What are the strongest smelling candles?
There’s nothing more disappointing than bringing a new candle into your home, lighting it for the first time, and…nothing. A nice glow, sure, but where’s the fragrance? Cheap candles are terrible for this – you need to get your face way too close to really appreciate the smell, rendering it pointless.
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Thankfully there are many high-quality candle producers out there who make some wonderful candles, carefully manufactured using the finest ingredients and waxes to maximize the release of an aroma. Here are 10 of the best high fragrance candles that will fill your room with their scent.
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Best La Jolie:
La Jolie Muse Sweet Pea & Lily
This stunning luxury candle is a real work of art. The iridescent jar is made from premium glass, with a charming hand-sculpted owl on the lid adding a lovely touch to the décor of the candle.
However, it’s the scent that matters, and this candle delivers. It’s made from natural wax with a single cotton wick that burns strong and for a long time, releasing the aroma consistently.
The fragrance of sweet pea and lily is gently layered, with sweet pea released first before the mid notes of jasmine, fresh rose and sweet lily hit. The base notes of the fragrance, vanilla and musk, and much-needed depth to help give the aroma a longer-lasting feel.
La Jolie Muse Oval Apricot Rose
Another candle that looks as good as it smells, this stunning candle is presented in a contemporary jar that is a real design treat.
It’s a delightfully fruity fragrance too, with top notes of apricot, peach and pear lifting the senses and brightening up a room. Mid notes of rose, violet and Osmanthus and a depth through the base notes of orris ensure this scent is impactful, and with a long burn time of between 65 and 75 hours you’ll be enjoying it for many nights to come.
Best from Bath and Body Works:
Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint
Bath & Body Works’ candles are a fantastic value premium option, offering excellent aromatherapy candles without the luxury price tag. One of the most popular is the Eucalyptus Spearmint candle, and with good reason.
Unlike many earthen, deep candles this is pure refreshment, with a fragrance that will be both uplifting and reviving. Any room will instantly feel lighter and your mood will awaken with the lively charm of this single wick candle. It’s ideal for rooms where you want to add a touch of atmosphere without necessarily slowing down life – try it in the kitchen.
Bath & Body Works White Barn – Mahogany Teakwood
Another exceptionally popular Bath & Body Works scent is Mahogany Teakwood, one of the White Barn range of candles. This high intensity candle combines rich mahogany and black teakwood along with dark oak, for a much deeper and soothing aroma. The addition of frosted lavender adds just the right touch of lightness to temper the power of the three wood-based aromas.
To ensure the best fragrance release, this is a 3-wick candle made from natural soy wax .
Best Yankee Candle:
You need to be careful when buying Yankee Candles, as those available cheaply in supermarkets are not always the same quality as those manufactured and sold direct from the brand. However, this authentic Macintosh candle is one of the best you can buy.
There’s no major complexity to the aroma here – just the stunning, fruity freshness of apple that could fool you into thinking you’d just taken a bite. It’s wonderfully refreshing and light and a really pleasant way to brighten the atmosphere in a room.
Yankee Candle MidSummer’s Night
You may be mistaken when looking at the deep, dark color of this candle and think that it’s going to release a deep, heavy aroma. Instead, it is surprisingly fresh and light, even with a touch of mahogany to the fragrance.
It’s tempered by the musk, patchouli and sage and is considered to be one of the more masculine candle scents you can buy, but it doesn’t linger. It does add a refreshing punch of fragrance to the air, giving the room an atmosphere that is both energetic but also relaxed.
Best Dyptique:
Diptyque are a popular luxury brand of candle, renowned for their careful blending of oils to create complementary fragrances. One of the most loved is Baies, which translates as berries.
And this is a very fruity and punchy candle, described by Diptyque as offering a “tangy coolness” that is derived from the smell of freshly picked blackcurrants. This is a sweet and uplifting fragrance that is potent without being too strong and overbearing.
This second choice from Diptyque is from their “Woody” family and couldn’t be much further from the sharpness of Baies. It’s a much deeper and gentler aroma, layered with various spices and balms.
The result is a candle that recreates the subtle and earthen aromas of the forest, crafting an atmosphere of natural relaxation in your home.
Best Byrdie:
Byrdie’s incredible beauty and health experts sure know their stuff about looking after your mind as well as your skin. So, they know a thing or two about some of the best high fragrance candles. Here are some of their best recommendations:
This classic candle scent is considered by Byrdie to be one of the best unisex candles you can buy. It has a deep, smoky scent that is almost leathery but it is gentle, with natural wood aromas helping to add a more natural touch.
The combination creates a unique fragrance that will define a room rather than complement it – create an atmosphere where you can unwind. This is not so much therapeutic, but it is still calming.
The Nest Rose luxury candle is delicately balanced with a floral fragrance, using smoky oud and a touch of incense to create a more natural, woody atmosphere. Nest states that it is best used to enhance a more joyful mood, so if you’re in the mood to lighten the ambience then it can certainly lift your emotions.
At the same time, the depth of the black leather and patchouli also ensure that the fragrance will permeate throughout your space, and the 60 hour burn makes this a candle you’ll enjoy for a long time.
Best on Amazon:
If you prefer to shop on Amazon, you’ll find a huge range of candles available from many top brands. It’s important to shop carefully, as Amazon is always full of lower quality products too, many of which masquerade as premium brands.
If you like the sound of the high fragrance candles we’ve picked out above, here are some links to buy some of the best from Amazon.
La Jolie Muse Sweet Pea & Lily
Bath & Body Works White Barn – Mahogany Teakwood
What makes a candle smell stronger?
The strength of a candle’s smell depends on a number of factors. There’s the quality of the fragrance oils that are used, and the ratio to the wax – oils are the more expensive component so cheaper candles will skimp out on adding more fragrance.
The manufacturing process also makes a difference – fragrance oil will bond to wax better when mixed through at a specific temperature, usually 185F. And then candles need to cure in order to develop the fragrance fully.
More luxury candle brands ensure that every candle is made to the highest standards, following all of the best practices to ensure the smell of the candle is the strongest it could be.
Which candles are the best?
There’s no clear best candle, but there are some things you can look for when choosing your candle. Ideally look for a soy wax candle – it’s a natural and cleaner alternative to paraffin wax and it does a better job of bonding with fragrance oils.
Then, check the quality of the wick. Some candles have multiple wicks to ensure a more even burn, but with high-quality and premium candles that isn’t always necessary – a single wick that’s made with care will do just as good a job.
What is the slowest burning candle?
The type of wax that lasts the longest is pure beeswax. They burn the slowest due to their highest melting point of 149F. They are more expensive and they don’t blend as well with fragrance oils, which is why soy wax is usually a more popular choice – it still burns for a long time, but it does a better job of releasing the aroma.
This candle burns for 75+ hours and smells creamy vanilla cake.
What is the most popular candle scent at Bath and Body Works?
The most popular candle scent at Bath & Body Works is Eucalyptus Spearmint. It’s wonderfully refreshing and bold, with a really strong aroma that lasts for a long time. It’s a lot sharper and more lively than many traditional candle scents that are deeper, with many people rating it highly.
What wax holds the most fragrance?
Paraffin wax can usually hold the most fragrance oil when mixed, but it doesn’t bond as well with it. The results are debated – while it can hold the most oil, that doesn’t always mean it’s the best at releasing it into the air. Many luxury candle brands prefer soy wax for that purpose.