If there's a reason, a season, or a time for candles, it's Christmas – and with Black Friday sales underway, there's no time to waste.
I trained and qualified as a Master Perfumer five years ago and learnt a lot about scent and candles. Whilst some designer discounts might look appealing, don't be duped by the price. There are lots of brands that charge high prices for poor quality, so it's important to choose your cozy candles carefully.
I've written our buying guide for the best candles, but have put lots of extra time into scouring all the Black Friday sales, checking credentials, even testing out a number of these myself.
These are all top-quality candles available at a fraction of their normal retail price. Nothing smells better than a Christmas candle, except the ones that you bought in the Black Friday sales.
The best Christmas Candle discounts this Black Friday
Was $42, now $31.50 at The White Company with the code WHITE25
This is my favorite Christmas candle of all time. It's available in a range of sizes, but buy this big. Not because it burns quickly, but because it's so beautiful. Cinnamon, clove, and orange are at the heart of this warming, but not sickly candle. I also love their green Fir Tree candle and smoky Firesideone: they're winter staples.
Was $45, now $35 at Amazon
If you like your Christmas candles to come with a dash of sustainability, you'll love the whole Skandinavisk range. Their spiced, warming Hygge candle is in our best candles buying guide and, whilst it would be great for Christmas, Skog offers some freshness to the festive season. The sharp pine notes smell like a fresh Christmas tree. When you've used all the candle up, you can buy a re-fill for the jar.
Was $82, now $76 at Nordstrom
It was love at first sniff with this candle. Whilst orange isn't tied to any season, Jo Malone has added notes of vetiver, sandalwood, and amber giving the candle some sharp, warming, and woody notes too. If that's not seasonal enough, the candle snuffer comes with a candy cane bow on top too. If you want to take one more step into Christmas, their Ginger Biscuit candle is incredible too.
Was $243.75, now 239.75 at Bamford
Crafted from rapeseed, carnauba, and beeswax, this beautiful candle is part of Bamford's limited edition Christmas range. There are more overtly seasonal scents in their collection, but I love how subtle this is. The geranium, eucalyptus, and lavender have spa-like notes, but with a dash of peppermint, it smells both seasonal and light.
Was $119 ,now $108.90 at Harrods
D'Orsay don't call this a Christmas candle, because it isn't. You could burn this all year round, but it's the one I would reach for in dark, cold evenings. The rich blend of birch wood, and incense, is lifted by notes of light, Moroccan rose. Lots of people say that this evokes memories of evenings by the fire – if that's not Christmas to you, I recommend using this candle to put that right.
Was $57, now $42.70 at Nordstrom
Another rich and cozy candle, this feels like quality, but is still reasonably priced. The scent is leather-based, with an intoxicatingly strong scent, but rather than getting too heady, it is balanced with some warm, soft sandalwood and tonka bean notes too. It's warning, unisex, and utterly beautiful.
Was $15.55, now $10 at Amazon
If I bottled up Christmas and infused it a candle, this is what I would smell. NEOM have blended thirteen different pure essential oils into this mix, but if you take one breath in, you'll get mostly mandarin and cinnamon. If there's ever a candle that's comforting, it's this.
Was $144, now $129 at Amazon
This was one of Oprah's favorite things back in 2022. Snif's punnily named 'Old Saint Wick' leans in to all things festive with notes of Siberian pine and fir balsam. It's packs a fresh and herbal punch with notes of rosemary and sandalwood. It's woody, fresh, and the perfect scent to enjoy all-year-round.
Was $34.99, now $29.75 at Amazon
A talking point for any party, this candle isn't quite like any others. You can choose any vessel in your home and then pour these wax pearls into it. Light the wick and you've made your own candle. These 'yummy yule' pearls smell like sweet baked cinnamon buns, but there's festive fur and mulled magic line too.
Was $190, now $142.50 at Bloomingdale's
This looks and smells like the essence of Christmas. Packed with pine, cloves, cinnamon, orange, and amber, is a candle to burn all day long, It's cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, and available in a range of sizes, so you can stack the whole collection together on a mantle if you want a super strong scent.
Was $54.99, now $49.54 at Amazon
For a minimalistic candle which maximises on scent, Aerangis is always a reliable option. All their candles are allergen-free, cruelty-free, and eco-conscious. They describe the Silver Skyline scent as 'winter citrus and fir balsam'. In reality, it's a warm and citrus candle that will burn for well over 80 hours.
Was $46, now $34.50 at Amazon
Apotheke's candles are an indulgence. The rich blend of wild fig, amber, neroli, cashmere wood is earthy, warming, and sweet. This is slow to burn, but has a strong scent, so you'll be able to burn it little and often through the festive season. Although, I'd happily use this all year round.
Was $48, now $36 at Nordstrom
Boy Smells candles are everywhere and I'm expecting to see them in even more places this Christmas. The metallic silver jar only adds to the festive spirit and notes of ginger, saffron, coffee, and patchouli are aromatic and warming. It won't feel like a luxury candle, but it's nicer than the average one from the store.
Was $85, now $68 at Bellini's
Carrière Frères makes beautiful candles, on the outside and the inside. This botanical vessel looks very traditional and the neutral green colors are perfect for festive interiors. The classic pine and spicy ginger notes are everything you'll want to smell this Christmas.
Was $108, now $91.80 at Saks
I bought this candle last year and burned it almost every day. The glass jar got loads of comments for its cute and classy Christmas aesthetic. As you might expect from the bright, green color, this is intensely fresh and piney. If you love the smell of Christmas trees, you will love the invigorating scent of this, plus it has some eucalyptus and clove notes for a little balance.
Was $45, now $40 at Literie
I've heard and seen so much about this candle and I really want to try it for myself. Literie says that it smells like 'flannel shirts, cozy socks, crisp air, and s'mores'. Reviews all agree that it has an intangibly cozy scent, reminiscent of fire pits and crunchy leaves.
Other winter fragrance Black Friday discounts
If you have pets or young Children and don’t like the idea of an open flame, there are plenty of other options that will deliver your perfect Christmas scent in another way. From essential oils to room sprays, there’s a lot to browse, but these are my favorites.
Was $45, now $33 at The White Company with the code WHITE25
I don’t like to repeat myself too much, but The White Company’s Christmas is amazing. Bursting with warming, fruity, and spicy notes it’s everything you need to bring Christmas home.
Was $14.99, now $12.99 at Nikura
These essential oils are beautiful and they won’t break the bank either. Their limited edition Christmas range is stunning. I’ve smelt them all and this is Christmas in a bottle. Use it to make your own candles or in an essential oil diffuser.
Was $31.99, now $26.49 at Amazon
This doesn’t tend to hang around in the air, so I would recommend spraying your cushions and drapes, or any fabric around your home with this. Then, when these fabrics move you’ll have this crisp, sweet smell surrounding you.
FAQs
What are classic Christmas scents?
The most iconic Christmas scents tend to fall into two categories. One is warming and spiced, with notes of orange, clove, cinnamon and sometimes sandalwood. The other tends to be sharp and green, making use of the iconic Christmas tree, this will be dominant in pine, but sometimes with notes of eucalyptus and mint.
Are Christmas candles worth it?
Absolutely - Christmas is a time when creating a cozy atmosphere inside is important. These candles don’t just have to be burned on the day. Most will smell delicious all Fall and winter long.
Final thoughts
I don’t find it hard to invest in quality candles, because I’ve smelt and seen the difference that a few dollars can make. However, is a high price tag is something you struggle to justify, Black Friday candle sales are the best time to treat yourself. The whole house will thank you.
