Here's a confession from someone who makes candles for a living. I'm not actually a huge fan of traditional Christmas scents.
There. I've said it.
And do I want my house smelling like Christmas from October until February?
Absolutely not.
And I know some of you will disagree with me. In fact, I know exactly who you are. You're the ones messaging me in September asking when Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg is coming back!
But hear me out, because there's a reason JoJo Co. has two very different fragrances for this time of year.
It all started with Pink Spice
When I started JoJo Co. almost ten years ago, it was all about Pink Spice.
That was my scent. The one I never tired of, the one I could burn in January, July or December and still absolutely love. And to this day, Pink Spice is still that dependable favourite. You know what you're getting, and it never lets you down.
But a couple of years into the business, I realised there was something missing.
A winter fragrance.
Notice I didn't say Christmas fragrance.
I wanted winter. Not a garden centre in December.
You know that smell when you walk into a garden centre at Christmas?
You know the one.
Cinnamon, cloves, oranges, potpourri. Everything festive thrown together, and before you've even reached the Christmas decorations, you've been hit with the lot.
Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's Christmas in a nutshell for some people.
But it wasn't what I wanted for JoJo Co.
I wanted something warm and comforting. Something that made you want to get home, shut the door, light a candle and forget what was happening outside.
But I wanted it to feel grown-up. A bit more understated. Something that could sit beautifully in your home throughout the colder months without screaming CHRISTMAS every time you walked into the room.
And that's how Winter Grace came about.
Winter Grace. The one that sees me through.
Winter Grace is everything I wanted a winter scented candle to be.
Warm, woody, gently spicy and beautifully comforting. It has that cosy, sophisticated feel without being overly sweet or obviously festive.
It's the sort of home fragrance that makes a dark evening feel like something to look forward to.
And let's be realistic. We live in Scotland. Winter practically lasts six months.
I don't want a fragrance that feels out of place the minute the Christmas decorations come down. I want something I can enjoy through November, December, January and all those freezing evenings when spring still feels a very long way off.
For me, Winter Grace is that scent.
It's winter without the tinsel.
And then you lot wanted an actual Christmas scent...
For a while, I was perfectly happy with Winter Grace being our seasonal fragrance.
But apparently that wasn't enough for some of you!
You wanted something unmistakably Christmassy. Something that made the house feel festive the minute you opened the door.
Eventually, I gave in.
But I was still determined not to make another predictable Christmas candle.
I wanted something a little different. Something with that gorgeous festive warmth, but with a bit more personality.
Enter Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg.
Tangy, juicy cranberry. A burst of ginger. Warming nutmeg and a carefully balanced blend of spices.
It's fruity, warming and festive, without relying on that traditional cinnamon-heavy Christmas smell.
And, well, you absolutely love it.
Some of you would burn it in July. I know.
Every year, the messages start earlier.
When is Cranberry coming back?
Can we have it sooner this year?
Please tell me you've made plenty!
And I love that you love it. I really do.
Some of you even stockpile Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg so you can enjoy it all year round. Which I find both brilliant and slightly hilarious, because I'm the complete opposite.
In my house, Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg is for Christmas.
That's what makes it special to me.
That first burn of the season. The decorations starting to come out. The house feeling a little more festive.
One of our customers, Liane H., summed it up beautifully in her verified review last December:
Love the warming scent of this candle - as soon as it goes on every year, I know Christmas isn’t far away!!
And that's exactly it.
It's not just about how a candle smells. It's about what that scent means to you.
The Christmas diffuser is a different story...
Now, I will say this.
If there's one festive home fragrance I think deserves a place in the house from November, it's a Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg reed diffuser.
Particularly in the bathroom.
There's something lovely about walking into a room and getting that gentle hint of Christmas without having a candle burning.
It's an easy way to introduce a bit of festive atmosphere before the tree goes up, and it makes the whole house feel that little bit more welcoming.
So yes, I'm quite happy to start with the Christmas diffuser in November.
I'm not completely against an early start!
Why we don't rush Christmas at JoJo Co.
There's a reason we don't bring our Christmas fragrance out in August.
I don't like peaking too soon.
Christmas is lovely, but I think there's something to be said for letting each season have its moment.
I love autumn. I love those first properly cold evenings. I love getting the house feeling cosy before we even start thinking about Christmas decorations.
And I love that Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg feels like a little event when it returns.
Our Christmas fragrance is here for November and December. Once it's gone, it's gone until next year.
Of course, some of you will have bought enough to see you through until Easter. I know how you operate.
But for me? Once January arrives, the Christmas scents are packed away along with the decorations.
Winter Grace takes over again.
So, which one are you?
Are you the person who wants the full Christmas experience the minute November arrives?
Or are you more like me? Happy to enjoy a gorgeous festive fragrance for a few weeks, but wanting something warm, woody and cosy to carry you through the rest of winter?
Neither is right or wrong.
That's the lovely thing about fragrance. We're all different, and certain scents mean completely different things to different people.
Whether it's a handmade soy candle flickering away on a dark Scottish evening or a festive diffuser welcoming everyone through the door, it's about making home feel exactly how you want it to.
And if you're still burning Cranberry & Spiced Nutmeg in March, I promise I won't judge.
Well, maybe just a wee bit.
Jo x
