I’m a Candle Collector & These Are the Ones I’m Gifting for the Holidays (2024)

Candles get unfairly thrown into the category of things you buy people if you don’t know them at all—but I’d argue the best candles for gifts are actually quite personal. After all, they’ll go on to scent the recipient’s entire living space which, in a sense, is an extension of their whole being. If you’ve found one they’re eager to burn when guests come over, I’d say you actually know them pretty well and you should go forth with confidently giving them a candle or two.

I’m serious about candles but I’m not serious about candles: I get as giddy about a kitschy launch from as I do a new luxury blend from Diptyque. I almost always have three candles going at once: a small-but-powerful one for the mudroom (where the cats' litter boxes live), a small-and-subtle one for my office, and a large one to fill my open-concept kitchen-living-dining room. I also have a full storage cabinet and half a coat closet filled with candle backups.

All that is to say: I’ve tested a lot of these things. If you’re ready to wow everyone on your list with a candle that feels highly personal, check out my picks for this season.

My Favorite Holiday Candles for Gifting

• Best Overall: Nest Holiday Candle, $87
• Best Splurge: Diptyque Friandise Candle, $84
• Best Under-$40 Candle: Maison Louis Marie Le Refuge d’Ernest Candle, $38
• Best Evergreen Scent: Bath & Body Works Tree Farm Candle, $27
• Best Holiday Spices Scent: Blueme Gold Cheer Candle, $80
• Best Fruity: Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Home Candle, $82
• Best Smoky: D.S. & Durga Before Common Encens Candle, $75
• Best Gift Set: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Trio Scented Candle Set, $145

Best Overall: Nest Holiday Candle

Why it's worth it: If my editor had told me I could only pick one candle to write about for our holiday gift guides, this is the one that would get that honor. Nest's Holiday Candle is, for me, the winter scent: Its notes of bright pine, juicy pomegranate and mandarin, and spicy cinnamon and cloves combine into what, for me, is the winter scent. The eight-ounce $50 version makes for a perfectly good gift, but springing for the 21-ounce three-wick version for $87 is worth it if you can swing it: It burns for 100 hours and the scent throw from just one hits every corner of my house.

What it smells like: spicy and bright

Best Splurge: Diptyque Friandise Candle

Why it's worth it: The Diptyque Friandise Candle is sweet but not sickly, spicy but not harsh. The warm scent feels even cozier thanks to the felt label on the limited edition vessel, a detail that comes courtesy of the brand’s holiday collab with textile artist Lucy Sparrow. Diptyque’s candles are on the splurgey side, but they come with a throw that makes them worth the price: I could smell this one all the way on the other side of my house (and up the stairs) while it burned.

What it smells like: citrus and spice

Best Under-$40 Candle: Maison Louis Marie Le Refuge d’Ernest Candle

Why it's worth it: Of the many mid-priced candle options out there, I think Maison Louis Marie’s are the most likely to trick people into thinking they’re much more expensive than they are. The brand’s Bois de Balincourt is one of my all-time favorite candles at any price point, but for the holidays I’m leaning toward its new launch, Le Refuge’Ernest. Ernest was Marie’s great-great-great grandfather, a scientist who built a cabin in the Alps; this candle is meant to smell like the fire a hiker might light once they got inside.

What it smells like: woody amber

Best Evergreen Scent: Bath & Body Works Tree Farm Candle

Why it's worth it: Despite the relatively low price point (often even lower thanks to Bath & Body Works's frequent sales), this pine-scented Tree Farm Candle punches well above its weight. It’s not good for a cheap candle; it’s just good. The scent is spot-on accurate, the throw is just as impressive as (if not better than) some of the pricier options here, and this year’s frosted green vessel for the long-time best seller is simple and elegant.

What it smells like: pure Christmas tree

Best Holiday Spice Scent: Blueme Gold Cheer Candle

Why it's worth it: Blueme’s striking candle vessels—take the Gold Cheer Candle, shown here, for example—make them perfect gifting material: The pedestal design looks like a minimalist sculpture. As a bonus, all of the candles are refillable, so your giftee can keep ordering new scents from the brand throughout the year—or, if you’re feeling extra nice, you can sign them up for the brand’s subscription service, so they automatically get a refill delivered every two to eight weeks.

What it smells like: fruit and spice

Best Unexpected-for-Holiday Candle Scent: The Maker Rose Room Candle

Why it's worth it: Roses might not seem like the obvious holiday scent, but they’re having an off-season moment this year. The star in The Maker's Rose Room is paired with amber and patchouli notes that round the scent out into something warm and vibrant. And I can’t get over The Maker’s scalloped candle vessels: They feel like they belong on the mantle at an enormous old mansion.

What it smells like: amber and rose

Best Gourmand: Glasshouse Festival of Lights Candle

Why it's worth it: Unless you’re certain your giftee has a strong sweet tooth (sweet…nose?) a gourmand candle can be a risk. But Glasshouse's Festival of Lights Candle—with its notes of cinnamon, apple cake, vanilla, and jasmine—is more subtly sweet than bakery-in-your-face. Every candle company claims you can reuse their vessels; since this one comes with a glass lid that fits snugly, I believe you actually might.

What it smells like: sugar and spice

Prettiest Candle Vessel: Oribe Desertland Candle

Why it's worth it: While there is pine in Oribe Desertland Candle's top notes, the wildflower-centric scent is decidedly season-agnostic. Sure, that fragrance is lovely, but the glass vessel—black with just a pop of green—is what really makes this gifting appropriate.

What it smells like: crisp and floral

More gifting-ready candles I love:

D.S. & Durga Before Common Ensens Candle

Why it's worth it: D.S. & Durga is the brand to browse if you’re shopping for a fragrance connoisseur who seems to have everything. All of the company's blends put new twists on classic notes, like this holiday release that mixes balsam with myrrh and saffron for a spicy, smoky result.

Smells like: old world spices

Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Home Candle

Why it's worth it: I'll quote my best friend after I'd given her several Jo Malone products here and say “Every Jo Malone scent is amazing.” You really can't go wrong with the any of the brand's candles as gifts—they all just smell fancy—but I'm partial to this woody citrus. The little orange bow on top means you don't even need to wrap it.

What it smells like: woody citrus

Voluspa Crushed Candy Cane Candle

Why it's worth it: This peppermint Crushed Candy Cane Candle from Voluspa provides a fresh twist on your typical holiday gourmand; it’s not an ultra-rich bakery-inspired scent, but still quite sweet. The red jar looks absolutely stunning once it’s all lit up.

What it smells like: minty and sweet

Vacation Royal Pine Deluxe Candle

Why it's worth it: I’ve never met a Vacation product with a scent I wasn’t obsessed with, and the brand’s new holiday candle is no exception. It blends notes of four (four!) different evergreens with “crisp mountain air” and tonka bean, which makes for a home fragrance that will trick your holiday guests into thinking you splurged for a real tree this year.

Smells like: pine, pine, and more pine

Le Labo Cyprès 21 Candle

Why it's worth it: The press release for Le Labo's Cyprés 21 says it evokes a cabin deep in the woods. I think it smells more like walking into the lobby of a fancy hotel near a ski resort; the type with a real roaring fireplace and freshly cut pine trees. Whichever of those situations your giftee would rather be in, I’m certain they’ll love this candle.

What it smells like: evergreens and spices

Le Prunier Harvest Smoke Candle

Why it's worth it: You’ve heard of sugar plums, but what about smoky plums? The latter doesn't actually exist…except in the scent of Le Prunier's Harvest Smoke Candle, which manages to make a fruity fragrance decidedly hibernal. It’s sweet and juicy but balanced out with cozy notes like cedarwood and orris.

What it smells like: smoky fruit

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Trio Scented Candle Set

Why it's worth it: For your fanciest friend, this set of candles from the makers of Baccarat Rouge 540 will certainly hit the spot. All three scents lean woody and herbaceous; a trio of olfactory strolls through different types of snow-covered forests.

Carrière Frères Cedar Candle

Why it's worth it: For those who find balsam a bit…overdone for the holidays (couldn’t be me), perhaps a different type of evergreen will do the trick. The scent of Carrière Frères' Cedar Candle is a bit sharper than the sweet pine you might be used to, which I think makes it a more subtle option for scenting the home.

What it smells like: dry and woody

P.F. Candle Co. No. 14 Campfire Candle

Why it's worth it: For the holidays, P.F. Candle Co. dove into the archives to resurrect five previously retired fan-favorite scents and plop them into pretty green jars. I’m partial to Campfire (last released in 2021), which lives up to its name with astounding accuracy.

What it smells like: smoky and sweet

Malin + Goetz Malin + Goetz Candles by Design

Why it's worth it: A build-your-own set gives you, the gifter, several great options: You can handpick four candles you think your recipient will adore, split the set among friends with different vibes, or keep a couple for yourself. For the Malin + Goetz version, you can pick from 10 of the brand’s most popular scents, including the Best of Beauty-winning Strawberry candle. If you’re not sure which to pick, it also offers a pre-built Scent Mood Votive Set.

Cozy Earth Gather Candle

Why it's worth it: The internet’s favorite loungewear brand has expanded its cozy offerings by getting into candles. I love the vessel that Gather comes in: The simple ceramic silhouette makes it blend easily into any home decor aesthetic, but the red feels more special than your standard stone neutrals.

Smells like: warm and spicy

Phlur Vanilla Smoke

Why it's worth it: Anyone who’s spent any time on FragranceTok knows Phlur is a huge player in the musky gourmand space—and that extends beyond body sprays. The Vanilla Smoke candle is a cozy, rich scent that’s perfect for lighting on cold winter nights.

Smells like: woody vanilla

Mrs. Meyer's Basil Candle

Why it's worth it: Mrs. Meyer’s makes some of the best-smelling cleaning products out there; the candles give your house that same fresh scent without the need for any elbow grease. Plus, at less than $15 a pop, you can gift one for every room. I’m partial to the savory basil scent, but the brand sells seasonal options like pine and fresh snow.

Smells like: fresh-picked basil

Trudon Gabriel Gourmand Chimney Fire Madeline Taper Candles

Why it's worth it: A nice set of tapered candles is undeniably elegant, especially around the holidays. These smell like a slightly sweet wood fire, which I think is more neutral than a savory gourmand, making them a great option for the dining room table.

Smells like: fancy firewood

Homecourt Balsam Fireplace Candle

Why it's worth it: Homecourt Balsam Fireplace is the Goldilocks principle of holiday candles: It has a mid-range price, a stylish-but-classic vessel, and a crowd-pleasing scent that blends pine with eucalyptus and amber.

Smells like: pine trees at the spa

Fablerune Monthly Candle Subscription

Why it's worth it: Fablerune is a small, women-owned company that makes skin care, body care, and, of course, great candles. On the latter front, the scents are unique crowd-pleasers: Think bergamot and black pepper, indica and ambrette, or salted grapefruit. For a gift that keeps on giving, sign your pal up for Fablerune’s monthly candle subscription. They’ll get a new, seasonal candle every month until you cancel.

More gifting picks from Allure editors:

• These Beauty Advent Calendars Are the Gifts That Keep on Giving
• 42 Gift Ideas for the Person Who Insists They Don't Need a Thing
• Allure's Guide to the Very Best Beauty Gifts of 2024

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