Scent Style: Elyse Bova, Director of Retail at Clean Market

Just like your fashion sense, your scent preferences can say so much about who you are. So we decided to ask inspiring people in our network to come up with a unique diffuser cocktail—something that showcases their personalities and makes them feel amazing in their spaces.

For lovers of wellness, Clean Market is a one-stop shop. The New York City destination offers services (think IV drips, infrared saunas, and cryotherapy); sustenance (thanks to a cafe and tonic bar); and shopping (with an apothecary hawking all things natural body, skin, and home care). As Clean Market’s director of retail and purchasing, Elyse Bova is particularly versed on that last point—she’s in the know when it comes to the best in non-toxic living, from brands like goop, OSEA, Golde, Moon Juice, and of course, vitruvi.

She expertly curates Clean Market’s product offering, so it’s no surprise that this love of natural wellness products extends to her own space. When it comes to scenting her home, Bova likes aromas that cleanse the energy and ground her in a sense of place.

Scent is so personal. What does it mean to you?

Scent has become quite important to me over the years, though I wouldn’t say that I was raised in a home where the utilization of scent was necessarily valued. I was not allowed to burn candles or incense in my childhood home, so when [I moved out on my own] I really cherished the ability to change and orient the smells and impressions of my space. For many years I have burned sage, palo santo, and incense in my home, and it helps that my partner loves these tools as well. Scent helps me to change or cleanse my spaces and as well as make them feel like my own.

Describe your personality in three to five words.

Silly, caring, curious, and excitable.

With those words in mind, tell us about the diffuser cocktail that you’ve created to represent your scent style.

I feel that the cocktail I created really represents me in terms of style. I am completely obsessed with Ceremony, as it felt wholly natural to me and my space. Anytime I used this as the starting point, I loved all of the combinations I tried because the base was such a connection point for me. I love to be a bit heavy-handed with Ceremony; in the end, I loved combining it with Pacific, which reminded me of my upbringing in San Diego and the smell of the mornings on the beach. In my current NYC life, I am constantly thinking about greenery and nature, so Eucalyptus, as a clean and high-vibe scent, combined with the earthiness of Grove, also ended up in my preferred blend.

Why did you choose each of these oils and how do they work together? What does the final aroma smell like or remind you of?

I was drawn to the oils first individually for differing reasons, and then I kept combining them until I was satisfied with the final product. This scent reminds me of my favourite yoga studios in combination with the sense of being surrounded by a natural vista, be it forest or ocean.

What room do you diffuse this scent in and when do you diffuse it?

I diffuse the scent in our combined kitchen and living room in my NYC apartment, which I share with my partner of eight years. We diffuse, honestly, around the clock, for reasons such as clearing out cooking smells, waking up, doing a virtual yoga class, and wanting to create a bit of energetic motion in the space. We also have two cats, and though we are quite consistent with dander and litter box maintenance, the added diffusing of oils really ensures no harsh smells linger in our space.

Aside from scent, what else makes you feel truly at home in your space?

Outside of the scents we use, I feel at home in our space because we have continuously improved and refined our apartment. We have lived here for the last six years, and we often reimagine our space and aren’t opposed to rearranging and changing the vibe and layout. What makes me feel at home here is how lived-in our space feels to me, and how it now feels like ours in all its versions and moments. Also, I know I am home when I am with our two cats, Hanuman and Ganesh.

What’s your favourite thing about your home?

Well, my cats certainly, but I feel a need to shoutout the daybed in my photos. We got it about a year and a half ago, and every day I am so thankful we did. It is the perfect place to pass a warm, sunny afternoon or a cozy winter evening, and it always feels comforting. In the same vein, I am loving the new meditation cushions we got during the pandemic to give ourselves more seating (and yoga prop options).