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When I go over to a man’s house, a small, but thoughtful detail I’ve always appreciated is a lit candle. Not only does it mask any manly smells, but a candle sets the mood immediately. It makes a great first impression. It says, “I care about curating a warm, inviting vibe.” Sit me down in front of a flickering candle with a glass of red wine, and I’m all yours.
As we enter peak candle season, AKA fall, it’s time to stock up on all of those deliciously cozy candles. Candles that smell like bonfires. Candles that smell like whiskey. Candles that smell like pumpkin spice. You know, basically anything that makes you feel comforted.
How Football Season Became an Aesthetic
People on TikTok are romanticizing the sport through football-inspired house decor, warm game-day foods, fall colors and pumpkin-scented candlesIf it were 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 the fall candles that remind us of all our favorite autumnal activities.
So without further ado, the best fall candles to light this season:
Our favorite fall candle
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 baking spices and cozy woodsy things, it’s absolutely everything you’d want from a classic fall candle — a delicious, cozy fragrance that brings us an immediate sense of warmth with every whiff.
The most impressive fall candle
Burn time: 75 hours
Feu de Bois is the French fragrance boutique’s “ode to winter.” Personally, I’m a sucker for Diptyque. Yes, $120 is a lofty price to pay for a medium-sized candle, but the brand’s artisanal scents invoke such a luxurious vibe, they’re worth the luxury price tag. Each candle is not only masterfully blended, but is encased in Diptyque’s iconic glass vessel. And let’s just say if I saw this special-edition, hand-blown, colored jar lit in your home, I’d be mightily impressed.
The best spiced candle
Burn time: Up to 50 hours
This candle from New York-based fragrance company LAFCO is an invigorating twist on a traditional seasonal favorite. Top notes of bitter orange, rich cinnamon and clove buds evolve into a warm, spicy aroma. It’s a comforting, sprightly fragrance that’ll carry over to the next holiday season seamlessly.
The best fall candle for you, a rugged, manly man
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
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 style-forward, 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, Whiskey Campfire has seasonally appropriate notes of whiskey and smoked wood, and will, in fact, make you wish you were drinking whiskey by a roaring fire.
The best fall candle to light on gameday
Burn time: 60-80 hours
Homesick aptly describes this sporty candle as “the smell of freshly cut grass and ice-cold beer on tap.” I’m into it.
The best fall candle for spending the season alone
Burn time: 40-50 hours
While the description on this candle might be 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.
While widely known for their famed tomato-scented candle, Flamingo Estate has an entire line of delicious-smelling scents, which includes this smoky, slightly vegetal candle said to “conjure the forest wind.” If you’re cooking or hosting this fall, you’ll want this candle burning.
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