As a Master Perfumer, I am, by default, also a bit of a candle snob. Whilst I think there’s a time and a place for simple scents and lavender candles, I have recently found myself just so bored by the monotony of these so called “best candles” that offer nothing exciting or new.
So, with my nose at the ready, I went to all my favourite candle brands, spent hours in the shops, and then tested over seventy different candles at home. I’ve been to Paris, Milan, Grasse and London looking for sweet, gourmand candles; herbal and savoury scents; as well as the best selling tomato leaf scent that everyone is talking about in 2025.
All of the candles below are top-quality. The wax is natural, so they won’t leave those black marks on your walls, their scent will outlast cheaper alternatives (perfect if you're mastering the art of scent-scaping), and they’ll have a fragrance that will make your guests say “what perfume are you wearing?” or "why does your house always smell so good?"
I've found brands working hard to make the best candles on the market. In this guide, you'll find the scent of summer; a classic Mediterranean blend, the candle that smells like being outside just after its rained; as well as the smell of the sea air. It's not just about finding the best Jo Malone candle (although I've done that too). So, if you want a candle that works hard at making your home special, this is the definitive list of best candles you can buy right now, as a treat for yourself or for a friend. Trust me, I’m a Master Perfumer.
The best scented candles for making your home smell expensive
You don't get a home that smells incredible by chance. There are lots of ways to make your home smell good, from choosing fragrant indoor plants to carefully curating a collection of natural essential oils. By far the easiest way to get an enviable home fragrance is by choosing the right candle. That's why I, a Master Perfumer, have done all the hard work for you.
My three candles that always get noticed
Before I even started thinking about curating a guide to the best candles, I owned these three candles. I have proof of the multiple empty jars and vessels that I quite literally burn through them.
The White Company's Seychelles is a soft, clean, and sweet fragrance that you just can't go wrong with. It's an easy gift and also an easy online buy, because it smells exactly like it sounds. Aqua Di Parma's Fico Di Amalfi is the candle that I'm burning on a regular basis when the sun is out, because it has that wonderfully clean, invigorating freshness. And finally, the enchanting florals of Diptyque's Nymphées Merveilles is the envy of all my friends. It's like nothing you'll ever smell.
Scent family: Aromatic and soothing
Scent notes: Bergamot, Amber, Coconut Vanilla
Size: 834g
Wax: mineral
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 70 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Iconic, premium fragrance
- Expensive
If you've ever walked past a White Company store and followed your nose inside you have, in fact, followed the scent trail of Seychelles. The warm, slightly sweet, calming scent of this candle reminds me of holidays, sunshine, and light, luxury homes. I have chosen their botanical version of the candle for this guide, because thw wax pillar has shells set inside and, as you burn through the candle, you're left with the hard bubble-shell vessel for your trinkets after.
Scent family: Fruity floral
Scent notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, jasmine, fig, cedar, benzoin
Size: 200g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 50 hours
+ Unique, nuanced fragrance
+ Stylish vessel
- Expensive
Picture this: you're on holiday in Italy, the sun is hot and you're sheltering in the shade of a fig tree, looking out at the stunning Amalfi coast. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. This is the scent that fills your lungs. It's light, it's romantic, it's elegant. For a fruity floral fragrance, it has a surprising strength and longevity. It's also actually half price right now.
Scent family: Light, floral
Scent notes: orange blossom, jasmine, iris
Size: 270g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 45 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
Nymphées Merveilles, which translates as “Nymphaeum of Wonders”, is a candle designed to evoke the enchanted, baroque gardens of Renaissance Italy. The combination of fresh florals isn't anything new, but the way Diptyque executes the blend smells like sunshine and secret frescoes in a candle. It's a striking vessel that's both classic and distinctively Diptqyue. Plus, it's refillable too.
Herbal and calming candles
Herbal candles aren't new to the market, but the way that perfumers are crafting them certainly are. Thanks to Loewe's Tomato Leaves, this green, earthy scent has become a key player in all fragrance brands' candle collections.
The popularity of tomato has inspired herb garden style candles, which riff off the vine leaves with basil, rosemary and oregano as well as more simple blends of sea salt and rosemary. I've included three expert examples below, but I do have to give an honourable mention to Arran's After The Rain Candle here too. As the name suggests, it captures that earthy, fresh, scent of the outdoors when you've had a downpour. All of these are beautiful and will definitely get your house guests talking, especially those green-fingered friends.
Scent family: Green, earthy
Scent notes: bergamot, blackcurrent, lime, basil, tomato
Size: 140g
Wax: plant-based
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 30 hours
+ Unique, fresh scent
+ Made in the UK and vegan-friendly
- Nothing
It's universally accepted that tomato leaves and vines smell gorgeous. Capturing their scent and putting them into a candle has been the task of every master perfumer in 2025 and Aery have perfected it. Uplifting, bright, and green, this is more than unique. It's perfect for kitchens and bathrooms. The price makes it even better too. It's the perfect gift.
Scent family: Fresh, clean
Scent notes: sea salt, eucalyptus, florals, sandalwood, musk
Size: 350g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 24 hours
+ Stylish, natural vessel
+ Serene, fresh scent
- Short burn time
They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but what about judging a candle by its vessel? I fell in love with the natural, ceramic look of Dunelm's candle, because it reminded me of my childhood by the sea. One sniff of their blend of sea salt, eucalyptus, and rosemary had me transported back to the cliffside in Devon. It's a real treat (and a triple wick candle too).
Scent family: Green, fresh
Scent notes: tomato vine, basil, rosemary, cedarwood
Size: 150g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 40 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ vegan and cruelty free
- Nothing
Following in the footsteps of the tomato trend, Herb Garden does exactly what the name suggests. It smells like taking a walk through a kitchen garden, in Provence, in the middle of fields upon fields of green grass and sunshine. This is uncannily fresh and, for such a small candle, it's really strong too. The basil, rosemary, and cedarwood compliment the tomato vine greenness perfectly. Of all the candles that I tested, this had the cleanest burn too.
Citrus and uplifting candles
You know those homes that you walk into and they just smell clean? The air feels lighter, the rooms are brighter, and everything is just sharper? Well, I'd say 99% of the time, a good home fragrance is behind that. From H&M's warm grapefruit to Jo Malone's elegant Golden Amber, these three are twists on the citrus fragrances that you might have expected to crop up here. Each perfumer has done a clever job of pairing the light citrus with a note that's woody or rich, which significantly helps the longevity of your candle's natural scent. Lemon and orange are fleeting fragrances without some master scent scaffolding around them. With these three candles, it's out with the old orange and in with the new.
Scent family: Green, citrus, fresh
Scent notes: orange, mandarin, mango, basil, spearmint
Size: 750g
Wax: paraffin, plant wax
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 30 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
I fell in love with this juicy, fruity candle for the modern vessel. I would be burning through it at break-neck speed if I didn't desperately want to keep the candle going in my home forever. You get all the zesty orange sweetness with some refreshing mango, basil, and spearmint. It's the ultimate summer scent and have you seen the price? Delicious.
Scent family: Fruity, rich
Scent notes: smooth amber and orange
Size: 300g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 70 hours
+ Elegant design
+ Unique frarance
- Expensive
This is one of the best Jo Malone candles you can buy. Their elegant townhouse candle, with its textured bisque ceramic looks and feels uber luxurious. I love the blend of amber and orange, which is richer, softer, and more evening-appropriate than your standard orange blossom. It's truly special.
Scent family: Floral, aquatic
Scent notes: Calabrian bergamot, lily of the valley, cyclamen, aquatic notes, musk, amber
Size: 200g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 50 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Premium, complex scent
- Expensive
I know this is a floral candle, so it shouldn't technically sit in the citrus section. However, it has the light and fresh notes that make it most apt for those who like a candle that's sharp, fresh, and light. There's a wonderful harmony between the sweet amber, sharp bergamot, and green lily of the valley.
Floral and fruity candles
I love a floral , but so many brilliant blooms are overdone when it comes to candles. When I was choosing these, I wanted candles that had some complexity and refinement, or such purity and clarity that they deliver exactly what they promise I ended up with cherry blossom from Diptyque, because who can resist that? As well as a richer, creamier wild fig candle from Rituals and a sweet, almost fruity Scandinavian candle too.
Scent family: Fruity, floral
Scent notes: cherry blossom, musk
Size: 190g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
My favourite part about Spring is seeing the cherry blossom on the trees. Faintly fruity, musky and floral, this light candle smells exactly like the season feels. It's uplifting and comes with the classic Diptyque vessel. If poetry was a candle, it would be this. It's surprisingly strong too: I have a large room and could smell this well after 20 minutes of burning.
Scent family: Floral, fresh
Scent notes: Cotton, musk, mandarin, jasmine, tuberose
Size: 360g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
Crisp cotton and delicate florals combine to make this the definitive scent of the clean house. It's light, it's airy, and yet its laid back too. I fell in love with this as a diffuser, but try to pry me away from this candle. The vessel is big, bold, and super shiny, which makes a wonderful statement on your mantle. I think it's perfect for a bedroom or a bathroom.
Scent family: Fruity, sweet
Scent notes: blackberries, rose, sugar candy, cloves
Size: 200g
Wax: rapeseed
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 50 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
Every candle from Skandinavisk is tasteful. Maybe it's because of the innately classy Scandi vibe of the skilled noses at work beind the candles. Either way, I'm not complaining. Kyss is their latest launch, blending blackberries, rose, sugar candy, and cloves. It sounds sweet and, whilst it is, I'd say it's more of a fruity sweet than a sugar sweet, so it's not sickly and certainly works for brigtening up the energy in a room.
Rich and woody candles
Even though we are heading towards sunnier, warmer months, there is always a place for richer and woodier scents around your home. It might be that you want to curate a cosy, comforting energy in your lounge, or you want to feel indulged and treated. This is exactly what cocoa, sandalwood, figs, and smoky notes will do for you. I've got a spectrum of warm, gentle scents in the Rituals candle right through to ceremony-style smoky notes in Bamford's Explorer Candle. Each one, of course, looks beautiful too.
Scent family: Rich, warm
Scent notes: bergamot, plum, rum, leather, amber, vanilla
Size: 225g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Modern vessel
+ Distinctive, addictive fragrance
- Nothing
I honestly wasn't sure how I would feel about a fragrance that calls itself 'rum', but this is tantalising. The seductively sweet, musky notes of the base perfectly balance out warm rum and leather. The whole fragrance is finished with a light top note that makes this a skilled, well-rounded scent. It's exotic, musky, and lavishly crafted with 16% of the brand's perfume.
Scent family: Rich, fruity
Scent notes: Italian fig, violent, clove, cocoa
Size: 360g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
Rituals' Wild Fig blends the ripe, fruitiness of fig with delicate violet and aromatic cloves. It's sweet, earthy and rich, resulting in a fragrance that's as soft as it is delicious. The freshness and spices are mellowed by the roundness of creamy cocoa. I would bathe myself in Wild Fig if I could.
Scent family: Woody, smoky
Scent notes: Cade, birch, cedarwood, frankincense, encens wood and labdanum
Size: 350g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 300 hours
+ Hand-crafted, hand-poured candle
+ Incredibly powerful
- Expensive
The Explorer Pilgrim's vessel and scent and opposites. I love the delicate, hand-carved alabaster vessel and when you lift the lid, it is intensely smoky. If you love rich, bonfire like smells, packed with earthy richness, you will quickly become obsessed with this. It's powerful stuff.
Fresh and green candles
Green fragrances come under a few different categories. I have a section on herbal candles further down, but what makes these candles different from your average green candle is how fresh they are. Meadow Mist is a classic blend of citrus and floral notes, but the twist of black pepper and delicate rose helps to elevate the whole scent to something a little more special. Similarly, La Bougie takes lemongrass, but rather than go gently, they are powerful with their scent notes. Each one hits you in the nose and wakes you up, like a morning espresso. I love it. And finally, Penhaligon's, my favourite perfume brand, makes a softer green candle. It's was a best-seller and a team favourite when I worked there.
Scent family: Green, citrus, floral
Scent notes: rose, lemon, black pepper, grapefruit, bergamot, petitgrain
Size: 220g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 40 hours
+ Contemporary style
+ Uplifting fragrance
- Relatively small
If you take the soft floral notes of rose, blend them with bright lemon and grapefruit, and the freshness of bergamot and petitgrain, you have this beautiful candle. It's the one I light on a bright day and the one that feels like it reinvigorates my room. It's hand-poured in the UK and eco-friendly too.
Scent family: Green, fresh
Scent notes: lemongrass, ginger, heliotrope
Size: 220g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 50 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
You simply cannot go wrong with lemongrass and ginger. Simultaneously calming and refreshing, this is a luxury way to give your home a lovely, fresh fragrance. The powdery heliotrope takes the edge off the aromatic ginger and lemongrass.
Scent family: Green, rich, floral
Scent notes: tuberose, musk, ylang ylang, cloves
Size: 200g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
I trained as a Master Perfumer when I was working at Penhaligon's, so they will always have a special place in my heart. Comoros was always the candle that I handed customers who wanted something soft, but sensual; rich, but not sickly; and deep but not intense. This blend of tuberose and spice is a candle any perfumer will appreciate and love. Did I mention that it comes in a wooden box?
Gourmand candles
It feels like gourmand candles and 'edible' scents have been trending for years and it doesn't show any sign of ebbing away. The recent surge of popularity for tomato candles shows that it's taking quite a natural turn, but if you love your candles to smell sweet enough to serve-up for dessert, I've found the best three. These are powerful, true-to-scent burns that hold surprising power for their lighter notes.
Scent family: Gourmand, nutty woody
Scent notes: green hazelnuts, almons, tonka beans, sesame
Size: 240g
Wax: vegetable and mineral wax with shea butter
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 30 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Creafted in France
- Expensive
I love all the EPC candles and would actually recommend blending a few to layer your fragrances. This one gets a special mention for just how delectably edible it smells. You've got hazelnuts, almonds, tonka beans, and sesame. If that sounds like it's a bit rich, EPC bolsters the scent with heliotrope, rice, and earthy patchouli. It's grounded, sophisticated, and an abolsute winner in my book.
Scent family: Gourmand, sweet
Scent notes: Slated caramel, butterscotch
Size: 60g
Wax: soy
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 30 hours
+ Good value
+ Powerful fragrance
- Too sweet for some
When this arrived at my house, I could smell it through the packaging. The intensely sweet candle is a product of the gourmand trend that had everyone desperate to lick their candles and sip their perfumes. If you love salted caramel, maple syrup, and honey nuts, this is for you.
Scent family: Fruity, floral
Scent notes: Rose, cyclamen, lychee, lily, musk sandalwood
Size: 200g
Wax: blended
Wick: pure cotton
Estimated Burn Time: 60 hours
+ Stylish vessel
+ Refillable wax
- Expensive
From looking at the notes of this candle, you might think that it'll smell like more than lychees. In actual fact, it smells exactly like a lychee. Peel one, smell it and you could have this candle under your nose. The power of rose and sandalwood help to keep the fragrance fresh, whilst giving it the longevity that's impossible for anything as delicate as lychee to maintain on its own. This one is certainly for the fruity ladies.
How we tested the best scented candles
As you might have guessed, the woman&home team is fragrance obsessed. We have Master Perfumers, fragrance afficianados, and general candle geeks in our mix, so finding the perfect candle for every kind of home is like our dream task.
For this guide, we managed to test, burn, clean, and maintain each candle that you see in the guide. There are plenty that didn't make the cut, but if you want to know how we chose which are the best scented candles, here's an insight into the process:
- Strength of scent: Was it detectable without even burning? How long does the scent last after burning for 2-4 hours, this is what many experts recommend to truly test the scent.
- Burn time: An all-important factor when buying any scented candle is how long the approximate burn time is. We tested if we felt the times stated by the retailer are a true reflection of how long we burnt each for.
- Value for money: Because scented candles can prove costly we assessed if each was worth its price tag, this depended on the burn time to weigh up the cost per use and whether the scent was powerful enough.
- Scent: it's easy to make a simple candle, but you don't get complexity, refinement, and nuance by chance. Laura, our resident Master Perfumer, made sure to sniff out the candles that have some expertise behind them.
FAQs
What are the best scented candle brands?
- Acqua di Parma: For the best smells of the Mediterranean
- Boy Smells: Truly unique scents
- Byredo: Best for perfume-like burns that ooze modern luxury
- Cire Trudon: A luxury hub of internationally-inspired fragrances
- Diptyque: A cult brand for the most addictive candle scents around
- Jo Loves: Decadent contemporary scents
- Jo Malone: Best for unique but elegant blends
- Malin + Goetz: Unique scents made with high-quality perfumed oils
- Neom: A go-to for relaxing aromatherapy
- The White Company: Simple but sophisticated home scents
What is the best-scented candle brand according to our editors?
While the best scented candles come from a variety of brands, our editors each have their favourite brands for certain scents that they go to time and again.
- Best budget candle brand: Aldi is reputed for high-quality scented candles under £5, proving that luxury doesn't have to cost a fortune.
- Best luxury candle brand: Creed Aventus, known as a leader in men's fragrances, Creed Aventus also curates unisex candles infused with rich scents.
- Best long-lasting candle brand: Yankee Candle boasts an enduring 110-150 burn time for each option. The brand also uses premium-grade paraffin wax and wicks made of 100% natural fibers.
- Best candle brand for sweet and spicy scents: Diptyque reconciles sweet, soft, and floral notes with spicy, more intense aromas. In other words, shoppers truly get the best of both worlds at their fingertips.
- Best candle brand for fresh and clean scents: The White Company is hailed for crafting great-smelling candles with fresh scents and earthy tones. The brand also makes top-rated seasonal-scented candles.
- Best candle brand for woody and musky scents: Maison Francis Kurdijan creates candles with warm, winter-inspired scents. Think balsam fir fragrance, along with notes of anise, nutmeg, and tobacco.
- Best candle brand for citrus scents: Acqua Di Parma is a brand renowned for strong citrus scents. Its Blu Mediterraneo candle line embodies sparkling citruses, rich fruity scents, and tropical coastlines.
What is the correct way to burn a candle?
We asked candle expert Jo Malone, founder of the Jo Malone brand and owner of Jo Loves, to share her tips for getting the most out of your best-scented candles by burning them correctly every time.
Jo says, “For the best possible burn and to prolong the life of a candle, it's best to burn the candle for long enough so that the whole surface becomes molten, this usually takes around two hours. Candles have memory, so if you blow out a half-melted candle it’s less likely to burn down evenly the next time."
"Avoid burning any candle for more than three to four hours at a time and once you have put it out, leave the candle to completely cool before relighting it. To get the best longevity out of your candle, it is important to trim the wick each time before relighting it. Trim the wick to between 4mm and 5mm as this allows the candle to burn evenly and also prevents smoking. Avoid burning the candle in a draft too, as this may cause it to smoke."
How do I choose a candle fragrance?
Offering some help with the buying journey of determining what scent is best for you Daniel Dutton, trade marketing manager at Diptyque suggests: "Ask yourself how you like to feel in your home or the room you are choosing a scent for?"
"You may also find it useful to consider when you like to light a candle so it is most appropriate for when you will be experiencing the fragrance. For example, if you are looking for a scent to relax on an evening think of which fragrances recall other times you have felt relaxed as fragrance and memory are so intrinsically lined."
"Taking this route light florals, you associate with being at one with nature or perhaps a fragrance associated with childhood may reveal itself to you that will create the mood you are looking for when you light your candle each evening."
Daniel adds: "Other factors worth considering are your choice of candle size and this will depend on the size of the room to be perfumed. It is, of course, also possible to increase the number of candles for a more intense olfactory effect as well as add drama from the increased luminosity of multiple flickering flames."
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