We’ve all been transported somewhere by a scene - to a summer afternoon, a familiar hug, a childhood memory. This is a fragrance story.

At New Flame, we start with our fragrance story as a foundation on which to build an unforgettable scent experience, proving how powerful fragrance stories are.

So what exactly is a fragrance story and how does one craft one?

Scent Is a Language

Your sense of smell is directly connected to the limbic system - the part of the brain that controls memory and emotion.
That’s why a single scent can instantly stir a feeling of comfort, nostalgia or excitement. Often before we realize it.

A fragrance story uses this power to create an experience where each note, from bright bergamot zest to deep frankincense, works together like words in a novel, building a memory you can feel.

The Structure of a Fragrance Story Illustrated By New Flame's Taiga Scent

The story structure always follows three parts: Top Notes, Heart Notes, and Base Notes.

1. Top Notes - The First Impression

The top notes are the very first scents you notice when you light the candle. They are the hook of the scene and designed to grab attention immediately.

In Taiga, the top notes are:

• • Smoke
    

  • Birch
    

  • Chinese Cedar
    

When you first light Taiga, you’ll immediately smell the smoky, crackling wood and the fresh, sharp character of birch and cedar. It feels like standing at the edge of a forest campfire, the air crisp and charged.

2. Heart Notes - The Emotional Core

Next, the heart notes of the fragrance imbue the top notes. Heart notes are softer, warmer scents that create the emotional atmosphere of the candle.

In Taiga, the heart note is:

• • Musk
    

The musk wraps the sharper woody top notes in a softness, creating a feeling of familiarity and calm - like pulling a warm blanket tighter around you by the fire.

3. Base Notes - The Lasting Memory

The base notes are the long-lasting soul of the fragrance, binding the more volatile top and heart notes. They stay in the air long after the candle has been extinguished, especially within a high-quality wax blend.

In Taiga, the base notes are:

• • Firewood
    

  • Virginia Cedar
    

  • Moss
    

These notes give Taiga its grounded, earthy finish. The scent settles into a rich blend of charred wood, damp moss, and soft cedar, evoking the quiet stillness of the forest floor after the fire has died down.

How New Flame Creates a Fragrance Story

We work closely with master perfumers in Grasse, France, the historic center of fine fragrance, to bring our scent stories to life. The production of each candle begins with a feeling we want to capture.

Why It Matters

A fragrance story makes a scent feel personal.
For example, New Flame’s Milano simply exceeds ‘espresso and roasted nuts’ by drawing on the memory of the clink of porcelain cups in a sunlit Milanese café, the bold aroma of fresh espresso curling through the air, the comforting warmth of almond biscotti lingering like soft conversation and the whisper of vanilla bean rounding it all with quiet indulgence.

When you burn a New Flame candle, you're not just filling a room with scent. You're opening a doorway to a place, a feeling, a story uniquely your own.

Find Your Story

Explore the New Flame collection here. We invite you to escape, to remember, to imagine your own story.