Scent has become as important a feature of home design as any piece of furniture or your décor style. Perhaps that’s why home fragrance has become a $6.94 billion industry. One brand cashing in on that trend is MOR Boutique. Celebrating 20 years of success with two new scents to add to their collection, editor Trudi Brewer chats with MOR GM distributor Laura Bradford and marketing manager Faith Griffin on how to create that hotel-like vibe in your home in time for the gifting season with editor Trudi Brewer.
MOR Birthday collection of Narcissus (yellow) and Marshmallow Petals (pink) to mark their 20-year celebrations.
What are the global trends in home fragrance?
According to Faith Griffin, "We have seen a shift in home fragrance in the last few years. Firstly, people search for fragrances that evoke memories or uplift their moods. The new term coined during COVID was ‘armchair travel’. With restrictions on travelling, there’s a demand for products that offer that experience. There is also a demand for clean products with no parabens and harmful ingredients. MOR candles are formulated with soy wax, providing a cleaner, longer-lasting burn. Fragrances like Lychee Flower and Snow Gardenia can easily take your mind and spirit away to a tropical island.”
MOR Boutique’s ready for gifting Christmas Charades collection.
MOR Domino Deck with Lychee flower hand cream and emery boards, $40. MOR Show of Hands Hand Cream Trio, $40.
What about candle care? It's an investment, so you need to look after them?
“Candles need to be looked after to extend their life by getting optimal burn time. Keep the candle lit for several hours on the first burn to create that initial pool of wax covering the candle's surface area. This prevents the pooling of wax with subsequent burns. Also, candle wicks must be trimmed (carefully) before the next burn, and the ideal trim is to remove the ‘mushroom cap’ that can form on the end of the wick. Trimming a wick too much can cause it to burn slowly and cause tunnelling, so a small trim of the mushroom cap is ideal,” says Laura Bradford.
MOR Emporium Snow Gardenia, $64.
A classic and top seller, this soy wax candle fills your home with the scent of summer. Tropical gardenia, Ylang Ylang, with bergamot, angelica, juniper berries, vanilla and amber. The luxe-y black and gold vessel works with any decor style.
Gifting is an art, especially corporate gifting or hostess gifting. What are your tips?
“Don’t be boring. The MOR range is renowned for luxurious ingredients, unique fragrance combinations, and opulent packaging that stands out in a sea of white candles. It’s a sensorial delight as a gift. Combe a scented candle with a luxurious body wash, lotion, and hand cream; that’s the perfect ritual for a hostess to indulge in once you leave,” says Griffin.
“Burn or diffuse more than one fragrance in your home on the same day. In the kitchen, burn or diffuse spicy scents like cinnamon and nutmeg or herbal scents like sage. Then in the bathroom, choose fresh floral fragrances.”
Faith Griffin & Laura Bradford
Reed diffusers are back on trend; why are they a great addition to any room?
“Reed diffusers are a safe way to add fragrance to a room that continues to diffuse throughout the day.
They are a great alternative to use where candles are unsuitable, such as in offices and homes with children or pets. A candle needs to be burnt for a few hours (in the presence of a person), and a room spray needs to be spritzed, so a diffuser is a perfect way always to have fragrance in a room,” says Bradford.
MOR MARSHMALLOW MINI REED DIFFUSER, $44.
The most famous in the MOR lineup of scents is Marshmallow. It’s a sweet blend of sugar rose petals, with carnation, jasmine, cotton candy, vanilla and musk. Ideal for the festive season in any room in your home.
MOR Marshmallow Mini Reed Diffuser
MOR has just celebrated its 20th birthday; what's new in the collection?
“As a nod to MOR’s rich heritage of distinct and captivating floral fragrances, we revisited our archives and chose Narcissus as our 20th Anniversary signature scent. Renowned for its ability to bloom within just two or three weeks of planting, the Narcissus flower symbolises rebirth, renewal and the coming of spring. We also launched a younger, fresher version of our popular Marshmallow fragrance called Marshmallow Petals. A fresh and modern take on MOR’s iconic Marshmallow fragrance, launched in 2001. Marshmallow Petals is soft, sweet and spirited–just like the airy citrus accords and a featherlight touch of warm violet, iris and marshmallow, which capture the essence of our new scent, and what we like to call a modern classic,” says Griffin.
MOR Birthday collection of Narcissus (yellow) and Marshmallow Petals (pink) to mark their 20-year celebrations.
What’s your best scent tip for the festive season ahead?
“Burn or diffuse more than one fragrance in your home on the same day. In the kitchen, burn or diffuse spicy scents like cinnamon and nutmeg or herbal scents like sage. Then in the bathroom, choose fresh floral fragrances. When it comes to wearing perfume, if you are preparing food, don’t use heavily scented hand creams that can transfer onto food,“ says Bradford.
How to embrace these tones in your home.