Article Line Long1
Christmas

The Best Candles To Gift This Season (And A Passionate Argument For Gifting Candles)

I’m about to drop a hot take, and I need you all to stay with me. Candles ARE NOT A BORING GIFT. I get it, they get a bad rap for being the easy-out hostess gift. And sure, not everyone enjoys a scented candle. But these wax wonders can be complex, elevated, and intense. They can transform the way you feel in a space. The first thing I do in the mornings (when I don’t wake up too late and have to fly out the door) is light a candle in the bathroom and a candle or stick of incense in the living room. It’s a form of meditation for me, and I just really enjoy the warmth a candle gives a room. And you can bet there is always a candle lit in my office here at work. Plus, I’m an olfactory obsessee, if it smells good I want it. Candles, soaps, incense, perfume, GIMME. And I’m here to (hopefully) change your perspective on candle giving this season.

Over the years, I’ve bought and burned many a candle, some have topped the list and others were forgettable. Remember, not all candles have to smell like cloying sugar cookie dough or detergent. There are a lot of really cool makers out there producing really interesting scents in truly beautiful containers. Not only are these guaranteed to smell amazing, but they’re also gonna look great sitting on a desk, nightstand, or credenza. HAVE I PROVEN MY LOVE FOR CANDLES YET? They can get to be pricey, but there’re also a lot of great budget options out there (perfect for a co-worker, or white elephant gift). So without further ado, here’s a list of my 16 favorite candles across all price points.

Emily Henderson Best Candles 4

1. Hearth & Hand – Sugared Birch: This candle smells like a fresh snowy forest, on a brisk winter day. It’s clean and surprisingly refined for a $5 candle. I’ve been keeping this tiny candle on a little tray in my bathroom for the past few weeks. It’s minimal, small, but throws a great scent.

2. Mrs. Meyers – Lemon Verbena: I once interned at a very well-known production company for a year and this was the signature scent for the entire building. It was the dish soap, hand soap, and the candles burning in the waiting room and every bathroom. So whenever I get a whiff of this, it takes me way back. But it’s a very nice scent, and I had a great time interning so all good memories. No one would be disappointed to have this burning on their desk (or in their home).

3. Voluspa – French Cade & Lavender: This isn’t actually a candle I’ve burned myself, but it’s Arlyn’s absolute non-seasonal favorite. Here’s what she has to say: “It has a crisp clean floral, and throws scent INCREDIBLY well (a little guy can fill a room with a soft scent that isn’t suffocating). If I burn this candle with guests around, they no-fail ask me what it is, plus it also mixes really well with other scents if I light numerous candles. I like to burn it with Capri Blue Volcano (Anthropologie’s signature scent). Anthropologie actually tends to burn both of these together as well, which gives you that ‘I never want to leave this place, I’m moving in’ feeling.”

4. Opalhouse – Juniper & Red Ginger: This little candle is perfect for stocking stuffing, gift bags, or multiple co-worker gifts. It packs a great punch for its size in both the smell and burn time departments. Juniper & Red Ginger is my favorite holiday-themed scent, without being overwhelmingly HOLIDAY. It’s warm, spicy, and very cozy. This scent also comes in a pretty glass version, if you want to up the glam factor for a few dollars.

5. Hearth & Hand – Cardamom & Vetiver: When I first sniffed this candle straight from the jar, I didn’t get much, but as soon as it started burning, the scent comes through. This is currently the candle burning in the office Arlyn and I share (there’s always at least one thing burning in there). It’s a warm, subtle scent that’s not overpowering but just whimsical enough that it’s perfect for a cozy winter night or a relaxing summer afternoon. Cardamom has a slightly floral scent while vetiver brings a sharper green scent that balances the sweeter tones of the cardamom really well. Plus the pretty label and brown jar make it easy to style in any home.

Emily Henderson Best Candles 3

1. Rx Candle – White Sandalwood: I love a local candle maker, and Rx Candles checks that box along with making beautifully scented candles at a great price. White Sandalwood smells to me like a sweet incense and vanilla, minus the smoke. It almost has a nostalgic smell for me, like a perfume my mom might have bought me as a kid that was scented like gummy bears…but elevated and more complex. It’s a weird way to describe it, but it’s the description I keep going back to. IN A GOOD WAY. I burn this candle all the time, and I have the room spray, too.

2. P.F. Candle Co. – Patchouli Sweetgrass: I’m going to hit on two P.F. Candle Co. scents in this post, but they have SO MANY GOOD ONES. I haven’t really come across a P.F. Candle Co. candle I didn’t like. They come in their iconic brown jar container and are sold all over. So many small boutique shops here in LA stock them, and they come in various sizes to hit different price points. Recently one of my favorite scents has been Patchouli Sweetgrass. It’s an earthy, light, and natural smelling candle. This is actually a fairly neutral scent, so if you’re thinking of getting a candle for someone who might be strong-scent adverse, this is a nice option. The closest thing I can compare it to is hay (in a very GOOD way), and it makes me think of warm summer days.

3. P.F. Candle Co. – Night-Blooming Jasmine: Another favorite P.F. Candle Co. scent is their Night-Blooming Jasmine. While Patchouli Sweetgrass has me thinking about warm summer days, Night-Blooming Jasmine makes me think of warm summer nights. With it’s heady, deep floral scent, this is a moody candle. But unlike Patchouli Sweetgrass, Night-Blooming Jasmine comes in a beautiful terra-cotta jar perfect for a casual California home.

4. Thymes – Frasier Fir: If you’re looking for the perfect holiday candle, THIS is the one. There are a lot of “Frasier Fir” candles out there this time of year, but for me, none have compared to Thyme’s timeless scent. Brady had this burning in his apartment one year while we shot Christmas content. He’s always burning a good candle, but this one really got my attention. It’s fresh and the perfect replica of a woodsy Christmas tree covered in crisp snow, without being overpowering. Hot Tip: Get the white wax version, I’ve found that the colored wax versions don’t throw the scent as well.

Emily Henderson Best Candles 2

Emily Henderson Best Candles 1

1. Spitfire Girl Goddess Candle – Cassiopeia: This might be the prettiest candle in the bunch, and I’ll gladly display this on my shelf any day. It’s from a collection of candles from Spitfire Girl all based on constellations. This one is based on the vain queen Cassiopeia, and has very royal notes of mandarin zest, bergamot, and vanilla. If anyone wants to get me another one, I’m happy to send you my address.

2. Otherland – Chandelier: Sophisticated and clean are the two words I would use to describe this candle. Saffron, champagne, and leather are the three notes here and they make this candle smell much more expensive than it is (though sure, it’s pricey). If someone’s coming over and I want to impress them, this is what I’m burning. They’ve just dropped a new line of holiday scents that I’m DYING to get my hands on (especially Silk Pajamas, Sacred Dusk, and Black Velvet)

3. Maison Louis – Neige de Printemps: The candle for the minimalist in your life. Everything from the beautifully designed type on the box to the clean and complex scent of citrus it has wafting through the air. It almost smells like the green part of a citrus tree. I also want to throw out an honorable mention for their spicy scent Aboukir, which almost took the spot on this list.

4. PLTNC – Forest Floor: This candle is made by a friend of Mac’s and we buy one every December to slowly burn throughout the year. It’s scent is mossy and dark, and comes in a very cool minimal jar (which is 100% guy approved by Mac). This is premium lifestyle-mafia-gift material, here. And I know for a fact that this candle is poured with love by a very cool dude who is probably the president of his local lifestyle mafia chapter.

5. D.S. & Durgas – Concrete After Lightning: Described as “Electric crackle, downpour, panic grass, sizzling asphalt steam. Respite on muggy summer days.” And THAT was intriguing, so I, of course, had to have it. I’m not sure if I get “panic grass” but I do love a high concept candle. It smells like what I would want a cologne to smell like if I made colognes, and the more I sniff it the more I think it does smell like wet concrete. The design and presentation get an A+ as well. Side note, their perfume “Cowboy Grass” is a favorite and I’m happily accepting donations of it to last me through the year.

Emily Henderson Best Candles

The Best Budget Candle: Threshold – Coconut & Honey Crackling Wick

I was NOT expecting to enjoy this candle as much as I did. I picked it up at Target one night on a whim and haven’t looked back since. (I’ll admit, I really don’t ever leave Target without at least ONE candle, and I don’t think it’s a problem). This unassuming brown jar candle has a wood wick, which I feel really slows the burning time making your candle last longer. This isn’t proven science, just something I’ve observed. That wood wick also creates an amazing flicker and every now and then you get a great crackling wood sound effect. Best of all, these candles really throw. They quickly fill a room with their scent and warm burning wood vibe. There are several scents in this line, but my favorite so far has been Coconut & Honey. I don’t want to be gender assuming here, BUT I could easily see this non-decorative candle sitting happily in any dude’s space. Guys like their spaces to smell good too, right?

The Overall Favorite: Tatine – Garden Mint

But the spot for absolute favorite candle goes to Tatine’s “Garden Mint.” It’s herby, dark, mysterious, and extremely sensual. Once upon a time, I was shooting a home where the owner was burning this beautiful candle and I found a store that carried it THAT DAY and picked one up before heading home. I haven’t smelled anything like it since. I literally have my nose in this candle right now, as I try and decide how to best describe its complex notes. It’s certainly herby, but not floral. It’s minty, but not like a pack of gum. It’s like mint mixed with soil wet from a summer rain, and old bookstore on a crisp overcast fall day, AND I JUST WANT TO BURN THIS CANDLE ALL THE TIME. Plus it has the one characteristic that I think truly defines a good candle – you don’t have to be burning it for the scent to reach your nose. In fact, often just by setting out this candle, it does a great job of scenting the room without a match in sight (saving you some serious cash). For $40 you are getting a high quality, long-lasting, and beautifully crafted candle.

So, there it is. My magnum opus to candles, and why people shouldn’t be so bored of gifting them (or receiving them, you grinch). And if you’ve never been a candle person before, and you have a collection of gifted yet unused candles just…try it out. Really.

But before I leave you…a few last-minute tips: If you really want to round out a candle gift, try adding a set of cute matches, a ceramic match holder, or a wick trimmer along with your candle. What are wick trimmers and why are they important? Well, their name is pretty self-explanatory: they trim a candle’s wick. But their shape allows you to get into a deep candle jar to trim a wick in way that scissors can’t. And you should be trimming your candle wicks before lighting each and every time (even when they’re brand new). A short wick means a smaller flame, which distributes heat more evenly and prevents tunneling. Thus extending the life of your candle.

This year, give the gift of scent! It’s not weird or boring, I promise.

***photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

0 0 votes
Article Rating

WANT MORE OF WHERE THAT CAME FROM?

Never miss a single post and get a little something extra on Saturdays.

37 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Emma
4 years ago

I am all about giving candles and I am thankful that y’all included the sub-$10 category as well!

Virginia
4 years ago

You make a very compelling case for candles, but I’m a hippie about air quality and scent safety! (Especially with a young baby—some fragrance chemicals are known endocrine system disruptors.) I’d love to know which of these are natural waxes (plant based, beeswax) and which have natural essential oils for their scents. M

Christina
4 years ago
Reply to  Virginia

This is important to me too. I used to buy all the candles ever, but now i stick with 100% pure beeswax (I’ve recently learned that a company has permission to include “beeswax” as the only ingredient as long as it has 51% beeswax so it has to actually say the percentage), or I also like coconut wax. Skipping the soy, Palm, and definitely the paraffin, so low on options. Made my own here bc I was so desperate https://www.houseofroyals.com/shop/pure-heart-alabaster-payer-candle/

Shannon
4 years ago
Reply to  Virginia

You should look into Sawdust & Embers! They are my all-time favorite. They are environmentally friendly, last FOREVER, and have some of the most unique scents. Plus, all their scents my husband and I can agree on because he is weird about scents and a lot of candles/perfumes/body washes can give him headaches. We have ZERO problem with them.

Jamie
4 years ago

Do you happen to have the link to that Barcelona book?

j
4 years ago

I was recently gifted an adirondack mist candle from this company and IT’S MY FAVORITE THING. (I have historically been unimpressed by candles in general.) https://bluebirdcandle.com/post.php?pid=2

Ana
4 years ago

YES! I love candles and love gifting them. Super excited to see Tatine on this list!

Melanie
4 years ago

I totally clicked on your overall favorite to order it and it’s unavailable! Do you know any retailers that carry Tartine? Thanks!

Lori
4 years ago

I want to put in a vote for P.F. Candle Co’s Pinon scented candle! It smells like New Mexico in the fall to me and I love love love love love it. I also have Pinon in the unisex perfume and it smells so warm and crisp and fabulous.

Lisa
4 years ago
Reply to  Lori

And I want to chime in for P.F. Candles Teakwood and Tobacco candle? I LOVE IT. So warm and earthy and a tiny bit tangy.

Deborah
4 years ago

It’s important to know if your recipient would actually like candles — don’t just treat them as a generic gift that everyone must love. My mom has scent sensitivities that, when they flare up, can make her physically ill if she gets near someone who is wearing too much perfume. My husband is on the autism spectrum, and he’s sensitive to smells in another way — everything just seems extremely amped up to him, and it’s distracting to the point of being distressing. So for either of them, I’d steer clear of anything scented. And often people have these sorts of sensitivities and don’t necessarily advertise them widely, so really just don’t give candles to someone unless you know it’d be OK with them.

Nat
4 years ago
Reply to  Deborah

Well, if we want to be absolutely, perfectly all-including there are no gifts which would be liked by anyone and everyone! In the end, it’s the intention and gesture that matters. Gifting can be hard, even for the people most close to you.
So – yes, it can happen that you give a candle to a person sensitive to scents, BUT it’s not all that serious, they will thank you and not use it. It is not offending or dangerous.

Loveley of honeymoonvintage.com
4 years ago
Reply to  Deborah

I actually came here to comment about this. I have scent and chemical sensitivities (developed in the last couple years, wtf, thanks body. sigh.) and ANYthing scented makes me instantly feel sick and like i can’t breathe. i used to think this was b.s. before it happened to me, but it totally SUCKS. so, yeah, know your audience when gift giving. but you may not know if someone has an issue. if i was gifted anything scented, i would say thank you of course, but it would be immediately regifted or given away.

Jessie
4 years ago
Reply to  Deborah

I’ve occasionally thought about putting a candle in my office at work, and I have a couple of coworkers that have them, because I find them to be so calming and comforting, which would be really nice during stressful times and long hours at work. However, in an office with over 50 people on the same floor, I worry that there really could be someone sensitive to the scent and I wouldn’t want to interrupt their productivity. Maybe if I got one that smelled nice even when not lit, so that it would be a more muted scent?

Carissa
4 years ago

My favorite candle is Magnolia Market’s signature candle in No. 1 Linen. It is a really clean, citrusy scent but rounded out with cozy amber and musk. Even my husband loves it and wanted me to buy more. It also has a wood wick and I just love the crackling sound it makes. It’s a candle I keep on my nightstand and can smell even if I don’t burn it.

Erin
4 years ago

I was recently in Austin and while walking through the lobby of the South Congress Hotel stopped dead in my tracks because it smelled SO GOOD in there. I asked the front desk “why does it smell so good in here?” They have a hotel candle (as one does), was the answer. “It’s for sale in the gift shop” she was nice enough to tell me. I tried to remind myself to pick one up, but alas, did not. I went online to buy it and it was $50! As fiscally conservative I am, I may still buy it…it was that good.

Francisca Paiva
4 years ago

Castelbel Porto make lovely candles and palm free scented soaps!

Sarah
4 years ago

If anyone’s looking for a scentless candle for themselves or another person, the 3-wick beeswax candle
from Trader Joe’s gives the prettiest glow and comes so cutely packaged (just covered and wrapped with twine, so minimal waste). And I think it was like $7!

Loveley of honeymoonvintage.com
4 years ago
Reply to  Sarah

thank you for this! yay for scentless and beeswax (for those of us with scent and chemical sensitivities)

Michael Mulloy
4 years ago

It’s always a yankee candle for me 100%

Paige Cassandra Flamm
4 years ago

We are huge fans of Mrs Meyers in our house!

Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com

Becca
4 years ago

I always trim a wick the first time, but had no clue you’re supposed to trim it EVERY time! Now wick trimmers make sense to me…who knew there were specific guidelines to keep our candles in perfect burning order?! And is tunneling when a candle has un-melted wax around the edges? I though that was from not burning the candle long enough on the first burn? ?‍♀️ I could be wrong! I’ve been candleing wrong my whole life! Also I think the SNL Christmas candle needs a shout-out here!?

Tom banner
4 years ago

I mark this Post for future reference, It’s a very valuable Knowledge for us. https://i-nortonsetup.com

MMiga
4 years ago

Thanks for the idea of ​​your candles, it helped me a lot. Can we have each other’s email to exchange?
https://hotmailloginprocess.xyz

Amy
4 years ago

Thanks for the round-up, Sara! FYI, another good reason to trim the wick is to cut down on the amount of soot the candle emits, which can end up collecting in black streaks on your walls if there’s a lot of it.

Meredith
4 years ago

Do people not know about Tyler Candles? I’m always shocked when I don’t see them on anyone’s candle lists because they are AMAZING. Check ’em out.

Kristina
4 years ago

I adore Kinfolk of Mine – stumbled across Raised by Wolves at my favorite bookstore in NYC and have recently purchased a bunch of their scents to give as gifts (they have small 4oz candles for $11!). It’s a small business in Austin, which I love supporting, but mostly I love the way their candles smell!

Deb
4 years ago

Weird question but…Who is the author of that Barcelona Book in the first photo? Tried googling it, but I can’t find it anywhere. 🙂

kate
4 years ago

Can’t help but share… recently discovered this incredible candle company out of TX – one of a kind vintage vessels, hand poured & AMAZING scents! https://oldflamecandleco.com/collections/all-candles … I’ve already bought three and can’t get enough!!

Kim
4 years ago

I love these candles, but I need that Marc Chagall print. Source?

Christina
4 years ago

Thank you for the candle round up! I have one more for you. It’s made of raw white alabaster with a hand poured 100% beeswax insert from an organic beeswax farm in California, so the candle part actually purifies the air and the exterior is reusable over and over without having to clean it up. In the shadowy light and darkness, it glows bc it’s alabaster!!! https://www.houseofroyals.com/shop/pure-heart-alabaster-payer-candle/

Cristi
4 years ago

Candles are everything!!!! Check out http://www.berwynstcandles.com for handmade 100% soy wax, recycled glass vessels, super simple packaging and so yummy smelling

Annie Ender
4 years ago

Another consideration and one of my favorite holiday fragrances, Nouvelle Magi and Luminaria.