Inconspicuously stashed in downstairs loos around the world, room spray is the understated hero of modesty protection.
We can all recall a blush-inducing moment when the surreptitious spray spotted in the corner came to our rescue after nature called at the worst possible moment. But even more memorable are the times in which it is severely absent. Any host worth their salt knows that no party is complete without a well-stocked loo, from the roll to the odour-masking aroma.
But these fragrant formulas don’t need to be solely reserved for the WC. Setting the scent of your home can have transportive effects, bringing the warmth of the Med or sweetness of the tropics to your living room. It can also transform your mood. As our olfactory senses are inextricably linked to the brain, a waft of light and fresh notes can have an uplifting effect, while signature sleepy scents like lavender and chamomile can encourage a restful slumber. This is why many struggling for deep slumber keep pillow sprays to hand.
Room sprays deserve to play a part in your home fragrance arsenal, alongside reed diffusers, essential oil diffusers and scented candles. They are especially sought-after by those who prefer to keep flames out of the picture – be it on account of pets, children or forgetfulness that leaves them lit for far too long. Room sprays provide an immediate hit of perfume.
Febreze is all well and good but for dynamic, deliciously fragrant aromas that delight the senses with every spritz, the major fragrance houses from Paris to Sicily have room sprays in their offerings that bring a touch of luxury and class to the proceedings.
As opposed to air fresheners, room sprays offer a more concentrated, space-filling and long-lasting scent. We have gathered the best below.
Shop the best room sprays here
Ortigia Fico D'India Room Essence
Ortigia is the Sicilian label bringing the signature summery scents of the Med to homes everywhere. The brand’s room spray is one you’ll be proud to display. The attractive bottle is a clue to the delightful aroma that it houses. One of the most popular in the range, the Fico D'India combines notes of powdery fig and cedar. It takes inspiration from a cactus of the same name that grows locally in the label’s home country. The essence is designed to be spritzed around your home but also on furniture and linen to impart its energizing burst of fragrance.
Buy now £44.00, Liberty
Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Room Spray
The Lime Basil & Mandarin aroma is one of Jo Malone’s signature scent, and there is a reason why. The bestselling scent is invigorating and revitalising and the intoxicating concoction is a testament to the prowess of the legendary fragrance house.
Ripe for gifting or self-indulging, the room spray harnesses the named notes to create a zesty aroma that was designed to replicate that of a tropical Caribbean breeze. Mandarin is given a touch of spice with peppery basil and thyme, before closing out with a base of comforting amber wood.
Buy now £45.00, Cult Beauty
Diptyque Ambre Room Spray
Diptyque is the pinnacle of luxury and this room spray wouldn’t be out of place in a five-star hotel. The flacon is immediately recognisable as a marker of quality that is further demonstrated by the addictive aroma within. The Baies, Figieur and Roses aromas are almost synonymous with the French fragrance house but Ambre brings an exotic touch with vetiver and patchouli that are set alongside aniseed, incense and cistus and offset with the sweetness tonka. Heady.
Buy now £56.00, Space NK
Aesop Olous Aromatique Room Spray
The Aesop innovative Poo Drops Toilet Deodoriser are a fixture in stylish homes but if you’ve come to associate their aromatic aroma with less than pleasant odours, there are alternative fragrances to experiment with in the Australian apothecary label’s collection, including Olous.
Calling on the brand’s botanical expertise, it has a fresh woody scent with hints of jasmine, grapefruit, and green galbanum. These notes are anchored with that of cedarwood and cardamom which will keep you coming back for more.
Buy now £47.00, Cult Beauty
Juliette Has a Gun Not a Room Spray
Whether it’s for the brand’s fragrances or laundry products, Juliette Has a Gun is difficult to forget - and not just because of its quirky name. The aromas are sumptuous and luxurious and extend beyond personal scenting to your home too.
Not A Room Spray was created to immerse you in captivating scents, applied into the air or on fabrics. It’s a fresh, clean fragrance that will transform stale, musty smells or remnants of cooking, leaving behind sweet floral nuances.
Buy now £55.00, Space NK
Cowshed Relax Calming Room Spray
Relax is the name and the game of this floral and woody room spray from Cowshed. Infusing your home with the calming embrace of lavender and eucalyptus, a few spritzes will create the optimal environment to promote a good night's rest making it ideal for using in the bedroom. Made from essential oils, the scent is long-lasting and room-filling.
Buy now £22.00, John Lewis
Trudon Maduraï Belles Matieres room spray
The kind of room spray that you’ll spot in the pages of a magazine, Trudon is a favourite with Architectural Digest’s crop of celebrities for its aesthetically pleasing flacon and deep, sensual scents. Taking you on a sensory journey, the Maduraï Belles Matieres room spray opens with ylang-ylang with a heart of sambac jasmine absolute and a base of benzoin resin. The aroma is housed in a hand-blown glass vessel complete with the oldest candlemaker in the world’s trademarked gold crest and a woven pump.
Buy now £195.00, Selfridges
Neom Organics London Happiness Room Mist
If you need any proof as to the power of scent, catch a whiff of Neom’s Happiness aroma for an immediate boost to your mood. Created with seven pure essential oils, it mingles neroli, mimosa and lemon with a reviving, revitalising and uplifting effect that will transform any dreary, sunshine-deprived day - British weather be damned.
Buy now £20.00, John Lewis
Rituals Private Collection Wild Fig Parfum d'Interieur Room Spray
The symphony of summer notes that are behind Rituals’ Wild Fig Parfum d'Interieur will liven up your space. You only need one spray to transform your home where the named ingredient is mixed with Chinese orris and clove accord for a concoction that is both fresh and spicy. At the base are touches of creamy cocoa and Indian sandalwood that put a unique twist on the classic fig.
Buy now £37.90, John Lewis
