Got a candle lover in your life? Here’s what to buy them…
If You Do NOT Know What Scents They Like…
If you don’t know their scent preferences, don’t buy them a candle. There are so many candle accessories that you can gift instead. If you do know what scents/brands they like, skip to the next section!
Candle Warmer Lamp
These make great home decor pieces and they’re a safer way to enjoy candles. I recommend choosing any candle warmer lamp that has a self-timer function and the option to adjust the lamp’s brightness. Both of these recommendations fit that description. The candle warmer on the right looks like a traditional lamp. The candle warmer on the left has a more interesting shape:
A Molded Candle
Candles come in all shapes and sizes. Either one of these candles would make a great statement piece: (1) the peace sign candle or (2) the “you rock” candle
Pillar or Taper Candles
These ribbed pillar candles is the perfect piece of home decor to add to a shelf. The twisted taper candles on the right are also beautiful. Pair them with taper candle holders for bonus points.
Rechargeable Candle Lighter
There are so many rechargeable lighters, but you should get the extended version because it’s so much easier to use with tall candles or candles that have gotten down to the last bits of wax.
A Fancy Candle Lantern
Give them a beautiful way to display the candles that they already own. Here are two both beautiful options – a West Elm candle lantern and a gorgeous amber CB2 candle holder.
A Candle Tray
Another cute way to display candles is on a candle tray. Bonus points if you pair it with the match holder.
Candelabras or Taper Candle Holders
Again, so many options. It’s hard to recommend just two, but this candelabra on the left comes in silver, copper, antique brass, and black. The taper candle holders on the right would look gorgeous on a dining table or fireplace mantel.
A Match Striker
This mushroom match striker is so cute and can store matches inside. The ceramic match strikers on the right are a nice decorative touch for a coffee table or side table.
Match Cloche
A cloche is a beautiful way to display matches. Also, long matches are ESSENTIAL for candle burning. They’re much easier to use for hard to reach wicks. Get them a cloche and pair with a set of long matches like the 4 inch ones below. A match tip with a pop of color is more fun to put on display.
A Fancy Candle Care Set – Candle Trimmer and Snuffer
These candle care sets come in beautiful gold, silver, rose gold, and black sets. You can even pair these with a little tray to keep these items together on a coffee table or side table.
If You Know What Scents They Like…
If you know their favorite scents or favorite brands, here is what to buy them…
A Candle Trio / Set from their favorite brand
My top recommendation this year is any one of the Flamingo Estate candle sets. The Flamingo Estate Three Sisters set has 3 8-ounce candles (in tomato, rosemary, and sage scents) for $195, but there is also a version of this set with mini 4-ounce candles for about half the price ($98). Flamingo Estate also has a Three Brothers Set ($195) and a Home Ambiance set ($161) with different scent selections.
A Discovery Set from a new brand
If you want to introduce your friend to a new candle brand, give them a discovery set. This is similar to the suggestion above, but discovery sets tend to include a larger number of small candles. They allow you to try out what the brand has to offer before you order full sized candles. My recommenation is the Hazeltine discovery set. It has 8 1-ounce tins so that you can try all of their signature scents for $56.
A Candle Advent Calendar
This is a great option if you know someone who loves a certain brand, but you’re struggling to pick a specific candle from that brand. Full disclosure – candle advent calendars tend to be pretty pricey. The Voluspa 12 Day Advent Calendar would be my pick this year. You get 12 of their 2.5-ounce candles for $165. It also includes a wick trimmer. In my opinion, this advent calendar has the best scent selection of any that I’ve seen this year (including 3 of my favorite candles – Baltic Amber, Goji Torocco Orange, & Forbidden Fig). Several other brands do advent calendars. Trader Joe’s does a very affordable advent calendar which I’ve reviewed here.
A Room Spray
Get the room spray version of their favorite fragrance if you want to switch things up. These are great for moments when you want to make a room smell good, but don’t want to babysit a candle. Here are a few of my recommendations: (1) Capri Blue Volcano Room Spray if they like tropical/citrus scents (2) Boy Smells Hinoki Fantome if they’re into a more earthy/woody vibe (3) LAFCO Sand & Dune if they prefer clean/fresh scents
A Diffuser
Another way to switch things up is to get the diffuser version of their favorite fragrance. There are a ton of beautiful diffuser options. Here are my recommendations: (1) The Thymes Fraser Fir Diffuser if you’re looking for something seasonal – $48 (2) a LAFCO diffuser in any scent because they are all so beautiful (each one comes in a different color) – $58 (3) or a NEST diffuser because they have a wide variety of scents & this is a brand where I find that the majority of their scents are very well done – $62
Candles are notorious for ending up in the re-gift pile, but most of my recommendations are great non-candle items that would still be loved by the candle addict in your life. The key is to look for things to enhance the candle burning experience without trying to guess exactly what scent someone would like if you don’t already know. If all else fails, grab a gift card to a store that sells multiple candle brands (like Sephora, Nordstrom, or Anthropologie). Good luck with gifting!
