These 15 Best Candle Brands Will Instantly Enhance Your Life

I live and die by this candle, this scent, this brand. If I'm being really real, I diiiid think about gatekeeping, but y'all really need this company In! Your! Life! Golden Gems is a St. Louis, Missouri-based boutique with finds so good, your credit card will be thanking you for swiping it. They have a fabulous apothecary line (all created in-house!) full of perfumes, room and linen sprays, and ofc, candles. I'm fully obsessed with this Rebel scent and how they perfectly blended rose, plum, and pepper, but you literally can't go wrong with any of the fragrance options.

My first encounter with this Charleston, South Carolina brand was for a promotion and a milestone birthday. So, I highly recommend skipping a congratulatory bottle of bubbly and instead taking the fun, unexpected route and opting for a candle from their cocktail collection—aka scents evoking a Cosmopolitan, French 75, Paloma, Gin Fizz, and Spritz. The biggest sizes are perfect "You did it!" gifts, and the smaller ones make fab party favors and gift basket additions. And, this nog scent from Rewined's holiday collection? Literally made for your festive soirees, but if you're like me and don't mind your apartment smelling like almond, nutmeg, and cognac all year long, get it.

Calling all "soft girls" (and just anyone who loves a dreamy candle twinkling in their home), Mala the Brand is for you. Made with non-toxic and eco-friendly materials, these vegan candles are ones you can definitely feel good about giving or getting. Oh! And a tree is planted with every purchase!

Anecdote Candles' fragrances are made to get people to really ~feel~ something, with smells influenced by "personal recollections and cultural trends." We suggest you get Rooftop Soirée if you want to be transported to boozy summer nights ASAP.

At least one fun and unique candle is required in your collection, and they truly don't get any better than when they're in pillar or taper form. And clearly, CaiCaiHandmade knows this! Run to this small biz whenever you need to amp up the visual interest via candles.

The vibrant packaging on Otherland's candles is incomparable, and their scents are just impeccable. (Shout-out to their non-toxic coconut and soy wax blend and 100-percent cotton wicks!). Their collections always include some v relaxing vibes with bright and bold aromas.

What started as a quarantine hobby for founder Melissa Gallardo has become a full-on soy wax candle business. Not only are these votives environmentally friendly, but they also smell amazing and feature super cute labels inspired by Melissa's Latinx heritage.

I am obsessed with Dr. Vranjes Firenze, there is no simpler way to put it. It's straight out of Florence, Italy, so you know it just screams chic. And while you truly can't go wrong with any of the fragrances from the brand, the Rosso Nobile is like a masterclass in candle craftsmanship. If you want to mentally transport from your shabby apartment to sipping outrageously delicious Tuscan red wine on the Italian countryside, light this baby up.

L'or de Seraphine is really a triple threat. Each candle arrives in a gorge gift box ✔️. Every scent has a decorative vessel with a lid ✔️. They are the most perfect canisters once you burn the candle down ✔️.

Thanks to LAFCO's sophisticated handblown-glass packaging and heavenly scents (swooning over fresh-cut gardenia and "Sea and Dune"), this brand is beloved by candle enthusiasts everywhere. Who among us doesn't want to whiff notes of sea jasmine, rose, cyclamen, and bergamot?

Le Labo is another crowd fave—especially Verveine 32. The brand launched in 2006 with signature names that indicate how many scent notes are in each candle. They also make perfumes, body oils, and laundry detergents.

Spoken Flames just knows what the people need, and the people (hi, it me) need to relax. I have this exact candle sitting pretty on my desk, so when the deadlines are closing in and the emails are stacking up, the soft blend of vanilla, eucalyptus, and sandalwood remind me it's all gonna get done. The brand also has one one the best smelling melon candles my nostrils have ever encountered.

In the mood to try something fancy? Byredo’s addictive candles—which were made to translate emotions into fragrance—are worth the splurge. Each of their scents comes in a beautiful black smoked glass that will not only elevate any room with its looks but also its soothing floral aromas. Plus, they've got a loooong burning time (60 hours!). This one has notes of rose petals, violet, and birch tree for a rich but not too overpowering fragrance.

The story behind Lomar Farms is just as good as the candles themselves. A Harlem-based husband and wife duo their historic brownstone and set out toward their new 200-year-old farmhouse outside New York City. They turned the farm (named after their two daughters) into a business, one of which includes these fabulous beeswax candles that come in the most luscious scents.

These animal-shaped candles are fully about the looks, and we're not mad about it. If you're on the hunt for some seriously cool (and slightly spooky) decor, then go for this one that melts down to reveal a metal skeleton inside (!).