I’m putting it out there: I’m a candle hoarder. I have drawers full of them. From fresh, airy scents to woody, spicy aromas, I’ve got a plethora of options in my collection—one for every mood. And as a candle obsessive, we’re finally entering my favourite time of the year. With Christmas approaching, I’m gearing up to unwrap all of the most festive scents in my collection and turn my home into a Christmassy grotto.
The only problem is that when it comes to Christmas scents, I’m seriously fussy. The idea of filling my room with the sorts of traditional heady, sickly scents associated with Christmas makes me want to run for the hills. I like my festive candles to smell fresh and crisp but with a warming (but not headache-inducing) base that makes me want to snuggle up under a blanket. And after testing and trialling virtually every Christmas candle out there, I can safely say that I’ve found the best ones.
So if, like me, the idea of sweet, heady Christmas candles isn’t usually your vibe, keeping scrolling for the most deliciously elegant and festive candles around.
It’s rare that an entire candle collection ticks all of the boxes for me, but Diptyque’s festive offering is always the exception. This particular scent smells like freshly-baked biscuits but not in the gourmand sort of way that you might expect. It’s fresh and expensive-smelling and is equally as mouth-watering and cosy.
Few Christmas candles smell as good and strong as this one. it fills the room with the scent of fresh pine combined with lavender, incense and amber.
Not a year goes by where I don’t have this burning in my living room on Christmas Day. Spicy cinnamon and cedar come together to bring heaps of festive cheer.
Inspired by the delicious scent of a gingerbread house, this luxe candle smells like cinnamon, honey and orange in a wonderfully warm and cosy way.
Every year, Neom brings its A game in festive home fragrance, and it totally knocked it out of the park with this one. Pine and lime peel make it impossibly fresh and uplifting, while myrrh gives it a depth perfect for cosy evenings by the fire.
If you ask me, this is the gold standard of Christmas candles. It smells like fresh forest walks, icy windows, and all of the nose-tingling freshness that makes winter so great.
On paper, this is the typical sort of gourmand scent that doesn’t do it for me. Although, I’m actually sort of in love with this one. Like warm gingerbread and cinnamon, it has a musky base that keeps things light. Price shown is members’ price.
This little guy embodies all of the freshness of Christmas with orange, neroli and petitgrain. It’s intensely calming and smells exactly how I would like my make believe orangery to smell on Christmas Eve.
Smelling just like a balsam fir tree, this beautiful candle is perfect for those who miss out on the smell (but not the mess) of having a real Christmas tree in their home.
Jo Malone London’s limited-edition festive scent, White Moss & Snowdrop, is my favourite scent of all time. I spritz myself in the perfume everyday throughout December and have this burning in my living room all season long. It’s sparkling, musky and unlike anything I have ever smelled.
I would actually burn this candle year-round if I didn’t have an edit for every season. (It’s extra—I know.) It smells just like a smoky, open fire but with a freshness that leaves it lingering subtly in the air.
If you’re on the quest for a candle that smells exactly like a real Christmas tree, look no further. Fresh and woody in all of the best ways possible, it’s like a fresh walk on Christmas morning.
Another Christmas tree–like scent, this festive cult classic is a sell-out every year thanks to its fresh, zingy take on traditional pine. It oozes luxury.
OK, I’ll admit that I have had this delicious candle burning since late October. It smells like toffee apples and crisp evenings, so it made for the perfect Bonfire Night burn. Although I have a back-up ready for December, too.
Blending tonka bean with cinnamon and orange, this candle is basically all of the warming goodness that Christmas brings wrapped up into one pretty parcel.
Unlike other traditional Christmas candles, this one champions floral notes like rose and neroli, blending them with cinnamon and clove to make it fit for festivities.
The freshest and most subtle of Diptyque’s festive offering, this candle contains scents of winter flower mimosa and white musks, making it sort of reminiscent of fresh baby powder.
Like burning log fires and fresh pine, this could potentially be my favourite candle of the season. It’s so good, in fact, that I don’t want to burn it because I’m already dreading it being finished. Plus, this year’s edition is housed in a very chic Emilio Pucci jar. Next up, these 50 holy-grail beauty gifts come with our editors’ seal of approval.
