Burning one of the best winter candles for a few hours not only makes your home smell incredible, it also significantly levels up its cosy factor—particularly when it's freezing cold and you feel less inclined to go outside. Not to mention there's something about lighting a brand new candle for the very first time. And while we might not have officially entered winter just yet, the cold climes are getting us in the spirit. (Although, if you're not there just yet, there are plenty of fantastic autumn candles to whet your appetite.)
Much like the best perfumes for women, most of us have a preference when it comes to home fragrances. And if there’s one thing I’m prepared to invest in for my humble abode, it’s my all-time favourite luxury candle—and I know that my fellow beauty editors and fragrance experts will agree with me.
That’s exactly why I asked a bunch of them which fragrant burn is their go-to scented candle for winter and collated them into this guide to the top-tier buys. Fair warning, as is the way with candles, you get what you pay for, so these ones are all very luxurious, but they are pretty much guaranteed to make your home smell out of this world.
The best winter candles, according to beauty experts
Lucy Abbersteen, Freelance Beauty Editor
"If you know how much I love woody perfumes, it won’t surprise you that my favourite scented candle is the aptly named Woods by Byredo. Taking inspiration from walks through Swedish forests, it opens with raspberry, jasmine and leather before the cedar and ambroxon (two of my favourite perfume notes) really come through. Despite being inspired by the outdoors, it's exceptionally cosy and scents my entire flat—if I could have one burning whenever I'm at home, I would. I wish it came in an EDP, too." — Lucy Abbersteen, Freelance Beauty Editor
Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor, Marie Claire
"While I am all about fresh, piney scents come winter (of which there are heaps of excellent options in candle form), my most cherished candle come cosy season is actually a floral—Diptyque's Tubereuse. Although tuberose might not be the most conventional winter scent, the deep, velvety aroma, which in this case is also fresh and undeniably expensive smelling, is the epitome of cosy luxury. Whenever I'm burning it, guests have something to say about how great my home smells. So much so that I have influenced countless friends to buy it for themselves. Diptyque candles might seem like the obvious luxury candle buy, but this one really is the crème de la crème." — Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor at Marie Claire
Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor, Marie Claire
"Jo Love Christmas Trees evokes such strong memories for me. It's the scent of past Christmases. These modern non-drop trees just don't cut it. They don't have that fresh, woody pine smell. This candle smells like the Christmas trees my family had in the 90s, the ones that had my mum hoovering up needles every time someone walked past. When I breathe the fragrance in, it reminds me of the plastic, concertinaed metallic garlands that used to hang limply from our ceilings and excitedly watching the Top of the Pops Christmas Special. As soon as November hits, I light it." — Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire
Tori Crowther, Freelance Beauty & Health Journalist
"A classic that never lets me down, Malin+Goetz Dark Rum is a winter staple scent in my house. With notes of bergamot, plum, amber, vanilla, patchouli and rum (of course), it makes my house smell like a stylish bar worthy of an Architectural Digest cover—even when in reality, it needs a good tidy. It’s fruity without being sweet and warming without being too intense, which gives it this fresh feeling without being cottony or linen-y; a sexy kind of fresh. The throw is impressive, which, regardless of the candle scent, really matters because I want the scent to really fill the room and house. Basically, if you come to my place in winter, this is likely to be burning." — Tori Crowther, Freelance Beauty & Health Journalist
Keeks Reid, Beauty Broadcaster
"My absolute favourite candle is Boy Smells' Ash Candle. I love it all year round, but in winter it really warms the house thanks to the charcoal and palo santo mix. You’re instantly transported to a sexy fireplace with a glass of red. So chic." — Keeks Reid, Beauty Broadcaster
Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director, Refinery29
"When it comes to winter candles, Une Forêt d'Or has succeeded where various well-known brands have failed. It takes the sweet greenness of pine needles, the warm spice of bark resin and the crispness of cold air to produce the most realistic, outdoorsy scent I've ever come across. I was reluctant to light it at first, because I could smell it from all the way across the room without a flame, but the scent is even better when burned. Plus, it's pretty enormous, so it could last you well into the New Year." — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director at Refinery29
Lucy Partington, Freelance Beauty Editor
"Okay, I know this is really, really, really boujie, but the Baccarat Rouge 540 candle is every bit as incredible, indulgent and delicious as you’d expect. The famous scent actually translates into wax form better than I ever thought possible: it smells exactly like the perfume, but it isn’t overpowering (something I was worried about) and, instead, it fills the room beautifully, lingering long after it has been blown out. So,