Lean forward and inhale. Yes I know this is online but if you’re lucky you might pick up something delicious. Smell that? Bit of mince pie served with a side of pine tree and dusted with cinnamon? That’s because I’ve been discovering some of the best of this season’s scented Christmas candles. And all of them are made with love by smaller UK based brands.
Scent is so evocative at the best of times, and particularly at Christmas, when pine and clove and gingerbread scents come curling out to greet the season. This is why I love a Christmas scented candle.
I want to show you three candles today. All of them are from small, independent UK brands of the sort that I hope you will consider supporting when you’re doing your Christmas shopping. All of the scents give great throw without being overpowering. In my opinion they’re just as good as a more well known brand such as Diptyque at about half the price.
All of them come in recyclable glass packaging, aren’t tested on animals and use vegan-friendly soy wax.
Laura Thomas
First up, from Scotland we have the Laura Thomas Classic Christmas Candle.
This beautifully presented, hand-poured candle comes tied with a sprig of Finnish moss. Inspired by the coastal area of North Berwick where the brand is based, it’s made with 100% soy wax and essential oils of Orange, Cinnamon, Cedarwood and Clove.
In 2017 it featureed in The Times as one of the best chemical free Christmas candles in the UK, and I can see and smell why they chose it. The scent reminds me a lot of mince pies. Not that I’ve succumbed to a mince pie yet this year but I’m definitely in the mood now.
The little candle you see here is the Mini Moss Christmas Candle. It weighs 120ml, has a burn time of 15 hours and retails at £12. The full size version of this candle weighs 8.5 oz and has a burn time of around 30 hours and is a real steal at £20. Either would make a lovely gift. Delivery is from £4. Check out the full Laura Thomas Christmas candle and gift range here.
ARK Skincare
Next up is the Nutmeg Cinnamon & Clove Luxury Home Candle from ARK Skincare. We’ve looked at ARK’s skincare range before, and this is part of their complementary candle range, to bring the spa atmosphere home.
ARK are from England (based in Haslemere and made in Leeds if you want to be satnav-precise about it). This is a lovely warm and spicy scent, combining nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, mixed with vanilla and spicy orange. Like the others it has good scent throw, and is probably the most delicate of the three. The cinnamon is the leading note; all in all it’s a delicious mix.
It’s hand poured in the U.K, weighs 7.4oz and has a burning time of around 50 hours. RRP £27. It’s also available as a travel version (RRP £15) if you are spending Christmas in a home that doesn’t smell as good as yours. Check out the full ARK candle range here. You’ll get 20% off your first order if you sign up for the ARK newsletter and delivery is free for orders over £45, from £3.95 otherwise.
Manchester Candles
And finally, from one of my favourite UK cities, it’s the Manchester Candles Frankincense & Myrrh Candle.
This is a beautifully evocative dark scent to take you through the winter, with notes of frankincense, tuberose, violets, myrrh and amber. It’s definitely the most highly scented of the three, to the extent that you can even smell it before it’s been lit. Brand owner Sarah hand pours these candles using the best quality oils and aims to pack in as much fragrance as the wax will hold.
It’s a generous 700g weight and has a burn time of around 40 hours. What a treat for £22. Buy one for a friend and two for yourself. Check out the full range of Manchester Candles Christmas Sets here.
Do you have a favourite scented Christmas candle? Or an independent candle maker you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment and let me know
*PR samples