Explore the best scented candles to elevate and refresh your home’s signature aroma.
You definitely don't need a special reason to light a scented candle, but they somehow have a way of making any mundane activity at home feel like a self-care moment. Even without being lit, their fragrances pervade through a space, giving your home its own signature scent.
The best scented candles are largely a matter of personal preference, and olfactory tastes range far and wide. Some love the generous throw of a strongly perfumed candle, while others may prefer one with a barely perceptible scent. We've chosen the candles in this guide to appeal to all scent profiles and strength preferences, and we've denoted the type of wax each one uses. We encourage that no matter which candle you choose, you use it in a well-ventilated area and keep the wick trimmed to prevent it from creating smoke as it burns.
From the cult favorites to the lesser-known hidden gems, these are the 20 best scented candles to spark whenever the mood strikes this season.
1. P.F. Candle Co. P.F. Candle Co. Large Sandalwood Rose Soy Candle
This soy-wax candle smells like the signature scent of a person you might have a crush on.
Its alluring sandalwood and rose scent is an ode to gothic romance, and its lidded amber-glass jar has a rugged, yet refined aesthetic that looks right at home anywhere.
2. Bath & Body Works Bath and Body Works White Barn Midnight Blue Citrus 3-Wick Candle
Some of us like a candle that's strong, but not so strong that it leaves us feeling woozy afterward.
The soy-and-paraffin-wax White Barn Midnight Blue Citrus candle strikes the perfect perfumed balance. It has a citrus scent, but it's not nose-ticklingly sweet.
3. Harlem Candle Co. Harlem Candle Company 22K Gold Speakeasy Candle
Imbue your space with elegance by sparking this soy/vegetable-wax scent from Harlem Candle Co. The enchanting scent has notes of bourbon, tobacco leaves, vanilla, patchouli, and chocolate.
We're also head over heels for its 22-karat gold-detailed votive — once you burn through the candle, you're left with a gorgeous cocktail glass.
4. DIPTYQUE Diptyque Baies Candle
Life is short — light your fancy candles. The cult-favorite Diptyque Baies candle is made of paraffin wax, but the jammy scent is naturally derived.
While rose is the most prominent scent, it’s overall not too floral. Black currant leaves balance out the sweeter notes, giving it an earthy vibe that smells warm, but still dainty and luxurious.
5. LE LABO Santal 26 Classic Candle
You don't even need to light this luxe, soy-wax candle from Le Labo to enjoy its spicy, amber-tinged perfume.
Beloved by reviewers for its clean, even burn and legendary throw, it's very similar to the brand's cult-favorite Santal 33 fragrance, just in candle form.
6. Tocca Tocca Giulietta Candle
All of Tocca's paraffin/vegetable-wax candles are a treat-yourself moment in and of themselves. But the Giulietta candle is the one that's totally won us over.
Its scent is a perfect commingling of citrus and flowers, somehow making a room feel cleaner and brighter.
7. Paddywax Paddywax Salt + Sage Soy Wax Candle
This soy-wax candle from Paddywax has us longing for the smell of sea spray. Anchored with a woody base, its aquatic florals and squeeze of citrus make it a smell that's best enjoyed up close.
8. Illume Illume Balsam & Cedar Candle
For those who wish it were Christmas every day, this scented soy candle smells like a wintry tree farm, with its pine-needle notes and airy, camphorous scent.
If you're not the outdoorsy type, lighting Illume's Balsam & Cedar candle can be your way of enjoying the great, snowy outdoors while staying tucked in.
9. VOLUSPA Voluspa Baltic Amber Glass Candle
Woody, powdery, resinous, and sweetened with vanilla bean, the scent of the Baltic Amber candle from Voluspa is as comforting as a warm hug.
The textured scalloped-glass jar also makes for a gorgeous bud vase or makeup-brush holder once the coconut wax burns away.
10. NEST FRAGRANCES NEST Fragrances Grapefruit Scented Candle
No two citrus scents are alike — some are pure zesty rind, others are sweet and juicy, and some, like Nest's paraffin-wax Grapefruit Candle, encompass notes from even the flowered branches that the fruit grows on. It's a bright and sunny scent, lifting your mood even on the rainiest of days.
11. MiasCoCandle Mia's Co. No. 05 Bamboo Soy Candle
Smelling of tropical fruits that are mellowed by a mossy, green top layer, the Bamboo soy-wax candle from Mia's Co. is earthy, warm, and irresistible.
12. CandlesbyHailey Cactus Mini Terrarium Candle
Some buy candles to burn, enjoying their lovely scent and flickering flame during their #selfcare time. And then there are those people who will splurge on candles purely for their looks, never to light them, ever.
This faux, soy-wax terrarium may be in the latter category, but we still enjoy the range of yummy scents it comes in, from white sage and lavender to grapefruit and mint.
