Leaves are browning, wind is churning, and that distinct smell of muddied streets purifies the air with one final reminder: Fall is here, and she’s not leaving for a while. While I can get overzealous at the prompt of Fall (books at bedtime, fall-themed scents and horror movies all of October!!), I often find myself hibernating in a cocoon of my older self. Lethargy starts to settle, and I reminisce about sunny mornings while also deciding to skip my 9 AM lecture for extra sleep- getting up in the Fall can be hard! While the season bears pumpkin patches, I bear remnants of motivation that amount to an overall depreciation in effort and will for life. All in all to say: while Fall can be a fun season for some, it is also a depressing season for others. These perceptions, however, do not mutually exclude one another; in fact, I find myself in a lived reality where I simultaneously love and loath Fall.
As discussed above, one of the most excruciating realities of Fall is the loss of sun time, and the consequences it can wreak on one’s mental health. Our bodies rely on a natural rhythm- one that, when met with barely any sunlight in the morning, crumbles into a standstill: How can I enjoy the aesthetics of Fall when I can barely get out of bed in the morning? It all boils down to finding a new light- a new reason to get out of bed in the morning. For some, this can be a new hobby.
For me, the light that I look for? It’s a small (but certainly no less powerful) one. It chirps and bubbles on the tip of a wicker thread, embossed around a pool of wax, with cold throws of Macintosh Apple and hot throws of a baked Apple Pie- the kind a grandma would leave on her windowsill in a children’s cartoon. This light? It’s the dancing flame of my newly-lit candle obsession, and to help you break into what-could-be-your-new-possible-light this Fall season, I’m going to provide some of my favorite scent combinations that will definitely bring you out of bed (or…into bed).
Apple Pie:
Starting off strong with my favorite, combine your favorite apple scent (mine is MacIntosh Apple), with scents like: pumpkin spice, cream, lemon, brown sugar, and/or caramel (for that extra sugary scent).
Bonfire:
For a scent that throws you into the fiery backwoods of wilderness, enough to make you want to tell scary ghost stories with your friends, try this combination: fresh pine, smoke, cedar, juniper, rosemary and most especially: marshmallow.
Chai Tea:
Everyone and their mother can understand the relation Chai Tea has with fall- I’m guaranteed to (considering how much I spend weekly on Chai Tea concentrate…). To replicate this at home, enlist the help of these scents: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, milk, vanilla, tonka, and sugar.
Pumpkin Patch:
If there’s no pumpkin patch nearby, then bring the experience to you with this combination: pumpkin (pumpkin puree for a sweeter profile), vetiver, cashmere, autumn air, moss, rum and brown sugar.
Cheers to a happy, olfactory-motivated Fall!