Skandinavisk home fragrance first launched in 2012, and quickly released “HAV” (ocean) as one of its three first scented candles. Since then, the brand has grown considerably, as has their range of offerings. In addition to candles, they now produce diffusers and skincare including body lotion, hand lotion, soap, and body scrub.
The popularity of HAV has been consistent. The slightly salty scent, like a spray of ocean hitting the side of a boat, was both subtle and unexpected. In candle form, the flame warmed the smell, capturing the fragrance of waves on a hot day.
But it’s been five years since they began producing HAV, and founder Shaun Russell felt it was time for a change. “We’re always trying to capture new scents, and we knew there was more to the ocean,” explains Russell. “So HAV Distant Shores is a kind of reimagining of the original scent.”
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The scent is described as a “cold marine,” and that coldness really comes through. But it’s not a biting cold; it’s glassy and brisk. There are also notes of rugosa rosa and hawthorn, carried by from the shoreline where the Atlantic meets the Baltic. The body care is infused with rockweed, which restores the skin’s moisture levels. Using the body scrub and lotion feels like you’ve just taken a long dip in cold water; your skin has that same pricked, fresh feeling, where the water beads on your legs and slides off.
In addition to the new range, Skandinavisk has partnered with Tekla Fabrics to collaborate on a luxe cobalt blue bathrobe, perfect for those days lying by the beach (or, you know, getting out of the shower but pretending you’ve just been to the beach).
I have loved the HAV scent for years, so I was disappointed when I heard that it was being relaunched. It’s true that this is not the same original scent. But it is, in many ways, a deeper and more complex scent, with notes that will unearth memories for anyone who has spent time on the Scandinavian coastline. And if you haven’t been yet – well, let HAV Distant Shores shape it in your imagination until you have the time to visit for yourself.
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Get 15% off any HAV Distant Shores products when you use the code SCANDI15. Offer ends 31st March. Happy shopping!
We recommend
HAV Distant Shores Hand Cream, €22 | DKK 169
HAV Distant Shores Body Scrub, €25 | DKK 199
HAV Distant Shores Scented Candle, €35 | DKK 279
Skandinavisk x TEKLA Fabrics Bathrobe, €135 | DKK 999
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