Cozy Up With the 17 Best Fall Candles and Live Your Best Homebody Life
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From pumpkin to patchouli with a dash of smoky, sweet or spicy warmth, these are the candles we wait all year to burn.
InStyle / Reese Herrington
When fall is in the air, nothing enhances the vibe like a freshly-lit candle. And if we’re being honest, we wait all year long to burn these seasonal gems. It’s the time of year where we unabashedly embrace full-on autumnal vibes by lighting up a candle that explodes with all the best seasonal notes, from apple spice to verdant evergreens and smoky, crackling fireplaces.
After all, cooler weather calls for coziness, and fall candles evoke a snug, homey feeling—hygge, if you will—to create an unmatchable (pun intended!) ambience in one easy step. There are countless candles for every mood, but when you’re looking for a fall candle, the criteria are pretty simple: You should buy one with a warm and inviting scent, and it ideally should look flawless in your home.
Best Overall: Illume Woodfire Large Radiant Glass Candle
What We Love: The throw is major and the vessel is gorgeous.
What We Don’t Love: The candle can burn faster than anticipated.
If there’s one thing we’re a sucker for in a candle, it’s mercury glass—and the fact that this candle smells positively delightful only proves what a worthy investment it is. Even better, despite the size of this candle, it’s surprisingly affordable. The notes of woody cedar, sensual suede, and warm amber, creates a cozy ambience, and its throw is bigger than a lot of candles we’ve tried before, so you can burn it in large rooms and have the scent fill the entire space.
As the candle melts, the wick flickers through the mercury glass, allowing the light to dance on the ceiling and walls for an extra moody vibe. (And while we’re partial to this more neutral design, this candle is available in multiple shapes and sizes, including refillable candles, travel-sized containers, and even a pumpkin-shaped vessel if you really want to lean into fall.)
The candle has some nice heft, so it makes for a lovely present for anyone—including for hard-to-shop-for recipients of a secret gift exchange. Our only minor frustration with this candle is how quickly it can burn up. The wax can melt quickly, so consider saving this one for special occasions so you get to enjoy it for longer periods of time.
Price at time of publish: $74
Wax Type: Plant wax blend｜Key Notes: Cedar, suede, amber｜Burn Time: 64 hours｜Size: 40 oz
Best Budget: Bath & Body Works Leaves 3-Wick Candle
What We Love: This candle has three wicks for impressive reach and an even burn.
What We Don’t Love: Bath & Body Works offers enormous candle sales, so don’t be surprised if this candle is temporarily sold out.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a bigger and more affordable candle than those from Bath and Body Works, which reliably churns out amazing scents season after season—including one of our personal favorites, Leaves. Available in a variety of different votive designs, this candle boasts three wicks to help really amp up the scent’s spread throughout your home, all while preventing tunneling or uneven burning. We love its balance of spicy, sweet, and crisp notes, which are perfectly in sync to cultivate a neutral yet softly aromatic haze ideal for fall.
You’ll also be able to get this candle on sale, in bulk, thanks to Bath & Body Works frequent promotions, but you’ll want to keep on top of those—fans of this brand often hit those sales hard, so you might not be able to find this candle in the design you want if you’re not careful.
Price at time of publish: $27
Wax Type: Soy and palm｜Key Notes: Clove spice, golden nectar, red apple｜Burn Time: Up to 45 hours｜Size: 14.5 oz
Best Drugstore: Mrs Meyers Mum Soy Candle Small
What We Love: If you want to go all out, this scent is also available in home cleaning products.
What We Don’t Love: The scent is limited edition.
Every year, gardening aficionados look forward to chrysanthemum season. This perennial plant begins blooming in September, with its full glory on display in October. If you’re minding your wallet and want to immortalize this flower in your home far beyond its October bloom, this Mrs. Meyer’s pick is a no-brainer.
While the candle definitely evokes the herbal and lightly floral scent of chrysanthemums, the earthy base notes are muted with warm amber to create an enticing fragrance that isn’t overbearing, but will still reach the corners of the room.
We also love how its tin has a lid so you can better preserve it when it’s not in use, and you can coordinate the candle with the brand’s other home products, including countertop cleaners, for a truly immersive experience. If you’re a fan of this one, we recommend stocking up—this scent is part of Mrs. Meyer’s limited-edition lineup, so you’ll only find it in the fall.
Price at time of publish: $15
Wax Type: Soy｜Key Notes: Chrysanthemum, orange peel, jasmine｜Burn Time: 60 hours｜Size: 4.9 oz
Best Splurge: Trudon Hemera Alabaster Collection Fresh Spices
What We Love: The vessel is hand-carved, so no two are exactly the same.
What We Don’t Love: Because the vessel is made of natural materials, it’s fragile.
If you’re looking for a real showstopper of a candle in both scent and style, snag this one from Trudon. The fragrance offers notes of rose, nutmeg, cedar, and sandalwood for a scent that’s not too spicy and not too warm, but just right.
In our opinion, the star here is really the packaging. It’s housed in a vessel that was hand-carved from a single block of alabaster, meaning that each one is totally unique from the marbling of the stone. It even comes with a matching lid to protect the fragrant wax while it’s not in use. (And when you’ve maxed out the generous 55 hours of burn time, you’ll love reusing the chic marbled vessel for storing cotton balls in the bathroom or colored pens on your desk.)
As the wax dissipates, the candle’s light will come through the alabaster to create a beautiful glow throughout the room. Keep in mind that alabaster is a soft stone, so this candle should be kept in a safe place—if it were to fall, it would absolutely break, which would be devastating.
Price at time of publish: $260
Wax Type: Vegetable wax｜Key Notes: Rose, nutmeg, sandalwood｜Burn Time: 55 hours｜Size: 9.5 oz
Best Woods: Nest New York Charcoal Woods Candle
What We Love: This heady scent is luxurious and lingers in the air long after it’s been blown out.
What We Don’t Love: Only shop this candle if you love smoky scents.
It’s not just the moody gray glass vessel that sets the scene for fall—every single element of this hopelessly elegant candle is classic fall at its best. And if your fragrance preferences lean more on the wild, woodsy side, forget it—just buy this one in bulk.
Within seconds of lighting the wick, a full-bodied haze of cedarwood and birchwood begins to fill the space, followed by a flash of dark, musky patchouli and hint of bittersweet black truffle oil for a totally unique—and completely arresting—burn.
Be forewarned that this fragrance is rich, decadent, and lingers for hours, so make sure you love smoky aromas before lighting the wick.
Price at time of publish: $48
Wax Type: Vegan｜Key Notes: Labadanum, cedarwood, birchwood, black truffle oil｜Burn Time: 28 hours｜Size: 8.1 oz
Best Smoky: D.S. & Durga Portable Fireplace
What We Love: This is a great candle for those who want the essence of a fireplace without the responsibility.
What We Don’t Love: This is definitely a candle only suited for cooler weather.
D.S. & Durga is known for its transportive fragrances, from European breakfasts to desert aromas. This candle smells exactly like a wood-burning fireplace, using woody notes from a diverse forest of pine, birch, cedar, and oak trees as the base, and wrapping them in layers of smoke and ash. It can transform even the smallest apartment into a romantic cabin getaway in three seconds flat.
To get the full potency of the scent, you’ll want to burn it for at least an hour, after which point you’ll be able to fill the whole room with fragrance, even after you snuff out the candle. Perhaps obviously, this is a candle that will not suit warmer seasons—unless you’re trying to harness the power of the heart on a particularly moody spring day.
Price at time of publish: $70
Wax Type: Soy wax blend｜Key Notes: Dwarf pinewood, smoke, birch tar｜Burn Time: 60 hours｜Size: 7 oz
Related: The 10 Best Woody Perfumes of 2023
Best on Amazon: P.F. Candle Co. Persimmon Cider Classic
What We Love: It’s a pure soy candle at a great price.
What We Don’t Love: It could have better throw.
Warm and spicy with a kiss of sweetness from persimmon, this candle checks all the key boxes: It screams fall, comes with a lid to protect the wax, and is made with a pure soy wax for a clean burn. It’s also available on Amazon, so late-night candle shoppers (or last-minute gift shoppers) can get their votives ASAP.
We also love this candle for the unisex packaging. While many candles can be decked out in an overtly feminine or over-the-top seasonal look, this one is in an amber-colored jar that suits a variety of tastes and home design elements. The only caveat is its throw, which doesn’t totally fill a room, but if you’re keeping it in a smaller space, like a bathroom or a snug studio apartment, you’ll love having this candle in your rotation.
Price at time of publish: $26
Wax Type: Soy｜Key Notes: Ginger, persimmon, mulling spices｜Burn Time: 50 hours｜Size: 7.2 oz
Best Diptyque: Diptyque Cannelle Classic Candle
What We Love: This is a rare candle that features pure notes of cinnamon without any other scents.
What We Don’t Love: You can only get this candle directly from Diptyque stores or its website.
People go crazy for Diptqyue candles for many reasons: Each scent is simple, and sophisticated, inspired by nature (often tapping notes you’d find crisscrossing the globe), and is held in a clean, minimal vase emblazoned with the iconic Diptyque label. If you’ve burned one of these candles before, you know how well-suited their glasses are to repurposing, whether that’s as a makeup brush holder or a sleek planter.
But the real joy lies in burning one of these babies, particularly this cinnamon candle, which was actually one of Diptyque’s very first scented candles. It’s equal parts woodsy and spicy, made with the essence of freshly stripped cinnamon bark harvested from the lush cinnamon tree forests in India.
However, keep in mind that this is a scent solely distributed by Diptyque, so you won’t be able to find it at other retailers. To smell it, you’ll have to stop by one of the brand’s boutiques or blind buy it off the website.
Price at time of publish: $74
Wax Type: Paraffin｜Key Notes: Cinnamon bark｜Burn Time: 50 hours｜Size: 6.7 oz
Best Soy: Hotel Lobby Candle Aspen Candle
What We Love: This candle smells just like a ski town getaway.
What We Don’t Love: Fans of the brand set alarms to snatch up these new candle launches, meaning that shipping can sometimes be slow.
The entire collection of Hotel Lobby Candles are inspired by the grand entrances of iconic hotels across the world, from Paris to New York, Positano, and Miami—and the latest launch from the buzzy brand highlights the casual opulence of snow-capped slopes and bluebird skies of ski town, USA: Aspen.
In fact, this candle was developed in collaboration with the historic (and fabulous) Hotel Jerome, nestled in the heart of Aspen. Blended in a soy wax, the fragrance harnesses the magic of mountainside elegance with notes of cedar, pine, leather, and blazing fire embers, meaning you can savor the scent through the winter months when the mountaintops are dotted with snow.
Keep in mind that Hotel Lobby Candles have a cult following and that this candle just launched, so it’s going to be extremely popular and therefore may take some time to arrive. Patience is a virtue—and once you receive the candle, you’ll find it was well worth the wait.
Price at time of publish: $56
Wax Type: Soy｜Key Notes: Cedarwood, snow-capped pine, leather｜Burn Time: 65 hours｜Size: 9.75 oz
Best Spiced: Nette Chai Milk Candle
What We Love: This is a sweet and soothing spicy scent.
What We Don’t Love: If you don’t like gourmands, this candle may not be for you.
Sweet, creamy, and dreamy, this candle from Nette truly smells like a steaming mug of hot chai. While some spicier autumn candles are more piquant and sharp, this iteration of piping hot cinnamon, clove, and cardamom notes are mellowed with brown sugar, tonka, and patchouli for a warm and cozy scent that is perfect for chilly days or cuddly nights alike.
Even better, it’s a double-wick candle for double the fun and an outstanding throw without feeling oppressive. We leave it burning for hours on end (which you can do due to its long lifespan—you’ll get around 65 hours out of this baby).
Remember that this candle is a true gourmand, so if you’re not someone who likes foody scents, you may prefer one of the smokier or woodsier candles on your list to this one, but if you love an opportunity to make your home smell like a café, go ahead and light up.
Price at time of publish: $82
Wax Type: Coconut soy blend｜Key Notes: Cardamom, brown sugar, tonka｜Burn Time: 65 hours｜Size: 10 oz
Best Pumpkin: Snif Half Baked Pumpkin Smash Candle
What We Love: This is a unique, delectable, and elevated take on pumpkin.
What We Don’t Love: It’s limited edition, so stock up.
If you’re familiar with the culinary stylings of Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard, you know that her recipes are universally appealing and often, unique spins on classic dishes. Snif collaborated with her to create this subtly boozy, super delicious pumpkin candle.
Here, pumpkin spice is blended with maple, orange, whiskey, and roasted chocolate for a comforting and complex scent that will fill your whole home with its aroma. Though pumpkin spice is definitely a fall fragrance, you’ll want to experience the warm scent of this candle well through the winter months. (It’s even going to launch in an extra-large size, so you’ll be able to enjoy it for even longer.)
Just be sure to buy several of these candles—it’s a limited-edition fragrance, so you won’t be able to find one once spring rolls around.
Price at time of publish: $46
Wax Type: Soy and vegetable blend｜Key Notes: Pumpkin spice, salted maple, whiskey｜Burn Time: 50+ hours｜Size: 8.5 oz
Best Apple: Harlem Candle Company “Love” James Baldwin Ceramic Luxury Candle
Buy at Harlemcandlecompany.com
What We Love: The vessel and fragrance of this candle are truly breathtaking.
What We Don’t Love: It would benefit from one or two more wicks.
The Harlem Candle Company’s products are inspired by the neighborhood’s rich heritage. This candle, in particular, was envisioned to celebrate the life and writing of Harlem’s own James Baldwin.
And celebrate it does: Crisp, juicy apple dances with fresh herbal and sandalwood notes, topped off with a zing of spicy clove to create a truly breathtaking and one-of-a-kind candle, just like the man himself. The sensual vibes of this candle are only further enhanced by the outstanding ceramic vessel, which features a black and gold floral pattern and a lid so you can keep it in your home as a decor accent long after the wax has melted. This is a sizeable candle, so it would benefit from one or more additional wicks to stave off tunneling,
Price at time of publish: $98
Wax Type: Soy vegetable wax blend｜Key Notes: Apple, rose, clove｜Burn Time: 80 hours｜Size: 12 oz
Best Boozy: Malin+Goetz Dark Rum Candle
What We Love: This candle comes in a wide range of size options and scent formats, including perfume.
What We Don’t Love: You’ll need to stay on top of wick maintenance with this candle.
Those who don’t like overtly floral or fruity scents will adore this candle from Malin+Goetz. Dark rum is the star here, which is highlighted by slightly sweet plum and heady patchouli for a balanced and unisex candle, both in scent and design. You can find it in multiple sizes, from travel to supersize (though the latter is only available during the holiday season), and even in personal fragrance format so you can enjoy the sultry scent no matter where you are.
If you’re a lazy candle owner, you may not want to add this one to your collection. The burn can get smoky if you’re not properly trimming the wick, which will cause unappealing soot to build up on the sides of the vessel. If you maintain it, though, you’ll really enjoy this candle.
Price at time of publish: $60
Wax Type: Vegetable blend｜Key Notes: Plum, rum, patchouli｜Burn Time: 60 hours｜Size: 9 oz
Best Vanilla: Antica Farmacista Vanilla Bourbon and Mandarin
What We Love: This is a warm and cozy candle that doesn’t smell “heavy” or overtly edible, as traditional fall gourmand candles can be.
What We Don’t Love: It can be a bit sweet for some.
If you’re not someone who likes the woodsy, smoky, or pumpkin spicy scents of the majority of fall candles, we encourage you to give this one a try. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the classic old fashioned cocktail, but less boozy and more sweet, with subtle warm bourbon that only serves to highlight the sparkling citrus notes and cozy vanilla base note that will warm up your space without making it smell like a dark, wood-paneled bar—it’s more of a plush blanket of a candle.
We also love the hexagonal-shaped votive, with a clean design that would suit any home. Keep in mind that this is a gourmand candle, so if you don’t like sweet fragrances, you probably won’t like this one, but those who love vanilla absolutely need it in their rotation.
Price at time of publish: $48
Wax Type: Soy paraffin blend｜Key Notes: Clementine, bourbon, bourbon vanilla｜Burn Time: 60 hours｜Size: 9 oz
Related: The 19 Best Gourmand Perfumes of 2023 That Smell Good Enough to Eat
Best Sweet: Lafco New York Birchwood Molasses Candle
What We Love: The hand-blown vessel adds a style boost to your space.
What We Don’t Love: Sometimes, the wick burns too quickly.
For those who want to add real panache to their living space, Lafco Birchwood Molasses really fits the bill. Two of our experts, Meg Gray, Director of Merchandising at Bluemercury and dsm-firmenich perfumer Erwan Raguenes, both swear by this one.
“Lafco always does such a beautiful job of creating scents that are well balanced and luxe,” says Gray, who declares this “the perfect fall candle,” thanks to its blend of scents.
“The way the molasses blends with the patchouli is truly addictive to me,” adds Raguenes of the soy-based candle held in an equally stunning hand-blown glass vessel.
However, it’s worth noting that on occasion, the wick can burn too quickly. If you’re not careful, this may prevent you from fully burning down your candle all the way.
Price at time of publish: $75
Wax Type: Soy｜Key Notes: Birchwood, molasses, patchouli｜Burn Time: Up to 90 hours｜Size: 15.5 oz
Best Unisex: Hawthorne Smoky and Earthy Palo Santo Candle
What We Love: Though this is a brand designed for men, everyone will love this candle.
What We Don’t Love: It doesn’t have a big throw.
This scent is inspired by one of Hawthorne’s best-selling colognes, but just because the fragrance leans masculine doesn’t mean women won’t enjoy it. Anyone who likes palo santo will be obsessed with this candle—the addictive guaiac wood mingles with musky patchouli, earth sage, spicy cardamom, and smoked cypress, culminating in a piney and almost salty quality.
Design-wise, the sleek matte black vessel is neutral and tame enough for most aesthetics. Our only note is that the scent doesn’t fill up a whole space; it’s more of a localized candle, due to its soy blend (soy doesn’t spread scent as easily as other waxes). That’s not a bad thing, especially if you prefer different spaces of your home to have different fragrance vibes.
Price at time of publish: $37
Wax Type: Soy and paraffin blend｜Key Notes: Cardamom, patchouli, smoked cypress｜Burn Time: 50 hours｜Size: 7 oz
Best for Early Fall: Goop Beauty Scented Candle Edition 04 Orchard
What We Love: This candle features orris, a rare and pricey fragrance that adds an earthy quality.
What We Don’t Love: You need to trim the wick so the candle performs at its best.
If you’re someone who appreciates a good hayride, add this candle from Goop to your shopping cart. Sun-bleached hay is the strongest note here, with sweet ripe apricot and sexy sandalwood and orris root, the latter of which is one of the most expensive notes used in fragrance. It smells smooth, slightly powdery, and suede-like for a grounded, ultra-sensual scent. The wick is pure cotton, so it needs extra care for a good burn. Keep the wick trimmed and short to avoid over-smoking.
Price at time of publish: $72
Wax Type: Soy｜Key Notes: Apricot, hay, orris｜Burn Time: Up to 65 hours｜Size: 10.2 oz
What to Keep in Mind
Fragrance Notes
When shopping for a fall candle, there are some notes that you’ll notice over and over. “The most popular fall scents often evoke the popular cozy, warm and comforting feelings associated with the season,” explains Raguenes. “American favorites are always pumpkin spice, apple cider, autumn leaves, vanilla and caramel, cranberry, and sweater weather types of notes.”
However, it’s how the fragrance notes of a candle are balanced that determines whether a candle is just good or damn great. “A perfect scented candle will deliver a balanced blend of fragrance notes: top notes that deliver our first impressions, such as fresh and citrus aromas, middle notes that make up the main body of the blend, like florals and fruits, and bottom notes that anchor and ground the blend, like amber, woods, and musk,” explains Greta Pagel, Fragrance Director of Good Chemistry. “Just like single musical notes combine to make a tune for the ears, individual fragrance notes come together to form artistic blends for our noses that are more than the sum of their parts.”
Finding what’s perfect for you is a very personal process and will depend on your scent preferences as well as what you’re trying to evoke when you burn the candle. “Think about the ritual of lighting a candle and how it’s intrinsically linked to care for the soul…it paints an olfactive picture of you,” says Ray Mauro, Brand Manager of Fragrance Development and Marketing at Avon.
“So when someone chooses to scent their home with a candle that smells like freshly-baked cookies, they’re non-verbally expressing their home as a safe and comforting space immediately relaxing their guests with an atmosphere of nostalgic memories.”
Wax Type
The most commonly-found waxes used in candles are paraffin, beeswax, and plant-based waxes like coconut, palm, and soy. In many cases, the type of wax used will dictate the price of the candle. Paraffin, which is used as the base in Diptyque Cannelle Classic Candle, is the most affordable wax to use and allows for a strong fragrance throw. However, it can result in a sootier burn, especially if you’re not properly caring for your candle. Beeswax, which is naturally derived, offers a very long burn time but isn’t vegan and can be costly. Plant-based waxes like soy, coconut, and palm burn very cleanly and evenly, and are eco-friendly. In many cases, candle packaging doesn’t disclose what waxes are used in the product. However, if it’s soy, you’ll likely know it, as “soy candle” has become a popular search term due to rising interest.
“It gained popularity because the wax is natural and renewable, it has a clean burn, a longer burn time, can hold more fragrance, and is easy to clean up,” explains Raguenes. However, it can be pricey and on occasion, can result in a weaker fragrance performance due to its slower burn. For this reason, consider a soy blend, like that found in Bath & Body Works Leaves.
Burn Time
Basically, “burn time” is the lifespan of a candle when continuously burned until fully consumed. “It is an important factor to consider when buying a candle, as it determines how long you will be able to enjoy the fragrance before you need to replace it,” says Raguenes.
The burn time is affected by everything from the candle’s size, wax, wick (both material used and quantity), fragrance formula, and the conditions under which the candle is burned. It is not, in my opinion, a gauge for quality—even though recent studies are starting to show that in the consumer mind, long-lastingness in the air is a marker of niche candles,” he adds.
To make your candle last longer, make sure you’re burning it correctly (yes, there is a right way to burn a candle!). First of all, make sure you’re using it in a safe place. Beyond keeping it out of reach of children, pets, or flammable items, your candle should not be near drafts, fans, or vents.
“A candle that’s exposed to intense airflow can burn faster than it’s intended to,” explains Pagel, who recommends burning a candle for up to six hours on the first use so the wax melts all the way to the sides of the votive. Over time, your candle may do this more quickly; it’s an essential part of the candle burning process. “This will reduce any potential tunneling,” says Mauro.
There’s also post-burn care. Gray recommends using a snuffer to extinguish the flame (we do too, blowing it out can make a mess of the hot wax). Let the candle fully harden until moving it to ensure the surface stays level and prevent spillage. Lastly, trim the wick. “Candle wicks should always be trimmed to a quarter of an inch prior to every burn,” says Pagel. “This prevents any wick mushrooming or high flames that would produce soot.”
Design
Candle sales boomed during the pandemic and have continued to surge since, says Mauro. “The home has become a sanctuary and a stage for boasting about your most favored ‘soul care’ products,” he explains. That means that a truly great candle won’t just smell sensational—it’ll also double as home décor, says Gray. “This could be hand blown glass or high-quality ceramic or porcelain.” Consider the design elements of your home and seek out a candle that’s packaged in a votive that enhances it with its shape and color.
One interesting characteristic to consider is the material from which the candle’s container is made. “Light reflection will vary depending on the vessel,” says Raguenes. “For example, a translucent, or frosted glass, can create a softer, diffused glow while those in metal can reflect and amplify the candlelight.”
Try Trudon The Alabasters Héméra, which is in a stunning alabaster vessel that delivers a stunning, subtle glow. Be aware, though, that some vessels can make for an uneven burn depending on the wall thickness or coating. Mauro recommends seeking out a candle that has been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer to ensure the wax and vessel are compatible with one another.
Once the wax has burned away, you don’t have to ditch this decorative piece. A pretty vessel can be reused—just remove any residual wax by either freezing the candle and popping out what’s left or boiling the vessel in hot water, which will cause the remaining wax to liquefy and rise to the top so you can skim it off and away. Gray suggests using your empty votives for flowers or as makeup brush holders; Raguenes adds plant pots and storage jars to that list.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the most popular fall scent?
Overall, you’ll notice that as we transition from summer to fall, candle scents go from brighter floral and citrus notes to moodier vibes. “Whether it’s a gourmand featuring vanilla and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or sandalwood, cedarwood and frankincense, popular fall notes definitely read as more complex and sophisticated,” says Gray.
If you want to know the be-all, end-all most popular scent for fall candles, spoiler alert: It’s pumpkin. (No surprise here—Dunkin’ brought back pumpkin coffee in August!) That said, how pumpkin is paired with other scents make a big difference. “For example, it can be boosted with gourmand notes of chestnut and maple, or with an added culinary twist of peppercorn, creamy combos with coconut, or the spirited addition of amaretto or bourbon,” says Pagel.
What are the cleanest fall candles?
First, it’s important to understand what a clean candle is. “It usually refers to a candle that burns with minimal to no smoke, soot, or other airborne pollutants, and is made from materials that are less harmful to the environment and human health,” says Raguenes.
To determine if your candle is clean, take a look at its composition. “A candle is considered ‘clean’ based on the ingredients used to create the fragrance, as well as the wax and wick utilized,” explains Gray. That includes essential oils rather than artificial fragrances, a natural wax, like those derived from soy or coconut, and wicks made of cotton, which will result in a clean burn.
“Candles considered ‘clean’ will also typically be free of phthalates, parabens, and synthetic dyes,” she adds. Furthermore, you can look for vegan and cruelty-free candles housed in recyclable or refillable components. Nette Chai Milk Candle, Illume Woodfire Large Radiant Glass Candle, and Lafco Birchwood Molasses Candle are all great examples of clean candles.
What candles smell like fall?
The key to an autumnal-smelling candle is nostalgia. “Traditional and familiar fragrances that evoke a seasonal atmosphere continue to prevail,” says Mauro. That includes pumpkin and spices, like those found in Snif Half Baked Pumpkin Smash, and apple, like what you’ll find in Harlem Candle Company “Love” by James Baldwin Ceramic Luxury Candle. You’ll also find that these scents with a unique spin courtesy of unexpected combinations will begin to trend. “Don’t be surprised if you see a ‘Thanksgiving dinner’ candle this year—and if there is one, sign me up, because I’d be all in!” Mauro quips.
Are soy candles better?
According to Pagel, candle developers select the type of wax when determining the goal of the candle. “The type of wax or wax blends used in candles really depends on the individual candle claims and desired performance and characteristics,” she says.
However, it’s worth noting that soy and soy blend candles have a lower melting point than other waxes, like paraffin. “That results in a longer burn time that’s consistently clean and historically provides excellent fragrance renditions.” Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Mum Soy Candle and Hotel Lobby Candle Aspen both feature pure soy.
How can I make candles last longer?
The easy answer here is to reserve your fall candles for special occasions, but if you’re someone who always likes to have a votive lit, there are a few things to look for. The first is the wax type. As mentioned, soy has a lower melt point. “That will allow the candle to burn slower and get more time out of your candles,” says Gray. Beyond that, caring for your candle properly as outlined above will lengthen its lifespan. Additionally, says Pagel, “being mindful of any instructions from the candle manufacturer are the simplest ways to have the best candle experience.”
Why Shop With Us
Emily Orofino is a beauty writer, editor, and consultant with more than a decade of experience in the industry. She has more candles than she has living space, with a preference for quirky gourmand scents. For this piece, she interviewed Meg Gray, Director of Merchandising at Bluemercury, Ray Mauro, Brand Manager of Fragrance Development and Marketing at Avon, Erwan Raguenes, a perfumer at dsm-firmenich, and Greta Pagel, Fragrance Director of Good Chemistry, for their expertise on all things fragrance and candles.
Related: The 22 Best Fall Jackets to Stay Warm and Stylish This Season
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