With holidays fast approaching and temperatures steadily declining, it’s the perfect time to stay cozy indoors…and to start thinking about gift ideas.
For the aesthetically-obsessed, a chic scented candle is always a good present, though beware of anything that borders on kitschy or that is sold at a grocery. As in, avoid anything that resembles that SNL skit with Emma Stone. Instead, look at these delightful holidays creations that brands like Tom Ford and Diptyque have specially crafted this season. No matter how picky your most finicky friend may be, one of these seven candles will be the perfect present…though we’re pretty sure you’ll want to keep at least one of these delicious scents for yourself, too.
Tom Ford Private Blend Candles
This recently released collection is pure luxury, and perfect for your fashion-obsessed friends. The candles are created using a blend of mineral and soy wax, with premium concentrations of six of the brand’s signature fragrances—it comes in Neroli Portofino, Café Rose, White Suede, Tobacco Vanille, Oud Wood and Tuscan Leather, so there’s a scent for everyone. Plus, they’re lovely to look at—each candle is encased in a sleek brown glass, with a specially designed cover that will not only hold it while it’s burning, but also protects it from any unsightly dust when one inevitably decides to continue displaying it.
$250, Tomford.com
Diptyque Baies Limited Edition Deluxe Holiday Candle
The beloved French brand always brings their holiday A game, with an entire collection of wintery scents in cheerful celebration-ready packaging. In our opinion, the pièce de résistance of Diptyque’s 2016 holiday collection this year is this limited edition deluxe candle in one of their most popular scents, Baies—a blend of roses and black currant leaves. The 1500-g candle is encased in a massive black enamel pot, which is adorned with holiday-ready gold stars, for the first time.
$350, Diptyqueparis.com
John Hardy X Joya Sedap Malam Candle
John Hardy is best known for their handcrafted, made-in-Bali jewelry, but the brand teamed up with Brooklyn-based perfumer Joya to release a signature candle for the holiday season. Naturally, it’s inspired by the gardens and temples around John Hardy’s Bali workshop, with scents of tuberose, jasmine and sandalwood. The handcrafted jar is made from reclaimed clay, and hand-painted with a 22-karat gold rim so that once you’ve burned the candle all the way through, you can repurpose the container as a jewelry bowl.
$90, Johnhardy.com
EB Florals Four-Wick Candle:
For the friend who burns through candles in an instant, consider this 4-wick creation that celebrity florist and perfumer Eric Buterbaugh of EB Florals has just launched. It’s hand-poured in Los Angeles, with a special type of wax to ensure an even burn. It seems worth it—the brand promises that the candle will burn for an impressive 120 hours. The inside of the vessel is coated in gold, so the flames reflect to create the brightest glow possible. It comes in three scents; rose, jasmine and lavender.
$295, Bergdorf Goodman
Ex Nihilo Lait d’Épices
For the Francophiles in your life, there’s Ex Nihilo’s new holiday candle. The “alternative” Parisian brand created a scent dubbed “Lait d’Épices,” which is intended to be reminiscent and celebratory of the sweetness and spirit of the holiday season—more specifically, a nostalgic sense of an “American holiday in Paris,” which translates to a blended mixture of hazelnut, milk, cinnamon, tonka bean and vanilla.
$75, Bergdorf Goodman
Jo Malone Orange Bitters Christmas Candle
One might not think to associate the citrusy scent of orange bitters with Christmas, but the aroma of Jo Malone London’s limited edition candle will definitely make you reassess. The brand’s ceramic Orange Bitters Christmas Candle radiates a comforting scent that is a blend of orange, mandarin and bitter orange, which combines with a sandalwood base, for a very holiday-ready fragrance.
$205, Jomalone.com
Starling Project Candle
These candles from Starling Project are not only a lovely gift, but also a chance to give back during the holidays. The sale of each candle provides an under-resourced community with solar energy, through organizations like UNICEF. The candles feature American glass and cotton wicks, and are hand-poured in Brooklyn using a custom blend of soy-based wax and all-natural, essential oil-based ingredients. In keeping with the brand’s humanitarian ethos, all the ingredients are sourced from cruelty-free vendors. Plus, it comes in four yummy scents: Juniper + Safron, Vanilla + Hemlock, Orange Flower + Amber and Current + Rosewood.
$55, Starlingproject.com and Khirma New York
