Transport yourself to the Mediterranean

If you’re on Instagram, you probably feel like you’re the only person who’s NOT drinking rosé all day on a boat in Greece or Italy (I know I do). Instead of island hopping, you’ll either find me sitting at my desk chipping away at my never-ending to-do list for work, or running around town preparing for my son’s return from camp next weekend—and trying to wrap my head around the fact that school starts again in 10 days. While there’s not much I can do about my current situation, I can make the most of it by surrounding myself with a Mediterranean-esque scent, and Acqua di Parma has been a huge help.

The storied Italian fragrance house added a few key products to their Blu Mediterraneo collection this summer—namely a body lotion, lip balm and hand cream. All wonderful ways to enjoy the range of scents inspired by Capri, Calabria, Sardinia, Amalfi, Sicily, Panarea and Liguria, I’m especially smitten with the Candle Collection, which features three different votives that infuse your space with aquatic, citrusy notes. The bold blue glass adds a pop of color to my office (and anywhere else for that matter)—and the gorgeous packaging makes it the perfect hostess gift if you have a weekend escape planned before summer is officially over.

So instead of lamenting the fact that I’m on this side of the Atlantic (and poring over pictures from when I was in Italy and Greece 20 and 11 years ago respectively), I’m closing my eyes, taking deep breaths and taking myself on a mental trip to the Mediterranean. And if you need a little help getting there, this video might help…