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If it was up to us, we’d spend the next month and a half baking pies, picking apples and blacking out in pumpkin patches after one too many Oktoberfest beers. You know, classic fall traditions. Unfortunately, our lifestyles don’t allow us to live out our Christian Girl Autumn fantasies to the fullest, and it’s why every year, instead, we stock up on fall candles that remind us of all our favorite things.
We’re talking bonfires, pumpkin spice lattes, whiskey — whatever makes you feel cozy and comforted as the temperatures dip and the leaves start to change, there’s a candle for it. So without further ado, the best fall candles to light this season:
The best pumpkin candle
Wax Buffalo Classic Pumpkin
Burn Time: 25-30 hours
The woman-owned, Nebraska-based home goods brand has hand-poured the most potent pumpkin candle we’ve tried this season. With notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and of course, pumpkin, it’s absolutely everything you’d want from a classic fall candle — a deliciously sweet, cozy fragrance that brings us an immediate sense of warmth with every whiff. (And if you’re not a pumpkin spice enthusiast, we’d also highly recommend Wax Buffalo’s Autumn scent.)
The best-looking fall candle
L’or de Seraphone Monroe Candle
Burn time: 45 hours
The fragrance brand is equating the vibe of this candle to “driving through peak fall foliage,” and we’d have to agree. Sultry sandalwood and rich amber are the stars of this warm aroma (that also includes notes of vanilla and musk), though the real show-stopper has to be the candle’s reusable ceramic container that draws inspiration from the colors in artist Gustave Baumann’s “Autumnal Glory.”
The best spiced candle
LAFCO Spiced Pomander
Burn time: Up to 50 hours
The new limited edition candle from New York-based fragrance company LAFCO is an invigorating twist on a traditional fall favorite. Top notes of bitter orange, rich cinnamon and clove buds evolve into warm aromas of cinnamon bark and frankincense. The candle is finally grounded by a smooth blend of vanilla, honey and musk. The final product? A comforting, sprightly fragrance that’ll carry over to the next holiday season seamlessly.
The Best fall candle for you, a rugged, manly man
P.F. Candle Co. Teakwood & Tobacco Soy Wax Candle
Burn time: 40-50 hours
While Teakwood & Tobacco — a 100% domestically-grown soy wax candle from the popular Los Angeles-based home fragrance company P.F. Candle Co — is a customer favorite year-round, notes of leather, smoke and wood make it primed for sweater weather. A burly and scratchy cable knit sweater, that is.
The best fall candle if you don’t want a ton of candles
Fill Mill ReFillable Candle System + Last Drink By The Bonfire Candle
Burn time: 30-40 hours
Promising you “a candle you’ll keep forever,” Fill Mill offers a less wasteful approach to home fragrance with its refillable candle system. The design features a stylish, concrete vessel that magnetically locks the brand’s recyclable Fill scents into place, so you can easily swap fragrances depending on the vibe you’re going for. As for its autumnal offering, Last Drink By The Bonfire has seasonally appropriate notes of ginger and clove, and will in fact, make you wish you were drinking whiskey by a roaring fire.
The best fall candle to light on gameday
Homesick Oktoberfest Candle
Burn time: 60-80 hours
Inspired by those deliciously hoppy German beers we love to drink September through October (preferably out of a big ol’ stein), Homesick’s Oktoberfest Candle is a festive fragrance full of fall-inspired scents, making it the perfect aromatic backdrop for your more boisterous gatherings this season. Top notes of pumpkin ale, cinnamon and golden hops evolve into allspice, clove bud and cedar bark. To ground the fragrance, there are notes of warm pretzel, musk and vanilla extract. (Just don’t forget to blow it out.)
The best fall candle for when you wish you were Upstate
Apple Picking in the Hudson Valley by Literie
Burn time: 50 hours
Our apartments are practically littered with Literie’s New York-inspired candles that are essentially love letters to the city’s wondrous joys and unique smells. The newest addition to the brand’s lineup of vegan soy and coconut wax candles is a scent inspired by a yearly activity for many New Yorkers: Heading upstate to nab some fresh apple cider donuts. But if you can’t make the trip to the Hudson Valley this year, you can light this candle instead.
The best fall candle that’s not really a fall candle
Boy Smells Hinoki Fantome
Burn time: 50 hours
You can light this one year-round, and you should. A best-seller from the genderful candle brand, Hinoki Fantome is an elegant treat for your olfactory senses as it’s an elevated and complex scent. More specifically, though, it’s ideal for those who enjoy a warm, woodsy aroma that isn’t overpowering.
The best fall candle for spending the season alone
Ghosting by Antidote Candles
Burn time: 40-50 hours
While the description on this candle might enough to spook some, we find an odd comfort in this charmingly named fall candle from Antidote Candles. Heavier notes of tobacco, cardamom and guaiac wood intertwine with the lighter, brighter scents of lemon flower, mandarin and amber. Whether you’re spending the season cozied up on the couch alone or with company, this candle will see you through it.
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