As the days get colder and colder, my favorite thing to do on a weekend is to curl up on the sofa, have a warm cup of tea, and read a good book. What's essential to the whole ritual, however, is to make sure I'm surrounded by the scents that are soothing, relaxing and helping me to ease into the mood. I have tried and tested different home scents, from the scented candles, home diffusers, to home sprays and incense. Here are a few of my favorites that have become an integral part of my daily life.

Muji ultrasonic aroma diffuser. I've owned this for over five years now. Still works like new and I know I should probably get a bigger one, now that I think about it, but honestly the size of this one doesn't really bother me. I usually leave it in the entry way corner which adds some perfect light and scent when you first enter the home. My favorite essential oil to use is the Aesop Isabelle Oil Burner Blend which combines spearmint leaf, sage leaf and rosemary leaf. Super calming and gives the room a nice cooling scent.

Santa Maria Novella Potpourri. I've bought boxes of the Santa Maria Novella Potpourri for... I'd say years, before I actually started using them. Why? Because I couldn't find anything that I love to put them in! My original thought was to get a vintage silver plate to house them....but I've been searching for years and still haven't found one that I like. So when I finally discovered Santa Maria Novella had opened up a store with full line of products in New York, my heart almost exploded. I picked up this super simple ceramic plate from the SMN store - I think the plate was supposed to be used for soap or something. Sometimes the simplest thing is the hardest to find. It fits perfectly with the potpourri that has been made using the same method and recipe for over three centuries. The mixture of buds, leaves, and flower petals typical of Tuscan hills now gives my home a distinct aroma and brings me back to a century old apothecary like no others.

Diptyque scented candle. This one needs no introduction. It has appeared in many of my interior photos. I'm not a floral scent lover, so naturally, my favorite scent of Diptyque are Figuier, Santal and Baies. Either woody or fruity, depending on my mood, Diptyque has accompanied me through many nights and days as a loyal friend.

Summer is officially here! I know I've been so delinquent on the blog (which I'm not proud of) but here I am, back at it!! I wanted to start a new series called daily essentials - documenting things that I use on a daily basis, such as skin care, cosmetics, small goods, whatever it is to make my daily life a little brighter, a little happier, and a little more enjoyable. Today we start with the things I've been using and loving since the warm days started.

Starting from upper left corner clockwise...

AESOP Herbal Deodorant. In summer, most of us swear by solid sticks to keep our underarm area dry and smelling descent. But we all know how embarrassing and annoying it is to find the stick marks on our clothes. I stumbled upon this Aesop Herbal Deodorant spray when I went to the store to stock up on body wash and hand wash and decided to give it a try. It has a pleasant herbal oil smell (sage leaf as part of the ingredients), dries up pretty fast after each spray and leaves no mark. Although it may not be as effective as antiperspirant when it come to preventing sweating, I found it pretty good at keeping my underarms dry so far (maybe it's the essential oil?) and it has been my go-to after shower everyday.

DIPTYQUE scented candle. This one needs no introduction. I always make sure I have a few Diptyque candles scattered around my home. My favorite scents, amongst all, are Baies and Figuier. I keep one on my night stand and there's nothing more soothing than falling asleep with the light scent lingering around you...

Living Proof Humidity Shield Spray. My hair is hopelessly fine and naturally wavy, which translates to a frizzy and sad look under high humidity. Every morning after I shower and blow dry my hair, I would always straighten and style it using my favorite Panasonic ion straightener. However, as soon as I step outside, within 10 minutes, it goes back to being flat and frizzy. I bought this Living Proof Humidity Shield Spray from Sephora and so far it's been working wonders! My hair is able to keep the volume and somewhat shape that I styled for most of the day. Very pleased with the purchase!

Le Labo perfume in Santal 33. I can't remember how many compliments I've gotten since I started wearing it. My boyfriend got me this as a Xmas gift (by the way, if you go to their store, they will make the perfume right there on the spot for you, so neat!) and I've been wearing it ever since. It's very subtle and low key, and yet has this dreamy sexy feel to it. I've gotten so used to it that I can no longer smell it when I wear it. But every time I enter a room, someone always asks, what perfume are you wearing?

Tom Ford lip stick. Ever since I purchased my first TF lip stick, I've been completely hooked. Being someone who doesn't wear a ton of makeup, my makeup regimen really just consists of tinted moisturizer, eye brow powder, a teeny bit of eye shadow and finish with lip stick. Having possibly the driest lips in the world, most of the lip sticks either don't stay on for long or make my lips even drier. Tom Ford is an exception. It's very moisturizing (although I like to apply a layer of lip balm as a primer first) and stays on for a long time. An absolute essential! My new purchase is called "Something Wild" - sounds pretty exotic but it really is not. It's a lovely red that you can wear every day. It's not overpowering but still adds a nice pop of color.

Happy summer everyone!