Colorful candles and boxes on a red and orange backdrop.
Photo: Mariana Juliano

These Evocative Fragrances Will Transport You Home

The fragrance company Homesick creates candles, reed diffusers, and car fresheners based on the smells of locations around the world.
By Camille Okhio
November 21, 2020
2 minute read

Scent has the power to transport us instantly to another time or place. Consequently, the evocatively perfumed objects from the fragrance company Homesick enable wistful souls to travel to a cherished holiday, family tradition, or any state in the continental U.S., as well as a handful of other countries, in a sniff. Its core product is the candle—of which there are currently more than 100 varieties, all made of hand-poured, natural soy wax—but the brand also applies its nostalgia-inducing smells to reed diffusers and car fresheners.

Concocting each aroma is a collaborative effort: To make a new scent, Homesick surveys up to 100 people to understand their definition of a given subject (including New York City, pumpkin picking, and more abstract experiences, such as a ski trip or a book club), then translates their feedback into an authentic, recognizable fragrance. More than a momentary escape, the scents support mental health, too: According to Lauren Lamagna, Homesick’s director of product development, memory-generating smells have become that much more pertinent in the midst of the pandemic. “Whether it’s escaping to a warm, sandy beach in Hawaii or the crisp mountain air of Colorado, Homesick has been especially important to our community during this time,” she says. To get through winter’s inevitable cabin fever, we suggest burning the Road Trip candle by day, and Beach Cottage by night.