In short: juniper smells crisp, piney and peppery, with a clean, slightly resinous berry note. If you have had a gin and tonic, you know it.
What juniper smells like
Juniper sits between pine and pepper. Crushed juniper berries smell fresh and green, with a woody, resinous depth and a little fruity sweetness. In a candle it brings a bright, wintry, outdoorsy feel, like a walk through a snowy forest.
Where it comes from
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a hardy evergreen shrub that grows across the Northern Hemisphere. Its "berries" are actually small, fleshy cones that take two or three years to ripen from green to dusty blue. The oil is steam distilled from the berries.
Juniper is the defining flavor of gin. The word gin itself comes from genever, the Dutch word for juniper. Some of the woods sold as "cedar," like Virginia cedar, are actually junipers too, which is why the two smell related. Our candles use fragrance oils with a juniper note.
How it is used
Juniper is a top note. It adds freshness and a crisp, peppery sparkle, especially to winter and "forest" blends.
What it pairs with
- Pine and cedarwood, for an evergreen forest
- Sage and eucalyptus, for a wild, herbal blend
- Cranberry, apple and cinnamon, for the holidays
- Citrus, for a clean, gin-like freshness
Our candles with juniper
- Autumn Leaves: juniper and pine with apple, cranberry, cinnamon and clove.
- Sagittarius Zodiac Candle: juniper with cypress, cedar, sage and peppermint.
Common questions
Does a juniper candle smell like gin? A little. Juniper is gin's main flavor, but in a candle it is blended with woods and fruit, so it reads as a fresh forest more than a cocktail.
Are juniper berries really berries? No. They are tiny cones with fleshy scales that grow together, which is why they look like berries.
Explore more notes in our Fragrance Notes A to Z, or browse our Woody & Earthy candles.