If I could be any animal, I would without a doubt be a hermit crab. Much like the aptly named crustacean, I too find great joy in curling up at home and, if I had the chance, would love to live permanently in such a state. Sadly for me, my job as a beauty editor requires quite a lot of running around from appointment to appointment, and so it’s not very often I find myself with masses of time at home.
However, it’s because of this that I have developed a penchant for buying items that really level up my time at home. More specifically, I have become somewhat obsessed with buying and collecting luxury scented candles. The first thing I do when I get home is light a candle. I want my entire apartment to be filled with a luxurious, mind-soothing aroma.
This brings me to my next point. While a great candle is without a doubt the one beauty-and-lifestyle product that has the ability to lift my mood the most, a candle that has great promise but yields little results leaves me feeling immensely let down—especially when said subpar candle has a bulky price tag. As a general rule, I believe that you get what you pay for with candles. The more expensive they are, the more luxurious and room-filling the scent. However, that’s not to say there aren’t some luxury candles that leave me feeling let down. To ensure you’re purchasing candles that deliver the most bang for their buck, keep scrolling for the 22 best luxury candles I would buy on repeat (if my pay check allowed for it).
Key notes: cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood and hay. Byredo is responsible for creating the chicest of chic candles, and while all of its home fragrance is exquisite, Tree House comes out on top. In fact, it’s potentially my favourite candle of all time. Like freshly cut wood but with the warmth of a crackling open fire, it’s one of the most comforting candles in my collection.
Key notes: resin, hinoki, jasmine, cardamom, moss and guiac. Another woody feat, Hinoki Fantôme is deeper and earthier than the aforementioned Byredo Tree House. It has a subtle floral undertone that delivers a calming aura of zen.
Key notes: wood, Lapsang tea. Another crackling, woody, fire-like scent, this candle won’t fill just the entire room with its cosy but fresh scent but your entire home. This supersized version makes for the perfect table centrepiece and will burn for an impressive 90 hours.
Key notes: bergamot, kaffir lime, spices, camellia, Egyptian jasmine, Turkish rose, Indonesian sandalwood, iris, white musk. Cire Trudon candles embody everything that a luxury candle should. They look beautiful on the shelf, are unlike anything else out there and smell every bit as expensive as they are. This particular scent is floral, earthy and deeply rich all at once.
Key notes: vetiver, sandalwood, chamomile. Candles in the bedroom haven’t always been my thing, but this one is really deserving of its place on my bedside table. It’s deeply relaxing and calming, a little bit creamy and totally sleep-inducing.
Key notes: amber, vanilla, Moroccan rose, Indonesian patchouli, Somalian incense, bergamot, cinnamon, coriander seed. It is rare that I find a fragrance that I’m just as happy to burn in my home as I am to spritz over myself as a perfume, but Tiger by Her Side is one of them. It’s deep, warm and exotic but has a creamy sweetness thanks to vanilla.
Key notes: Elemi resin, fir balsam, vetiver, amber, cedarwood, oakmoss, cypriol, cashmere woods, patchouli. The idea of burning a festive scent all year round fills me with dread, but the freshness and earthiness of this fir balsam candle keeps me burning from January through to December. It’s the sort of scent that clears the senses and leaves you feeling freshly invigorated.
Key notes: jasmine, rose, orange flower, ylang-ylang. A La Montaña candle is at the top of my birthday and Christmas list every single year. They are potentially the most deliciously fresh candles in existence, and the scents linger in the air for days after burning. Galán de Noche is potentially my favourite. It’s a floral jasmine candle at its heart, but it has a mountain freshness to it that provides the ultimate escapism.
Key notes: Australian sandalwood, cedar wood, vanilla, amber, coco, musk. Le Labo candles are equally as chic as the brand’s cult perfumes. Santal 26 is woody and smoky but coco, vanilla and musk give it a creaminess that makes you want to wrap yourself up in the scent and stay exactly where you are.
Key notes: sea salt, pine trees. Eden-Roc is the sort of fragrance that makes you want to book a one-way ticket to the South of France. Named after and inspired by the iconic hotel on the French Riviera, Eden-Roc is light, summery and impossibly fresh thanks to Mediterranean notes of pine and sea salt. Just close your eyes, and let it whisk you off to sunnier climes.
Key notes: lavender, lovage. Jo Malone London’s Townhouse collection cranks the brand’s already cult and beautiful candles up a notch. In stunning ceramic jars, I’ve made it my mission to collect the full lineup. This one, however, is my favourite. If you don’t like lavender, it’s not for you, but its freshness is far more reminiscent of the British countryside in spring than it is of the powdery lavender scents you might find in bathroom air fresheners.
Key notes: English lavender, precious jasmine, sweet basil. Another candle reserved exclusively for my bedside table, Neom’s Perfect Night’s Sleep candle has the ability to de-stress me ready for bed after the most stressful of days.
Key notes: bergamot, neroli, English camomile, angelica seed, cedar wood, sandalwood, oakmoss, amber, frankincense. I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting a huge amount from this candle when I first tried it. However, I was seriously mistaken. At first, it is fresh and citrusy thanks to bergamot and neroli, but it has a deep woodiness to it that makes it smell luxe and expensive. It’s the sort of candle you’ll want to light first thing on a Sunday morning when you have nothing to do but enjoy some time at home.
Key notes: fig, cassis, amber. Fresh, delicate and a little bit sweet, this is a candle I would burn in every room if I could. It envelops you in a sense of calm and comfort that you’ll struggle to find elsewhere.
Key notes: vetiver, amber, moss, bergamot, frankincense. This candle does exactly what it says on the tin. With earthy freshness from vetiver and moss, it has a warming sweetness thanks to bergamot and frankincense that instils a sense of peace.
Key notes: sage, rosemary, peppermint, Palma rose, chamomile, rose, sage, lime. If you like a spa-like scent, look no further. This candle is crisp, herby and impossibly fresh. If you want to create a sanctuary at home, this is the one for you.
Key notes: black pepper, cinnamon, cypress, oud, leather, tobacco. Imagine walking into an old member’s club, and the smell of leather chairs, smoke and rich aftershave fills the air. That’s basically what North smells like. It is without a doubt one of the most luxurious scents you will ever stumble across.
Key notes: mint, eucalyptus, basil, Thai ginger. Specifically created to instill a sense of calm and clarity, this fresh scent has a longevity to it that so many other fresh-smelling candles lack. A little bit sweet but a whole lot fresh, it’s a subtle scent that still demands attention.
Key notes: iris, geranium, vetiver. All Jo Malone London home fragrances are beautiful, but this one really stands out. It is predominantly an iris scent and fills the room with the powdery soapiness that iris is known for. However, thanks to geranium and vetiver, it is also fresh and spring-like. It’s the sort of candle that makes you want to throw open the windows and hang your washing on the line.
Key notes: grapefruit, cardamom, geranium, rose, oakmoss, vetiver. Floral, earthy and undeniably vibrant, this blend of citrus, flowery notes and mossy earthiness makes Otto a springtime classic. The moment the clocks go forward, I dust this candle off and burn it all season long.
Key notes: sage, oat milk. The luxurious beauty of this candle resides in its subtlety. It’s creamy and warming but doesn’t hit your nose as soon as you walk into the room. It simply burns away in the background, wafting a little bit of luxury into every corner.
Key notes: bergamot, lychee, cedar, white musk, champagne. As you can tell from its extensive list of key notes, Melrose Place is a perfectly blended feat. It’s difficult, but not impossible, to distinguish each note. Instead, it all just blends together to create a wonderfully fresh, sunny aroma.
