Strike a match and allow yourself to be transported from springtime in Sweden to smoky Sussex woods with the help of these sublime scented candles.
08 February, 2022
As the most powerful human sense, smell has the ability to transport us in the most visceral way - both back in time and to distant shores. Not a lot conjures a stronger sense of place and comfort than a scented candle, so we're looking to these small but mighty wax-filled vessels as a way to holiday from home. Whether you want to go back to your first childhood holiday on the beach or the pine-scented forests of your last trip to the mountains, settle in for some self-care with these travel-inspired candles.
Best for: a burst of Swedish springtime
Inspired by the green, crisp scent of Swedish springtime, Never Spring was conceived to encapsulate the feeling of longing for a spring that never seems to arrive. With notes of lemon and cedarwood, this calming candle will fast-track you straight to the heady delights of a Swedish woodland.
Best for: a trip to Regency-era London
We've never come across a scent that does what it says on the tin quite so precisely as this one. As its name would suggest, this candle was inspired by Henry's Townhouse - a Regency-era London address full of leather-bound books and high-society sophistication - all translated through top notes of fiery pepper and eucalyptus, opening onto a heady heart of iris and musky sandalwood.
Best for: a sense of inner stillness
It's the atmosphere in its properties that sets Aman - the needs-no-introduction luxury hotel group - apart from the rest. Adept at crafting emotion through physical design, Aman now has its own line of candles, fragrances and skincare, with each product having been created to ground, nourish or purify. We've chosen the Grounding option for its heady hit of ginger and jasmine layered over woody sandalwood, which is perfect for bringing about stillness, focus and reconnection.
Best for: smoky Sussex celebrations
Manufactured in France by cult traditional candlemaker Cire Trudon, this artisanal candle from Vampire's Wife takes inspiration from the brand's founding hometown of Lewes. The East Sussex creative hub is home to the world's largest annual Guy Fawkes night celebration, earning it the nickname "bonfire capital of the world". Smoky leather and cedar layered over notes of tobacco, resin and exotic herbs will whisk you straight to the hearth of a warm, crackling fire. Marshmallows, optional.
Best for: tropical transportation
If sand, suntan lotion and the sea could all be bottled into one scent, Heidi Klein's Coconut Beach candle would be it. Combining the tropical extravagance of exotic fruits with island flowers and aquatic notes, this intense cocktail will air-lift you straight to your favourite island paradise - coconut in hand.
Best for: Greek summer in a jar
Each of Earl of East's refreshingly pared-back aromas has been crafted with a certain place in mind, with the brand's fragrance formulators travelling to each destination themselves in order to drink up its olfactory atmosphere to the full. Crafted after a hot, rural summer in Greece, the Greenhouse candle combines a rich blend of vine tomato, parsley seed and basil to evoke the wild gardens and shimmering waters of the Mediterranean.
Best for: a breath of botanical fresh air
Dreamed up on a stroll through Kew Gardens, when Jonathan Anderson (founder of British fashion label JW Anderson and the creative director of LOEWE) was inspired by the London garden's heady mix of aromas, each candle in this collection has been formulated to evoke Kew's famous backyard. Our pick is the baby-blue iteration, Cypress Balls, for its fresh, musky tones and dreamy pastel-hued, keep-forever ceramic vessel.
Best for: a spiritual journey to South America
Paying olfactory homage to the deeply spiritual South American scent of palo santo, this variation on a theme from our favourite fine fragrance brand Le Labo softens the wood's distinctive raw aroma with warm cedarwood, resinous labdanum, incense and patchouli. Light this candle's wick to clear negativity and usher in the spirit of South America.
