If you've ever wondered, 'What does Blake Lively's home smell like?' you're in luck. In recent Instagram posts of her foyer, Lively has revealed her home fragrance of choice: Le Labo's Santal 26.
The actress's Manhattan entryway idea features a massive Santal 26 Large Concrete Candle in the middle of her bright blue credenza. It's Le Labo's largest candle, with a burn time of over 150+ hours. Its handcrafted concrete vessel transforms it from just a fragrance into a striking decor item that grounds her space.
Further, the size of Lively's candle and its placement at the forefront of her home indicate that its smell hits visitors right as they enter the apartment. Thus, it becomes her home's signature scent. The warm, woody fragrance has base notes of sandalwood and cedarwood, heart notes of iris and ambroix, and top notes of violet and cardamom. It elevates the entryway to become a sensory experience.
'We've seen an increase in emphasis on home fragrance as an element of interior design over the past few years,' states Megan Slack, design expert and Head of Celebrity Style at Homes & Gardens. ''From more design brands releasing an element of fragrance to an increase in celebrity home brands that carry fragrances, candles, diffusers, and room sprays have become a huge part of how we experience our homes.'
Lively's choice of candle from Le Labo is perfect for use as her home's signature scent because it is an especially welcoming fragrance. Carlin van Noppen, fragrance and design expert at Fig Linens and Home states: 'Santal 26 is a warm, woody fragrance with a grounding feel. It's the slightly sweeter version of the brand's incredibly popular perfume, Santal 33. Its energy is inherently inviting and calming, making it ideal for use in the home.'
Shop Blake Lively's Candles
Whether your goal is to make your home smell expensive, or just to add a more sensory element to your design, Le Labo's Santal 26 candles are a great place to start. We tracked down the fragrance in the exact large size seen in Lively's entryway, and a smaller size with a more accessible price.
This hand-poured soy candle in a concrete vessel is perfect for acting as both decor item and candle, exactly like the one Blake Lively keeps in her entryway hallway
This smaller version of the candle comes in a minimalist glass recetacle perfect for bringing brightness into your home
To emulate how Lively scents her home, we recommend placing your house's signature scent, perhaps in the form of one of the best candles of 2024, in the entryway. That way, when guests and family members walk through the door, they are immediately struck by the fragrance. For residents, it is a signal to the brain that they have arrived home. This practice also helps guests feel welcome, for the layered sense that the homeowners have done everything possible to make the space inviting and cozy.
Using her signature fragrance won't instantly transform your home into Blake Lively's home, but it can't hurt.
