There are dozens of options available, whether you want a fruity, flowery, woody, earthy, or musky house fragrance. While having a lot of options is unquestionably beneficial, it can sometimes be daunting.
Veteran candle businesses such as Diptyque, Jo Malone London, and Byredo are now joined by newcomers such as crackle wick candles Boy Smells and Overose (to mention a few), who have captivated their followers via Instagram and other social media channels.
Interlude Candles and Liha Beauty, for example, are smaller independents with a lot to offer and are fantastic brands to support during this difficult time.
To create the ultimate scented candle hall of fame, we’ve merged the best oldies with the most intriguing newcomers, with alternatives for all tastes, budgets, and interior styles.
We took the time to thoroughly examine each and every candle in the roundup, including not just the initial scent but also the burn time and long-term fragrance levels.
Every candle was burned twice: once until the wax was nearly gone, and then again until the wax was nearly gone. This allowed us to completely experience the candle, including how it smelled over time and the quality of the wax, since we wanted to make sure it was worth the money.
So whether you’re looking for a bright, zesty flower for your kitchen or a darker, more enigmatic woody alternative for your living room in the fall, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading to learn about the best-smelling candles of all time.
You can rely on our unbiased reviews. We may be compensated by some of the retailers, but this never influences our choices, which are based on real-world and professional advise. This money goes toward supporting journalism at The Independent.
The boy smells like a kush candle.
Do you want a quirky candle with a distinct scent? Boy Smells is on your side. Founded by Matthew Herman and David Kien at their kitchen table, the brand has developed into a candle superpower recognized for its exquisite smells, colourful packaging, and gender-fluid mindset. Kush is their most successful product to date, and one scent will prove it. It smells like suede, musk, tulip, and amber, and it’s completely addictive. You may now get it in a variety of flavors, ranging from cowboy kush to cashmere kush, according on your preferences.
Peony & blush suede house candle by Jo Malone London
Without a Jo Malone London candle, no list would be complete. The brand’s home fragrance offerings are rather extravagant, and you’re sure to find a size and scent that suits your desires. Available in travel, regular, and extra-large sizes, the brand’s home fragrance offerings are rather extravagant, and you’re guaranteed to find a size and scent that suits your desires.
Peony and blush suede is our tester’s favorite, and it looks great in any decor. It’s warm and inviting, with a flowery undertone and a refined vibe. It also emits a strong hit of fragrance even after a brief burn, allowing you to swiftly fill a room with the scent. Pomegranate noir, blackberry and bay, and wood, sage, and sea salt are some of our other favorite bestsellers.
Candle with an overabundance of nudesse
In recent months, Overose has been well-known for their eccentric croissant candle, an always-sold-out home fragrance that claims to infuse your home with a delightful buttery aroma. If you’re tired of joining up for their waiting list and watching for Instagram announcements like a hawk, the company has a lot more to offer.
Take, for example, Overose’s bestselling nudesse candle, which is the ultimate rose purchase. It’s gloriously sweet, robust, and long-lasting, with the promise of smelling like rose bushes in the rain, which is a glorious image in and of itself. Furthermore, the packaging is really stunning, which is an extra plus.
The jing candle ritual is one example of a ritual.
Rituals carries some of the best inexpensive candles on the market, including some that are difficult to distinguish from more expensive selections. The ritual of jing is our reviewer’s favorite aroma since it is both comforting and homey, as well as relaxing and tranquil. The sacred lotus and jujube (which make up the scent) may be smelled as it burns, but the overall effect isn’t overbearing.
Subscription for Beauty Pie leather, violet leaves, and labdanum candle
A Beauty Pie membership will provide you beautiful candles for the same price as a high-street purchase, in addition to reams of makeup and skincare. The scents are all exquisite, but with its deep grown-up vibe and seductive mix of sweet and musky flavors, we like this leather, violet leaves, and labdanum candle. The wonderful glass jar makes this purchase appear much more expensive than it is, and it will look great on top of a stack of coffee table books in a stylish living room.
Bella Freud’s rainbow candle from 1970
It’s easy to see why the fashion world fawns over a Bella Freud number. The firm has quietly but steadily expanded its candle options, ensuring that there’s something for everyone.
While loving and listening to music late at night are both great, nothing beats a classic 1970 candle with scents of frankincense, myrrh, and patchouli at its core. The classic 1970 candle comes in a plain black jar, but we recommend picking up this rainbow variation, which we think is pretty cool.
Candle in the shape of a tree house by Byredo
While Byredo candles are arguably best known for their flaming rose aroma, treehouse has become a definite favorite in our reviewer’s household. With its earthy, woodsy perfume, treehouse is the perfect alternative to overly sweet, fruity, and floral candles. It has bamboo and pimento in the top notes, leather at the base, and labdanum and myrrh in the center. This is an excellent find for the cooler autumn/winter months, as it burns slowly while yet efficiently and swiftly filling the space with aroma.
Aromatique candle by Aesop ptolemy
Although Aesop’s candles are costly, they represent the pinnacle of luxury and millennial flair. The series includes three scents, with Ptolemy being our favorite due to its woody, earthy vibe. Ptolemy is a green candle with notes of cedar, cypress, and vetiver, making it ideal for outdoor fans. The high-quality jar will also offer a sense of sophistication to your living space or bedroom. It was well worth the money.
Replica Maison Margiela candle for a leisurely Sunday morning
The reproduction scents by Maison Margiela trigger memories you may not have realized you possessed; from warm dusty libraries to pleasant weekends spent in fresh linen, you can bet on the collection to make you feel everything. The sleepy sunday morning candle smells like silky pillowcases, soft skin, and lie-ins, and we guarantee that one sniff will make you nostalgic for the weekend just gone. Our only gripe with their candles is that, in compared to others, they burn down very quickly. But, for the sake of these wonderful scents, we can overlook this minor qualm.
Geranium rose Diptyque candle
Diptyque had to be mentioned when we were talking about candles. The long-running candle company is still a favorite for home fragrances, and its Baies and Figuier jars are among the most popular. While the most popular smells are classics, we also enjoy the geranium rosa scent, which is a must-have for geranium aficionados. The lovely scent of rose is balanced by zingy green citrus, making this a Diptyque must-have you’ve probably never heard of.
Socialite candle by August & Piers
We can’t decide whether we like the scent of August & Piers candles or the wonderfully stylish ceramic jars in which they are housed. The package, which is heavy and opulent, is well worth the product’s price tag and would look stunning in any room of your home. In terms of aroma, we recommend giving socialite a try, especially if you enjoy sweeter scents that will lift you out of a funk.
Ida candle Liha beauty queen
This candle is not only beautiful, but it was also inspired by the famed Yoruba Queen Idia, a symbol of female empowerment. The candle’s aroma combines base notes of geranium and frankincense with top notes of lavender and hibiscus to create a light but powerful scent that will float around your home like a dream. It’s important to support small businesses, especially right now, so buying your candle from an independent company rather than one of the industry heavyweights is occasionally preferable.
Soy wax candle with velvet peony and oud from Interlude Candles
Interlude’s Etsy shop, another product from a smaller firm, shot to fame because to its female shape candles, but the simple soy wax jar offerings are just as stunning. The velvet peony and oud, which is like a more mysterious remix of Jo Malone London’s iconic floral perfume, is our favorite. It has a creamy, pleasant scent that may be detected even if the candle isn’t burned. They may burn quickly, but given that they are slightly less expensive than the others in the edit, we don’t worry as much!
London moss candle is still burning.
Still London has established itself as an East London institution, beginning as a nail salon and swiftly evolving into a lifestyle destination with its own branded items. Still released three candles in 2020, all having a highly earthy, natural vibe that fits well with the non-toxic salon’s entire approach. Moss, in our opinion, is the star of the show, with an enticing blend of black pepper, lovage leaf, vetiver, pine, patchouli, and oakmoss.
