The 15 Scents That Will Make Your Dorm Room Feel Like Home

It will smell so good you may never want to leave.

August 13, 2019

There's no place like home, but a good runner-up is a nicely fragranced dorm room. Transporting yourself somewhere new can be daunting; the hot/cold knob in the shower is completely different, your mattress feels funny, and you (most likely) have to share the room with strangers (who, on the bright side, could become your new best friends months later). One component that you can have control over when it comes to moving somewhere new is the scent. We invest in our bed sheets, shiny new back-to-school sneakers and backpacks, and other dorm decor, so why not invest in a high-quality candle that will yield cozy results?

Major sniffles, the good kind, are coming in hot this back-to-school season. You might have to drop some serious coin, more than expected, but it's well worth. The candles that are a lil more costly are the ones that also have the multi-layered scents. They're subtle and not overwhelming while burning for an extended period of time. And, if your campus does ban candles (bummer we know!), there's always an alternative: say hello to room sprays!.

Ahead, the 15 scents, both candles and room sprays, that we can't stop smelling.

Boy Smells Ambrosia Candle
$34
Boy Smells
A part of Boy Smells's Chromesthesia series, each candle coordinates with its packaging and is meant to be "hyper-natural".
Malin + Goetz Cannabis Candle
$55
Bloomingdale's
Spicy and herbaceous.

Project 62 11 Oz. Debossed Ceramic Jar Candle
$12.99
Target
Jar candles are a 3-in-1: they're decorative, smell nice, and afterwards you an repurpose it as a planter or jewelry bowl.
Fig + Yarrow Room Spray
$8
Urban Outfitters
No candles allowed? Use a quick spritz of room spray - this one delights all noses.

19-69 L'Air Barbès
$72.85
19-69
Not studying abroad in Paris this semester? Well you can at least inhale the scents of this bougie candle with notes of fresh lemon, concrete, and ink.
DS & Durga Portable Fireplace Candle
$65
DS & Durga
Because your dorm room probably doesn't come equipped with a fireplace (and if it does, hit me up I'm going back to whatever college you're at).

Catbird Summer In Italy Candle
$38
Catbird
For when midterms and finals come around and you need to escape to somewhere nice. Orange blossom and honey remind us of simpler times.
Le Labo Palo Santo 14 Home Fragrance
$115
Le Labo
Burn your palo santo sticks to clear the bad spirits and spray them out too.

Diptyque Figuier Room Spray
$68
Diptyque
Our favorite Figuier fig tree candle is now in a room spray version. The scent is enchantingly warm and welcoming.
Massimo Dutti Manhattan Light Perfume And Candle Pack
$79.90
Massimo Dutti
Smell like your dorm room even when you're away from your dorm room with this candle + perfume set.

Byredo Tree House Room Spray
$120
Byredo
Turn your dorm into a tree house! Members only, very exclusive. This room spray has a base of leather with top scents of bamboo and pimento.
Norden Ojai Ceramic Candle
$55
Need Supply Co.
Frankincense, cypress, and patchouli are the stars here (and the ceramic stoneware). It's woodsy for those days you want to feel like you're outdoors in the comfort of your dorm.

Aesop Olous Aromatique Room Spray
$55
Aesop
This room spray's grapefruit and jasmine hints relax you the moment you enter the room. Surely guests will be wondering "What is that and how do I make my dorm room this inviting?".
P.F. Candle Co. Large Juniper Terra Candle
$32
P.F. Candle Co.
The Eastern Sierra's are just a candle away, not a flight and rental car. This candle contains pine, fir, cedarwood, and juniper berries aka all of our favorite trees in one.

Otherland The Awakening Extra Hour Candle
$36
Otherland
You may not be able to budget that extra hour of sleep, but at least this candle will make your morning routine a little nicer.