The ladies at RealHomes have a confession to make: we buy a lot of reed diffusers. And now that Christmas is on the horizon, we've bought quite a few more. Sorry not sorry: a nice-smelling reed diffuser is such an easy way to lift your spirits (we all need a bit of that at the moment).
And – a reed diffuser makes for a lovely Christmas gift. Christmas candles are nice to give as gifts, too, and you'll need to know in advance whether the person you're buying for prefers candles or diffusers. We'll talk about our favourite festive candles another time; these are the festive-smelling reed diffusers we've already bought and are enjoying in our homes.
1. The hyper-realistic smell of a Christmas tree
Skandinavisk Skog reed diffuser | £45 at John Lewis & Partners
Whether you're buying a Christmas tree this year or not, we think you should definitely have this reed diffuser at home for the festive period. The smell is a phenomenally realistic representation of the smell of a fir tree: resinous, fresh, and a little sweet (the sweetness here comes from lily-of-the-valley). View Deal
2. The smell of a wintry morning
Wax Lyrical Winter Morning Reed Diffuser | £20.50 at Amazon
How cute is this packaging?! Wax Lyrical make lovely reed diffusers with a wintry theme, but this one is our favourite. The scent is an unusual and delicate blend of lily, jasmine, amber, and bergamot. The result is a crisp and cosy scent not unlike the smell of fresh, frosty air. It doesn't smell very strong, which makes it suitable even for a kid's bedroom. We're buying a bunch of these as gifts. View Deal
3. The classic winter spice scent
John Lewis & Partners Winter Spice Reed Diffuser | £20 at John Lewis
John Lewis have outdone themselves with this classic, 'winter spice and all things nice' scent. Orange, clove, cinnamon – what could be more Christmassy? This diffuser is a powerhouse of the traditional festive notes that will easily fill up a hallway or even a very large living room. Very oddly, we've loved having this in a bathroom – for some reason, it really works. Won't break the bank, either, so we're buying several as gifts. View Deal
4. The bright smell of cassis
Cassis Diffuser | £27 at The White Company
We've tried several cassis scents over the years, but always keep coming back to this one. The White Company's Cassis diffuser has the most grown-up take on the blackcurrant smell that is inseparable from sipping a Kir Royal in winter. It's fruity, woody, and quite dark – beautiful for a living room or home office during the cold months. View Deal
5. The fizzy clementine and Prosecco blend
Heyland & Whittle - Gold Classic Clementine Prosecco Reed Diffuser | £30.97 at Amazon
It's impossible not to like this sparkly, uplifting fragrance. Yes, it is pretty much just the two notes from the title, but it smells so good. It's not dark, it won't give you a headache – totally safe to give as a gift to just about anyone. We've bought three (not even kidding). View Deal
