Our Favorite Warm and Woodsy Candles
Boy Smells Hinoki Fantôme Candle offers an earthy and elegant aroma. It combines cypress smoke with warm amber, sweet vanilla, florals, and fresh moss. The contrast of the white wax and wick with the glossy black glass vessel is appealing, but it shows fingerprints and has labels that may not be perfectly straight. It lacks a lid. The scent of the Boy Smells Polyamberous Candle is beautiful and eclectic.
Kishmish Kashmiri Chai Candle is a perfect blend of East and West. It has an energizing blend of anise and cardamom and a comforting base scent. However, it's only sold on the company's website, doesn't accept returns, and lacks sample sizes. The vessel is matte-black glass with a matching black wooden lid.
P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Soy Candle has a rich, complex aroma with notes of pine resin, moss, eucalyptus, and vanilla. It's a crowd-pleasing scent that's inoffensive and not overwhelming. The vessel is unfussy but has a flimsy label. It's widely sold online and in brick-and-mortar shops.
Paddywax Tobacco Flower Form Candle comes in an eye-catching ceramic vessel with a subtle, smoky-sweet scent. It has notes of orange, cinnamon, patchouli, clove, and sandalwood. The vessel is sturdy and stylish but has a sometimes uneven wax pour. Not all scents are available in sampler sizes.
Apotheke Charcoal Candle has an upscale look and a sophisticated scent that fills a room without being overpowering. It comes in a matte-black vessel made from black wax, but the label can't be removed, reducing its reusability.
Brooklyn Candle Studio Palo Santo Minimalist Candle has a potent fragrance that smells like burning palo santo. It's hand-poured in Brooklyn and reasonably priced, but the label is nearly impossible to remove.
Voluspa Baltic Amber Candle is incredibly fragrant and gives off a resiny, warm, inviting scent. It's available in a wide variety of sizes and has a long burn time, but the 18-ounce size has a single wick that may cause uneven burning.
Our Favorite Fresh and Floral Candles
Bath & Body Works Rose Water & Ivy Candle has a surprisingly realistic rose scent that's sweet but not treacly. It's budget-friendly and comes with a lid, but its offerings change frequently and the site can be confusing. Not all sizes come with lids.
Diptyque Roses Classic Candle has a delicate and powerful rose scent. It's expensive but available in discovery sizes and can be sniffed in person at many department stores. It lacks a lid, which would be nice at this price.
Otherland Daybed Candle has a strong rose presence with added peony and pear water for nuance. It's housed in a sturdy and colorful vessel but has a cardboard and plastic lid that's not very durable.
Target Project 62 Lavender + Eucalyptus Candle offers a soft, natural-smelling scent with lavender and eucalyptus. It's very reasonably priced but burns faster than most, has no lid, and may have quality control issues.
Our Favorite Sweet and Citrusy Candles
Mala the Brand Cereal Scented Soy Candle is a sophisticated interpretation of Froot Loops. It's available with either a wooden or cotton wick but has strict return policies and can sometimes tunnel. The wax is a coconut-soy blend and the vessel is a tiny paint can.
Peacesake Neroli and Musk Candle emits a dreamy blend of florals, citrus, and sandalwood. It comes in a thick, matte-black, recycled-glass vessel with a cork lid, but the lid can crumble and the candle is not widely sold.
Our Favorite Unique and Savory Scents
D.S. & Durga Pasta Water Candle has a strange but satisfying savory-and-salty smell. It's expensive and polarizing, with testers either loving or hating it. The wicks may be off-center and it doesn't come with a lid.
Flamingo Estate Roma Heirloom Tomato Candle has a fresh and green tomato scent. It's pricier than most and has a subtler scent. The logo is printed on and it doesn't come with a lid.
Smell House Juice Hoax Candle has a fruity, vegetative smell but the label can't be peeled off for reusing the jar. It's available directly from the site and doesn't come with a lid.
How We Picked and Tested
We gathered a panel of testers, including experts from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Institute for Art and Olfaction. We evaluated candles both lit and unlit, considering factors like scent, vessel appearance, and sustainability. We preferred candlemakers that are environmentally conscious.
How to Make Your Candles Burn More Evenly (and Last Longer)
Trim the wick to about ¼ inch before lighting. Burn the candle to the edges on the first use to give the wax "memory" and avoid tunneling. Even out tunneling with a vented tin-foil hat. Don't burn candles for more than 3-4 hours at a time and cover them when done to keep dust out and maintain the scent.
What About Wick Trimmers and Other Accessories?
Wick trimmers and dippers can help extinguish candles with less smoke. Wick trimmers keep the wick short for a better burn. Wick dippers dunk the wick into the melted wax to put out the flame. While not necessary, they can enhance your candle experience.
Other Scented Candles Worth Considering
Capri Blue Cactus Pineapple Flower Petite Jar has a strong, slightly artificial fragrance and a cobalt-blue glass vessel. The brushed-metal lid is loose but the vessel is suitable for repurposing. It costs $2.75 an ounce and has a burn time of 25 hours.
Capri Blue Volcano Petite Jar candle has a grapefruit-like scent and black and white versions that resemble igneous rock and volcanic ash. It's a family favorite but the wax melt tests show a burn time of 25 hours.
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day (Honeysuckle and Lemon Verbena) candles have synthetic and soapy scents that work in certain areas like the bathroom or kitchen. They come in utilitarian jars with metal lids and cost $1.40 per ounce with a burn time of 34 hours. The company has a 60-day return policy.
Threshold Leather + Embers Wooden Wick Candle and Threshold Coconut + Honey Wooden Wick Candle have well-balanced scents, are soy-based, and cost $1.30 an ounce. They have a calculated burn time of 57 hours each but have less attractive vessels and may be less durable. Target's 90-day return policy is an advantage.
Apothia Bronzed Candle has a strong orange flower scent with other notes and decorative features. It costs $6.60 per ounce, burns faster than pricier candles, but could make a great gift if you like the look and strong fragrance.
The Competition
Keap Lavender + Petals Candle smells good and uses recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. But buying most of its candles is difficult as you need to subscribe or wait for limited releases. Yankee Candle's Pink Sands and MidSummer's Night candles have powerful but often artificial and cloying scents. They cost about $1.70 per ounce, are more expensive than the Target Project 62 pick, and have website and customer support issues.
In conclusion, our guide presents a diverse range of great scented candles, each with its unique charm and characteristics. Whether you prefer warm and woodsy scents, fresh and floral aromas, sweet and citrusy blends, or unique and savory notes, there's a candle here for you. We've carefully selected and tested these candles to help you make an informed choice and enhance your home with the perfect fragrance. So, explore our recommendations and find the great scented candle that suits your taste and needs.
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