If you can’t travel, evoke memories
What does your city smell like? Maybe sweet cinnamon and clove, like Boston, or musky rain and coffee, like Seattle.
Since 2016, Homesick Candles has crafted scents reminiscent of specific places all over the world, evoking sensory memories of states, major cities and many countries — from Atlanta to Alaska to Australia.
“Homesick specializes in creating candles and other home fragrance products that draw on the power of scent to evoke thoughts of people, places and memories that matter most,” said Lauren Lamagna, director of merchandising and product for the New York-based company. “We really hone in on those fragrances to transport people to somewhere that they’re not, but that also enhance the places that they are.”
“During COVID-19, Homesick’s candles are a way for people to experience a new place,” Lamagna said. Some of the most popular scents lately have been destinations people can’t travel to during the pandemic, Lamagna said, like Hawaii’s salty seashores and juicy tropical fruit, or the tobacco and cafe au lait of France’s bustling streets.
Lamagna said Homesick layers unique scents to create the ethos of a complex place. The New York City candle gets fresh Central Park aromas like bergamot and lemon as top notes, middle notes of concrete and bottom notes of sandalwood and musk from perfumey department stores.
“We really want to get scents that are super relatable to locals,” Lamagna said. “So, we’re capturing the commonalities, but adding those hints that are beyond just a Google search.”
The candlemaker is not just crafting place-specific scents. Homesick also offers the aromas of special memories like the sunscreen and campfires of
Summer Camp or the warm scent of baked goods from Grandma’s Kitchen.
“It’s really bringing happiness and comfort into a place that people have been trapped for the past couple of months,” Lamagna said. “Then transporting them somewhere else.”