Everywhere you look right now, Christmas is a stunning sensory display of all things merry and bright. From fairy lights adorning homes and shops, to music blasting out from every available public speaker, we are subjected to a plethora of Christmassy stimuli.
But where it gets personal, intimate and most pleasurable, is the sumptuous epitome of joy, laughter, and festivities, through the sensory journey of fragrance.
Lighting up a Christmas Candle seems only fitting, especially with so many wonderful aspects of Christmas time to choose from. From delicious festive treats such as roasted chestnuts from Etsy and mulled wine from Neom, to conjuring up the freshness of snow in a pinewood forest from Skandinavisk, these aromas do their best to ensure you have a holly jolly Christmas indeed.
1
Lily Flame Christmas Eve
Brand: Lily Flame
Price: From £11.25
Size: 222g
Scent: Cedarwood, Pine and Mint
For many, including myself, the night before Christmas is about spending the last few hours relinquishing the anticipation of the big day and relaxing with loved ones. Whether that’s strolling down to your local pub with the crispness of the air caressing your cheeks or going for a drive to visit friends, there’s a certain magic in the air. And once you’re home, there’s nothing like feeling the immense happiness and relief of trundling through the door into the warmth.
Christmas Eve by Lily Flame embraces both the wintry outdoor ventures and the cosiness of home, featuring an array of all the woody scents you can think of including Sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, amber, and moss! But wait! These are then boldly blended with wintry pine and spices, with a hint of refreshing mint believe it or not. Incredibly loved by many including myself, for its slightly masculine woody undertones, reminiscent of an aftershave with a certain freshness, it’s a different take on the more typical cinnamon and orange. And if something different but equally Christmassy floats your boat, then this may be the one.
Small but mighty, with an even burn, you may need to indulge in a few.
2
The White Company – Winter Botanical Candle
Brand: The White Company
Price: £35
Size: Medium
Scent: Cinnamon, Clove, Orange
As Christmas Candles go, this one is the don! Having this classic fragrance permeate your surroundings is like lodging in Father Christmas’ cozy home in Lapland, wholly immersed in the warmth, nostalgia, and excitement of Christmas time. The spicy cinnamon, orange slices, cloves, and pine just scream ‘It’s Chriiiiiiiistmaaaaaas’ and if there’s just one gesture you want to make to get into the festive spirit, do yourself a favour and light up one of these! It’s my go-to, come the beginning of December to effortlessly roll into Chrimbo vibes. Not only is the scent amazing with an even pool of soft mineral wax, but it gives my home an undeniable Christmas radiance, with the tree lights at one end of my lounge and the golden flicker of my Botanical Winter Candle at the other.
3
Neom Christmas Wish
Brand: Neom
Price: £20
Size: travel size
Scent: Mandarin, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean
Burn Time: 35hrs
With Neom, you are safe. Not only are the essential oils used of the purest quality, but the relatable, beautiful ingredients that are cleverly put together prove that they know what we’re after. And with the Christmas Wish, it is most certainly a candle everyone may wish to be engulfed in. With juicy clementine notes and the all important cinnamon, it of course epitomises Christmas. But what makes it stand out is the addition of Tonka Bean, a woody, nutty scent, which for me creates a mesmerising, comforting feel. If you can’t get enough of the wistfulness and cosiness of Christmas time, you may want to add this to your collection. At first burn, it emits the scent of mulled wine (Christmas time staple in my household!) with its fruit and spice but then the woody, aromatic scent of tonka bean balances the Christmas aroma beautifully.
4
Skandinavisk skog candle
Brand: Neom
Price: On offer – £21.60
Size: 90g
Scent: Pine needles, fir cones, birch sap and woodland lily of the valley
Burn Time: 20hrs
This absolutely uncanny representation of winter in a jar is one of my favourite candles to light up at this time of year. The amalgamation of fresh, outdoorsy pine needles with the woody essence of birch sap and hints of floral lily of the valley, gives the scent a smooth, yet invigorating sentiment. If you need a welcome, uplifting transition into the winter months without the weight of heavily spiced scents, then this offering from Skandinavisk may be just what you’re subconsciously yearning for. With a smooth, clean burn, whenever I’m enveloped in this, it’s like traipsing through a dense Nordic forest, so fresh and rejuvenating.
5
The White Company - Fireside
Brand: The White Company
Price: £22
Size: 140g
Scent: Birch, Amber, Vanilla and Clove Leaf
Burn Time: Approx 33 hours
Now I’ve tried a few high-end ‘log fire’ candles, each with their own representation of that smoky, cosy, woody scent. But this, THIS, for me truly encapsulates the familiar, woody warmth of a log fire without that medicinal, peaty aroma all too often experienced with some of the other brands. The blend of woody birch, aromatic amber (a league of its own) and whispers of vanilla with the subtle spice of clove masterfully evokes that fireside feel, even if you don’t have one. The smokiness balanced with warmth, gently whispers ‘Come and sit down and relax.’ And I’m not the only one to be blown away. Fantastic reviews for this are aplenty with many re-iterating how evocative of a real fire it is.
Whether you save this particular candle for the heavier winter months of January and February or you love how suggestive it is of a warm Christmas night by the fire, you may look forward to the cold season all year long, so you can bask in its glory once again!
6
Chestnuts Roasting on Open Fire
Brand: The Reading Room Candle
Price: £12.50
Size: 200ml of Soy wax
Scent: Roasted nuts, Spices and Balsam
If you’re keen to enjoy a more buttery, delicious scent, festively wafting around your home at such a yummy time of the year, then this Roasted Chestnut on Open Fire, offers you that warm, nutty, slightly caramelized fragrance. It’s as though you’ve been hard at work in the kitchen. Now, although I am sure you’re more than capable of rustling up some mouthwatering roasted chestnuts (please share the recipe, mine was a bit of a burnt disaster last year!), this may have to do in the mean time, whilst you’re busy with other equally important jobs.
I’ve smelt a couple of other high-end roasted chestnut candles but I’m recommending this one as it’s just as good as any, not sickly sweet, and at a fair price. The wooden candle wick is a bit different too!
7
Jo Loves Christmas Trees
Brand: Jo Loves
Price: £55
Size: 185g
Scent: Pine needles, aromatic lavender, incense and amber
There’s nothing like the authentic, familiar fragrance of the freshness and anticipation of Christmas trees. To me, this fragrance is the start of a perfect build-up to Christmas. Out of many pine needle candles I’ve experienced, this one in particular, is so authentic, it’s like kneeling around an outdoor Christmas tree with a log fire nearby, surrounded by the familiar twinkle of Christmas lights. And it’s no wonder I encountered a comforting and nostalgic feel to this, it infuses aromatic lavender with amber – one of my favourite cosy scents.
The ‘Jo Loves’ brand since 2011 is Jo Malone’s very own powerhouse of fragrance after handing Jo Malone over completely to Esteé Lauder in 2006.
Passionately infused with pine needles, Jo has cleverly created the embodiment of Christmas.
8
Diptyque Feu de bois
Brand: Diptyque
Price: £35
Size: 70g
Wax Type: Vegetable and mineral
Oil Type: Premium fragrance and natural tea
Burn Time: 30 hrs
If you’re craving for that authentic wood fire scent that is evocative of the real thing, light this and you’ll feel as though you’re cosied up in a log cabin in the deepest most magical of woodlands.
Feu de Bois by Diptyque brims with authenticity with not many other scent notes, so the smokiness is the main offering. This is perfectly achieved with notes of Lapsang tea, a Chinese tea that is smoke dried over pinewood fires.
It’s a must have for a rustic build up to Christmas or to enjoy over winter. When I first tried this, it was pretty strong, but once my nose got used to the sentiment behind the wood fire scent, I couldn’t get enough.
9
96 North Nordic Pine
Brand: 96 North
Price: £19.99
Size: 340g
Wax Type: Soy
Oil Type: Essential/fragrance
Burn Time: 40 hrs
What if you’re not one for fruity and spiced, but fresh and pine? Lighting this on the mornings of days leading up to Christmas, feels like stepping out of a log cabin into the vast wintry wilderness of a Norwegian forest.
It’s green, invigorating and sets you up for the day with uplifting, Christmas vibes.