When the hot summer days are finally over and your whole mood changes immediately. Halloween is on the way and the long-awaited crisp, fall days are coming. But do you have to jump in with the standard fall scents immediately? Or can you make the season feel longer with scents just for Halloween? Below, we show you how to maximize the memories this fall and find the perfect Halloween scents for the home and car.
Yes, Halloween is part of the fall season. But scent-wise, it’s a little more nuanced. Of course, fall scents smell cozy and nostalgic whenever you use them, but what notes should you look for to give your space a distinctly Halloween scent?
Campfire & smoke: Campfire scents hold so many memories. Maybe you sat around one and heard a ghost story or two. The scent of a smoldering campfire is earthy, natural, and perfect for Halloween.
Sweet candy: For a big nostalgia boost, sweet, candy-like notes quickly remind you of opening a full bag of Halloween swag after a successful night's trick-or-treating.
Caramel & butter: Rich, sweet, and slightly candy-like, notes of caramel, butter, and vanilla add hints of child-like magic with warm and cozy scents for fall.
Mystical scents: If Halloween is a soulful or mystical time on your calendar, spiritual scents like dragon’s blood, sandalwood, palo santo, and white sage are perfect for cleansing energy, crystals, and altars.
Pumpkin spice: It is the go-to fall scent for a reason. And many people enjoy the warmth, nostalgia, and coziness of this best-seller from September til the New Year and beyond.
Read more: Incense and Candles That Smell Like a Fireplace
Holidays give us some of the best memories. And scent can help to make them even stronger so we remember them year after year. When a scent enters the nose, it is routed to the olfactory system so the brain can process it. But the olfactory bulb is directly connected to the emotional centers in the brain, the amygdala and hippocampus. Because scent creates a direct link with our emotions, it forms incredibly strong memories that last.
Fall can feel even longer when you separate the season by the holiday. Below, we highlight some top halloween scents to set the scene at home and in the car.
This odor-busting candle from The Modest Co blends traditional fall scents like cinnamon and sugar with crisp and fresh notes of eucalyptus and juniper to capture the early change of the season better than a pumpkin spice latte. Hints of creamy coconut add depth to this hand-poured candle as Toasted succeeds in making your space smell cozy and welcoming, yet fresh and clean.
Don’t let the pumpkin in the name fool you with this enzyme-based candle. The delicate fall-scent is a much fresher version of a cozy, autumnal scent. A gentle base of fall spices and nutmeg is elevated by notes of earl grey, black tea, and zesty hints of lemon for an uplifting, comforting Halloween scent.
For a more mystical Halloween, Satya’s Dragon’s Blood Air freshener spray is a perfect scent for cleansing crystals and tarot cards, casting spells, and purifying a space for deep connection. A flameless option you can take on-the-go, this powerful and space-saving spray is handy to use in the car, your dorm room, and other spots where candles and incense aren’t permitted.
For your inner 8 year old. This fun-loving candle smells like sweet, juicy candy and brings back all the memories of trick-or-treat hauls. Zesty grapefruit, deep black cherry, and notes of juicy peach combine to make the whole room smell like a candy-lover's heaven and bring back the unabashed excitement of Halloween. Formulated with enzymes to break down odors, this hard-working candle quickly removes the smell of stale food, cigarette smoke, cannabis, and musty odors.
It’s not all about the candy. Halloween is also the start of sugar cookie season, with these sweet and buttery cookies coming out dressed as pumpkins, ghosts, and witches. Fill your space with the scent of freshly baked sugar cookies, with no baking required! This portable air freshener spray is a great seasonal addition to your living room as the odor-busting enzymes get to work right away.
Cotton candy, fruit gummies, and notes of sweet and tart hard candies all fill the room with this perfect candle match for Halloween. Using enzymes to remove smoke and other musty odors from the air with ease, this long-burning candle brings a playful vibe to the holiday and clearly separates Halloween from the rest.
Of course, if you love to bust out the pumpkin spice as soon as summer quits, this fall-scented air freshener makes a perfect portable companion. Use it for a seasonal twist in the bathroom or take it on the road to remove odors in the car or RV. Pumpkin & Waffles is more than just a spritz of pumpkin spice. Added notes of sweet maple syrup and fresh baking make this rich scent smell like a delicious bakery at the beginning of fall and is perfect for getting the season started.
Not all Halloween nights smell like candy. Those unforgettable movie nights start with the warm scent of buttery popcorn with a hint of sugar for sweetness. Blending the unmistakable smell of movie theater popcorn with rich caramel and the freshness of yogurt, Kettle Fry’d smells clean and fresh while setting the scene for a Halloween movie night you’ll remember for years to come. Beating smoke odors and musty smells with enzymes, this hand-poured candle from The Modest Co starts the season with the warmth and welcoming energy of fall.
Read more: The Best Incense Scents for Fall
Your trick-or-treating days may be long gone, but there’s plenty of ways to keep the magic alive at Halloween. And you don’t even need to leave the house!
Buy candy just for you: Your inner child probably still wants candy on Halloween. But you don’t need to settle for left over trick-or-treat candy. Grab a big bag of the good stuff just for you and dig in guilt-free.
Plan your movie night: If scary movies are your thing, don’t wait til Halloween to browse the previews and feel paralyzed by indecision. Planning these simple steps in advance helps you get down to the Halloween fun faster.
Get crafty: Carving pumpkins is messy business. This year, switch out the questionable carving skills for something you truly enjoy. Crochet a new Halloween blanket, pour your own witchy candles, or sketch your familiar if they’ll sit still for long enough.
Decorate: We’ve all seen houses that go hard on Halloween decorations. And we have to admit, it’s just plain fun. You don’t need to turn your place into an award-winning haunted house, but decorating a little and adding a few lanterns to your space helps the holiday feel even more separated from the other holidays.
There’s a lot of great stuff packed into the fall season and there’s no need to keep the same autumnal scents going for the whole period. It actually makes it harder for your brain to create distinct memories. Fall brings us the return of sweater weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, then a long and festive holiday season. And if you’re not scentscaping for each micro-seasonal change, you’re missing out.
Switch to sweet, delicious, or mystical scents for Halloween and make the season feel longer. Check out our magical Halloween options at Nothing But Scents today!
Fall scents like pumpkin spice are popular for the entire fall season. But using sweet, candy-like notes, buttery caramel scents, and hints of a campfire or toasted marshmallow for Halloween can make the season feel longer and help you develop better memories for each individual holiday.
Enzyme-based air fresheners break down odor particles in the air, no matter where they are, including the car. These odor-busters destroy bad smells at the molecular level and replace them with whichever delicious scent you choose.
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Pumpkin spice lattes make the headlines in fall. But not everyone wants an abundance of cinnamon and nutmeg this season. Luckily, finding pumpkin spice alternative home scents is easier than you think.
