WCS Holiday Scent Favorites!

 As winter fast approaches and envelops (a majority of) the country in a cold, feathery blanket of snow, you'll need to gather the right tools to get you into the holiday spirit and keep warm! Read on to see our WCS staff's favorite holiday scents that bring an air of nostalgia, relaxation, and warming zen to calm the storm.

Lisa: “I loved the smell of my mom baking gingersnap cookies during the holiday season. Every year my mom would make tons of cookies and candies and fudge for neighbors, friends and family. I loved the smell of gingersnap cookies baking in the oven. Great holiday memories!”

Catie’s Bubbles Le Piment de La Vie

Soap Commander, Classic Spice: 

Christina: “I know it’s used pretty heavily (ehem, Starbucks) during the holidays, but I really enjoy the scent and taste of peppermint. When my kids were younger, we’d frequently visit a local candy shop and watch as the confectioners made candy canes by hand.”

Taylor of Old Bond Street, Peppermint

Duke Cannon Smells like Productivity

Simpson Shaving Cream, Peppermint and Rosemary

Evelyn: During my childhood, the day before Christmas I could always be found in the kitchen with my mother making buñuelos, a sweet fried treat flavored with cinnamon, and so crispy they shatter when you bite into them. Sometimes I'd help roll the dough into flat disks that resembled tortillas. Mine were not always perfect circles, so the easier job of sprinkling the hot buñuelos with cinnamon sugar fell to me. When we would run out of the cinnamon sugar we broke the buñuelos into pieces and doused them with thick syrup made from piloncillo (brown cones of cane sugar) . The main flavor of piloncillo is sweetness, but it's similar to maple syrup in that it's also rich, almost earthy and unrefined. I also really like the smell of the spiced pine cones in Home craft stores!

 Mickey Lee Soapworks, The Drunken Goat

Wholly Kaw Twice as Spice

Royall Spyce

Eric: To me, nothing says Christmas like the sweet treat made by my Dutch family, called "Stroopwafels". Stroopwafel directly translates into "syrup waffle", and this is exactly what it is. Two layers of dough are filled with a molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon-based filling, then placed in a pizzelle iron to lightly toast the dough and melt/reduce the filling. Sometimes, honey is added to give it a more complex, sweet taste. Anything that heavily incorporates honey or caramel notes brings back very strong memories of the holiday season.

Chatillon Lux, Bon Vivant

Haslinger Shaving Soap, Honig (Honey)

Soap Commander Shaving Soap, Confidence

Kevin: "Ponche Navideno". Typically its a combination of fruits with spices and cane. The way my grandmother would always make it (eventually passing it down) was with hibiscus (Jamaica), cloves (Clavos de olor), oranges, chamomile (manzanilla), guavas, cane, brown sugar, apples, pears, prunes, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon sticks. I know that combination sounds a bit exotic because it is, but it definitely brings back memories.

Lucky Tiger Liquid Cream Shave

Lucky Tiger After Shave Splash and Tonic

Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling

While you sit back and enjoy the holidays with family and friends, indulge in a few of our favorite products that remind us to sit back and smell the cypress!