There is perhaps no scent more innocuous and ubiquitous yet also as controversial as pine. For the people who love it, the scent brings up memories of long walks through the woods or cozy fireside evenings at Christmastime; for others, the scent recalls close encounters with overpowering tree-shaped air fresheners hanging off of the rearview mirrors of overly warm taxis. And while we're no strangers to whiffs of cloying faux pine ourselves, we happen to think that, when done right, few fragrances are as simultaneously invigorating and comforting as pine. We love how they manage to evoke warmth and energy all at once, and how they can bring the great outdoors straight into our citified lives. Plus, this is the perfect time of year to surround yourself with this seasonally appropriate aroma and make every day feel like it's a holiday.
Click through the slideshow below to get a whiff of the best pine scents around. And we promise: Absolutely none of this smells like Pine-Sol. All of it smells like the best walk in the woods on a snowy evening ever.
Diptyque Le Roi Sapin Candle, $70, available at Diptyque
The candle masters at Diptyque beautifully capture the rich, velvety scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree and round out the fragrance with notes of resin and patchouli. It'll be a very green Christmas this year.
Slumberhouse Norne, $160, available at Twisted Lily
This gorgeous cologne evokes damp, dark Nordic forests and leaves wearers sure that they must have been a wood nymph in a past life.
Lush 'Needles and Pine' Shower Jelly, $9.95-$19.95, available at Lush
Scrub up with this super-soft and slippery shower jelly and bring the forest into your bathroom. Lush recommends popping this container into your freezer before using for "cooling, energizing" effects. We agree.
Jo Malone Scented Ceramic Christmas Ornament in Pine Eucalyptus, $35, available at Jo Malone
Maybe it's weird to put a pine-scented ornament on an actual pine tree, but perhaps you have a faux Christmas tree? (We're partial to metallic pink ones ourselves.) In that case, you'll want to evoke an actual tree with this festive scent that you can actually keep hanging up in your home year-round so that the holidays will always feel right around the corner.
Bath and Body Works Fresh Balsam Gently Foaming Hand Soap, $6.50, available at Bath and Body Works
Pine is such an invigorating scent, but it actually feels quite delicate in this softly scented hand soap, which is also loaded up with aloe and Vitamin E to keep your paws baby soft.
MCMC Fragrances, Ultimate Gift Trio in 'Hunter,' $150, available at MCMC Fragrances
We love this Brooklyn, New York-based fragrance company, and this gift set is the perfect package to give to your nearest and dearest this season. The scent was inspired by maple sugar cabins in the woods of Vermont and is suitably sweet and spicy all at once.
Nest Birchwood Pine Room Spray, $28, available at Nest Fragrances
Make your home smell like a forest with this room spray that carries notes of white pine, fir balsam, and birchwood, with warming complements of musk and amber to round things out.
Thymes Frasier Fir Northwood Journal, $30, available at Thymes
Okay, so this little notebook is odorless, but it's super cute and would come in handy approximately always. Plus, Thymes makes some of the best pine-scented products out there, which leads us to...
Thymes Frasier Fir Bar Soap, $10, available at Thymes
Lather up with this ultimate pine-scented soap. We love it so much that we use it year-round. It's also ultra-moisturizing and exfoliating and the perfect size for a stocking stuffer. A very, very good-smelling stocking stuffer.
