Looking for the best candles to get your home smelling extra festive, or to give as gifts at Christmas? Beauty editor – and fragrance expert – Laura Mulley picks her favourites
I think scented candles are one of the best Christmas gift ideas to give, especially for that person who has everything; they make the home smell great, add a cosy atmosphere, and are a luxurious treat that they probably wouldn’t buy themselves.
I’ve gone through hundreds of scented candles in my life and have dozens on standby – you could say I hoard them – and now, having burned all of my cosy autumn candles, I’m reaching for festive scents in the lead up to the big day and beyond; think notes of rich spices, fresh pine and seasonal citrus fruits, ideally housed in a jar that’s a little bit special or sparkly. Here’s my pick of the best Christmas candles for all budgets…
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11 best Christmas candles for 2025
Yankee Candle Holiday Winterfest Signature Large Jar
Currently £23.99 from Debenhams (usual price £29.99) – or £22.79 with the code BEAUTY5
For value for money, you can’t go wrong with a Yankee Candle – and Debenhams is one of the best places to buy them at the moment, as they’re usually on sale. I don’t always love every single one they launch (some are very sweet, and some don’t throw out a lot of fragrance into the room), but Holiday Winterfest is my favourite from this year’s holiday collection; inspired by a ski lodge, it’s crisp, fresh and green with notes of pine, citrus and herbs.
NEOM Sparkling Joy Scented Candle (3 Wick)
£58 from NEOM
NEOM’s candles are one of my top choices for giving as gifts: they look very chic, have fragrances made from essential oils rather than artificial ingredients and, I think, are good value for money for the amount of scent you get from them.
The spa-like Sparkling Joy is an energising and spicy blend of ginger, lime and vetiver, perfect for when the 3pm slump hits. This three wick-er has the wow factor, but there’s also a one-wick (£40) and travel candle (£21) in the Sparkling Joy range.
Diptyque Sapin Candle
£72 from Space NK
Luxuriously packaged and with instantly recognisable fragrances, scented candles don’t come much better than Diptyque’s, and I defy you to find anyone who wouldn’t be blown away to receive this as a Christmas present. Sapin – a fresh, earthy, pine tree scent – is one of the brand’s most popular at Christmas every year, and you’ll smell it as soon as you open the box.
This year’s design is one of the best I’ve ever seen, in a dazzling gold and white jar that you’ll want to keep forever.
Yankee Candle Christmas 2024 Signature WOW Gift Set
Now £19.50 from Debenhams (usual price £50) – or £18.52 with the code BEAUTY5
Another Yankee Candle idea, but here’s a way to get seven different ones for less than £20. My exact gift set pictured is no longer available but I’ve found an even better deal: this gift set usually costs £50 but is currently down to £18.52 at Debenhams when you use the code BEAUTY5. This means that each product inside – one medium jar, three filled votives and three wax melts – could technically be valued at £2.65. White Spruce & Grapefruit is a lovely fresh, zingy scent, while Black Cherry and Christmas Cookie are perfect for those who love gourmands.
The White Company Winter Mercury Luxury Candle
£40 from LookFantastic
For a candle that looks as good as it smells, go for this chic White Company option (the one pictured here is the small votive, but it’s the 340g candle that’s still available. The strength of its scent is impressive, smelling exactly like mulled wine tastes: warming, spicy, lightly fruity. Once it’s burned down, clean it out and use it as a tea light holder.
M&S x Kelly HoppenChristmas Joy 2 Wick Jar Candle
£15 from Marks & Spencer
One for lovers of interior design (and a great gift for men who like scented candles too), this two-wick candle from the high street store’s collab with Kelly Hoppen instantly adds a touch of cool to any indoor space, and looks much more expensive that it is.
The scent inside is an elegant yet undeniably Christmassy concoction of mulled spices, pine and cedarwood. Carefully remove the wax once it’s burned down and use the black and gold ceramic vessel as a trinket pot for years to come.
Liz Earle Bergamot & Cardamom Botanical Candle
Now £22.50 from Liz Earle (usual price £30)
Want a candle that’ll see you through the festive period and into spring? This Liz Earle offering is the one for you. Its design is refreshingly spangle-free for a Christmas candle, and its subtle spicy scent smells as fresh as it does festive.
Space NK Shimmering Spice Scented Candle
£28 from Space NK
High up on many a beauty editor’s Christmas wish list every year, Space NK’s stunning Shimmering Spice candle has acquired cult status with its notes of cinnamon, cedar and all spice, and this is 2025’s design. I think this 190g one wick-er is good value compared to many others, but it’s also available in 75g (£18) and 420g (£42).
Jo Malone London Pine & Eucalyptus Scented Candle
£59 from Lookfantastic
Another gorgeous gift idea that’s guaranteed to delight, and a slightly cheaper option to the Diptyque one. Described by one customer as smelling like “a cold forest of Christmas trees covered in snow”, this subtle scent is an aromatic and green fragrance that brings the scent of the outdoors into your home.
WoodWick Sparkling Pomelo ScentedCandle
Now £19.99 from Amazon (usual price £29.99)
Sister brand of Yankee’s, WoodWick candles feature the added excitement of a cracking wick, replicating the sound of a real log fire (just maybe don’t light it if you’re watching an especially quiet TV show!). This 2025 Christmas scent smells exactly like a glass of Buck’s fizz on Christmas morning, crisp and zingy.
Lords Abernethy Forest Winter 3 Wick Candle
£65 from Lords
This lovely home fragrance brand is a fairly new discovery to me, and I’ve fallen in love with its scents inspired by locations around the world – including Abernethy Forest in Scotland, with notes of pine needle, cedarwood, eucalyptus, patchouli, peppermint, lavandin and fir balsam.
