I’m sure you’ve experienced it. You’re sitting next to someone, and you catch the smell of their perfume. You can’t help but wonder, “Where did you find this scent?” or you’re taken back to a memory that this specific smell reminds you of. You have a physical reaction before your brain even has a chance to catch up with what your nose is experiencing.

For most of us, a nose is just, well, a nose. It’s the part of your body you use to tell if the milk is still good to drink or whether it’s time to reapply your deodorant. For Mellisa McHaffie, the sense of smell is the most important thing. She spent more than twenty years of her life working in a bank. Now, if you’ve ever worked in finance, you know it’s a pretty intense job. It’s got a set of rules, logic, and numbers. This isn’t exactly where you’d think that you would find the “chief scent officer.”

For most of her life, she had a side hobby that she eventually decided was actually her passion. This was a passion she pursued after hours to relax after a long day. This passion: candle making.

2020 was a strange year that was filled with many people reevaluating their lives. This was when Mellisa decided it was time to leave her banking days behind. She opened up Crafted Scent Bar in downtown Mount Dora, Florida. This was the best decision that she ever made.

The Science Behind It All

Mellisa is not just another lady who likes the look of pretty candles. If you’ve ever seen her TEDx talk, “The Untapped Power of Our Sense of Smell,” you’d know she is fascinated by how the body uses our senses. Smell goes straight to the amygdala and the hippocampus, which are parts of the brain that store long-term memories and handle emotions.

At Crafted Scent Bar, Mellisa has used this science to create a studio that is also an experience.

Her studio in Mount Dora doesn’t feel like every other store where you walk in, grab the candle or fragrance you want, and leave. This is a workshop. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to hang around. It’s essentially a library of fragrances. The idea that you can custom-craft your own product by picking the scents and blending them together makes this feel more like an experience. This gives you the opportunity to leave the workshop with a custom candle or perfume that truly is one of a kind.

The process:

• The experience starts off with you being able to smell different oils. They have many options, including sea salt, sandalwood, and even the smell of freshly cut grass (if that’s what you’re into).
• Then comes the choice; you get to choose the scents that resonate with you.
• Now the fun part. You get to start mixing your own custom scent by deciding what you want to smell first (aka the top notes) and what scents should follow (aka the base notes). The base note is usually the scent that lingers after the candle has been burning for hours.
• Once you’ve finished the experience, you can walk out knowing that you’ve created and made your very own product, whether it’s a perfume or one of their CSB Signature Scent Collection Candles, it’s 100% you.

Frosted Quality: The Signature Scent Collection

Melissa is the ultimate sucker for quality. She refuses to just toss your custom fragrance into a cheap wax. This is where the Signature Scent Collection truly shines.

• They use frosted candles with wood lids. The frosting gives the candle a clean, almost simplistic look, and the wood lid is practical. The wood lip keeps out dust and traps scent when you’re not burning the candle, making it last longer.
• Everything that they sell is phthalate-free. Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemicals. Cheap candles tend to cause headaches. This is because they’re usually filled with phthalates, which help the scent last longer.
• Crafted Scent Bar’s goal isn’t for the candle to look like it belongs in the most luxurious home; it’s about giving you the chance to make something that is just right for you.

It’s Time To Hit The Road

Okay, so maybe candle and perfume making isn’t quite your jam. Mellisa has created just the thing for you. The Customized Hanging Car Diffuser. Have you ever bought a car scent that only lasts for three days? This is where the Crafted Scented Bar makes a product that stands out from the rest.

Say goodbye to the basic, generic scents. You get to customize the scent to suit you. By choosing a calming, soothing scent, you can turn your chaotic trip home into something you actually enjoy.

Research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows how your car scent is not just an aesthetic choice. It shows that smelling a scent you actually enjoy lowers your heart rate and reduces the feeling of frustration. You’re essentially using your sense of smell to signal your nervous system to stay calm and focused.

More Than Just a Studio

We live in a world that is almost entirely digital. Whether it’s staring at a screen for work or listening to a podcast to wind down at the end of the night, our sense of smell is the only sense left that is purely physical. There is nothing digital that can replicate the feeling you get when you smell something that you love.

This brand was created to help you slow down, focus on your senses, and feel present.

Mellisa makes sure to support the local Florida community by working with other makers to create:

• Handcrafted soaps that use the same top-tier oil blends that she uses in her studio.
• Lotion bars that are mess-free and let you carry your custom scent with you.

By supporting other makers, she ensures the Mount Dora experience is available in stores across the area.

Forget about the future and focus on the now. Find the scent that feels like home.