Getting ready for guests this weekend? Here are some quick tips on using fragrances to freshen up your home before they arrive:

1. Choose a Signature Scent: Start by selecting one fragrance to use throughout your home. Much like a unified color scheme, a single scent creates a cohesive ambiance that guides your guests through your space. If you prefer to use more than one fragrance, opt for complementary scents and separate them by floor to maintain harmony.

2. Mind the Strength of Your Scents: When entertaining, it’s crucial to select fragrances that aren’t overly strong. While you might love the robust aroma of cinnamon or apple pie, these can be overwhelming for guests with allergies or sensitive noses. Instead, opt for lighter, cleaner scents that blend seamlessly while you cook and clean.

3. Favorite Fall Combinations: Here are a few of my favorite scent pairings to enhance your home this fall:

Safari Scentsation and Cozy Cabin: The warm notes of sandalwood and vanilla in Safari Scentsation evoke feelings of cozying up with hot chocolate by a warm fire. Pairing it with Cozy Cabin, which features fresh, outdoorsy notes of fallen leaves and a hint of patchouli, adds a refreshing touch perfect for spaces like bathrooms, where you want a clean aroma to brighten the atmosphere.

Buttercream Pumpkin Dream and Just Married: For fans of pumpkin or vanilla, try combining Buttercream Pumpkin Dream with Just Married. Both are custom blends centered around a rich buttercream base. The addition of vanilla bean in Just Married introduces a musky note that enhances your home without being overpowering. This combo can effectively neutralize cooking odors while adding brighter notes, ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms.

Apples and Oak with Spiced Cranberry: For a fruit-forward option, blend Apples and Oak with Spiced Cranberry. The top notes of cranberry bring brightness into your home, while the deeper clove notes transition beautifully with the orchard-inspired scent of Apples and Oak.

4. Prime Your Home Ahead of Time: To ensure your home is fragrant and inviting, start “priming” it a few days before your event. Begin by burning candles or warming oils on Friday. When cleaning your bathrooms, spritz a few pumps of fragrance spray onto the shower curtain, window treatments, and trash cans. You can also create a DIY cleaner by adding a few drops of your favorite oil to a touch of Dawn and water, perfect for countertops and floors. Finally, spritz a refresher throughout your home an hour before your guests arrive, and start your oil warmers.

These steps will help your chosen fragrance become an integral part of your home, layering top, middle, and bottom notes for a well-rounded olfactory experience that welcomes your guests with the spirit of fall.