10 Best Scented Candles for a Cozy Winter Retreat
Get into the cozy holiday spirit with scents that glow through the colder months. From smoky woods to soft amber, these ten candles bring calm to any space.
Source: LOEWE
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It’s the time of year when light feels softer and evenings ask to be spent indoors. Few things complement the season better than the gentle glow of candlelight. A good scented candle doesn’t just fill a room; it changes it completely, tracing the air with warmth and a sense of calm that lingers long after the flame goes out.
“Lighting a candle can shift an entire mood,” says perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. “It’s a small gesture, but it has the power to make a space feel welcoming and alive.” From notes of amber and wood to spice, pine, and resin, winter’s scents are designed to wrap the home in comfort. And even if your favorite candle simply brings a pause at the end of the day, that’s reason enough to keep one burning.
1. Trudon: Abd El Kader
Trudon: Abd el Kader | Source: Trudon
Brand: Trudon
Scent: Moroccan mint tea, ginger, tobacco, vanilla
Size: 270 g | Price: $135
Fresh and uplifting, Abd El Kader opens with cool mint and ginger before settling into notes of tobacco and vanilla. It’s a scent that manages to feel both lively and composed, bright enough for daytime and comforting enough for evening. The result is air that feels newly cleared, a room that seems to breathe again.
About the brand: Founded in 1643 by Claude Trudon, the French maison is the world’s oldest candle manufacturer. Once a royal supplier to Versailles, Trudon remains dedicated to craftsmanship and storytelling, hand-pouring each candle in Normandy with a reverence for tradition.
2. Diptyque: Ambre
Diptyque: Ambre | Source: Diptyque
Brand: Diptyque
Scent: Amber, patchouli, tonka bean, spices
Size: 600 g | Price: $235
Amber brings an instant sense of warmth to winter air. In Diptyque’s Ambre, resin and spice meet the sweetness of tonka bean, creating a scent that wraps the room in quiet radiance. It’s rich without being heavy, the kind of glow that softens everything around it.
About the brand: Established in Paris in 1961 by Christiane Gautrot, Desmond Knox-Leet, and Yves Coueslant, Diptyque began as a design boutique on Boulevard Saint-Germain. The brand has since become a symbol of French sophistication, uniting art, travel, and scent in a singular aesthetic.
3. Boy Smells: Cowboy Kush
Boy Smells: Cowboy Kush | Source: Boy Smells
Brand: Boy Smells
Scent: Patchouli, suede, saffron, cannabis flower
Size: 765 g | Price: $94
Cowboy Kush opens with the warmth of hazelnut and soft white leather before unfolding into cannabis flower and worn suede. Tonka and patchouli settle in at the base, leaving a sweet trace of smoke that lingers just long enough. It’s the kind of scent that feels a little untamed but still polished, like a night that stretches later than planned.
About the brand: Founded in Los Angeles in 2016 by Matthew Herman and David Kien, Boy Smells began as a home experiment and grew into a cultural favorite. The brand reimagines scent through inclusivity and duality, merging masculine and feminine notes in every candle it creates.
4. Assouline: Leather
Assouline: Leather | Source: Assouline
Brand: Assouline
Scent: Leather, cedarwood, paper accord
Size: 260 g | Price: $120
Leather carries the atmosphere of a private library, all worn chairs, polished wood, and the faint trace of smoke in the air. Cedar and paper mix with amber, vetiver, and musk to create a warmth that lingers long after the flame fades. It’s sophisticated and nostalgic, the scent of quiet moments and well-loved books.
About the brand: Created in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, the publishing house became known for its striking coffee-table books celebrating art, design, and travel. The Library Candle Collection extends that world of culture into scent, transforming atmosphere into another form of storytelling.
5. Byredo: Fleur Fantôme
Byredo: Fleur Fantôme | Source: Byredo
Brand: Byredo
Scent: Rhubarb, tulip, violet leaf, suede
Size: 240 g | Price: $95
Fleur Fantôme feels like a garden remembered in winter, all pale light and green air. Rhubarb and tulip give it freshness, while suede and heliotrope add a soft almond-like sweetness that drifts just beneath the surface. Inspired by the idea of “silent flowers,” it captures something imagined rather than seen, a scent that lingers like memory itself.
About the brand: Founded in Stockholm in 2006 by Ben Gorham, Byredo bridges memory and design with its minimalist approach to perfumery. Each fragrance is conceived as an emotion captured in scent, merging clarity, balance, and a quiet sense of luxury.
6. Maison Francis Kurkdjian: Mon Beau Sapin
Maison Francis Kurkdjian: Mon Beau Sapin | Source: Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Brand: Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Scent: Pine, fir, forest wood
Size: 300 g | Price: $105
Mon Beau Sapin carries the scent of pine and fir after snow, fresh, resinous, and full of light. It recalls the warmth of walking through a forest in winter, where the air feels still and the trees hold their own quiet glow. The fragrance is both crisp and comforting, the kind that softens the season’s edges.
About the brand: Established in 2009 by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, the Parisian fragrance house is known for its balance of technical precision and artistic emotion. Every creation reflects the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and the poetry of scent.
7. LOEWE: Palo Santo
LOEWE: Palo Santo | Source: LOEWE
Brand: LOEWE
Scent: Palo santo wood
Size: 610 g | Price: $265
Palo Santo carries the scent of wood smoke and resin, unfolding slowly as warmth fills the air. Notes of Atlas cedar and citrus keep it bright, while a trace of incense wood grounds it in calm. The fragrance feels restorative, the kind that clears a room and resets the mind.
About the brand: Founded in Spain in 1846, LOEWE is a heritage house known for its craftsmanship and modern approach to design. The brand’s Home Scents collection continues that tradition, combining material artistry with an appreciation for nature through sculptural vessels and understated fragrances.
8. Paul Smith: Storyteller
Paul Smith: Storyteller | Source: Paul Smith
Brand: Paul Smith
Scent: Haitian vetiver, silver birch, leather
Size: 240 g | Price: $95
A smoky, wintery, and cozy scent, Storyteller balances vetiver and leather with a hint of birch. It carries a gentle warmth that recalls open notebooks and polished wood, the kind of scent that makes a space feel thoughtful and lived in.
About the brand: Launched in Nottingham in 1970, Paul Smith has grown from a small menswear shop into one of Britain’s most beloved design houses. His world combines tailoring and wit, and his candle line extends that spirit of optimism and detail into the home.
9. Aesop: Ptolemy
Aesop: Ptolemy | Source: Aesop
Brand: Aesop
Scent: Cypress, cedar, vetiver
Size: 300 g | Price: $125
Ptolemy is resinous and calm, evoking the depth of an ancient forest. Cedar and cypress lead with quiet strength, while vetiver adds dry warmth and balance. The scent feels steady and grounded, like air moving through old wood.
About the brand: Founded in Melbourne in 1987 by Dennis Paphitis, Aesop is guided by a philosophy of thoughtful design and sensory balance. Known for its pared-back aesthetic and focus on quality, the brand brings the same careful craftsmanship to its collection of home fragrances.
10. L’Objet: Médaillé
L'Objet: Médaille | Source: L'Objet
Brand: L’Objet
Scent: Frankincense, amber, woods
Size: 3-wick (1,250 g) | Price: $395
Médaillé glows with frankincense and amber, radiating a quiet depth that fills the air without overpowering it. Notes of cardamom, saffron, and cedar give it warmth and intricacy, creating an atmosphere that feels rich yet composed.
About the brand: Created by designer Elad Yifrach in 2004, L’Objet merges artistry and utility with pieces crafted by hand in porcelain, brass, and glass. Its candles continue that vision, combining fine materials with enveloping scent to elevate everyday rituals.