The Best Candles You Can Buy In 2020
All the best candles, according to an aroma-obsessed editors of Shop Catalog.
Candles have long been known as an easy, and inexpensive way to transform any environment into something special. Whether you’re coming home from a hard day at work in hopes of unwinding, or you’re gearing up for a romantic night in with your partner, a candle has the ability to set any kind of mood without requiring a lot of effort on your part.
With a booming industry that made over $3.2 billion dollars in 2015, it’s no surprise that candles are here to stay even though most people have a tendency to burn through them quickly. This is because industry leaders like Diptyque and Yankee have sold consumers on the idea that scents act as a form of self-care. Candles are considered to be something you light when you want to connect with yourself, or really relax into a moment. So while you may have to buy ten a month, it’s easy to invest in that kind of product because you feel like you are doing something nice for yourself.
The best candles are comforting, they create ambiance, and they can inspire a sense of nostalgia depending on their scents. From traditional perfume houses, to the kinds of brands you will find littered across the shelves in Target and Urban Outfitters, candles come in thousands of different packages, waxes, and smells, ensuring that there is something for everyone and every budget.
If you’re in the market for a new signature scent, or if you’re looking to add a few extra candles to your ever growing collection, below we rounded up our absolute favorite products to burn through when we’re looking to set the mood at home. Hopefully you will fall in love with them just as much as we did.
Best Candles
Boy Smells
Hand poured in Los Angeles, Boy Smells candles are just as great smelling as they are viral. Created using a blend of beeswax and coconut oil, these rich burning candles come in seven different scents. The innovators at Boy Smells wanted to create a brand like Byredo and Le Labo, while still staying true to themselves and their diverse backgrounds. With non traditional scents that pull from their upbringings and hometowns, Boy Smells has managed to do just that, with an aesthetic that is undeniably millennial and available for purchase on Amazon.
Candlefish Candles
Though a cheap candle in terms of price relative to others on this list, the Candlefish Candles stack up against the rest when it comes to scent, and quality. Created in Charleston, South Carolina, the company workshop houses expert chandlers that work together using over 100 fragrances, custom blending each scent that makes it into each candle. Housed in incredibly beautiful cream and gold ceramic packaging, Candlefish candles not only look great in your space, but they also smell beautiful and fill a room quickly with each irresistible scent.
Byredo Bibliothèque
Hand-made in France using mouth blown glass and cotton wicks, BYREDO candles are some of the most luxuriously popular candles on the market. Though there are many scents to choose from, their Bibliotheque candle is by far the most iconic — smelling like an old library, with aged wood floors, and a velvety aura in the air that hangs heavy with notes of peach, plum and vanilla. This candle truly has the capacity to transport you, and is a great choice for any home library or study space.
CatBird NYC
If you love NYC, this is the candle for you. Hand poured, and packaged in Upstate New York, CatBird candles are an ode to the big apple where the namesake store got its start. Their most popular, signature scent is Kitten, though there are five others to choose from. The special thing about Catbird candles is the way they are packaged — each coming in a box that contains a suggested reading list that stems from a trove of beloved New York stories.
Le Labo Santal
Le Labo is a cult favorite fragrance house, so it did not surprise us when they came out with a range of great candles that embodied their signature scents. Renowned for their striking smells, their apothecary packaging, and their distinct way of naming their different products, Le Labo candles are handcrafted, labelled just for you, while still managing to be irresistible. If you can’t walk by a Le Labo store without having to stop and smell the santal, their Santal 26 candle is an incredible investment that you will be sure to love.
Diptyque
A Diptyque candle isn’t just a great smelling accent to any room — it is also an enigma when it comes to luxury purchases. Started in 1961 in Paris, three friends opened a Diptyque storefront bazaar and the elegant, creative spirit of the brand transformed their startup into a world renowned perfume house. Cherished due to their balanced, unique scents, Diptyque is a luxury candle of incredible quality. If you’re the type of person who wants a candle that makes a statement through its name alone — this is the candle for you.
Maison Louis Marie
Maison Louis Marie is a company that has been producing scents since 1792. Steeped in tradition, each scent and product from the perfume house has been inspired by french botanical history, and their respective candles are all created to be phthalate-, paraben-, sulfate- and cruelty-free. Our favorite scent from the company is the illustrious No.04 Bois de Balincourt — which is both earthy, and woody, and smells like we’re outside on the first day of fall due to strong notes of Sandalwood and Vetiver.
125 Collection
If you’re looking for a candle that makes a statement — look no further. The 125 Collection teamed up with Instagrandmaw to create the #BossBabesCollection — a series of candles that combine a love of pop culture, hip hop and the sassiest of statements structured around the most popular female names in music today. If you’re a fan of Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, or Beyonce this trio of incredible smelling candles will make an incredible addition to your home.
Oribe Côte d’Azur
Oribe blasted into the beauty scene a few years ago with their unique hair products and their unforgettable scent. Due to their signature perfume in their products, the company quickly grew and created an almost cult-like following, so it was only a matter of time before they tried to create new ways for their fans to drench their lives in what they call Côte d’Azur. Enter — the signature candle from Oribe. This candle has notes of bergamot, black currant, and orange. Jasmine, sandalwood and amber balance it out, creating a fragrant smell that every single human being will want wafting through their homes.
The Best Candles from Top Ford
There is simply only one word that we can use to describe Tom Ford’s candle selection, and that word is indulgent. From the incredibly steep price, to the extreme saturation of scent that these candles percolate through a space, these products earn their stamp of luxury. If you’re willing to shell out the money, we suggest the Private Blend: Tobacco Vanille candle — a spicy sweet take on Ford’s favorite London gentlemen’s clubs, that will live up to their bougie name anywhere they are placed.
What in your opinion are the best candles available right now? Email us at hello@shopcatalog.com with your picks.
