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Smells like Christmas: The best festive scented candles to usher in the holiday season

By Megan Bedford

Smells like Christmas: The best festive scented candles to usher in the holiday season
Tis the season to be jolly…. and light deliciously-scented candles everywhere to further boost the mood. 

It’s a long favoured approach that more and more fragrance brands are getting on board with, creating limited edition scents and seasonal packaging alike to help us decorate and add to the mood-boosting ambience during the festive period. 

The only downside is that these gems usually go fast, flying off of shelves in order for us to indulge for a number of weeks before we arrive at December 25. 

So without further ado we invite you to get clicking – below are the best festive and fragrant candles for 2024.

Candle care tips:

  • Trim the wick to 5mm before burning to help prevent smoking, soot and extend the life of the candle and re-trim before re-lighting.
  • Always ensure the wax pool meets the edge of the vessel during the first burn. This sets the ‘burn memory’, helping the candle last longer and prevent tunnelling.
  • Keep candles away from draughts to prevent uneven burning, flickering, smoke and a faster burn.
  • Discontinue burning when you have 1cm of wax left to prevent excessive heat collecting in the base and risking the integrity of the vessel, risking potential shattering.
  • Use a wick trimmer or scissors, and ensure no trimmed wick debris is left in the wax to prevent flare-ups or uneven burning.

Glasshouse Fragrances holiday candle collection

Becoming known for its commitment to a stunning Christmas celebration, we say it every year, but this year’s Glasshouse Fragrances holiday collection is better than ever!

There are no less than seven limited-edition candles for the holidays in 2024.

Our fun favourite might just be the sweet peppermint Handful of Candy Canes scent, but Gingerbread House with its ginger, buttery, bourbon-spiked sweet ‘n’ spicy mix is delicious too. Under the Mistletoe smells of spiced apple and red berries while White Christmas delivers that classic cedar leaf, clove and pine combination and The Nutcracker is a fresh pine and Eucalyptus scent.

Don’t miss the special Night Before Christmas version inspired by plum puddings and sweet treats and the Christmas Morning candle, scented with blood orange and pine, too.

Diptyque holiday candles

Renown for their festive options, Diptyque’s holiday candles are guaranteed sellouts at MECCA each year and this year is likely to be no different so you’ll need to be quick! This year’s options come in bold coloured glass with a golden lid and a label hand-crafted in felt.  The warm woody pine of Sapin (Pine) is annually popular, Friandise (treat) has a spicy gingerbread vibe and Étoile (Star) candle fills the room with its floral, velvety notes meant to recall the night sky.

Nevé Almond Biscotti and Christmas Lily candles

New Zealand candle company Nevé regualrly brings a uniquely Kiwi twist to each year’s festive candle line up.  This year’s Almond Biscotti offering has notes of toasted almond intertwining a subtle whisper of creamy vanilla and maple syrup, finished with a touch of orange and clove. For a more floral offering, the Christmas Lily candle is a bright scent of creamy white lily with a soft, green base, and the classic pine scent gets a rework in Wild Pine + Juniper Berry.

Ecoya Holiday candles

Ecoya too, releases its Fresh Pine candle around this time each year for those of us that can’t abide a just-cut Christmas tree in our home thanks to allergies but still want to indulge in the globally-recognised-as-peak-Christmas scent.

For 2024 there’s also a unique Pear & Brandy Scent and the Kiwi brand always obliges those of us in the southern hemisphere with a more summery option too. This year it’s called Peachy – juicy peach, summer berries and tropical pineapple with hints of orange blossom and a touch of gardenia. Each of the Christmas releases comes in a brushed gold aluminium candle vessel.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian holiday candle collection

Covetable French fragrance house Maison Francis Kurkdjian returns to the holiday candle game with three wintery limited edition releases.

Mon Beau Sapin is a pine and woody scent that offers ‘an aromatic portrait of the traditional, mythic Christmas tree’, Baies des Forêts conveys warm spices and lightly fruited woods and Baies des Lunes celebrates mistletoe with musk and creamy woods.

Circa holiday candle collection

If the thought of cinnamon swirled through ginger, the heart-warming blend of baked apple and sugar, heightened by a dash of vanilla makes your mouth water, you’re not alone. Circa’s Gingerbread candle brings all these elements together for it’s festive offering.

If you want a chic and stylish yet festive scent, try the White Fig and Cedar, said to capture the essence of a Christmas wreath, while less traditional but equally uplifting is the Raspberry & Rhubarb candle. 

Ashley & Co Yulepine candle

Trust Ashley & Co to slightly elevate a pine candle with chic teal-tinted hand-blown glass and a considered blend of Siberian pine, sage, coriander, saffron and a touch of warming oud wood.

Jo Malone Orange Bitters and Pine & Eucalyptus candles

Last but not least, luxury fragrance brand Jo Malone London has long delighted in a holiday-related home scent or two… or three. The much-loved, annual-release of Orange Bitters cologne and candle and Pine & Eucalyptus candle are back, along with room spray and diffuser as well as the rich, smoky scent of the Roasted Chestnut candle. 

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