The very best candles wield the power to make you feel like everything is fine — just like our favorite meme or rewatching BTS’s In the Soop for the millionth time. With every whiff of a palm breeze or a peony bloom, candles cover up mystery smells and mask that failed cooking experiment that may or may not have ruined the bottom of your pot. (Do you remember a time where nobody was baking banana bread?)
Regardless, lighting a candle is one of our favorite ways to practice self-care during these stressful COVID-19 times – while we sit on the couch and dive into a book, scroll through TikTok, soak the stress away in a much-needed bath, or spend hours on end playing Animal Crossing. And if we enjoy the company of a good candle, it will also make for the perfect gift. Even Bella Hadid has her place decked out with quirky ones!
No matter how your friends and loved ones decide to spend their time, a candle — whether it’s oddly shaped or soothingly scented — is a simple yet thoughtful gift. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best candles to help make their (and your) space feel that much more cozy and comfortable.
Best Fun-Shaped Candles
Totem Candle
Bella Hadid-approved, these fun totem shaped candles will look great on any perfectly curated bookshelf. They come in various colors so the possibilities are nearly endless!
Color Drip Candlestick Set
At first, these candles seem quite normal but once you light them up it’s when the fun begins. They drip and melt in fun colors, making this the perfect gift for that friend who doesn’t mind getting a little messy!
Color Drip Candlestick Set
Wick and Wax Works Bubble Cube Candle
As much as you’d like to bit into these candles, we advise otherwise. But don’t they look delicious?
Wick and Wax Works Bubble Cube Candle
Ri-Ri-Ku Yin Yang Candle
This ying-yang candle is the perfect gift for the Gemini in your life.
Best Under $40
P.F. Candle Co. Sandalwood Rose
I burned this soy candle a ton in college (don’t tell my R.A.) whenever I had a lot of reading to do. The warm coastal and earthy scents and the fact that they are made in Los Angeles really remind me of home, especially during a time when that feels further away than ever.
P.F. Candle Co. Amber Jar 12 oz Soy Candle
Boy Smells x Ganni Park Life Scented Candle
We all miss the great outdoors; even if that means just walking around the city to meet friends or just being outdoors without the pandemic haunting you. That’s why this park life scented candle is the best to gift for that person who made the most of the park during summers.
Boy Smells x Ganni Park Life Scented Candle
Shrine Topiary Scented Candle
If you don’t have a green thumb, this is the candle for you. Its fresh, floral, and leafy scent will be enough to fill in your apartment and masquerade the sad reality of all your struggling plants.
Shrine Topiary Scented Candle
Mala Brand Cereal Candle
If you love cereal (of any kind!) then you’ll love this candle. Beware: Don’t light it when you don’t have any milk left because its subtle but sweet scent will leave you craving a bowl.
Otherland Canopy Scented Candle
Otherland candles are always in the prettiest jars so even when I’m not burning one, I love having them on my bookshelf. This one is part of its core collection so you know it’s good. It’s also one of my favorites thanks to those summer scents that have me dreaming of endless days in the park snacking on figs.
Opalhouse Coastal Linen Candle
Despite the name, this candle has more citrus and lavender notes than linen. It smells like Southern California personified and for $10 and 50 hours of burn time, I can light it day after day and not feel bad.
Opalhouse Lidded Glass Jar 2-Wick Candle Coastal Linen
Capri Blue Volcano Candle
This is that iconic Anthropologie soy candle scent that you are definitely familiar with even if you have only ever walked by the store. The fresh citrusy scents will practically give you that dose of vitamin C that you have been missing.
Capri Blue Iridescent Jar Candle
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Candle
This candle has similar notes to Le Labo’s Santal 26 but it’s only about half the price, so it was definitely worth a little test for my curious nose. It is subtle and a good choice for someone who needs a candle that is not too overpowering.
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Candle
Best Candles Worth the $$$
Le Labo Santal 26 Candle
Is this a status candle? Is it basic for me to like it? Well, I do not care! I love this scent and it is always a treat when I run into someone wearing the perfume version, so why not bring those delicious smells into my home? It is cheaper than the perfume anyway, and because my apartment is so small, burning it will basically have the same effect, right? Right.
Le Labo Santal 26 Classic Candle
Diptyque Baies/Berries Candle
BTS’s V and Halsey both love this candle and rightfully so. This combo of roses and berry might be one of the best candles in the game, and the hardest part is not burning it all at once. It is a little on the higher end for a candle but we all deserve a treat.
Diptyque Baies Berries Candle
Byredo Burning Rose Candle
My first introduction to this candle was at the first Glossier showroom in New York. So even if you have never been, picture their whole persona put into smell. This one is like the graduated version of the P.F. Candle highlighted above as it has those rose petal notes without being too feminine while also being woodsy.
Byredo Burning Rose Candle
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