This Stunning New Scenting Bundle Makes My Apartment Feel Like an Upscale Lounge (It’s on Sale!)

Just like I have countless music playlists for different occasions, I have an entire collection of candles and reed diffusers that I swap in and out around my home depending on my mood. One of the most beloved home fragrance brands among my colleagues here at Apartment Therapy is P.F. Candle Co. I sometimes enjoy the herbal, spa-like notes of its best-selling candles and room sprays, but all in all, those are not scents I gravitate toward. Instead, I prefer a warmer, muskier scent profile that makes my apartment feel, in a word, expensive. 

So, when P.F. Candle Co. released its new HI-FI collection not too long ago, I was excited to read that it was “inspired by low-lit listening bars and hotel lounges.” In other words, the collection claimed to create the exact sort of ambience I aim to achieve in my home. 

The HI-FI collection introduces three new scents to P.F. Candle Co.’s lineup: Blonde Hinoki, a warm, woody scent with hints of greenery; Plush Vetiver, which is predominantly musky with a hint of floral sweetness; and Smoked Cherry, which features notes of smoked cedar, ylang-ylang, and maraschino cherries. You can shop each scent either as a candle, reed diffuser, or incense. You can also make a bundle and try a scent in all three forms to really get to know each one.

No matter which scent or product you try, it’ll be vegan, cruelty-free, and phthalate-free, like all of the company’s offerings. The brand’s candles are also made with 100% domestically grown soy wax in Los Angeles. 

I wasn’t sent one of the bundles you can buy online, as those only feature one scent per bundle. Instead, I received a candle, diffuser, and pack of incense sticks in three different scents, so I got to try all of the new fragrances. For each one, the scent is not overwhelming, and I’m usually someone who gets nauseous from the smell of incense. In this case, the smokiness of the incense sticks paired well with the woodsiness of the Blonde Hinoki scent profile, so it wasn’t too intense. Still, I would recommend burning the incense in a large, open space instead of a small bedroom or bathroom.

The Smoked Cherry candle smells exactly the way you’d expect — fruity and boozy. It’s definitely smoky, but not terribly so. If you can tolerate heavy scents or even prefer them like I do, I think you’ll enjoy the hazy-sweet profile of this scent, which stops just short of being sickly sweet.

My favorite new scent of the three is easily the Plush Vetiver. Although Haitian vetiver is the main note, I get a strong note of patchouli from my reed diffuser. Patchouli is a divisive ingredient, so if you’re not sure whether you like it, this might not be the one to buy as a bundle. But because I love musky smells so much, I enjoy it, and I think the Plush Vetiver scent is a perfect balance of patchouli and soft florals. 

I keep the diffuser on the bookshelf in my living room at the opposite end of my entryway. Whenever I come home, I always catch a subtle whiff of it and find myself moving toward the living room for more. Aside from the lovely smell, I adore the packaging on the diffuser and both of the other products in the bundle. They sport P.F. Candle Co.’s signature brown glass vessels, but the prominent red labels make the collection look elevated and worthy of displaying on my coffee table. Even the boxes they arrive in are beautiful enough to gift.

For a limited time, the HI-FI essentials bundle is 10% off, so it’s the perfect time to try it out. If you also like to experience a low-lit, loungey vibe without having to leave your home, I definitely recommend snagging one of the HI-FI trios for less while you can.

Buy: HI-FI Essentials Bundle, $99 (normally $110)