The best smelling Christmas candles are the ones that suit the night you are having. A December evening wrapping presents feels nothing like a Friday with friends. Nor is it like a quiet Sunday after a cold, wet walk. The scent that feels right changes too. Here is how to match the twelve fragrances in our Advent Calendar to the nights between now and Christmas.
Best smelling Christmas candles for cosy nights in
Some nights you just want the curtains shut and a blanket out. These are the warm, spiced scents.
Christmas Spice is nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. It smells like mulled wine on the stove. Clove Actually adds orange to clove and cinnamon, so it is a little brighter. Both feel at home when the rain is hitting the windows.
Christmas Shortbread mixes evergreen, wood fire and brown sugar shortbread. It is the one for a slow evening of wrapping presents with the telly on.
Which Christmas scent feels the most like home?
Our pick is Cinnamon Apple. It brings stewed apple, cinnamon and citrus together. It smells like a crumble in the oven, which is about as homely as scent gets.
The best scented candles for festive get-togethers
When people come round, you want a scent that feels cheerful but does not take over. Fruity scents do this well. Fruity is also the biggest-selling fragrance family across the whole Glow range, so you are in good company.
- Spiced Pomegranate: pomegranate, quince, cranberry and cinnamon
- Frosted Berries: apple, cassis, cranberry and vanilla musk
- Winter Wonderberry: raspberry, blackberry and sugar
- Jingle Spice: apple, pear, clove, allspice and cedar
Light one in the hallway before guests arrive. It greets them as they step in from the cold.
Scented tea candles for bright December mornings
Not every December moment is a cosy one. Some are busy weekday mornings with lists and school runs. Candy Cane is peppermint, lemon, mandarin and soft woods. It is fresh and uplifting, a good match for a kitchen worktop while you sort the day out.
Festive Fir, with pine, eucalyptus, cedar and amber, suits the weekend you put the tree up. Merry Macaron and Buttered Blueberry are the sweet ones. Save those for a film night.
Quick answers
What are the best smelling Christmas candle scents?
It depends on the mood. Spiced scents like clove and cinnamon feel cosy. Fruity ones like cranberry and pomegranate feel festive. Fresh ones like peppermint and pine feel bright and clean.
When should you start burning Christmas candles?
Whenever it feels right to you. Advent calendars open on 1 December, so that is a natural start. You could also light your first festive scent the weekend the tree goes up.
You won't know which scent is behind each door until it is in your hand. That is half the fun. Our 2026 Advent Calendar holds all twelve, two of each, ready for 1 December.
Related reading
- Christmas Scented Candles: How to Pick a Festive Scent: a simple way to choose your festive favourite.
- Why a Candle Fragrance Can Bring Back a Memory in Seconds: why Christmas scents feel so familiar.
- Fruity Candles for Autumn: Why Apple and Berry Feel Right: the fruity scents that bridge autumn and Christmas.
