7 Things We Should Be Smelling Instead of Pumpkin Spice. (Let's Give It a Rest Already!)

We don’t have anything against pumpkins, and we definitely don’t have anything against spice. We just think there are other scents that deserve the spotlight this season. So, in no particular order, our nominees for the next big fall thing.

Who doesn’t love the smoky wood-fire smell that lingers on your clothes after a fall bonfire? Even people who don’t actually want to go outdoors love that smell! Smoke offers a darker take on fall, and pairs well with almost everything. Whether you like a spoopy, witchy take on it or you like it paired with marshmallows and candied apples, smoke is a fall must-have.

Woody notes don’t really have a season - they’re great year-round, but especially perfect for fall when air takes on that delicious chill. Encompassing everything from sweet, creamy oak to dry, clean cedar to warm, exotic sandalwood, there’s  a woody note that’s perfect for you whether your take on fall is a long forest hike or a cozy session on the couch with a good book.

Hey, we’re against animal-cruelty, too! We love nothing better than our fuzzy friends (and all those other friends who are also animals but not fuzzy, obvs). Of course, when we say “leather” we mean “vegan leather notes in perfume.” And now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s just admit that there’s something about that animalic warmth that makes you want to roll around in it.

Oh, is that just me?? Okay...moving on.

You didn’t think we were going to leave you gourmand lovers out in the cold, did you? Marshmallow may not be the most revolutionary fall note, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect. Fluffy, toasted, pink, whipped into buttercream, we’ll take marshmallow any way we can get it. It reminds us of campfires and Halloween treats, two of our favorite things about fall!

Much harder to find than the ubiquitous marshmallow, dried leaves are simultaneously sweet and earthy. Slightly caramellic but also reminiscent of hay, and the most quintessentially autumn smell there is. Even if you don’t get a true fall -- you know who you are -- you can have it in perfume form and dream of kicking a big pile of crisp, dry leaves and feeling like a kid again.

The smell of a rainstorm - petrichor, ozone, wet foliage - taps into one of the most primal sensory moments of the human experience. Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy the storm from the cozy confines of your home; snuggle up, listen to the sound of the rain -- and smell it, too. It’s the perfect excuse to stay in.

This may be a controversial choice in a world that runs on joe, but we stand by it. Or sit by it, really. Preferably in a comfy chair. Other people can run around all jolted up on caffeine, we love the soothing ritual of brewing a cuppa. With a splash of cream or not, sweetened or not, dressed up with bergamot or not, we love tea and all its potential as a fragrance note. It can bring floralcy, smokiness, a hint of spice...so how do you take yours?

Welcome to Thornfield

Have you ever loved a book so much that it felt like an old friend? Jane Eyre is that for me -- opening its pages is something like finding a familiar face in a crowded room. It has shared equally in times of joy and sorrow, and when I’m feeling down or in an unfamiliar place, I can start reading it and feel right at home.

When I discovered the book for myself, I quickly realized I was reading something truly original. I had been gorging on Victoria Holt novels about orphaned governesses and sardonic, handsome men for years but this one was clearly superior.  Jane seemed like a fully realized person, and there was nothing flat or cookie cutter about the story even though I was familiar enough with the tropes. If you’re a fan of the genre and haven’t read it, you can easily recognize the story in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and hear the wilder echoes of it in Wuthering Heights, among other things.

Why has Jane Eyre captured the imaginations of generations of readers? For starters, there’s the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. Full disclosure: when I’m feeling particularly self-indulgent, I start re-reading when she arrives at Thornfield or even when they meet in a most dramatic fashion shortly thereafter. Their conversations run the gamut from playful teasing to blood-stirring declaration, and beneath it all is Brontë’s wit and passion. The secret Thornfield harbors may be melodramatic to modern eyes and the language is admittedly a bit archaic, but the banter between Jane and Rochester still holds up. (It’s a shame the actual dialogue rarely makes it to the movie screen untouched, but more on that later.) 

Spooky manor-house harboring a dark secret? Yes, there’s plenty of juicy drama here. Storms, fires, secrets -- everything you really need for a great Gothic novel! I don’t know that I could love the story as much without those elements, say if it were set in Peoria in 1972. But all of the fantastic murdery moments aside, it’s Jane herself who makes the novel so compelling. She’s feisty and passionate and grounded by an innate sense of self-respect. “I am no bird and no net ensnares me” isn’t just a Pinterest-worthy pull quote. Without being told by anyone else, living in a society that offered no such promise to women, Jane believes and lives by the premise that she is a “free human being with an independent will.” She defies all who would assert otherwise. Instead, she says, “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” As relevant today as ever.

So just to break it down, we’ve got: an epic love story, spoopy Gothic accoutrements, dramatic murder times, and a feisty heroine who was way ahead of her time. If that’s not enough to tempt you, I am not sure how you got here.