Fragrance Holiday Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Best Holiday Candles and Gifts for the Home

December 13, 2017

Best Holiday Candles to Give as Gifts | The Beauty Look Book

I’m a die hard lover of home scents and good candles. They help change the mood of a room and during the holiday there are all kinds of great seasonal options to make the house smell like Christmas. I’ve rounded a few picks of what I think are the best holiday candles and gifts for the home. If you have any favorites you like to burn during the holiday season let me know in the comments below!

The holiday season would not be complete for me without Diptyque. I’ve bought the seasonal pine scent each year and this is the first year I’ve felt their pine is a bit different with a minty green touch to the scent. They have three seasonal candles with colored wax, a black jar in a cosmic theme with gold magical creatures on the exterior. It’s really just so beautiful! I bought the Cosmic Seasonal Candle Trio ($105 to $210). You can also find these individually although the orange one has pretty much sold out everywhere. Unicorn Frosted Forest Scented Candle is fir with a hint of mint and hinoki, Feu d’Argumes/Fiery Orange Dragon is a warm smoky orange clove and Larmes d’Encens/Incense Tears Phoenix with incense, cinnamon and myrrh. All three are phenomenal this year.

Diptyque Cosmic Seasonal Candle Trio | The Beauty Look Book

There is also the 10 piece Mini Candle Collection ($150) which makes for the ultimate luxury home gift. It’s the best way to sample a lot of Diptyque in a more affordable way than buying each one individually. Burn time is quick on these but it’s long enough to get a good sense of what they smell like when burned.

Diptyque 10 Piece Mini Candle Collection

Antica Farmacista has some of the most elegant holiday sets. I just discovered them last year and love their diffusers. After writing about them last holiday I discovered that many of you have loved this line for years! Their Silver Cedar is a holiday release this year and it has everything I love for holidays: cypress, sandalwood, spruce and juniper in the most elegant combination ever. They’ve also brought back the Champagne Black Label which is the best sparkling sweet champagne scent I’ve ever tried. I have used this in the candle, room spray and diffuser and love it. All of their gift options here. You can find products directly from their website Antica Farmacista and also at Nordstrom. Shown below is the 100 ml Diffuser Trio ($64) with Silver Cedar, Champagne Black Label and Sandalwood Amber and their Candle Set with Silver Cedar, Champagne Black Label ($98) and a gorgeous wick trimmer. The diffusers are perfect for the guest bathrooms! They come beautifully boxed.

Antica Farmacista Diffuser Trio and Candle Set Holiday 2017

This year they also launched a gorgeous 12 Days of Antica Calendar ($175) with deluxe sized minis of their candles, diffusers, body products and a wick trimmer as well. I can’t think of a better luxury home gift than this set.

Antica Farmacista 12 Days of Antica

Molton Brown is also another favorite line. My favorite scent for any time of year is the Coco and Sandalwood 3 Wick Candle and Home and Linen Mist, but for the holiday they always have fun limited-edition launches. I was able to try the Vintage With Elderflower Candle and it’s such a lovely sweet holiday scent. It has grapefruit, mandarin, elderflower, petigrain, coriander, vetiver and ambergris. If you like something on the sweet side but not candy sweet this is a beautiful sweet citrus option. I’ve been burning it for the past few hours as I’ve been putting this post together and it’s definitely lifted my mood with a bit of energy. Other holiday scent options on their website as well including Fabled Juniper Berries and Lapp Pine along with their classic Festive Frankincense and Allspice.

Molton Brown Vintage Elderflower Candle Holiday 2017

That wraps up this year’s holiday gift guide for the best candles I’ve found. There are tons of great options and individual options from so many brands. I find that my top three brands year over year are Diptyque and Molton Brown, and Antica Farmacista has been added to the mix. If you’re looking for more affordable holiday options that still have amazing throw with a luxury vibe, Nest is a great line to check out. I also really like the Henri Bendel candles as well. One that isn’t new is Cire Trudon Ernesto which is probably the best luxury scent for the home, my husband smelled it for the first time right when we moved to Florida and said “that’s what we should burn all the time.” It really is phenomenal and I need to repurchase it at some point soon. There are a number of new ones out for holiday which I was really tempted to order, but given the price and the fact that I’m not that familiar with the entire line, I feel like they are something I need to smell first before buying – especially since part of me thinks it might not get better than Ernesto. I usually include something from Jo Malone and I do think their Pine and Eucalyptus Candle is a classic. This year they have a gorgeous one with a green label for holiday. I was debating whether or not to buy it (I usually do every year) but with the Florida sunshine combined with our travels this month I wasn’t sure I would have time to burn it before Christmas and I usually feel pine is best done in November/December. I skipped it this year.

What are your favorite holiday scents to burn? Other gift guides below:

Best Luxury Holiday Candles (2016 edition)

Gifts for the Guys

Gifts for the Girls Who Have Everything

Best Travel Beauty Cases

Beauty Gifts Under $50

NARS Man x Ray

MAC Snowball

Tatcha Holiday Gift Sets

 

P.S. Don’t forget to check out this week’s giveaway! You can also enter via the Rafflecopter Widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Press samples featured from Molton Brown and Antica Farmacista.

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  • Yourbeautypantry December 13, 2017 at 8:56 am

    These look good and aestheticaly pleasing. I need some candles.

    http://www.yourbeautypantry.com

  • Khalil Tahrer December 13, 2017 at 10:11 am

    After following your blog I’ve become a HUGE fan of candles. I burn them all the time and love it!

  • satelliteoflove December 13, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Man, I was sooooo disappointed in the spicy, and incense versions this year. I bought both full sets (2.4 and 6.5), as soon as they were available, and I get almost no throw off off the dragons, and the phoenixes. The unicorn image is my favorite, but the pine scent is always my least favorite every year, and of course…that one is crazy strong. I SO wish they would have gone back to the 2014 Epice scent, for the red candle. Boy, that one had a massive throw! Last year’s incense candle had pretty amazing throw, as well.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:54 pm

      Awww so sad you’re bummed with this years! I get really good throw from the holiday ones but they can be hit or miss.

  • Kierra Lee December 13, 2017 at 11:16 am

    You should try some of the candles from Anthropologie!

    Xx
    http://Www.Inthegreyonline.Com

  • Panna December 13, 2017 at 11:18 am

    Sabrina, you have the best photos and posts! Thanks for the time and effort you put into this blog, thanks for another great year of beauty!

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:53 pm

      Thank you Panna – you’re so sweet to say this.

  • Mariya December 13, 2017 at 11:38 am

    I’m a sucker for candles!

    x Mariya

    http://www.brunetteondemand.com

  • Shilpa Shetty December 13, 2017 at 11:46 am

    I love candles,.. Especially after becoming pregnant I have literary addicted to candles,.. It soothes my depressed and tensed soul,.. Its like a therapy for me,..

  • Shelleyeatz December 13, 2017 at 11:58 am

    Diptyque wins in my book!

  • Jessica December 13, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    That mini set looks amazing. I love a new set of candles during Christmas.

  • Sandy D December 13, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    thank you for introducing me to Antica Farmacista!

  • NK December 13, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    I bought my first cire trudon candles because of one of your previous posts. I AM OBSESSED. I also want to expand and try new scents but they are so expensive. Maybe I’ll ask for one as a gift 😉

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm

      Ooooh which Cire Trudon did you buy? They’re just OUT of this world amazing!

      • NK December 15, 2017 at 9:19 am

        I got the Abd El Kader scent. It’s unlike anything I have experienced before. It’s a mix of tobacco and mint and smells like heaven. I noticed if I buy the candles from Cult Beauty, they tend to be a teeny bit cheaper once they remove VAT!

  • C. Dang December 13, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    Love this post on different candles plus as always great photos!

  • lauraz17 December 13, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    Love your choice of candles and gifts for the home, great list to choose from! My all time favorite home scent is from Antica Farmacista in Santorini. I have the diffuser and always stock up on the hand soaps when they are on sale at Nordstrom for my powder room. It’s a fresh unisex fragrance that I never grow tired of!

  • Amanda Jimenez December 13, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    Great post! I really love the candles from Fresh. The citron de vigne, cannabis santal, fresh life and hesperides grapefruit are my favorites. I also like the DW home candles since they are more affordable but they burn so quickly.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:52 pm

      I think I’ve burned a few Fresh candles but they’re so spendy!

  • Jaynie Shannon December 13, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    I love candles so much! This is like a candle heaven go to guide haha!

    Jaynie Shannon*

    xx

  • lawler December 13, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    I like Woodwick candles during the holidays. The green one (fir perhaps?) is heavenly. The crackle sound is so soothing.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      Oooh candles that crackle? That sounds really fun!

  • Yannely Salinas December 13, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    That Diptyque candle set is a dream!!

  • roxymisha December 13, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    Voluspa has a beautiful champagne fragrant candle which you may or may not have tried.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      I haven’t tried that line before! Will have to look into it, thx for the rec 🙂

  • Grace k December 13, 2017 at 10:41 pm

    I love Antica Farmacista’s diffusers too. I think my favorite candle is Nest’s Grapefruit Candle. I even saw that they came out with a liquidless diffuser, although I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. A diffuser with all of the scent but none of the mess? Yes please!

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:50 pm

      I don’t mind candles, but yes diffusers are really convenient!

  • Cadie Campbell December 13, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    One of my favorite holiday candles is winter by the white company, so festive!

  • Justine December 14, 2017 at 1:31 am

    I am recently getting into candles, but because it’s so cold for so long in Calgary I tend to burn citrus-y, summer-y scents! I’m really liking Verbena from Diptyque, but I also like the soy candles from Coal & Canary, which have a wooden wick.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:50 pm

      Verveine? If yes, love that one!

  • Candice Petersen December 14, 2017 at 2:31 am

    Everything looks so cool! Who doesn’t love a good scented candle

    Candice | Beauty Candy Loves

  • nic December 14, 2017 at 10:15 am

    I should have NEVER followed this blog either! But, I always wanted to try Diptyque and now can not stop wanting every luxe line and home scent. Those Bendel’s are nice. I remember when Bath & Body Works carried them. They may still, I just have not been in one in that long.

  • Christina December 14, 2017 at 11:54 am

    I bought the Diptyque holiday collection as well, and they’re so, so, so beautiful! I am tempted to buy another set as a holiday gift to a family member!

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:49 pm

      Nice! I bought the trio as gifts this year for a lot of friends.

  • Thyya Wan December 14, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Would so love to splurge on Dyptique! One day … I hope!

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:49 pm

      Took me months of contemplating before I bought my first ones!

  • Susan K December 14, 2017 at 3:46 pm

    I always love having a citrus scented candle burning.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:49 pm

      Ooooohhh – please let me know what your fav citrus ones are!

      • roxymisha December 15, 2017 at 12:41 am

        Yes please as I love citrus fragrances.

      • Susan K December 15, 2017 at 3:35 pm

        Bliss had these lemon verbena candles, but sadly they are no longer on their websites. Should have stocked up!

  • Deborah Hayes December 14, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    I love terrific smelling candles and these recommendations sound wonderful. I would love to try the Dyptique candles someday soon!

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:48 pm

      I hope you can try one soon too! If you can visit a store they are really beautiful!

  • Stephanie December 14, 2017 at 7:11 pm

    All of these candles are so gorgeous! This reminds me that I just ran out of Dyptique candles and I can leave some hints to get more…. 😉

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:48 pm

      Yess!! Send lots and lots of hints!

  • resham sen December 14, 2017 at 7:31 pm

    I have only one Diptyque candle.. but i love Anthropology candles a lot.

    • BeautyLookBook December 14, 2017 at 10:48 pm

      Oooh, I’ve never tried those before!

  • Jeanie M. December 15, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    I love to burn candles but I am always afraid my cat is going to get to close to them and knock them off the table.

  • Hayley Choe December 15, 2017 at 11:14 pm

    I hope you try the Cire Trudon Lumiere one. It is amazing.

  • Gail A December 16, 2017 at 4:50 pm

    Love all these..bought 2 of the diptyque. ❤️

  • Tessa December 16, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    I’m loving the colored wax on the Diptique holiday collection this year. Lovely and elegant!

  • msh111 December 21, 2017 at 9:38 am

    I just happened to be at the right place at the right time yesterday and found the last Fiery Orange candle at my Nordstrom’s!
    Psyched! They had only one Evergreen large candle too which is a pretty common scent in candles for the holiday thus I passed.
    Good thing they didn’t have the blue incense scent or I would have probably bought that as well.
    Loving the Orange! Love the orange wax too!
    You, Sabrina, are responsible for introducing me to Dyptique and yes it took me months to take the plunge but they are so worth the splurge.