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It's Scented Candle Season, And These Are The Very Best
From the blockbusters to the niche names, here are the chicest scented candles that money can buy.
Whatever the weather is doing outside, a scented candle is always a strong scene-setting move. The secret to instant ambience, it’ll bring new energy to any space, whether you’re hoping to make a soulless rental feel more like a home or complete a festive dinner-party table.
If you’re here, you’re likely already familiar with the blockbuster brands: a Byredo candle will always be the chicest move, while Diptyque still reigns supreme when it comes to major present points. For the maximalists, Trudon makes sublime candles destined for a travertine tabletop, while Aromatherapy Associates can chill out a racing mind like no other (best paired with a face mask and a hot bath).
But this season, don’t stop at the stalwarts, as there are plenty of new candle names to know now. Mar Mar is LA’s coolest home-fragrance export, and works with an Inglewood-based charity to produce its candles, while Danish interior designers Menu offers sepia-toned vessels to be placed in the most serene of spaces.
Closer to home, Hackney-based Earl of East and Sunday of London both follow a thoughtful, small-batch ethos, using traceable waxes and essential oils to produce scents that lie outside the obvious notes. These lesser-known candle crafters will look every bit as chic on your coffee table, and also come in at a price that feels a little more realistic (making it a touch less painful to actually burn the wick).
Because picking the perfect scented candle for yourself (or for a lucky recipient) is tricky, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here, see the best of the best, whatever your scent and style preferences...
The Very Best Candles To Invest In Now
One for fashion lovers who also note when mercury is in retrograde. A tribute to incense, Celine's latest candle gives cosy an opulent and spiritual twist with notes of resin, white birch and cedar wood. Light post smudging ceremony for the ultimate luxe room cleanse.
The candle that signals the start of cosy season, Space NK's legendary Shimmering Spice has landed. If you're new to this annual festive tradition, it's the perfect blend of vanilla and cinnamon, and comes in a price that won't make you wince. In short, the perfect Christmas treat.
Diptyque's monochrome votives might be influencer catnip, but it's the weightier coloured glass candles we're coveting this season. The scent is potent enough to be enjoyed even without the wick lit, and the glass glows beautifully once you do strike the match. Of course, there's no wrong move when it comes to fragrance here, but the creamy and green Figuier is a classic for a reason.
Named after the symbol of female empowerment, Yoruba Queen Idia, Liha's hand-poured candle is all about honouring women. Made with eco-friendly coconut wax and scented with lavender, hibiscus and frankincense, this is one seriously soothing candle.
LA's coolest candle brand has landed on our shores, and we're headed straight for the Moon Beach fragrance. Inspired by the volcanic coastline of Milos, Greece, the scent is pure holiday nostalgia – think salty skin and shimmering sunscreen.
The brand also works closely with charity partners, and uses Inglewood's production project Light 4 Life to fill its vessels, which employs people with learning disabilities and provides them with the training and skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
Earl of East's soy-wax candles are inspired by global travels and blended by hand in the brand's Hackney workshop. The scents are unique and memorable – ideal for anyone who isn't wooed by classic florals.
Our pick? The bracing, herbal Onsen: a mind-clearing blend of eucalyptus and mint that pays homage to Japanese bathing rituals.
A mainstay on the shelves of the the most precisely designed homes, Trudon's traditionally hand-crafted candles are beautiful, yes, but they also smell incredible.
Buy anything from the brand and you're instantly taking your living room up a notch, but the scent we're most enamoured with now is Abd el Kader: a bright, fresh ode to Morocco, blending mint tea with tobacco.
Danish design studio Menu crafts candles that will feel right at home atop that mid-century table you scored on Vinterior.
Wet Ink is both the most curious and the most accomplished scent in the collection. Juniper berry and grapefruit create the bright twang of ink drying on crisp paper, with a smooth amber base for depth and longevity.
British brand Aery uses plant waxes and potent essential oils to create its room-filling candles. Parisian Rose is a classic, feminine floral blend – a safe bet for gifting.
Vyrao's spellbinding scents are designed to riff on fragrance's proven power to alter and influence our mood. Just like its namesake eau de parfum, Witchy Woo uses dominant notes of frankincense, patchouli and sandalwood to conjure courage. Light it to spark a meditative moment when uncertainty takes hold.
Hailing from Hackney Wick, small-batch candle brand Sunday of London hails uses potent essential-oil blends and palm-free plant waxes to craft its thoughtful candles. Nocturne is one to save for cosy weekends in: with cleansing palo santo and sage, it's deep, herbal and meditative, with a trail that'll last long into the night.
Aromatherapy Associates makes the best mind-altering essential oil blends in the business. Deep Relax is the one to look to when you need to separate yourself from a stressful day: with chamomile and grounding sandalwood, it'll slow a racing mind remarkably well.
These pared-back ceramic candles burn with a powerful scent trail, and will look just at home by your bed as they will in the bathroom.
The very best section of Beauty Pie's sprawling site has to be the candle collection. Every bit as good as those that cost three times more, each scent (blended in Grasse, the home of fine perfumery) is complex, layered, and strong enough to linger for hours. Fleurosa is a divine white-floral blend, with creamy ylang ylang and rich tuberose over a base of cashmere-soft musk.
A host of fashion houses have branched into home fragrance in the past year, but Loewe's terracotta pots remain the most in-demand of them all.
Inspired by the scents of nature, there's one to suit pretty much any predilection, from milky fig to sticky liquorice. Our pick? The strikingly realistic Tomato Leaves, which is every bit as fresh and green as the real thing.
Call us what you like, but our idea of a dream Friday night right now is soaking ourselves silly in Verden's green and woody Arborealist bath oil while lighting the matching scented candle. Consider it forest bathing for indoorsy types.
While the inimitable Santal may have been the obvious Le Labo pick here, we're loving the smokier, sultrier woody blend of Encens 9 right now. Think: crisp, crackling-fireplace warmth, not your neighbour's bonfire.
This one likely needs little introduction. Perhaps the most-loved home scent on the planet, Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir is exactly what we want our living room to smell of right now. Rich, spicy and just a tiny bit sweet, it's giving Christmas without tipping into festive nausea.
Tom Ford's Private Blend fragrances masterfully meld teenage nostalgia with new sophistication. Bitter Peach is simultaneously sweet and spicy, combining ripe, fleshy fruit with the heat of cardamom. The supersized, square-based votive is sure to draw attention, too.
The scent that put Boy Smells on the shelf of every fragrance head, Kush is a unique and accomplished blend of cannabis (stay with us), tulips and light, white musk. Green yet warm, it's as calming as, well, you know what.
Transporting you to the plains of California after a desert storm, this unique candle captures the exact sensation of standing among fresh eucalyptus, sea spray and wild magnolia. When you can't cross the pond, burn this instead.
Amy Brewster is ELLE UK's Social Media Manager, handling everything from fashion week Insta-polls through to celebrity Q&As.
Roberta Schroeder is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing shopping strategy and content across fashion, beauty, and travel. Roberta has reported on everything from market-leading skincare brands to the world’s most iconic fashion pieces, while also regularly updating a range of shopping guides, including LED masks, heritage cashmere brands and niche new dress brands to know.
Roberta has more than 15 years' experience in the luxury sector, spanning editorial consultancy, trend forecasting and journalism. Over the years, she has worked for global brands including Farfetch, Chanel, and Vogue.
When not testing beauty products, trialling trends and curating content that spotlights the very best in fashion and beauty, Roberta can usually be found trawling resale sites and vintage stores for a long-coveted designer find. Follow Roberta on Instagram at @roberta__schroeder
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