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 including Diptyque (see our guide to the best Diptyque candles here), Jo Malone, Neom, Rituals and Yankee Candle, to those lesser-known gems such as Overose, the best scented candles will always make your home smell wonderful—while some will even encourage calm, restful and mood-boosting vibes.

So grab a few of these and cuddle up in bed with a hot drink and one of our best pillows for a cozy self-care session. From Marks & Spencer to Jo Malone we've rounded up the candles that'll make you feel like you're at the spa.

The best scented candles as chosen by our experts

Best strong scented candles

Ideal for the springtime season, this best-seller emits resplendent notes of lavender, white, and deep purple lilacs. The Lilac Blossoms candle comes in a variety of sizes, from signature large jars to small tumblers and scent plug refills. It boasts a long-lasting burn time of 110-150 hours, plus wicks made of 100% natural fibers.

Unwind with Neom’s Real Luxury Scented Candle: a pinnacle of luxury and relaxation. The exclusive Real Luxury fragrance blends delectable essential oils, including English lavender, Brazilian rosewood, and jasmine. Aromatic paradise awaits your arrival. 

From an aesthetics standpoint, Euphoriasme embodies Parisian chic, incorporating the brand’s custom pink wax and millennial pastel packaging. And from a fragrance perspective, it’s described as the Parisian bakery to enjoy at home. This best-seller permeates notes of warm croissants, ripe cranberries, crème brulée, and rose blossom water. 

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!

Unsurprisingly, the authority in plant-based cleaning products also excels in creating great (and affordable!) candles. Encased in recyclable packaging, the Lavender Jar emanates a clean, floral aroma without being too potent. Enjoy this pleasant scent with one single wick, for 35 hours of bliss-burning time.

Eliminate lingering odors with the Febreeze Sea Spray candle, featuring a delightful blend of essential oils and natural fragrances. Aside from its stench-sterilizing powers, it creates the ideal beachy ambiance no matter where you are. And for under $5/£5, it’s certainly cheaper than a trip to the Maui Islands.

Best Citrus candles

If you enjoy 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 its 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

Indulge your senses in a bed of pink and red roses, courtesy of the top-rated Diptyque Roses candle. Whether you’re at home or on the go, this fragrance will transport you to a garden oasis, brimming with rose bushes and velvety petals.

The top-rated Precious Amber Scented Candle is infused with notes of powdery vanilla and Oriental accents, delivering a rich floral fragrance for hours.

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 citrusy 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 favorite 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 breathe 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 perfect 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. You could also one of the best essential oil diffusers (and the best essential oils), so create a long-lasting scent.

WHAT IS THE BEST-SCENTED CANDLE BRAND ACCORDING TO OUR EDITORS? 

As we mentioned, there are plenty of top-selling candle brands to look out for. To help you shop, we categorized our recommendations based on price, luxury, strong scents, and burn time.

• Best budget candle brand: Aldi—reputed for high-quality scented candles under £10, 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 leverages 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: Crabtree & Evelyn—hailed for crafting great-smelling candles with fresh scents and earthy tones. The brand also makes top-rated floral and citrusy candles.  
• Best candle brand for woodsy 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—the brand's Blu Mediterraneo candle line embodies sparkling citruses, rich fruity scents, and tropical coastlines.

The correct way to burn a candle

We asked candle expert Jo Malone—founder of the Jo Malone brand and owner of Jo Love—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 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 too, as this may cause it to smoke."

Of course, burning candles can potentially 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 paraffin 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.

Happy burning!