I’m Seriously Fussy, But These Are the 18 Best Festive Candles This Year

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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’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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.
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