loved? As I was lighting my Home Sweet Home® candle one evening after work, it dawned on me. The perfect gift for the newlyweds was a year of fragrance! One Yankee® candle a month would be a continual reminder of family and friends. These twelve candles would help them make their new house feel more like a home. And throughout their marriage, whenever they smell particular scents, a flood of happy memories will be triggered.

Yankee Candle’s Scent by Mail™ program makes being thoughtful so easy!

Welcome Spring with Lilac Blossoms

With Lilac Blossoms, our candle makers sought to develop a scent true to that heady aroma of spring – an alluring grove of lavender, white, and deep purple lilacs. It’s a scent that reflects the enduring strength of the blossom because lilacs are as rich in symbolism as they are in fragrance. The botanical name is associated with the Greek myth of the god Pan who pursued a beautiful nymph until in desperation she transformed herself into an aromatic bush. In floral design it’s used to symbolize that first blush of love and it is the 8th wedding anniversary flower. And, in the arts, lilacs are used throughout literature, song, and design as a strong trigger to memory. Yankee Candle® Lilac Blossoms is a timeless classic and perennial best-seller – the perfect way to welcome spring!

2010 Lilac Festival Sites:
Lilac Sunday (Arnold Arboretum in Framingham MA) – May 9, 2010
Lilac Festival (Rochester, NY) - May 14-23, 2010
Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (Mackinac Island MI) - June 11-20, 2010

Mosquito Season? Not For Me!

There’s nothing I like better than eating outside on a warm summer evening. There’s nothing I like less than having my meal ruined by either nasty mosquitoes or foul-smelling bug repellent! Thank goodness for Conceal®! Did you know that from 100 feet away mosquitoes can smell your scent, especially the carbon dioxide you exhale? If you talk or even breathe, there’s no hiding from these pesky bugs! Conceal® is fabulous because it blocks your scent leaving you free to have fun, eat great summer food, and be bite free.

No more slapping and scratching - no more buzzing and biting – Conceal® saves the day for me!

Reuse or Recycle

One of our favorite household phrases is: reuse or recycle! From paper to plastic to glass, we do whatever we can to reuse or recycle items we might have simply discarded years ago. Whenever I finish burning a Yankee Candle® jar candle, I either include it with my glass recyclables or find another use for it. My daughter and I have so much fun to trying to find ways to reinvent our empty jars for a different use. They make great vessels for small collections such as seashells, fairy stones, stickers, and coins. They are useful storage containers for the kitchen (tea bags), bathroom (cotton balls), garage (nuts and washers), office (business cards) and craft area (buttons). I’ve known people (like Yankee Candle Facebook fan PrinceAss Bea) to use their empty jars to store smaller candles such as tea lights. Here’s an idea: fill one with small treasures from a special trip or period of time and it becomes a time capsule you can give as a gift. The ideas are really limitless. I love this photo contributed by Marilyn Stlouis, one of the loyal fans of the Yankee Candle Facebook Page. Her shell collections look like little jars of seaside memories!