The idea of using a candle to infuse aroma into a space dates back as far as 500 BC to ancient early civilizations across the world, from Egypt and Rome, to China, India and Japan.
While generally associated with religious ceremonies and practices, these illuminations were designed to do far more than just provide light or heat - and their popularity has never wavered.
Scent is a powerful tool, it can be healing but also posseses associative properties that can trigger emotions, memories and ignite feelings of calm. Our mood and olfactories are inextricably linked. Depending on the elements that are called upon, the right combinations can create a relaxed atmosphere, set a sensual vibe or create a positive ambiance that can truly transform our day.
Highly regarded fragrance houses like Jo Malone, Le Labo and Diptyque infuse exquisite scents into luxury candles with fruity, floral or woody notes that send our senses into overdrive and set the scene for hosting duties.
As well as the scent that these olfactory delights provide, these are designer decorative details in their own right where nothing completes a room quite like a luxury candle sitting atop a mantlepiece, nestled into a bookshelf or sitting pride of place on your bedside table. The embellished exteriors are as mesmerising as the aromas themselves, paricularly when lit with the comforting flicker of fire.
See below for our favourite luxury candles that are perfect for gifting.
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Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Candle
One look at this beautiful side board statement centrepiece and you can tell it’s a luxury item. Too opulent to burn, it comes from Baccarat, the legendary French fine crystal manufacturer and was created to honour its 250th anniversary.
The diamond cut design offers an eye-catching effect if you do decide to light it, while also reflecting the flicker around the room to create a magical yet warming atmosphere. The candle itself is enriched with notes of blood orange, saffron and white oak moss. It offers a burning time of 45 hours - if you can bare to.
Buy now £480.00, Harrods
Cire Trudon Maduraï Candle
The oldest candle maker in the world, Cire Trudon – who has been making luxury candles since 1643 – offers the Maduraï aroma, which will be sure to stand out of your mantelpiece, both for its intoxicating scent and it’s chic aesthetic.
Offered in a luxurious hand blow vessel that has been embellished with the brand’s signature logo detail. The fresh fragrance uses relaxing aromas of Sambac Jasmine absolute with a head of ylang-ylang and bas of Benzoin Resin.
Composed of vegetable-based wax, it has a burn time of approximately 55-60 hours.
Buy now £95.00, Selfridges
Le Labo Classic Candle
Santal 26 is the signature scent from New York-born fragrance house Le Labo. So popular is the aroma that you will often catch a whiff of it as you stroll through the London underground but despite its ubiquity, it remains enduring in its appeal with its sensual smoky leather notes.
This is the candle variation of the eau de parfum and has been hand-poured in Mississippi into the domed vessel that will look aesthetically pleasing on a bookshelf or atop a fireplace. It has a burn time of up to 60 hours.
There’s an array of additional scents to choose from too, from the herbaceous and orange blossom Petit Grain 21, to Calone 17 that encapsulates a salty sea breeze. Figue 15, as you may expect, puts fig at the centre combined with a sweet blackberry blend and Palo Santo 14 is a spiced woody fragrance with notes of cedarwood, incense and patchouli.
Buy now £60.00, Cult Beauty
Astier de Villatte Atelier de Balthus Glass Scented Candle 260g
Also from our friends across the Channel, no trip to the French capital is complete without stopping by Astier de Villatte. The artisanal workshop on the iconic rue Saint Honoré is a treasure trove of vintage soft furnishings, specialising in ceramics and scented candles that are as striking as they are sumptuous.
Bring a touch of the signature Parisian sophistication to your home with one of the own-brand candles where the Atelier de Balthus makes a convincing case for scenting your home in line with the creativity and crafting atmosphere of Astier. The notes take inspiration from the painter’s studio - think wood pannels, brushes, paints and subtle touches of smoke, honey and tobacco. It’s powdery, woody and addictive.
Buy now £75.00, Liberty
Ginori 1735 x Luke Edward Hall Venice scented candle
If you are not one of Luke Edward Hall’s 232k followers on Instagram, you may not be familiar with the artist and designer’s signature style. He is renowned for his vibrant, maximalist aesthetic that takes a more is more approach to both his interiors and artwork.
This is a design style that goes hand in hand with Italian porcelain specialist Ginori 1735. The homeware label - owned by Gucci - takes its cues from its heritage with eye-catching crockery, candles and cups that capture the beauty of Milan and beyond.
Together, the two powerhouses have unveiled mantlepiece-worthy creations in juxtaposing patterns and even better aromas. The collection includes Rajastan, Marrakech, Big Sur, Cotswold and Venice-inspired boujes. The latter is pictured here and calls on bergamot, cedarwood and patchouli for its olfactory line-up.
Buy now £140.00, Matches
Diptyque Baies Scented Candle
French fragrance house Diptyque has some of the best candles on the market. When you can sniff out the aromas through the packaging, you know that this is going to a room-flooding scent - and on burning, it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, each of the fragrances in the candle collections will fill your home with their addictive notes.
The Baies is a cult favourite with a unique profile that’s instantly recognisable and unqiue to the brand. It combines the freshness of roses with the sweetness of blackcurrent leaves for a vibrant finish that is heady yet not overwhelming. The candle offers up to 60 hours of burn time and you only need to light it for a short bursts to set the scent of your space. Reuse the jar for cotton wool buds or pads to curate an Instagram-worthy shelfie.
Buy now £56.00, John Lewis
Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Home Candle
A perennial classic, Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir should need no introduction. A best selling scent from the luxury fragrance brand, it’s juicy, smoky, and the perfect scent for anyone with a taste for the finer things. One thing we can guarantee? The signature monochrome glass design will elevate any mantlepiece, bookshelf or bed side table in an instant.
Buy now £55.00, Jo Malone
Better World Fragrance House Good Thoughts Candle
Rapper Drake hasn’t gone down the traditional celebrity fragrance route. Instead of being able to spritz yourself with Take Care cologne, Hotline Bling eau de toilette or God’s Plan parfum, you can instead fill your home with his Better World Fragrance House venture.
There are five scents “based on five personal memories”, so your adobe can give you the feeling that you’re rubbing shoulders with the Toronto superstar. The Good Thoughts Candle, as you should be able to guess, is all about mood boosting. It is a fresh floral scent that sets jasmine and orange with cedarwood and was created in order to give a feeling of positivity.
Exterior wise, it’s not hugely obvious that this comes from Drake. His signature can be found subtly on the back of each candle in the same gold lettering as the name on the front but that’s it in terms of design on the pared-back blue vessel.
Buy now £60.00, Harrods
Prada Home Porcelain Orange Candle
Choosing just one of the Prada candles to add to your collection may just be the most difficult task you have to do today. The Italian fashion house’s beautifully decorated home range extends to the realms of scenting and this shouldn’t be a surprise, considering the huge success of its eau de parfum offering.
Each of the candles are set in a porcelain vessel but this Orange is embellished with a distinctive pattern that is said to be inspired by a 1904 design by Viennese architect Josef Hoffman. The aroma combines orange blossom absolute and neroli.
Honourable mention also goes to the lipstick-adorned porcelain candle, giving nostalgic feels to those who remember when the design was first debuted back in 2000.
Buy now £280.00, Harrods
D.S. & Durga Holy Ficus Candle
Born out of Brooklyn, New York, D.S. & Durga is the aromatic fragrance brand that has taken London by storm. The collection of vegan aromas are unlike any other scents on the market, calling on the husband and wife duo that founded the brand’s love of literature, art and music where each tells a story.
Holy Ficus is a transportive fragrance based on India’s Bodhi Tree, a sacred plant where, as the tale goes, Buddha was able to reach enlightenment. As such, the comforting, soothing and invigorating concocotion includes ginger, saffron, frankincense and cardamom to go alongside that all-important fig element. It’s fruity, yet spicy and entirely unique.
Buy now £60.00, Harvey Nichols
Byredo Summer Rain
There’s just something about summer rain that feels romantic, joyful and a far cry from the relenting downpours of the winter. Perhaps it’s the rain’s ability to break the humidity and offer a much-welcomed relief from record-breaking temperatures.
Byredo has transformed this feeling into candle form with its take on a rainy summers day. To achieve this olfactive experience, the fragrance house has called on notes of green fig and sparkling ginger, putting a sweet spice that will conjure up the whiff of raindrop-hit leaves and trees. For that reinvigorating feeling that a bout of rain provides, there’s tonka beans and sandalwood at the finish.
Buy now £64.00, Cult Beauty
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Candle
Maison Francis Kurkdjian created this aroma with French fine crystal label Maison Baccarat in 2014 for the latter’s 250th anniversary - and it has remained a bestseller ever since, beloved by those in the know. You will find the scent in fragrance form, as a candle and more recently as a body oil.
The home fragrance provides a potent diffusion of the floral, amber and woody notes. It is made up of saffron, amber and cedar to bring the cosy vibes to your living space. Settle in for a duvet day with a good book, a hearty meal and this beautiful aroma.
Buy now £90.00, Selfridges
Jo Loves A Home Candle Pomelo
Following her incredible success at her namesake fragrance house, Jo Malone CBE founded Jo Loves where each of the aromas takes inspiration from a special memory or moment in her life. Pomelo harks backs to summer holidays with an olfactory profile that references sandy beaches, linen sheets and ice water. That is all to say that this is an incredibly vibrant and fresh aroma with grapefruit as the named and main aroma.
Buy now £55.00, Cult Beauty
BONA Fide Les Parfaites Capucine Lacquered Candle
Set to stand pride of place in your bookshelf for years to come, this candle is a masterful decorative object that feels like a real shame to set alight. The objet d'art comes in an array of colourways where the brand takes an almost cake-like approach to their creation by dipping the moulding into cellulose-based lacquer for that high-shine finish.
Almost entirely spherical, it comes complete with a slightly flattened base so it won’t roll all over the place as well as a non-slip base so that if you do decide to burn the piece, it shouldn’t leave stains or pesky wax on your furniture.
Buy now £85.00, Harvey Nichols
Carrière Frères Tomato scented candle
Carrière Frères has a rich history that dates back to 1884 (from the same factory as Cire Trudon) and the house explores a fascination with botany, spotlighting exotic and household plants as the main scent and design on the vessel.
This is Tomato, not your average aroma but one whiff and you’ll see why it takes a starring role in this coveted candle. It provides a sweet element that feels like it’s bursting with fruity freshness.
Buy now £50.00, Selfridges
