After a long day, there’s nothing quite like the ritual of coming downstairs and lighting a few luxury scented candles to mark the end of the chaos. And while many people might consider candles best saved for the autumn or winter months when you want to create that warm and cosy environment, I love candles in the spring and summer too. It might be swelteringly hot outside (as it is while I’m writing this piece) but I rely on fragrance to lift my mood and help set the scent for an evening of tranquility and calm. Thankfully, working as a beauty editor, I’ve been lucky enough to try some of the best candles in the business, from Diptyque to Cire Trudon, but when summer rolls around there’s one brand that always delivers when I want something lighter, greener and instantly uplifting: Bamford.
Founded by Lady Carole Bamford, OBE, who has an impressive commitment to sustainability and wellbeing, the brand is rooted in holistic living, and their candles manage to feel both luxurious and yet down-to-earth. This year, Bamford is celebrating its 20th anniversary—marking two decades since the inception of their somewhat iconic geranium scent. “I grow over 100 geranium varieties in my greenhouse, so it felt natural that they would inspire our first line of Bamford products,” explains Lady Bamford. “To me, their scent is heaven—so uplifting and joyful, evoking memories of home and of family.”
And that’s exactly what Bamford candles do so well. Rather than overpower the space that they are in, they elevate your environment—transforming even my toy-filled living room into a space that feels calm and welcoming. So, in honour of their two-decade legacy, I’m breaking down the very best Bamford candles to add to your summer rotation and beyond.
The best Bamford scented candles
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Geranium Candle
Fresh, green and undeniably uplifting, Bamford’s cult Geranium candle is like taking a morning walk through a dewy herb garden. If you’re looking for a candle to clear the mind and brighten your mood, then the zingy peppermint and clarifying eucalyptus will feel like a welcome breath of fresh air. It’s clean, clarifying and easy to understand why it’s stuck around for two decades.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: B Silent Candle
I’d consider this to be the candle equivalent of a sleep mask—once it’s lit you’ll struggle to stay away. Part of Bamford’s range designed to help you prepare for a good night’s sleep, it has a classic calming lavender scent but with the addition of frankincense and marjoram adding an almost spicy depth. Unlike the more floral sleep scents I’ve tried from other brands in the past, this is like stepping into an expensive hotel room before having the best sleep of your life.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Tomentosum Geranium Candle
To celebrate 20 years of the classic geranium scent, Bamford has launched a collection of four geranium candles inspired by varieties hand-selected by Carole—and this is one inspired by Pelargonium tomentosum, a variety known for its minty leaves. As such, this has an instantly awakening fragrance that’s both invigorating and also calming. Combined with the familiar geranium warmth and a grounding cedarwood, the final result is soothing and joyful.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Flora Garden Rose Candle
If rose is your thing, as it is mine, then Garden Rose is an absolute delight. It captures that quintessential brightness of a classic English rose, but has a verdancy to it that prevents it from becoming too powders. This is like a dewy country garden rose, complete with green leaves and the damp wood of trees nearby. And once that has all billowed to the foreground you’re then left with a slight honeyed sweetness and a deep warmth that I think gives it an almost romantic feel.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Fig Leaf Candle
As soon as you light this candle you’ll be transported to the most beautiful Tuscan villa nestled in the fig orchards at dusk. It’s chic and sophisticated—a blend of creamy green fig with a slight woodiness—but there’s a herbal sweetness to it too which means it stays fresh and clean. If I wanted to impress during a dinner party, this is the candle I’d choose to light the space.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Rosemary Candle
There are certain notes that I associate with certain rooms in my house and rosemary, for me, is a kitchen candle. This one in particular is sharp, herbal and slightly fruity thanks to a citrus squeeze of Sicilian lemon, and it just makes any room you light it in smell impeccably clean and fresh. It’s particularly perfect for lighting after you’ve been cooking, or on mentally foggy mornings when you just want a little boost.
Best Bamford Scented Candles: Attar of Roses Candle
Another from the new geranium collection comes in the form of this decadent and complex candle inspired by the Attar of Roses Geranium in bloom. It’s opulent, rich and velvety yet doesn’t feel overbearing in the slightest. In fact, there’s a delicate sweetness to this candle inspired by the fact that the plant is said to smell slightly like a Turkish delight.
