The moment the days get shorter and after clocks have been turned back an hour, all the Diptyque and Votivo candles come out in this casa de los homos. Home fragrance is not just a crucial part of gaytertaining but it’s, literally, a mood. Unfortunately, I am prone to forgetting about certain lit things; I have awakened more than once or twice to find a candle still, and barely, going at six in the morning. On the wooden surface of our dining room table, no less… It’s a miracle I’m still alive.
OMG!
My recent discovery of Aera has been game changing and dare I say, life saving? The sleek looking device is high-tech but make it posh. It is reminiscent of a small Sonos speaker with an innovative aesthetic we’ve seen evolve from Apple or Bose. Intriguing and appealing immediately come to mind. It’s a fancy electric diffuser and I’m completely obsessed with it.
The basics
Aera is a corded appliance that requires an electric outlet. You plug it in, press the power button located on the back, pop in a fragrance capsule of your choice, and regulate the intensity of the sillage. That’s the cliff notes version. Be sure to follow the more detailed instructions below:
So easy
Remove the two rubber ‘seals’ from each fragrance capsule prior to inserting it into the slot at the base. There is a small red one on top and a wider white one at the bottom. Both come out first. Verify that the device is plugged in and powered on. Now, insert the fragrance capsule into the base and watch it lower itself magically to fit perfectly into the unit. Enjoy the scent, which is now being diffused. You can also regulate its strength. You fancy.
That App Tho
Now that’s just the beginning. There is an Aera For Home app as well, which allows you to ‘set a fragrance’ so the diffuser comes on and off at specific times any day of the week. You can even make it a reoccuring event. Further, it alerts you when you’re running low on capsule juice. This things is brilliant, really. Full disclosure: while fairly intuitive, I did need their customer service representative to guide me through the WiFi connection step swiftly. I predict you won’t have trouble. My excuse is that I’m Polish, so everything tends to take a while longer.
The scents (send all the Moondance)
I don’t want to take anything away from the stunning piece of equipment, but let’s chat about the scents. There are two collections: Luxury (with alluring names such as Curiosity, Odyssey or Zephyr) and Simplicity (featuring more approachable and easier to spell options like Lavender, White Tea, and Sandalwood). If you’re a fan of fir, orange zest or holiday spices, you won’t want to miss out on the Hygge Collection, available for the holidays. I went through Winter Light way too fast and am currently rationing my all time favorite, Moondance.
Each fragrance capsule lasts up to 60 days but you have to get crafty with your programming to extend their longevity. Real life tip: do not expect an aggressive sensory experience, this is not an assault by a Yankee Candle-like situation. Each fragrance is faint yet present and never overbearing.
Extra info
Aera is super portable so you can move it from the bedroom to kitchen to living room or bathroom…wherever scent surround would be beneficial. Do not place the unit by the window, however, as the smallest draft can decrease the potency of the fragrance. For those who just have to know all the details, the unit’s dimensions are 8 x 7 x 6 inches.
Aera touch is $150 and does not have WiFi capabilities, the $200 Area 2.0 does. Capsules ($50 each) are sold separately. Available at amazon.com and areaforhome.com.
*press sample
