Scented candles are without a doubt the fastest way to give your home an interiors boost, thanks to their chic packaging and heavenly scents. We want to know the strongest scented candles that’ll fill our homes with fragrance the fastest, the best cheap candles for a guilt-free burn, the candles with the longest burn-time and the best calming candles to reduce out anxiety (spoiler: think NEOM). We’re candle connoisseurs, invested in finding the best smelling candles to elevate our home vibe. And one flame is no longer enough – nope, we’re “fragrance zoning” or “scent-scaping”. That is: dividing up our homes and days with different scents to suit our every mood.
It makes sense. These days, scented candles are hard-working multi-hyphenates and the ultimate home accessory. We’re using them as book-weights, shelf-decorations, mood-lifters and vibe-setters. We’ve popped them on our coffee tables, dining tables, bedside tables and desks. A great candle has a positive impact on more than one of our senses, boasting the potential to shift our moods entirely depending on the scent we choose. And we could all use a little at-home comfort in these troubling times, right?
How do I choose a scented candle?
This depends on what you’re trying to achieve – relaxation, stimulation, calm, etc. Essential oils have been used for generations as remedies for a range of mental and physical health issues. Lavender oil is said to reduce stress, rose oil eases tension, ylang ylang oil boosts emotional wellbeing and jasmine oil reduces symptoms of anxiety. Expert perfumers combine a mixture of these essential oils into one fragrance blend that can then be made into candles, diffusers, room sprays or perfume.
The fragrances we choose for our homes can be just as important and personal as our perfume choices. Certain aromas can trigger familiar senses in your memory – a scent you love personally, a fragrance your mum uses back home, or a perfume from an meaningful holiday, for instance – all of which can settle your mind, giving a physical sensation of the memory.
What is the best brand of scented candles? What are the strongest smelling candles?
There are so many candles to choose from, spanning across a wide range of preferences, scents and budgets. Take Lush’s new range of vegan candles, which use rapeseed wax, coconut oil, coconut wax, and castor wax and are available in three, heavenly scents – Orange Blossom, The Olive Branch and Sleepy.
For a budget burn, Aldi rightly holds the top spot. The layered minimalistic glass jars channel high-end scents at a fraction of the price and are a thrifty way to keep your home smelling luxurious. It’s worth noting, though, that the scent struggles to fill the room quite as well as higher end scents.
For the strongest scented candles, Jo Malone are incredible. You’ll be able to sniff them all the way from the front door and the scent choices are beautiful and unique. Similarly, The White Company’s candles easily fill a room with fragrance. Their winter scent – aptly named Winter – is a best-seller for a reason, while Wild Mint is lighter and fresher, and for holiday vibes, Seychelles cannot be beaten.
Rituals candles are another great choice – very reasonably priced, housed in sleek jars and formulated to last for hours’ worth of burn time. The Ritual of Happy Buddha is an uplifting zesty orange and cedarwood scent, while The Ritual of Jing is a tranquil floral concoction.
For cool new candle discoveries, newcomer, Boy Smells is quickly taking off. The gender binary scents are designed to appeal to all with quirky mash-ups of typically “feminine” or “masculine” notes. Cinderose blends rose and smoke, Les combines blackcurrant and peach with cardamom and white cedar.
What’s the difference between soy, beeswax and paraffin candles?
Beeswax and soy-based candles generally produce less pollution than paraffin candles, but they also tend to be more expensive.
Whether you’re looking for a gift from you to you, a best friend gift for the one that needs a pick-me-up or a gift for sisters, look no further.
After more home fragrance content? Head this way for summer candles, over here for the best reed diffuser, in this direction for essential oil diffusers and this way for room sprays. We’ve also got pillow sprays that’ll help you drift off in an instant.