What’s a night in without a scented candle or two? The best scented candles are those that not only smell divine and make your space extra inviting, but boost your spirit too. As we begin to hunker down as the darker evenings and colder months roll in, it’s often time to swap your lighter scented candles and choose heavy, spicy scents to create a warm and cosy environment in the comfort of your home.
To help you get the most out of a luxury candle, there are a few simple rules to follow. “You should always burn your candle for a couple of hours when first lighting it,” says Diptyque’s Sophie Russell. “It allows the top layer of wax to fully melt and ensures even burning when you next light it. Wax has a memory, so it’s important not to skip this step.”
If the wick is too long, it will start giving off black soot, and the candle will burn much more quickly than it would otherwise. “Keep it trimmed to an optimum length of 3 to 5mm, so that it burns more efficiently,” Russell says. “Plus, each time you trim, re-centre the wick – this prevents the blackening of the glass around the candle.”
You should also think twice before simply blowing it out. “A candle snuffer will help extinguish the flame safely and minimises the [polluting] smoke from the wick,” points out Russell. Diptyque, naturally, has a suitably elegant snuffer for this very purpose.
So become a candle pro and invest in a wick trimmer and a candle snuffer to ensure you make the most out of your scented candles. Consider a candle tray too and keep scented candle and all its accessories together to make a scented candle space in your home.
Below, British Vogue’s pick of the very best scented candles to treat yourself to this season.
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Glossier You Candle
If you’re a fan of the Glossier signature You scent, then you’re in luck. Perviously a limited edition, the You candle is thankfully now firmly back in the Glossier line-up. Like the perfume, the candle has Pink pepper, Iris and Ambrette and Ambrox to create the comforting, and warm scent we all know and love but now for your home. A cosy candle if you like.
Glossier You Candle, US$45, available at Glossier
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Bamford Explorer Geranium Candle
Notes of green leaf, peppermint, geranium and frankincense combine to make a herbal scented candle which is light, uplifting and wholly relaxing. Plus, the alabaster vessel looks good wherever it’s placed.
Bamford Explorer Geranium Candle, £100, available at Bamford
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Nette Supernatural Scented Candle
A whiff of this Nette number evokes the warm and welcoming scent of burning wood. Gentle but spicy, it is also all-natural, with a base of coconut and soy wax.
Nette Supernatural Scented Candle, US$78, available at Nette
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Boy Smells Grace Jones Standard Candle
With base notes of salted musks, a wet stones accord and cedarwood, this ocean surf spray scent blended with black pepper, bergamot and Turkish rose absolute delivers a bold fragrance that you’ll soon become addicted to. As it’s limited edition, make sure you stock up now.
Boy Smells Grace Jones Standard Candle, US$46, available at Boy Smells
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Cire Trudon Josephine
From rose and jasmine to camellia, iris and bergamot, this green-scented candle is ideal for those in need of a return to nature. Quite simply delicious.
Cire Trudon Josephine, $158, available at Escentials
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Bella Freud 1970 Candle
A little bit of ’70s spirit in your home never goes amiss. Patchouli and black musk make this Bella Freud candle a luxurious treat.
Bella Freud 1970 Candle, £50, available at Bella Freud
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Byredo Woods Candle
If you go down to the woods tonight… Actually, stay inside with Byredo’s candle instead. Blended with cedarwood, white jasmine and raspberry, the Woods candle smells like the outdoors, but even better.
Byredo Woods Candle, $135, available at Escentials
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Carrière Frères Siberian Pine & Winter Rose Candle
The latest Siberian Pin combination comes with winter rose. The blend of pine needles and rose gives off a comforting winter scent which will subtly fill the room it’s lit in. A great way to recreate a natural pine tree scent if you don’t have a tree or have opted for a faux—but without the mess!
Carrière Frères Siberian Pine & Winter Rose Candle, €60, available at Carrière Frères
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Diptyque Red Tubéreuse Large Scented Candle
For real candle kudos, this Diptyque number has five wicks and makes its presence felt in any room. (It’s a big one.) Red Tubéreuse evokes the scent of a flower at dusk, but rather than being overly seasonal, it’s a brilliant all-rounder and smells as good in winter as it does in summer.
Diptyque Red Tubéreuse Large Scented Candle, $104, available at Escentials
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Haeckles Reulver Candle
With green top notes that are grounded by warming pink pepper, neroli, cedar and oud, this is the perfect candle to light if you want to cosy night in. A candle crowdpleaser.
Haeckles Reulver Candle, £55, available at Haeckles
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Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Home Candle
With 45 hours of burn time, this Jo Malone classic scent is a perfect winter choice. Ripe pears and white freesias are complimented with amber and patchouli notes for a luxurious fragrance that will scent your home and make you feel cosy, instantly.
Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Home Candle, $114, available at Jo Malone London
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Sacred Skincare Elemental Glow Luxury Vegan Candle
This vegan wax blend candle is made with leftover ingredients from the skincare from the brand. It’s a candle that will help create a calm and balancing environment with the blend of essential oils. Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Tumeric, Holy Basil and Mandarin make up the notes for the scent that help create focus and reduce stress.
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Neom Happiness Scented Three Wick Candle
With white neroli, mimosa and lemon, this candle has a fresh aroma that encourages a positive mindset.
Neom Happiness Scented Three Wick Candle, £48, available at Neom
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Loewe Honeysuckle Scented Candle
As well as being housed in this zesty yellow, glazed terracotta vessel, this Loewe candle also smells like honeysuckle – it’s sure to whisk you away to some winter sun.
Loewe Honeysuckle Scented Candle, US$440.47, available at Net-a-Porter
This story was originally published on British Vogue.
