The best scented candles for a gorgeous-smelling home

Whenever we're feeling in need of a little R&R, the best scented candles are exactly what we need.

Most candle brands change up their offerings throughout the year, meaning there's always an abundance of the best smelling candles on offer at any one time. From luxury cult brands to those lesser-know gems, the best scented candles will always make your home smell wonderful - and some will even encourage calm and restful vibes.

Of course, there are concerns these days that burning candles can release harmful toxins into your environment so trying to choose natural wax blend options where you can is a good idea. But if your best smelling candles just happen to use parrafin wax then it could be useful to get hold of one of the best air purifiers  to use when burning candles for a prolonged period of time or if you're burning several at a time in one room.

So grab a few of these and cuddle up in bed with a hot drink and one of our best pillows for a cosy self-care session...

Best scented candles

Best strong scented candles

If you want to burn something a little less feminine and that everyone can enjoy, go for this striking candle that is based on the cult unisex fragrance. With a striking jar, and a strong woody, blackcurrant and bergamot smell, everyone will love this impressive scent.

What’s better than one cult scented candle? A whole set of three. Beauty Pie’s famous Bahia de Miel candle wows in this trio with honey and vanilla notes and sharp basil, wintry fir, woods and musk. We also love the Sweet Tobacco, Cedarwood & Vanilla and Leather, Violet Leaves & Labdanum inclusions.

If you’re one for minimalism then you need an August & Piers candle in your home. The crazily chic jars will add a touch of stylish elegance to any abode while everyone will love the addictive scents. We love the Socialite candle that offers a potent honey smell, which is expertly balanced out by sharp pomegranate and warming amber.

Best supermarket candles

Another brilliant Jo Malone dupe which replicates the one of the luxury fragrance house's most popular candle scents, Pomegranate Noir. This Aldi version boasts the same heady notes but will save you a whole lot of money. There are also a couple of other scents available in this purse-friendly candle so you can take your pick!

Best Citrus candles

If you're one who enjoys a certain bright and citrusy spritz in the summer months, this will be right up your street as you can bring the aroma to your whole home. Expect sharp and citric notes of lime, blood orange and grapefruit blended with a bitter hit of floral gentian and warm spicy cinnamon.

As the name suggests, this is California sunshine in a jar. Bright and sweet with bursts of citrus thanks to Italian clementine with Turkish juniper berries and Haitian vetiver to add a warm and salty finish. This also comes in an addictively-fresh perfume if you can't get enough of the scent.

Another ode to the Italian citrus, this luxury candle blends soft Calabrese mandarin essential oil with sharp grapefruit and a warm and sparkly base of golden mimosa. This is one of our go-to brands when it comes to gorgeous candles so we'd recommend trying out a few of their different scents.

An iconic offering from the luxury London fragrance house, which blends peppery basil and aromatic white thyme with sharp lime and sweet and juicy mandarin for a fresh but tropical finish. This has become a favorite for fans of the brand and even comes in a perfume version to take the smell on the go!

Best woody candles

This blends vibrant fruits with warming earthy tones of smoky woods and a fresh hint of eucalyptus and we love the chic green glass jar that adds a rainforest look to any wood accents in the home and the fancy brushed copper lid that can be used as a coaster to protect your surfaces.

Known for delivering one of the best cult fragrances around, Baccarat Rouge 540, Maison Francis Kurdijan is bringing us all the warming vibes with their Mon Beau Sapin candle that houses a balsam fir fragrance in a snowy green and white jar that will look good in any home - especially during the winter months.

Soy candles are great for taking the edge off strong fragrances to give you a more subtle and pleasing scent. So what better note to mix with it than the luxurious oud scent? We love the soft eastern fragrance that comes with this soy blend and the enchanting black and gold jar speaks to the quality of the product inside.

Diptyque is known for their more popular Baies, Figuier and Roses options, but this Amber Feather offering has been living under the radar. It blends sharp orange with warming cinnamon and ginger, softened by a note of amber for a truly delightful scent. And the design on the jar is utterly adorable!

Made from completely natural wax, this candle doesn’t expose you to any of the harmful effects of paraffin and parabens. And with a scent that was blended to celebrate the phenomenon that is the Northern Lights, this will bring the best parts of winter to your home. Plus we love the stylish blue jar that it comes in!

Best floral candles

A delicate blend of florals mix with ylang ylang, heliotrope and woody notes for an elegant scent that is reflected in the gold and glass packaging. You can even turn the lid on its head to use as a fancy coaster for this beautiful candle while you're burning it to make your house look gorgeous.

Just like Molton Brown candles, Jo Malone always tops our list when it comes to home fragrance. And we love this Velvet Rose & Oud Home Candle, because nothing quite says luxury like this dark and intoxicating blend that the brand describes as 'Damask rose in full bloom'.

Best herbal candles

A Mediterranean twist on one of the up-and-coming brand's most popular scents - the Kush candle - this Italian-based version blends sweet and citrussy limoncello with sharp and tangy pomelo and herbal notes of black pepper, basil, oregano, cannabis leaves, patchouli and cypress.

A gorgeous green blend that, just like some of our favorite floral fragrances, will transport you to a sunny and fragrant Italian garden, with its notes of aromatic herbs and crisp tomato leaves which are lifted by warm and spicy pimento berries. Not super floral but very green and herbal!

Already a cult favourite that promises to help you drift off, this updated blend will relax you all throughout the evening with its notes of lavender, camomile and vetiver. Light this just before you begin your bedtime routine (but remember to blow it out before bed!), and breath in the calming scents as you unwind.

Which is the best scented candle for me?

The three most important considerations you need to make when choosing the best scented candles for you are:

• What fragrances you are drawn to?
• Where will the candle will be placed in your home?
• Your budget

Everyone loves a scented candle, but what most of us can’t agree on is which scent is best. With hundreds of smells on the market, choosing an aroma, whether floral, woody or herbaceous can sometimes be tricky.

From the smell of fresh laundry to give a deliciously welcoming feeling to your home, or a citrusy aroma prefect for the kitchen, believe it or not, your choice of fragrance says a lot about your style and personality.

Once you’ve nailed your scent, think about the space. For a longer-lasting fragrance in your home, use different scents in different areas. You’ll notice the scents as you move from room to room.

The correct way to burn a candle

We asked candle expert Jo Malone, founder of Jo Malone candles and owner of Jo Loves, to share her tips of for getting the most out of our 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 2 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 3-4 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 as this may cause it to smoke."

Happy burning!