The Best Holiday Candles

November 12, 2023

Best Holiday Candles I wit & whimsy

With the holiday season comes the opportunity to burn all my favorite holiday candles and you better believe I am turning my apartment into a Christmas-y oasis with all the best Christmas candles this year. I have tried a lot of holiday candles over the years and the following are the best of the best in my opinion.

The Best Holiday Candles

So if you’re also ready to start the holiday spirit via scent, check out my roundup of all the best holiday candles to shop this year. A variety of them make great gifts for hosts and hostesses, too!

And since my travel schedule won’t allow for me to get a Christmas tree this year…I’ll instead be relying on my favorite candles to get me in the mood. 

Nest Holiday Candle

I purchase this every year! It is such a unique scent that says holiday without being woodsy. Pomegranate, Mandarin orange, pine, cloves and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla and amber. Cozy and festive. This one is available on Amazon so you can get it in a pinch if you’re a Prime Member.

Best Holiday Candles I wit & whimsy

Jonathan Adler Holiday Pop

Its festive metallic vessel is just one reason I love this candle. The other is the fact that it smells like a crisp winter day during the holiday season. Part pine, part cinnamon.  Repurpose the glass afterwards for a chic carry-all. It’s one I am always repurchasing! 

Illume Balsam Holiday Candle

Illume Balsam & Cedar

Not only does this candle make your house smell like a Christmas tree, it also comes in a beautiful mercury glass that you could re-use after your candle has burnt out. This one is also available on Amazon so you can get it in a pinch if you’re a Prime Member.

Jo Malone Pine and Eucalyptus Candle

Jo Malone Pine and Eucalyptus Candle

A more mellow and fresh candle if you’re not one for major fir-scents. This one is a lovely way to warm your home with a subtle yet cozy somewhat Christmas-y feeling scent. And this year it comes in the most darling polka dotted vessel! 

The Best Holiday Candles

A few other favorites holiday candles:

Hotel Lobby Holiday

My friend Lindsay really nailed the scent of her original holiday candle. It features notes of Evergreen, Fresh Pine, Balsam Fir, Blue Spruce and it gives all the festive winter vibes you want in a Christmas candle. It also burns for 65 amazing hours, has great throw so your whole room will smell of it & it comes in a beautifully packaged box so it also makes a great gift. The brand now also offers Cabin and Chalet scented ones that sound amazing as well!

Williams Sonoma Winter Forrest

The most affordable good forrest-y candle I’ve found. Just $25!

Thymes Fraiser Fir

This is a long standing favorite of mine. Such a Christmas classic. It is good enough to be a stand-in for a real Fir.

And by the way – they also offer this scent in an essential oil so if you have a diffuser I absolutely recommend you get it. It’ll make your whole space smell like a Christmas tree!

Carrière Frères Winter Collection

This French candlemaker does the most gorgeous scents and their new winter collection does not disappoint. The pine one is a favorite in particular.

La Jolie Muse Fraser Fir Candle

A good candle for minimalists due to its sleek jar that would actually make a great vase after the fact. This candle is large and burns for 80 hours! It was a good impulse purchase I made on Amazon last year and I still have some to burn this season – it’s that big!

. . .

I’d love to know – do you have a favorite holiday candle? Do share in the Comments below!

And if you don’t already have an electric lighter you’re doing it wrong!! I have one for every room in my house nowadays! And they make a great stocking stuffer, too. 

Let me know if you end up picking up any of these and what you think!

Shop the Candles

 

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[Carter Fish Photography]

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comments +

  1. MarciaMarciaMarcia says:

    These are all so good! I love Nest holiday candle – have you tried their Winter White? It might be my favorite candle ever! Hope you’re having a blast Down Under and thanks for all these recommendations.

  2. Kenzie says:

    Can you like the little croissant, it’s so cute!

    • Meghan says:

      Sorry it is no longer available! It was from Anthro. If it ever comes back in stock I’ll be sure to share on Instagram as I always get asked about it 🙂

  3. The Career Edit says:

    Oh, I am getting more and more obsessed with candles so this roundup comes at a perfect time! I need to check them all out. I’ve been wanting to treat myself to a Jo Malone candle this winter so getting one that smells like Christmas definitely sounds like a perfect idea.

    The Career Edit
    http://thecareeredit.co/

  4. Molly says:

    I bought the Nest candle after searching your site and finding another post with your favorite candles. I’ve had it for a few days and I’m obsessed!! Definitely going to need to order another!

  5. Cara says:

    Have you ever smelled Illume’s woodfire?! It’s my all time favorite scent and evokes hygge in my home. Also, love those red pajamas! They look so comfy and festive !

  6. BAO says:

    All great recs. Haven’t tried all, but most on list and find the Thymes to evoke the scent closest to a real Christmas tree. It has a great throw too.

    Aside from holiday scents, recently discovered the most beautiful scent. Self confess to buying the candle for the aesthetic to match my new home office design. The Diptique Beverly Hills signature candle. I ordered directly from the store. It is just incredible and if they made a perfume I’d dip myself in it. The vessel is equally gorgeous. Just love it so much. Can’t get enough.

  7. Lisa Seguin says:

    I purchased the Ilume Cedar and Balsam candle. The packaging is beautiful — if you gave it as a gift it would not need wrapping. The frosted glass container is perfect and the aroma is Christmas year round. Great choice in my book! Thanks for the great idea.

  8. Courtney says:

    Diptyque – Feu de Bois! An expensive but special candle.

  9. Cara says:

    If you’ve never tried the Harlem Candle Co Holiday candle I HIGHLY recommend it! It beats out the Nest holiday candle just slightly for me since I prefer more piney scents. I’ve had several Harlem Candle Co candles and I cannot recommend them enough.

  10. Rebecca says:

    I’ve been burning Sweet Water i Sweet Water Decor soy candles for the last year and am happy with all the scents-Fall, Winter and others. They burn very cleanly and smell natural but they do not have a particularly long burn time. I am going to layer in two of your suggestions this year. Thanks!!

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