Scented candles are magical. They fill us with a sense of wellness, take us on a journey to faraway lands... and add beauty to our homes! Here is an anthology of candles, from here and elsewhere.
This scent is as calming as a hot herbal tea. Enjoy it with your cat cozily curled on your lap—it’s a moment of pure happiness.
Dans la prairie candle, $26. *Local purchase
It’s impossible not to love the scent of wood burning in the fireplace. Harmonized with amber, vetiver, and bergamot, it sends you directly to seventh heaven.
Nanor candle, $60. *Local purchase
A mojito with no alcohol? Its ingredients—rum, mint, and lime—are captured in a luxury candle that will intoxicate your senses. Be sure to keep the glass, so you can enjoy a real Cuban cocktail afterwards. Salud!
(Malin + Goetz) candle at Etiket, $75
How do you transform a sunset into a fragrance? With an exotic blend of patchouli and ylang-ylang, enhanced with a hint of tangy bergamot.
Baltic Club candle, $48. *Local purchase
Are your European friends begging you to send them maple syrup? Surprise them with a hand-poured candle perfumed with the scent of homegrown maple sugar!
Maple & Lather candle, $35. *Local purchase
This decorative and beautiful candle is all about softness and serenity. Its glass case is adorned with transparent and opaline stripes and the relaxing scent of rose water is enhanced by the sensuality of amber.
Nest New York candle at Sephora, $62
A collaboration between the Dimanche matin brand from Lanaudière, which specializes in the art of sleeping in, and Victoria Charlton, the Quebec YouTuber and author who is passionate about unsolved disappearances (true crimes). We can nestle into our pillows, light our candle scented with incense, cypress, and sandalwood, and prepare to shudder with fear...
Victoria Charlton X Dimanche matin candle, $26. *Local purchase
A small candle swathed in gorgeous azulejo-style wrapping paper that diffuses the fragrance of two popular herb garden icons: fresh coriander and peppery thyme flower.
Lucia candle, $13. *Local purchase
For Brutalist art lovers, there is this superb candle poured into a cement tumbler. It diffuses aromas of cedar and fig, and its cylindrical wick is made of cherry wood.
Esser candle at Simons, $48. *Local purchase
Not in the mood to go to the local café? Get into relaxation mode in your living room with a “matcha”—the candle version—scented with vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and caramel... Sound inviting?
Soja & Co. candle, $35. *Local purchase
The Hinoki is a Japanese cypress tree used as incense. Intermingled with purifying sage, it releases tension and creates a relaxing ambiance.
Illume candle at The Bay, $18
It would be silly not to include the woodfire scent when shopping for the best-smelling candles. You can avoid this misstep by adding this candle called "Vieux-Montréal" on your list. The package design is incredible!
Les Citadines candle, $42. *Local purchase
Fragrances from the Swedish brand Byredo are truly distinctive. The aromas given off by their "Bibliothèque" candle is not one of old paper and furniture polish, but rather of peach, plum, violet, and leather.
Byredo candle at Holt Renfrew, $61
Recapture memories of holidays in southern Italy with this elegant candle, scented with figs and Sicilian mandarin, and a velvet musk base note. Its textured glass jar is exquisite.
Voluspa candle at Sephora, $45
This candle, encased in a reusable ceramic pot, is made of natural soy wax and infused with balsam, moss and teak fragrances. A delightful concept from Verre Lune, a small Toronto-based brand that focuses on sustainability.
Verre Lune candle, $58. *Local purchase
Boy Smells candles from California (such as this one consisting of a coconut and beeswax blend) reimagine olfactory possibilities. The sophisticated scent is a nonconformist marriage of cannabis, violet, vetiver, and suede.
Boy Smells candle at Péridot, $59
The fresh smell of clean clothes on the washing line in summer...such a pleasant memory. This is the perfect candle for your home—a pure fragrance with a touch of lavender.
La Maison Lavande candle, $21.95. *Local purchase
Creating a Mediterranean ambiance in your home calls for the fresh scent of resinous rosemary. It can be accomplished with this candle. P.S. Keep a few bottles of Campari close by to enhance your sensory journey...
Fulibule candle, $24.95. *Local purchase
A perfect scenario for lounging: a good playlist and a chai-scented candle imbibed with cinnamon, cloves, and the sweet scent of buttercream.
Mala The Brand candle, $38. *Local purchase
What’s the best way to create an exotic aura in a Scandinavian decor setting? Light this sumptuous candle infused with cinnamon, ginger, and tonka bean, and poured into an enchanting Maghrebian tajine.
The Tajine Candle candle, $69
Can the warm comfort of a cup of Darjeeling tea be duplicated? Yes! The candle version of this classic tea releases intoxicating notes of patchouli, amber, and sandalwood.
Milk Jar candle, $48. *Local purchase
Diptyque rhymes with chic and mythic. This cult Parisian lifestyle brand pays tribute to its flagship store on Boulevard Saint-Germain with a candle that diffuses aromas of moss and green leaves, underscored by a woodsy, resinous scent.
Diptyque candle at Holt Renfrew, $162
