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Smell has a way of transporting us to special memories and setting the tone for our mood — especially during the winter season. Some of the best holiday candles let us cozy up to the scent of cinnamon and spice, crisp pine trees or logs in the fireplace (to name a few nostalgic aromas) without trekking through the snow or baking up a storm.
Here, we’ve rounded up more than 10 festive candles to light up your mood for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and through the New Year. From spicy scents inspired by favorite songs to fragrances that nod to time-honored winter traditions, check out these candles from indie makers alongside Hollywood-loved brands such as Byredo, Diptyque, Boy Smells and more.
Diptyque Étincelles Limited-Edition Candle
Diptyque’s limited-edition Étincelles candle will fill your luxe abode with warm notes of woodfire, chocolate and coffee.
Diptyque Étincelles Limited-Edition Candle
FORVR Mood Apres Ski Holiday Mini Candle Gift Set
Can’t choose from FORVR’s lineup of Après Ski scents? Go with this four-votive gift set that includes the brand’s holiday fragrances: Holly Berry (blackcurrant, cranberry and holly leaves), Mallow Dramatic (cardamom, frothed milk an charred marshmallow accord), State of Pine (pine, fir balsam, vetiver and smoked woods notes) and Burr (orange blossom, oud assam and patchouli).
FORVR Mood Apres Ski Holiday Mini Candle Gift Set
Otherland Fallen Fir 3-Wick Candle
Cool New York candle brand Otherland’s Fallen Fir candle (balsam fir, musk and winter spice) comes in a large three-wick size that promises over 75 hours of burn time.
Otherland Fallen Fir 3-Wick Candle
Countdown to Hanukkah Candle Sest
Get ready for the Festival of Lights with this set of two candles that each burn for about 50 hours. The gelt candle smells like applesauce and the dreidel has a jelly doughnut scent; both have labels that can be colored in with the included blue and yellow pencils every day until the last day of Hanukkah.
Countdown to Hanukkah Candle Set (reg. $42)
Santa’s Naturals Mini Christmas Candles
From Murphy’s Naturals (the company behind our favorite mosquito-away incense) comes Santa’s Naturals, a line of festive candles inspired by the holidays. This bundle of three candle tins features scents such as Winter Berry, Frasier Fir and Snow Fall, and is among the best gifts under $50, too.
Santa’s Naturals Mini Christmas Candles Bundle
Voluspa Copper Clove Candle
Voluspa’s Copper Clove scent ($28) is one of the best holiday candles for anyone who wants to add warmth and luxury to their space without breaking the bank. It’s created with coconut wax and has subtle hints of clove spice, amber and autumn squash, a dreamy, warm blend perfect for cooler weather. The copper glass jar gives a warm glow and has a burn time of about 100 hours. Plus, you can use the jar as a vase for flowers or decor piece after you burn it up.
Buy: Voluspa Copper Clove Candle | Large Jar | 18 Oz | Embossed Glass with Matching Glass Lid | Fall Scent | All Natural Wicks and Coconut Wax for Clean Burning $28.00
Homesick Ski Trip Candle
Relive your snow adventures with Homesick’s Ski Trip candle, embodies that “feeling after a long day on the slopes,” thanks to warm amber, frosted air, cocoa, cinnamon, cedar, guaiac wood, vanilla and patchouli that brings to mind sipping hot cocoa by the fire.
Homesick Ski Trip Candle
Kwanzaa Personalized Farmhouse Candle Jar
Infused with the scent of fresh rain and sunshine, this personalizable Kwanzaa candle jar can be customized with up to two lines of text.
Kwanzaa Personalized Farmhouse Candle Jar (reg. $27)
The Little Market Apple Cider Candle
Spark joy with hand-poured candles from the Little Market, the globally-conscious online market co-founded by Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla. This apple cider-scented candle has a sweet and spicy scent, and each candle is created in small batches by women who are refugees resettling in the U.S. and helps support their future and their families.
For something a bit more personal, the company also offers candles with custom labels for Christmas, Hanukkah and other celebrations.
The Little Market Apple Cider Candle
L’Or de Seraphine Enchanted Forest Candle
Known for its statement-making ceramic vessels that can be used long after the candle inside burns out, L’Or de Seraphine’s Enchanted Forest candle brings a fresh and woody scent of white pine and cypress into your home or office.
L’Or de Serahine Enchanted Forest Candle
Nest Fragrances Holiday Scented Classic Candle
Contained in a stylish decorative glass vessel, Nest’s 8.1-oz. Holiday candle will fill you space with a warm and festive aroma of pomegranates, mandarin oranges, pine, cloves and cinammon with a whiff of amber and vanilla. Expect about 60 hours of burn time.
Nest Fragrances Holiday Scented Classic Candle
Anecdote Midnight Moonlight Candle
Witty candle brand Anecdote’s Midnight Moonlight scent “smells like celebratory toasts and wishfull thinking.” (In other words, enjoy the smell of plum, sandalwood, cabernet grape, violet, vanilla and musk.)
Anecdote Midnight Moonlight Candle
Boy Smells x Kacey Musgraves Slow Burn Candle
This Nordstrom-exclusive from cult candle favorite Boy Smells is inspired by the opening track “Slow Burn” from Kacey Musgraves’ fourth studio album, Star-Crossed. Put on the song and enjoy the burn of this romantic candle ($39), which is the perfect gift for Spacey Kacey fans and anyone obsessed with the candle brand’s “genderful” approach to fragrance. Made from a coconut and beeswax blend, it features a warm and spicy aroma inspired by the song’s message about embracing life in the slow lane. The brand also offers a holiday-specific set featuring three festive scents.
Boy Smells x Kacey Musgraves Slow Burn Candle
Byredo Tree House Candle
Drop into the holiday spirit and enliven your imagination with Byredo’s Tree House candle, a delightful leather-based scent inspired by childhood wonder and awe, just like days of climbing a treehouse and exploring nature. It combines natural spaces with hints of cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood and hay. The fragrance has added spice, myrrh and labdanum to help you channel peaceful days and enjoy what comes next in the new year. (Stars including Anne Hathaway, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kate Bosworth and Sienna Miller are fans of the cult-favorite brand.)
Byredo Tree House Candle
Diptyque Feu De Bois Candle
Here’s a yet another classic Diptyque holiday-ready scent. You don’t have to be John Mayer to appreciate the sexy, smoldering fireplace smell with the French fragrance brand’s top-selling Feu de Bois candle ($68). The soy-blend wax candle can burn up to 50 to 60 hours and is perfect for the winter months. The sophisticated fragrance feels familiar and calming. It’s crisp and comforting on those long days and nights.
Diptyque Feu De Bois Candle
Dehv Co. Cocoon Concrete Candle
Kourtney Kardashian has raved about L.A.-based Dehv Co.’s concrete-contained hand-poured candles, which come in cozy and sweet Cocoon fragrance of vanilla glaze, balsam, persimmon, white musk and magnolia. It burns for up to 55 hours and is made of non-GMO soy wax and a lead-free cotton wick.
Dehv Candle Co. Cocoon
$42
Via Maris Set of 45 Chanukah Candles
Hanukkah just ended, but you can continue the spirit of the season and uplifting decor is still ideal for the continued celebration and memories with friends and family. Via Maris’ set of 45 Chanukah candles ($33, reg. $55) is available at Nordstrom and is the ideal gift for celebrating all eight nights. They come in vibrant clay, soft cloud, relaxing sand and stunning midnight colors. These bright candles are also 40 percent off and help elevate your holiday decor or gift this season.
Via Marks Set of 45 Chanukah Candles
Better World Fragrance House Winter Warmth Candle
After launching Better World Fragrance House earlier this year, Drake’s very own brand is getting in on the merry scent game, too. The Winter Warmth candle boasts a fruity-meets-musky blend of apples, fresh mint, strawberry and balsam that calls to mind “taking a walk through the city streets.”
Better World Fragrance House Winter Warmth Candle