8 Holiday Candles To Fill Your Home With Festive Fragrance

Personally, I’m a candle girly year-round, but there’s something about Christmas scents that just hits different. When the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. one of the only conciliations is creating a cozy room with candlelight and delicious smells. These are eight of my favourite holiday candles you’ll want to savour this season. —Alexandra Turner

Cavill & Wicks – Holiday Collection

Vancouver-based luxury candle company Cavill & Wicks make non-toxic eco-friendly candles, and they just released a whole collection of Christmas scents. The slow-burning coconut wax candles with a cotton wick throw heavenly holiday smells across the room and are meant to be hypoallergenic so they don’t irritate pets.

Cashmere Pine and Scotch is reminiscent of an evening winter walk through the forest with a hint of smokey wood burning. Coastal Christmas combines salt, citrus, and eucalyptus with douglas fir for a west coast holiday scent. Crimson Apple & Oak is for those who prefer tart and and spicy scents whereas Grapefruit & Pine is a fresh uplifting candle.  My personal favourite is spiced Tobacco & Vanilla with creamy tonka bean, vanilla, cocoa, wood sap, cinnamon, clove and sweet tobacco leaf.

Jo Malone – Limited Edition Gingerbread Land holiday collection, Orange bitters

Few companies can create scents the way Jo Malone can and while I support those who don’t wait for special occasions to indulge in small luxuries, these candles are meant to be savoured. Skewing on the more sophisticated side of holiday scents, The Gingerbread Land Home Candle holiday collection features three stunning festive vessels with candy cane stripe details.

The scents are Roasted Chestnut, Frosted Cherry & Clove, and Pomegranate Noir though for a standalone Christmas scent you also can’t go wrong with their Orange Bitters candle which also comes in a cologne and would make a great gift.

Roam – Holiday scents

Local Vancouver brand Roam makes small batch hand-poured coconut-apricot wax candles with crackling wood wicks. The scents are inspired by travel and the Christmas candle collection this year will transport you to a snowy cabin in the mountains. O Christmas Tree and ‘Twas the Night Before are two sides of the Christmas coin. The first is an alpine scent with notes of fir, cedarwood, bayberry and citrus and the second is a warming boozy candle with a blend of spiced rum and buttery roasted chestnuts and a hint of caramel.

Mala the Brand – Mistletoe, Candy Can, Mint Cocoa 

Local favourite Mala the Brand has introduced three new delicious holiday candles this year. Mistletoe is a unique take on a pine-forward winter scent by combining it with spiced berries and top notes of holly and hints of cinnamon and clove.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without candy canes and hot chocolate, and these candles melts down the sweet treats. Candy Cane is a cool peppermint scent with a creamy vanilla finish and the Mala Mint Cocoa candle also has a refreshing peppermint twist but with rich chocolate and warm vanilla to make it a sweeter and more mellower scent.

Boy Smells – Holiday collection

Boy Smells started as a small genderless candle company out of LA before becoming a viral sensation and the chosen candle company of IT Girls everywhere. This year’s holiday trio of scents features a new woody botanical candle Spiritus with notes of ginger, saffron, coffee, balsam, patchouli, and vetiver. Broken Rosary the floral and mossy rose, cedar, and cardamom candle makes its return along with the spicy Incensorial that has notes of orange, ginger, incense, nutmeg, and sandalwood. The trio of votives makes for a great gift.

Diptyque – Sapin, Délice, Coton, Ambre

Diptyque has been a go-to for Christmas candles for years. The Sapin pine, resin, and cedar candle is a yearly staple in many households but there are other classics in this collection too. Délice has the comforting smell of dried fruit and vanilla, while Coton rounds out the trio with a powdery mix of tonka bean, iris, and musk. Ambre isn’t part of this year’s holiday collection but can be purchased as a standalone for those who prefer spicier scents with wood, vetiver, patchouli, anise, and incense.

Maison Francis Kurkdijan – Mon Beau Sapin, Rose de Neiges, Jasmine d’hiver

Every year Maison Francis Kurkdijan, the French perfumer behind iconic scents like Baccarat Rouge 540, releases limited edition holiday candles that fill the room with a resinous take on Christmas. Mon Beau Sapin smells like a Christmas tree deep in a snowy forest, Rose des Neiges is a fresh, tangy, gourmand scent with raspberry and rose, while Jasmin d’hiver has notes of jasmine and mango. Mon Beau Sapin is the signature scent of the holidays at my house.

Dans un Jardin – Sapin, Biscuits, Flocon

Dans un Jardin is a Canadian company based in Quebec specializing in self-care and wellness products. As part of its extensive candle collection three scents are a great addition to your holiday collection. Sapin is self-explanatory and similar to many other entrants on this list, however biscuits stands out with top notes of butter, orange, and maple syrup, plus middle and base notes of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, caramel, ginger, and vanilla–its gingerbread in a jar. Finally, Flocon or snowflake is a winter blend of black currant, elderflower and lychee finished with lemon zest and black currant for a fresh yet festive scent.