The synaesthetic candles of C'ERA Fragrance

Some have a different one in every room of the house, those who collect different scents, and those who would never give up the ones that bring to mind the notes of a freshly baked biscuit from the oven. Scented candles are an often underestimated detail, popping up on the edge of coffee tables and shelves, diffusing heady notes among the living room walls that promote relaxation or give us a boost of energy. And all this while making our most intimate spaces more fragrant and pleasant. But there are even more special candles that not only fulfill practical functions, but are also interesting design objects that also have the power to evoke memories and emotions. This is the case of C'ERA Fragrance, a brand from Italy that is well worth discovering.

Perfume is emotion, memory, like the fragrances of C'ERA

"Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will." Patrick Suskind wrote this many years ago in his masterpiece Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, and science confirms it. Of the five senses, the sense of smell is the most developed and can evoke feelings, memories and images even at the subconscious level and influence up to 75 per cent of our daily moods. When we perceive the smell of a person, emotions are immediately triggered in us, evoking pleasant or unpleasant memories and taking us back in time, because odour stimuli have a direct influence on the limbic system, the place where the amygdala, the gland responsible for emotions, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for the formation of memories, are located. Therefore, the choice of scent we wear or decorate our home with is important for our wellness. The power of scent can be enhanced by synaesthesia. C'ERA Fragrance has understood this and created a project that smells of emotions.

The story of C'ERA Fragrance

The word synaesthesia is derived from the two Greek words syn (together) and aisthesis (perception) and literally means "perceiving several sensations together". In synaesthesia, the stimulation of one sensory pathway, e.g. the visual pathway, is combined with a sensory experience that influences another, e.g. smell. What if this perceptual phenomenon could be utilised with an ordinary object such as a candle? Then this simple thing would turn into a portal for memories and sensations, a spell that is lit and guarded to warm and illuminate the soul, not just the home. From the need to reproduce the sensations that reach us in the form of intangible but enveloping scents, C'ERA Frangrance was born, an Italian made brand of handcrafted, 100% sustainable candles and ceramics. The result is a hybrid, eclectic, special product that is both a fragrance diffuser and a beautiful 1960s-inspired design. The first three models of the ceramic moulds in particular are the result of a collaboration with the Apulian artist Paolo Santangelo. In March, in conjunction with Design Week, a fourth model, Erba, will be launched, reminiscent of a freshly mown lawn in the countryside.

The products of C'ERA Fragrance

The olfactory path of C'ERA begins where saltiness mingles with the sea, leads to the autumnal notes of persimmon and ends with the woody composition of earth. These are the images and sensations evoked by the brand's first three candles, which are available on the website and in selected shops around the world such as Antonioli in Milan and La Ferramenta in Bologna. There is Cachi, a sweet and delicate fragrance with notes of ginger, eucalyptus and white flowers, reminiscent of the rich aroma of a ripe persimmon. Salsedine is a salty fragrance that, thanks to sweet vanilla and floral notes of lily of the valley and ylang-ylang, is reminiscent of the sea when it comes out of the water. Finally, there is Terra, a woody fragrance with notes of leather, musk and orange, reminiscent of the scent of the earth after a summer rain. In March, Erba will be added to the collection, which is reminiscent of a freshly mown lawn in the countryside. Each of the three candles is encased in a handcrafted ceramic made in collaboration with Paolo Santangelo. The colours and patterns of the ceramics are also three: Wok, Drop, Cup and khaki orange, brown and blue. The plus? The candles are refillable, but if you don't want to refill them, the ceramic still remains a design object that enhances the style of our interior.