May your Christmas be especially merry and bright this year, with our pick of the very best winter candles.
Lighting one of your favourite winter candles can be the perfect way to stay cosy on cold winter nights. There’s nothing quite as luxurious and giftable as a limited edition burner this time of year, and there’s a candle (or two) for everyone on our shortlist.
Including luxury brands such as Diptyque and Jo Malone London, and popular aromas like woody pines, spicy cinnamon and orange, or fire-like incense, these candles will lift your festive spirit.
Below, discover the best winter candles to bring maximum joy at this time of year, as recommended by the CF experts.
Diptyque's limited edition supersized winter candle for 2024 is the ultimate gift this year (for yourself, or very lucky friends and family!). Lighting the beautifully handcrafted burner is like escaping to a walk in a winter wood – the hard-to-forget but not overpowering aroma of freshly cut pine tree is fresh and festive in equal measure. No wonder so many Diptyque candles burn in the finest luxury hotels during the Christmas season.
Let the aroma of a classic Italian festive dish into your home this Christmas, with Acqua di Parma's moreish intrepretation of a freshly baked panetone. The warm and gourmand blend of citrus, vanilla and candied fruits is mouthwateringly good, and in the best news the candle has an impressive burn time so you can enjoy the experience for even longer.
Designed by the incredible perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, this delicate and woody scented candle is the perfect accessory for enveloping your home in a warm and cozy atmosphere (whether you have a fireplace or not). The soft and lingering aroma of firewood is lifted by florals and musks, so it avoids the sophoric heaviness of more incensed, smokey offerings too.
There's a reason Jo Malone London candles are the perfect gift during the festive period and beyond – the brand always manages to capture just the right emotions with its signature scents. This year's limited edition packaging is especially joyful (adding some colour to dark, wintry nights) and the scent of dark chocolate and orange peel will have you dreaming about Christmas indulgences from your childhood too.
A sell-out favourite every year, we recommend you race on down to the Space NK website to get your hands on this remarkedly affordable candle before it disappears again. The spicy blend of cinnamon, cedar and all spice has quite the cult following, but it's the packaging that really seals the deal; the glass is specifically designed to cast beautiful, shimmering reflections around your living room.
This three-wick candle smells just like a home-baked Christmas pudding, which is joy-inspiring enough on its own, but it also contains 10 stress-relieving essential oils to help you manage feelings of overwhelm during the festive season. No wonder Neom is a brand that beauty editors always trust for candles that not only smell great, but give you a mood boost when the weather is cold and dark.
If you love to host friends and family at this time of year (or need a gift for someone who is), look no further than Daylesford's Mistletoe Candle. A fresh and green interpretation of the festive plant, the lightness of the aroma makes it suitable for any home this winter (and beyond). Plus, the burner is beautifully illustrated by British artist Nina Fuga on fine white porcelain.
As heart-warming as a cosy cuddle on the sofa with a loved one, you'll want to light this candle every evening as soon as you get in from work. With a quiet ability to turn a lazy night in, into a really enjoyable festive experience, the freshness of green woods is lifted by a burst of sweet orange, clove and sandalwood. It's Christmassy but without being too obvious.
The perfect candle for lighting on Christmas morning, this festive favourite is Christmassy but still sophisticated, with a delicate yet long-lasting scent and a sweet-yet-subtle ski lift packaging design. Notes of fresh pine needles (the scent of choice for winter this year it seems) are given warmth by smokey incense and amber, and there's even a mood-boosting quality due to the calming aroma of lavender.
Rich and smokey aromas are so cossetting (and rightly popular) in the winter but they can threaten to overwhelm you in smaller homes and flats. That's exactly what D.S. & Durga's wintry candle has been designed to avoid, with a delightful blend of fir balsam and amber incense that's warming, and slightly ceremonial (like a trip to a church without the need to travel), but never overbearing.
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Lead image credit: Diptyque
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