June 3, 2023

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, I’m 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 and have 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.

Best Christmas Candles: Jessicaskye

So if, like me, a sweet, heady Christmas candle isn’t usually your vibe, keeping scrolling for the most deliciously elegant and festive candles around.

1. Diptyque Biscuit Scented Candle

Diptyque Biscuit Scented Candle
Diptyque
Biscuit Scented Candle
£60

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, smells expensive and is equally mouth-watering and cosy.

2. Jo Loves Christmas Trees

Jo Loves Christmas Trees
Jo Loves
Christmas Trees
£55

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.

3. Space NK Shimmering Spice Candle

Space Nk Space Nk Shimmering Spice Candle
Space NK
Shimmering Spice Candle
£26

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.

4. Maison Francis Kurkdijan pain D’Epices Candle

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Pain D'Epices Candle
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Pain D’Epices Candle
£65

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.

5. Neom Perfect Peace Scented Candle

Neom Perfect Peace Scented Candle
Neom
Perfect Peace Scented Candle
£46

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 this candle impossibly fresh and uplifting, while myrrh gives it a depth perfect for cosy evenings by the fire.

6. Diptyque Sapin Scented Candle

Diptyque Sapin Scented Candle
Diptyque
Sapin Scented Candle
£60

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.

7. Beauty Pie Gingerbread Candle 

Beauty Pie Gingerbread Candle
Beauty Pie
Gingerbread Candle
£24

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.

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8. Elemis Orangery Candle

Elemis Orangery Candle
Elemis
Orangery Candle
£32

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.

9. Maison Francis Kurkdijan Mon Beau Sapin Candle

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Mon Beau Sapin Candle
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Mon Beau Sapin Candle
£65

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.

10. Jo Malone White Moss & Snowdrop Home Candle

Jo Malone White Moss & Snowdrop Home Candle
Jo Malone
White Moss & Snowdrop Home Candle
£50

Jo Malone’s limited-edition festive scent, White Moss & Snowdrop, is my favourite scent of all time. I spritz myself in the perfume every day throughout December and have this burning in my living room all season long. It’s sparkling, musky and unlike anything I have ever smelled.

11. Jo Loves Log Fires Scented Candle 

Jo Loves Log Fires Scented Candle
Jo Loves
Log Fires Scented Candle
£55

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 has a freshness that leaves it lingering subtly in the air.

12. The White Company Fir Tree Large Candle

The White Company Fir Tree Large Candle
The White Company
Fir Tree Large Candle
£60

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, this candle is like a fresh walk on Christmas morning.

13. Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus Luxury Candle

Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus Luxury Candle
Jo Malone
Pine & Eucalyptus Luxury Candle
£50

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.

14. Maison Francis Kurkdijan Pomme D’Amour Candle

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Pomme D’amour Candle
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Pomme D’amour Candle
£65

Okay, 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 backup ready for December, too.

15. Neom Christmas Wish Scented Candle

Neom Christmas Wish Scented Candle
Neom
Christmas Wish Scented Candle
£32

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. 

16. Cowshed Winter Candle 

Cowshed Winter Candle
Cowshed
Winter Candle
£38

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.

17. Diptyque Flocon Scented Candle 

Diptyque Flocon Scented Candle
Diptyque
Flocon Scented Candle
£60

The freshest and subtlest 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.

18. Acqua di Parma x Emilio Pucci Notte Di Stelle Candle 

Acqua di Parma x Emilio Pucci Notte Di Stelle Candle
Acqua di Parma x Emilio Pucci
Notte Di Stelle Candle
£72

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.