An Exhaustive Candle Gift Guide for Absolutely Everyone in Your Life

Buying a scented candle as a holiday gift can seem like an easy slam dunk. How can you go wrong when you’re elevating a loved one’s space with a little bit of coziness and luxury? But because the world of scented candles is so large, blindly choosing a scent can easily veer into the unfortunate territory of "gift for an acquaintance you barely know" — the sort of gift that makes the receiver wonder, who does this person think I am? Why are they under the impression I would want a cookie-scented candle? What does this say about me? Am I projecting an image of the sort of person who would enjoy a sweet gourmand scent? Don’t they know me at all?!  

It’s quite precarious, as you can see. To help ease the journey, we’ve put together a few ultra-specific scented candle choices for a few of the ultra-specific people who might be on your list this year.

For the friend who can’t be pried from their "Feu de Bois" 

Like traipsing through the snow-covered forest toward a cabin where the fireplace is already roaring, this cozy candle will fulfill all of your friend’s "Feu de Bois" needs without being, no offense, so devastatingly basic. And after the candle is gone, the vessel can be reused as a glass tumbler. Can "Feu de Bois" say that?

Astier de Villatte candles make for great gifts; the vessels are generous and beautiful, and the scents always smell like a luxury. This one will scratch that wood fire itch, and elevate it with cozy clove, lavandin, myrrh, and "grandpa's cologne"-like elements.

Wood notes mix with amber, cinnamon, and clove here, for an all-winter scent that has a bonus hint of Santa coming down the chimney. 

For your witchy friend

Vyrao’s candles — our favorite is the birch tar and cedarwood-scented "Ember," meant to eliminate negative energy — are supercharged by the brand’s Quantum Energist. What does that mean? We don’t know, but your witchy friend might.

Notes of clove, ylang ylang, and vetiver say to your friend, I support your semi-new interest in all things woo-woo, and think you deserve something nice. 

A warming, budget-friendly (but still good) way to spread magickal vibes with palo santo, cypress bark, and incense.

For the friend whose home is intimidatingly stylish

This candle, from the endlessly creative Brooklyn studio Joya, smells the way a cashmere sweater feels, and its handmade porcelain vessel is stunning enough to be a gift in itself.

Can’t you see this candle fitting right in on your friend’s mantel that is so elegantly decorated it makes you feel ashamed of everything you own? The scent — hinoki, patchouli, pine — will linger appropriately among your friend’s carefully chosen objects, and the stoneware vessel can hold flowers after the candle evaporates.

Okay — how much do you like your friend, and are you rich? The price has to be requested on this black marble-held Italian citrus candle (and you know what that means) but if you have an endless supply of disposable wealth, hey, it might be worth it.

For your brother, who just needs something to help his apartment smell not-disgusting 

Honestly, I don’t trust your stinky brother with a candle. Luckily there are a number of great room spray options that will give the same scent-obscuring effect without the flame. This spicy lavender and tobacco-scented spray from Aesop is a great one.

This light and bright vetiver room spray from Brooklinen will give your brother’s apartment the freshness of a spring day. You might as well pick him up a new towel while you’re there, too; you know he needs one.

For the fancier brother, or for the brother whose style you’re trying to upgrade: L’Objet’s woodsy "Bois Sauvage." The bergamot and cyprus-scented spray won’t fail in elevating his space. 

This citrusy, woodsy spray also repels insects, in case that is also an issue in your brother’s apartment.

For your hard-to-please sister

With three classic Le Labo scents, and the ability to customize their labels, there has got to be something here that your sister won’t hate.

Does your sister love Denmark? Is she into outdoorsy scents in beautifully frosted vessels? Maybe this little gift set from sustainable Scandinavian brand Skandinavisk will do the trick.

If the idea of splurging on what might be the wrong Diptyque scent makes your bank account ache, this set of three of their most beloved creations is a safer bet.

This one even says sisters in the name!

For the cousin who can’t have candles in the house because she has kids and Little Billy’s been grabby lately

Officine Universelle Buly’s alabaster fragrance diffuser is probably the most interesting way to scent a small space. The porcelain box holds a porous sedimentary stone, which you douse with a few sprinkles of one of the brand’s perfume concentrates (in this case, the "Campagne d’Italie" scent, which has notes of grapefruit and sandalwood). The absorbent little miracle stone then politely scents your space for impressively long stretches–and won’t set your house on fire should a child knock it over.

The most covetable reed diffuser on the market, Trudon’s "Odalisque" will infuse any room with the intoxicating scent of soft orange blossom wrapped in vanilla — without a flame.

For the friend who’s going to want a holiday-season-appropriate scent

Coffee, chocolate, and fireplace scents combine here to evoke the perfect Christmas morning, and the vessel’s star-covered design will impart holiday cheer even if you dislike food-related scents.

Speaking of food-related scents, I think you might have to buy this one immediately.

For your significant other’s mom 

Like sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea in a peony and honeysuckle-stuffed garden, this beautiful candle screams, "you are my significant other’s mom and I am determined to get you to like me."

Obviously a great option if you know your significant other’s mom happens to garden, but a good one even if she doesn’t — with notes of wet grass, basil, and mint, combined with this beautiful vessel, she won’t be able to help but be charmed by your good taste.

This stunning candle is supposed to evoke the feeling of looking out onto New York City’s Central Park, and it does so with notes of cedar, cinnamon, and cognac. Is that what Central Park smells like? It’s not for us to know. It is simply for us to give to our significant other’s mom.

For the friend who’s so picky about scents that you’re better off just buying them candle accessories

My gosh, what is this, a fancy store? Keep your friend’s candles dust and pet-hair free while elevating their decor with a glass cloche.

 This electric lighter will no doubt inspire confusion at first (it’s very strange and maybe magic) but soon your friend won’t know how they ever lit a candle without it.

Okay, at $1,450 this one is a stretch, but damn — it’s so freaking cute, we had to include it.

 This wick trimmer and candle snuffer set from the Museum of Modern Art is chic, affordable, and necessary for prolonging the life of your candles.

Don’t underestimate the simple luxury of an extra-long matchstick.

God these are cute, and they would make a particularly nice gift when paired with Bougies la Francaise’s dripless (and scentless) taper candles.

Looking for something else? Check out the rest of our holiday gift guides here.

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