When the air is tinged with a frosty chill and the melodies of well-known carols ring in the streets, Yuletide announces its arrival. Indoors, there is nothing quite like a cozy scent to usher in holiday cheer and evoke treasured memories. As Aromatique celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, their first offering, The Smell of Christmas, reigns as the decorative fragrance company’s best-selling scent, with its festive blend of spice and citrus a redolent seasonal tradition.
Aromatique began in Heber Springs, Arkansas, with an afternoon foraging endeavor in 1982. Founder Patti Upton gathered pinecones, hickory nuts, and other natural materials to meld into a sumptuous potpourri for a friend’s gift shop. She fashioned an experience for both the nose and the eyes by blending the pleasures of thoughtfully chosen scents and beautiful botanicals. Her vision burgeoned through the seasons, as her first product became the cornerstone for a company that now offers hundreds of products, from potpourri to candles and soaps.
Two of Patti’s granddaughters now carry on the company’s legacy, continuing to build Aromatique in keeping with the gracious foundation laid by its matriarch. In their formative years, cousins June and Jordan Upton spent a few weeks each summer working amid the luxurious fragrances. June recalls of accompanying their grandmother, “It was her favorite thing in the world to walk us through the factory and show us everything she did. Her voice was so prevalent, and everyone respected her vision so much.”
Now in their adulthood, June lends her talents as the creative director, and Jordan employs her skills as the director of marketing and sales. The pair strive to lead the Aromatique team into the future while holding fast to the vision Patti developed four decades ago.
Today, the family-owned brand stands the test of time, offering The Smell of Christmas alongside dozens of other collections, from sweet florals to deep woodsy scents. Products are handmade by in-house artisans. “Everything is created with such intention,” June says. “You don’t have forty years with a company without that level of love and care.” The globally renowned brand continues to imbue homes with artful aromas sure to enhance living and forge treasured memories, especially at Christmastime.
Text Lydia McMullen
Photography Stephanie Welbourne Steele
Styling Melissa Sturdivant Smith
To learn more about Aromatique, see “Scarlet Ribbons” in the December 2022 issue, available on newsstands and at victoriamag.com.
