I'm a luxury candle aficionado—trust me when I say these 18 prove a cut above the rest

Your guide to the best luxury candles money can buy

Dior Ambre Nuit, Byredo Tree House, Diptyque Tubereuse luxury candles
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fewer things fill me with more joy than lighting a luxury candle. I like to make sure my flat is clean, that all clutter is put away and that my to-do list is ticked off for the day. Then, and only then, will I light my most precious candle and relax. 

With the start of the year being typically all doom and gloom weather wise (although I accept we are currently experiencing a fool's spring), I'm trying to create small bits of joy in my days wherever I can—and that means lighting up a candle. Right now, I have some form of winter candle burning for most of the day, but I like to save my most precious for especially relaxing moments. For example, my Diptyque favourites and Jo Malone go-tos only get lit for special occasions (mainly for when I'm by myself and can truly enjoy them).

Because, let's be frank here, when it comes to luxury candles, I don't like to share. Whenever one of my favourite candles lands on my desk, I refuse to share. In fact, I scurry away with it in my bag before any of fellow Marie Claire UK colleagues notice. It's petty, and I don't care. My luxury candles are the only beauty product I'm selfish about.

What gives a candle luxury status, I hear you ask? Well, it's everything from how they look and burn to how intense and expensive they smell. The thing that makes a candle luxurious, to me, is all about how it makes you feel. Whether you're looking to treat yourself or a loved one (no matter how begrudgingly), these are without question the best, most special luxury candles in existence—trust me, I've tried them all. 

1. Byredo Tree House

Byredo Tree House candle

(Image credit: Byredo)

Byredo Tree House Candle

Best woody luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 240g
Key notes: Bamboo, pimento, hay, labdanum, myrrh, leather

This candle takes me back to crisp autumn afternoons as a child, watching the embers of a November bonfire slowly burn out, while the smells of rain-soaked trees mingles with ribbons of firewood smoke. It's woody and a little smoky without being overbearing or eye-watering (like so many woody candles can be).

2. Diptyque Tubereuse

Diptyque Tubereuse Candle

(Image credit: Diptyque)

Diptyque Tubereuse Candle

Best floral luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 300g
Key notes: Tuberose

Let's keep it real, every candle that Diptyque has ever created deserves to be on this list, but if I could only choose one to make the cut it would be this. Tubereuse isn't one of Diptyque's most iconic scents, but in my opinion it is the brand's best. It's powdered, soft and lightly floral, all while filling a room effortlessly. I'm not sure I have ever burned Tubereuse and not had compliments on it.

3. Rituals Cotton Blossom

Rituals Cotton Blossom Scented Candle

(Image credit: Rituals)

Rituals Private Collection Cotton Blossom Scented Candle

Best for a great throw

Specifications

Size: 360g
Key notes: Mandarin, jasmine, tuberose, violet, sandalwood

I have long adored Rituals Private Collection candles not just for the expensive-smelling scents, but also because the throws are undeniably great. I have burned them in small spaces and large open spaces, and they fill every room as well as the next. While Goji Berry has been a long-time favourite (it smells a lot like Diptyque Baies), it's this one that I have been burning most in recent months. It is sweet, welcoming and fresh. If you ever had the joy of walking past a Hollister store in the circa 2010, it smells like that.

4. Fornasetti Giardino Segreto Farfalle e Balaustra

Fornasetti Giardino egreto Farfalle e Balaustra Candle

(Image credit: Fornasetti)

Fornasetti Giardino egreto Farfalle e Balaustra Candle

Best green luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 310g
Key notes: Rhubarb, tomato leaves, blackcurrant

When it comes to luxury candles, Fornasetti is about as good as they come. This £250 candle takes the definition of luxury to whole new levels. It looks every bit as beautiful as it smells (and makes for a stellar ornament after it's burned). Like an Italian garden in the middle of spring, it's grassy and crisp—like pulling a big, juicy tomato straight from its vine and ripping it in two.

5. La Montaña Alfredo's Café

La Montaña Alfredo's Café

(Image credit: La Montaña)

La Montaña Alfredo's Café Candle

Best rich luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 509g
Key notes: Black tobacco, coffee, brandy, leather, incense

Smell this candle once and be prepared to fall in love. It is, without question, one of my favourite candles of all time. The throw is second to none, and it smells entirely unique. To get a sense of the scent, I need you to close your eyes and image walking down a Spanish cobbled street. Nestled at the end is a small café with some seats outside, next to a large historic church. Outside the café a group of eldery gentlemen sit on leather seats in the sunshine, wearing suits, smoking cigars and drinking espressos. A ribbon of churchy incense swirls out from the cracks in the door and mingles with the smell of European sunshine, coffee, leather and tobacco smoke. That is Alfredo's Café. It is unimposing, masterfully delicate and not in the slightest 'too much'.

6. Cire Trudon Ernesto 

Cire Trudon Ernesto candle

(Image credit: Cire Trudon)

Cire Trudon Ernesto Candle

Best smoky luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 270g
Key notes: Tobacco, leather

In the candle world, the only thing that compares to Fornasetti's creations in terms of luxury are Trudon's. Originally loved by Louis XIV and Napoleon, the popularity of Trudon home fragrance has transcended generations. My personal favourite? Ernesto is a heady, smoky concoction that oozes expense and luxury.

7. D.S. & Durga Dream Lychee

D.S. & Durga Dream Lychee Candle

(Image credit: D.S. & Durga)

D.S. & Durga Dream Lychee Candle

Best juicy luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 198g
Key notes: Rose water, cyclamen, lychee, lily, musk, sandalwood

This new launch from cult fragrance brand D.S. & Durga is everything you want from a spring candle. It is brimming with juicy, mouth-watering fruit. It's like peeling the skin off a lychee, biting straight into the flesh and letting the sticky juicy run down your chin. It's the sort of candle that makes you want to throw open the windows, slip into a floral dress and sit on the balcony to sip on cocktails at sunset.

8. Loewe Honeysuckle

Loewe Honeysuckle Candle

(Image credit: Loewe)

Loewe Honeysuckle Candle

Best aesthetically-pleasing luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 170g
Key notes: Lonicera periclymenum

I challenge you to find me a candle as chic as this one. Not only does it smell deliciously light, subtle and fresh, as soon as it's all burned you can keep the vessel as a seriously luxe homeware accessory. In fact, I wish I had the whole collection to line my shelves.

9. Jo Malone London Wild Berry & Bramble

Jo Malone London Wild Berry & Bramble Townhouse Candle

(Image credit: Jo Malone London)

Jo Malone London Wild Berry & Bramble Townhouse Candle

Best fruity luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 300g
Key notes: Red berries

I know that the standard Jo Malone London candles are special and luxe enough on their own, but to me, it's these Townhouse Collection candles that really stand out as the most luxurious. It's rare to come across them being burned anywhere, making them feel that extra bit exclusive. This particular scent is a fresh, green but fruity delight—like taking a walk in a berry-bush-lined, woodland trail with branches snapping underfoot.

10. Jo Loves Amber, Lime & Bergamot

Jo Loves Log Fires Candle

(Image credit: Jo Loves)

Jo Loves Log Fired Candle

Best uplifting luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 185g
Key notes: Smoky woods, Lapsang souchong tea

For days when it's rainy, cold and grey, I reach for this warming delight from Jo Loves. Sadly, my two-bedroom London flat doesn't have capacity for a wood-burning fire, so I mimic the cosy effects with this candle. It smells exactly like burning firewood and warm embers, without any of the synthetic sweetness you get from other candles that try to achieve a similar result.

11. Nest New York Grapefruit

Nest New York Grapefruit Candle

(Image credit: Nest New York)

Nest New York Grapefruit Candle

Best citrus luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 230g
Key notes: Pink pomelo grapefruit, lily of the valley, coriander blossom

I'm yet to find a candle with a throw quite like this one. Leave it burning for just 15 minutes and the entire room will smell like the juiciest, freshest grapefruit you can possibly imagine. It is, in my opinion, the ultimate summer candle—I have gifted it to three of my friends this year as a birthday present since they've each become obsessed with it after smelling it in my living room last summer.

12. Carrière Frères Tomato

Carrière Frères Tomato Candle

(Image credit: Carrière Frères)

Carrière Frères Tomato Candle

Best fresh luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 185g
Key notes: Tomato

If I was asked to create a candle that smells like the British countryside, I would want it to smell like this. This candle smells exactly like juicy, freshly-picked tomatoes. It's the sort of candle I'd very much like to have burning in my kitchen all year long.

13. Dior Ambre Nuit

Dior Ambre Nuit candle

(Image credit: Dior)

Dior Ambre Nuit Candle

Best rich-smelling luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 250g
Key notes: Ambergis, rose

If you want a candle that oozes expense and wealth, look no further. Beyond just being a Dior candle, it also smells every bit as rich as it sounds like it should. With powerful rose and punchy ambergis, it's one of the most luxurious scents out there.

14. Le Labo Santal 26

Le Labo Santal 26 Candle

(Image credit: Le Labo)

Le Labo Santal 26 Classic Candle

Best unique luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 245g
Key notes: Australian sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla, amber, coco, musk

You might be familiar with the scent of Santal 26. The famous Le Labo Santal 33 fragrance actually started off as a candle—this candle to be exact. It is probably the most iconic sandalwood candle out there, and for good reason. It's woody, sure, but the addition of vanilla and musks makes it light, warm and inviting in a way that entices.

15. Verden D'Orangerie

Verden D'Orangerie Candle

(Image credit: Verden)

Verden D'Orangerie Scented Candle

Best citrus luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 220g
Key notes: Orange blossom

While this candle doesn't have the largest price tag on this list (although it's still by no means cheap), it still stands up. I first came across it while visiting a countryside retreat, where each communal room had a jar burning away. If you're not familiar with the scent of orange blossom, think a creamy, warming citrus that remains light on the nose.

16. Earl of East Shinrin-Yoku

Earl of East Shinrin-Yoku Candle

(Image credit: Earl of East)

Earl of East Shinrin-Yoku Soy Wax Candle

Best affordable luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 170ml
Key notes: Cedar wood, oakmoss, black pepper

If the concept of Japanese forest bathing had to be portrayed as a candle, this would be the result. It's grounding, fresh, mossy, woody and earthy in the most wonderful of ways—like bringing the aroma of a sun-dappled forest into your home.

17. Bella Freud Loving

Bella Freud Loving Candle

(Image credit: Bella Freud)

Bella Freud Loving Candle

Best sweet-floral luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 190g
Key notes: Tuberose, amber, sandalwood

This candle isn't the punchiest of the lot, but it is seriously special. In fact, this is one of the rare candles I have found myself parting with from time to time in order to gift it as a wedding present. Sure, the floral concoction of a fragrance is stunning, but it's the undeniably fashionable red vessel that makes this one a stand-out for me.

18. Boy Smells de Nimes Candle

Boy Smells de Nimes Candle

(Image credit: Boy Smells)

Boy Smells de Nimes Candle

Best clean-smelling luxury candle

Specifications

Size: 251ml
Key notes: Almond, eucalyptus, rhubarb, violet, ambergris, blueberry, juniper

I warned you I'm a candle snob, so please remember this acknowledgement when you read my next sentence. Although I appreciate Boy Smells candles, something about the branding has never stood out to me as particular luxe (although I understand the price tag suggests otherwise). This particular scent, however, is indisputably luxe. It is subtle, fresh and cotton-like—the candle equivalent of a crisp white shirt and jeans pairing. 

Shannon Lawlor
Executive Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is the Executive Beauty Editor at Marie Claire. With nearly a decade of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof make-up products and does-it-all skincare.