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Nov 03, 2024

Best Candles: Gifts That Smell Incredible | Architectural Digest

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. The best candles

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The best candles don’t merely smell delightful, they can encourage someone to slow down, set an intention, and maybe even relax and refocus—something we could all use a little (or a lot) of help with. Aside from looking great, the candles you purchase should be somewhat heavy, so you know they won’t burn up in one sitting, and good enough quality, so that you aren’t concerned about the chemicals they send into the air. Soy wax, coconut wax, and beeswax candles are some of the cleanest burning options out there, and candles scented with essential oils tend to be free of synthetic fragrances, so be sure to seek those nontoxic options out if that’s important to you or your recipient.

And when it comes to scent, there’s a world of options. Whether you pick one cute candle to gift your votive-loving best friend or buy a set to bring some love to multiple corners of your own house, you can’t go wrong. Some of our favorite candles even come in their own little gift boxes or patterned tins—and who isn’t a sucker for adorable packaging? The classic option is something scented, but you could even opt for a lovely taper candle that’ll add refinement to a space.

Below are the 27 best candles from a variety of retailers to create a relaxing ambiance at home or to give as a housewarming present—because the best gifts also smell really, really good.

SSENSE

Nordstrom

Byredo’s most popular scent, Bibliothèque, showcases strong notes of warm vanilla and leather, cut by undertones of peach and plum to give a dynamic scent profile—not too heavy, not too floral. “I keep a miniature version of this candle in my bathroom and have gotten many compliments,” says commerce editor Audrey Lee. “I think it appeals to a lot of different palettes so it’s a really versatile option.”

Notes: Plum, Cinnamon, Leather Accord, Violet

Amazon

Nordstrom

Boy Smells is the brand of low-lit, relaxed, and romantic evenings. Always flirty and always a great gift, this one has top notes of fig, coconut water, and jasmine, bolstered by more rooting scents like sandalwood and cedarwood.

Notes: coconut water, cardamom, black pepper

Nordstrom

Diptyque

We’d be remiss not to include this ever-popular pick from French-fragrance brand Diptyque. Baies is a blissful mix of black currant leaves and fresh roses. This celebrity favorite comes in five sizes to suit your burn time needs, including an extra large (with five wicks).

Notes: berries, black currant, rose

Anthropologie

Apotheke

Cherry, arguably the sexiest of all fruits, is the main character here, made only more alluring with its bitter complexity. The sweet and tart smell is deepened with patchouli, cardamom, warm oud, and tonka bean. This is most certainly a dinner-date candle, a shaved-my-legs candle, a sleepover candle.

Notes: black cherry, cardamom, sweet patchouli, sandalwood, tonka bean

Amazon

Revolve

Any scent that can bring us that windows-down feeling is an instant add to cart. It’s easy to feel like a Californian coasting down Highway 1 with this votive—the smell of wet, effusive eucalyptus, and what they call “young green shoots, long spears, and russet underbrush.”

Notes: coastal rain, eucalyptus shoot, magnolia, pacific spray

Nordstrom

SSENSE

A small grain, this candle is both herbaceous and floral—very Mediterranean orchard-smelling. The orange blossom is grounded in green and earthy smells, making it a perfect choice for creating an unobtrusive and calming scent experience.

Notes: orange-blossom, bergamot and white floral

Flamingo Estate

Nordstrom

This candle smells more like a tomato vine than a tomato vine does—and it really packs a punch. “After this candle was lit for 5 minutes, my entire living room was subsumed with the lush and peppery smell of tomato,” says commerce writer Julia Harrison. For the herbalists, the chefs, the gardeners, or the garden-missing, this is the perfect gift.

Notes: Tomato Vine, Holy Basil, Black Pepper

Nordstrom

Amazon

Looking to capture summer year-round? This candle brings peak produce to the darkest hours, with notes of fresh bergamot and pink pepper with warm musks, jasmine petals, and soft orris root. “I also own the fragrance version of this candle—I can’t get enough of the scent. It’s light, not overly sweet, and super refreshing,” says Audrey.

Notes: sparkling bergamot, mara strawberry, pink pepper

SSENSE

Aesop

Gone viral many a time for their perfumes, Aesop is a master of aromatherapy. This candle’s notes of cedar, cypress, and vetiver are for bringing the outdoors in, a forest bathing technique for the city-dweller.

Notes: Cypress, Cedar and Vetiver

Saks Fifth Avenue

Sephora

This is a candle for the spiritually inclined—“mindfulness meets opulence,” they call it. Its scent profile of palo santo, cistus, and ebony wood is both meditative and transcendent. Light this candle, start your chant playlist, criss-cross applesauce and let your mind wander.

Notes: palo santo, leather, woods

Sephora

Revolve

The title says it all, really, this one smells of driftwood and chamomile, but it includes undertones of vanilla bean and sandalwood to sweeten and deepen the smell. We’re also very tempted to purchase this one because of its cute reusable glass container—it would make a good-looking bedside water glass.

Notes: chamomile, vanilla bean, sandalwood, driftwood

Joya Studio

Joya always nails its collabs—there’s one from A24 we also love farther down this list. This launch was to celebrate the work of Japanese print designer Utagawa Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo. The candle itself smells of Japanese forest—damp, herbaceous, chilly. The top notes here are laurel leaf, basil, ice and wild mint, but below that is a menagerie of musk, moss, and florals.

Notes: laurel leaf, basil, ice, wild mint

Spoken Flames

All of Spoken Flames’s candles emit a soft crackling noise when burned for a relaxing and distinct experience every time. The Fearless candle fuses a bright mix of orange, clove, and cedarwood to bring a bold energy to your space.

Notes: Cedarwood, Citrus Orange Peel, Neroli Blossom, Balsam

Brooklinen

The name of this candle doesn’t speak to packed bars and half-price drinks—no, we’re talking about a different kind of happy hour. A calming mix of citrus and cedar will fill the room, and a deep breath will reveal touches of rosemary and eucalyptus as a beautiful afterthought.

Notes: Fresh, Floral, Woody

Apotheke

Take the idea of a tea light to a whole new level with this Earl Grey scented three-wick candle that combines the smell of black tea leaves with bergamot, lemon zest, and peony. It’s soothing for a cold, rainy day, but it will also revitalize—just like your favorite mug of tea always does.

Notes: earl grey, lemon zest, bergamot, peony

Ssense

This designer candle is crisp, delicate, and fruity, with notes of lily, jasmine, and pear to bring the sensation of springtime strolls alongside budding greenery right to your own home.

Notes: Chestnut, Cashmeran, Pink Pepper, Clove

Otherland

From Instagram-famous candle brand Otherland come plenty of one-of-a-kind and kitschy options. Take Chandelier, a coconut and soy wax blend of champagne, saffron, and leather that you’ll hope never burns out. Fortunately, it promises 55 hours of burn time.

Notes: Champagne, Saffron, Leather

Brooklyn Candle Studio

If you want a Sunday morning candle to go with your Sunday morning coffee, Sunday morning breakfast, and Sunday morning book, then look no further. Brooklyn Candle Studio has created the perfect candle to perfume your early bird routine with smells of pear, bergamot, jasmine, gardenia, and amber woods.

Notes: Pear, Bergamot

Catbird

Bring the sunny Italian coast into your living room with this candle from Catbird. The notes of orange blossom and honey are designed to transport you to days of long naps in the sun, walks through olive groves, and the occasional dip in the ocean. Plus, each candle comes with a suggested reading list on the lid for those on the hunt for a new book to become engrossed in.

Notes: orange blossom, honey

Nordstrom

Amazon

The cheeky LA candlemakers at Boy Smells teamed up with pop star (and AD cover girl) Kacey Musgraves to make this candle that conveys a harmonious mix of incense, black pepper, ginger zest, raspberry, and cedarwood. "When you're stuck in the city and romanticizing a weekend upstate, inhaling the delicious aroma of this candle is about as close as you can get to feeling like you're in a cozy cabin the woods," says senior digital designer editor Sydney Gore.

Notes: mushroom accords, raspberry, patchouli

P.F. Candle Co.

Amazon

We love P.F. Candle Co. for its rich, long-lasting scents. This particular smell from the brand is herby, as the name suggests, but in a way that is less kitchen and more dewy morning walk through the garden. While earthy, there are some refreshing kicks of lemon and orange rind, which will keep you guessing (in a good way).

Notes: salty sea air, redwood, eucalyptus, white lavender

Anthropologie

If you’ve ever walked into an Anthropologie store, you’re likely deeply familiar with the oversized Capri Blue Volcano candle and its cloyingly sweet scent. Made by the Mississippi-based Capri Blue label, this hand poured candle with a cotton wick is loved by thousands and features notes of tropical fruits, oranges, lemons, limes, and mountain greens. It’ll make a great gift for your favorite Anthro girl.

Notes: tropical fruits, sugared citrus

Loewe

Net-a-Porter

AD Global Editorial Director Amy Astley highly recommends a more luxury candle—something splurge-worthy from Loewe: “I love the chunkiness, the heft, [and] the jumbo size,” she says. Bonus: When the candle has burned down, “you can keep the vessel for anything you want—and it’s nice that this one isn’t delicate and teeny.”

Notes: woody, floral

Nordstrom

Malin + Goetz

If you love classic scents and wish you were into edgier fragrances, look into Malin+Goetz’s take on a traditional floral. Touches of clove, black pepper, and cardamom open up into rose, peony, and geranium. With up to 60 hours of burn time, this natural wax candle packs major spring vibes you can bust out to pull you right out of the dreariest of days.

Notes: cardamom, clove bud, black pepper, cassis, lavender

Homesick

Homesick makes candles inspired by each state, and even a few cities, like New York City or Los Angeles—making these wicks an especially meaningful gift idea. Their take on New York plays on spring days spent in Central Park and the overall buzz found in every borough, translated through notes of bergamot, jasmine, lemon, grapefruit, water lilies, oak moss, sandalwood, musk, and—we kid you not—concrete.

Notes: Apple Peel, Nutmeg, Clove

Harlem Candle Company

Amazon

For a decidedly grown-up vibe, the Speakeasy candle is meant to evoke illicit nights out and the pleasure of breaking the rules with its tobacco, bourbon, and palo santo notes.

Notes: Cardamom, Smoked Incense, Pimento Berry

Diptyque

Nordstrom

Bloomingdales

From Diptyque’s new line of luxury cleaning products, this odor removing candle smells like a morning stroll through the farmer’s market thanks to its vibrant (and clean!) basil scent. It’s the perfect home fragrance, with an aroma that gently wafts through the air even when you’re not burning it—making this one of the best scented candles on this list. AD's senior digital designer editor Sydney Gore recommends it for those moments "when you can't be bothered to go outside and touch grass." It might just realign your chakras.

Notes: basil, mint, tomato leaf

Lafco

Visit Lafco if you’re in search of especially sizable soy candles to burn for long amounts of time. We especially like this scent that’s got notes of violet leaf, honeysuckle, and mint—and will transport you to fields of flowers in the English countryside the minute you light the wick.

Notes: Mandarin Zest, Raspberry, Orange Pulp