Rise and Shine!

Some mornings I need more than coffee to rise and shine, so I light a bright candle: citrus, mint and green notes that clear the room and the head together.

It’s one of those mornings where I’m slow to get going. I’m feeling groggy and my eyes don’t want to open all the way. It’s times like this when I like to start the day with a bright fragrance – something strong and bold.

Most days I make a hot cup of tea and reach for my Aura Clairvoyant candle. It’s simple and pungent citrus melange is just the wake up I need. Clairvoyant is a blend of yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium. I love the way Aura candles burn – clean and easy. I like that no-fuss-no-muss option, especially early in the morning. Aura Clairvoyant is also a wake-up call for the house getting rid of all the stale air from the day before and creating a clean slate for the new day.

The other candle I love when I need a shot of caffeine-fragrance is the Lafco Office candle. The bright green container alone is enough to open my eyes. It’s the most brilliant chartruese green. Office is a blend of three of my most favorite invigorating fragrances: eucalyptus, rosemary and wild mint. This fragrance comes alive when burning. It screams not only “Wake up” but also “Make the most of your day!”. I love the beautiful glow on the Lafco candles illuminating the oversized, hand-blown glass vessel.

Another fresh fragrance is the Nest Grapefruit candle – a blend of Pink pomelo grapefruit and watery green nuances with lily of the valley and coriander blossom. I love this fresh zesty scent with a hint of floral. Nest candles are crazy fragrant! If you need someone to scream in your ear to wake you up, this is your fragrance equivalent. The soft floral accent makes this fragrance a great choice anytime you want something strong and vibrant to breathe life into the room.

What helps you wake up in the morning? Have you ever tried using fragrances to help start your day? This is a new habit for me that I am really enjoying. I’d love to hear what works for you.

What makes a candle good for mornings

Look for clean, bright ingredients: grapefruit, orange, yuzu, mint, eucalyptus and herbs. These smell fresh and sharp, which our noses read as alert. Heavy, sweet scents belong to the evening.

The Wikipedia page for eucalyptus is a handy reminder of why people reach for that leaf when they want a deep, clear breath.

For a rise and shine candle, I want something crisp rather than perfumey. A little floral edge is fine, as long as it does not turn soft and sleepy.

Morning is also the time when scent is most noticeable, since the day has not yet filled the house with coffee, toast and shampoo. A bright candle fits that quiet window.

Rise and shine sounds cheerful, and on a bad morning it can sound like an insult. A candle says it more gently.

My rise and shine candles

Aura Clairvoyant is my weekday friend. The citrus blend of yuzu grapefruit, cassis, orange and rose geranium clears out last night’s air, and Aura candles burn cleanly and with little fuss.

Lafco Office combines eucalyptus, rosemary and wild mint in a brilliant chartreuse glass vessel. The color wakes me up before the scent does.

Nest Grapefruit mixes pink pomelo grapefruit with lily of the valley and coriander blossom. It is strong, and the floral edge keeps it from feeling sour.

Aura Clairvoyant is also a wake-up call for the whole house, getting rid of the stale air from the day before and creating a clean slate for the new one.

Office comes alive when burning, and to me it says both wake up and make the most of your day. The glow through the oversized, hand-blown glass is a pleasure in the half dark.

None of these three is shy, so do not expect a whisper. They are meant to be noticed, and that is exactly the point at the start of a slow day.

My rise and shine trio is simple: Aura Clairvoyant, Lafco Office and Nest Grapefruit. Each of the rise and shine candles has a different kick.

When I say rise and shine, I mean it literally: light the flame and let the room wake up.

A rise and shine routine in minutes

Light the candle while the kettle heats. Open a window for a minute, then close it so the fragrance can fill the room. By the time your tea is ready, the room already feels different.

Always blow out the flame before you leave the house. Morning is when we are most likely to rush out the door and forget.

A short burn is plenty. Fifteen or twenty minutes of bright scent does the job without wasting wax.

A rise and shine candle works best in the room where you start your day: the kitchen, the bathroom or beside your desk. Place the candle where you can see the flame, and keep it away from towels, curtains and papers.

It is not a substitute for sleep, but a rise and shine candle makes a tired start feel kinder.

My rise and shine ritual is short: kettle, match, window.

More fresh ideas

If citrus is your favorite way to wake up, the post on fresh orange candles has more ideas. Another bright reading is Aura Luscious, which shows how that brand handles sweet and zesty notes.

Tell me what helps you wake up. I am always collecting new rituals.

Tell me what helps you wake up. A song, a stretch, a glass of water? I like to collect new rituals, and the candle is only the first step in mine.

If rise and shine is hard for you, try changing the first smell of the day. Rise and shine does not have to mean loud, and a quiet citrus works too.

Write down your own rise and shine ritual and share it with us.

Header photo: Fabio Issao fabioissao, Wikimedia Commons (CC0).