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 summer well under way, I am looking to add even more small bits of joy in my days wherever I can—and that means lighting up a candle and refreshing my space. Right now, I have some form of 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.
So, 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.
Best luxury candles: Quick shopping links
- Dior Ambre Nuit: £90 at Dior
- Glossier Sandstone: £45 at Glossier
- DISCOTHEQUE Crisco Disco: £54 at Selfridges
- NEST New York Grapefruit: £42.50 at Sephora
- MALIN+GOETZ Dark Rum: £47.60 at Sephora
1. Dior Ambre Nuit
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.
2. Glossier Sandstone
You might be familiar with Glossier You's iconic candle, but this lesser-known scent is my favourite of the bunch. With sandalwood and fig leaf it projects a creamy, cosy and comforting sort of aroma that swaddles you up in ease and joy. On top of that though, there is also clary sage which gives the overall finish a sense-clearing, herby earthiness that makes you feel like anything is possible. It is absolutely stunning.
3. Discothèque Crisco Disco
Choosing the perfect dinner-party candle isn't easy—you want something pleasant, non-polarising and yet still strong enough to win you some compliments. Trust me, Crisco Disco is it. It is warm and inviting while never venturing into territory that is too strong or too sweet. Instead, it dances around the air and entices everyone in.
4. Nest New York Grapefruit
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. 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.
5. Malin + Goetz Dark Rum
This candle is a firm favourite among the entire Marie Claire UK beauty desk thanks to its powerful throw and truly unique scent. It is deep and leathery (hence the dark rum name), but there's a sun-soaked sandiness to it that mentally transports you to a Caribbean beach—it's one of a kind.
6. Diptyque Tubereuse
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.
7. Maison Francis Kurkdjian À La Rose
Whether or not you're a rose fragrance lover doesn't really matter when it comes to this masterpiece of a candle—I'm yet to meet a soul who doesn't adore it. It is soft and light with a subtle sweetness that makes any space feel fresh and welcoming. Is it pricey? Yes. But you only have to take it out of the box to get a sense for just how powerful the throw is.
8. Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath
While this isn't the punchiest candle on the list, it is the ultimate burn for those who just like their home to smell fresh, clean and comforting, making it a particular stand out for this time of year. The best way I can describe it is like hovering your nose over a freshly-run bath, filled with decadent bubbles. It's light, skin-like and totally comforting.
9. Byredo Tree House
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). And you'd be mistaken if you thought this one will only work in the colder months—it's a perfect year-round option.
10. Jo Loves Log Fires
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. Le Labo Santal 26
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.
12. Cire Trudon Ernesto
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.
13. D.S. & Durga Dream Lychee
This candle from cult fragrance brand D.S. & Durga is everything a fruity candle should be—joy-inducing and uplifting. 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.
14. Loewe Honeysuckle
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.
15. Jo Malone London Wild Berry & Bramble
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.
16. Carrière Frères 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.
17. Assouline St. Tropez Soleil
If you thought Assouline's travel-themed coffee table books were the ultimate symbol of chicness, you clearly haven't met the brand's matching candles yet. Truly, is there any candle cooler than this?! (The answer is no.) While there are a few different scents on offer, it's St. Tropez Soleil that wins my heart—it is juicy and fruity, like overripe fruits hanging off branches in the middle of summer, but there is also a salty, woody freshness that envelops it all to keep things expensive-smelling and luxe. In my opinion, this candle is the ultimate gift.
18. Acqua di Parma Oud
Forget everything you think you know about oud and let this candle school you. Yes, it is woody, intense and has a truly unbeatable throw, but Acqua di Parma's take on the classic note is also unbelievably fresh. It smells like a hotel room when you have just stepped out of the shower and you still have suds on your skin.
19. Maison Crivelli Oud Maracujá
I often see people review candles and say 'you don't even need to light this one it smells so strong'. But as somebody who reviews candles for a living (it's a hard job but someone has to do it), I can safely say that phrase gets bandied around far too freely. For this candle, however, the shoe really does fit. The minute you put this candle on the side, the whole room fills with a sweet, fruity, deeply smoky aroma. You really don't need to keep it lit for any longer than an hour for your entire home to smell all day long. It is a feat.
20. Velvet Smoke Baked Kiss
When it is cold and gloomy outside and all you want is to feel the sun on your skin and have a piña colada in your hand, this is the candle you need. It smells like sun cream, warm sun rays and pure escapism. For when you want to feel like joys of summer, light up Baked Kiss and I promise it will tide you over until the sun shines again.
21. Rituals Cotton Blossom
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. This one 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.
22. Fornasetti Farfalle e Balaustra
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.
23. La Montaña Alfredo's Café
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'.
24. Verden D'Orangerie
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.
25. Earl of East Shinrin-Yoku
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.
26. Bella Freud Loving
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.
