The season of beer gardens and Bank Holidays may be upon us, but it only takes a couple of mornings after to remind you of the joys of the Big Night In. And while a decent film and grown-up booze may be the obvious components, ambience also ranks high when it comes to mastering the sophisticated movie marathon.
The good news is, there are things – easy things! – you can do to make your home a bit more appealing, starting with a decent scented candle.
Seriously, don’t underestimate the mood-transforming powers of a great candle. Lighting the wick on one of the season’s best burners will bring instant ambience as well as a cosy scent that’ll make your living room infinitely more inviting.
When it comes to fragrance, you have options. Forget the saccharine florals of old, because the best scented candles for men now come in a host of grounding woods, warming ouds and mind-clearing aquatic blends. Head to Byredo for something that looks as good as it smells, or try Acqua di Parma for true coffee-table centrepieces. Looking for the perfect gift? Cire Trudon sets the bar high. Here, see the best men’s scented candles to burn now.
The best scented candles for men
Trudon creative director, Julien Pruvost, has been trying to tempt tea master Yu Hui Tseng into a collaboration for years – and now, he has succeeded.
The only female Chinese tea master and owner of Paris’ legendary La Maison des Trois Thés, Tseng has worked with the history-steeped fragrance house on a trio of limited-edition scented candles. None attempt to cut-and-paste the scent of tea itself, but instead pay homage to the rich traditions surrounding the art.
Speaking to Tseng’s razor-sharp sense of smell, each scent is delicate yet complex. L’Esprit de l’Eau is an incense-warmed ode to spring water, with mineral freshness over crisp juniper and pepper. Sous un Ciel de Pétales' is floral and bright, with notes of Himalayan jasmine and lemon. But the truly memorable choice is Terre à Terre: a muddy, mossy ode to tea terroir, with notes of elemi, ambergris and patchouli combining to create the scent of a humid forest.
Byredo’s candles are endlessly popular, and there’s a scent in the line-up to satisfy just about anyone. A good place to start is Bibliotheque, which mimics the warm, papery aroma of leather-bound books with a soft, sweet twist of violet. Trust it to make a soulless rental smell like home.
Earl of East Jardin de la Lune Scented Candle
Earl of East Jardin de la Lune Scented Candle
Earl of East's London-made candles are made using pure soy wax and can fill a high-ceilinged room with ease. An ode to the Grand Trianon, Versailles, Jardin de la Lune is a woody, aromatic scent with a heady white-floral twist via tuberose.
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A staple of the millennial coffee table, Assouline's Travel Series tomes are as much a style statement as they are actual reading material. Now, you can burn the book of your choice via the corresponding ceramic candle. Ibiza smells like zingy citrus over warm, heady patchouli which, depending on which side of the White Isle you frequent, may or may not be an accurate depiction.
Weird but completely welcome, Haeckels' Pluviophile candle is the olfactory equivalent of throwing open the front doors mid-spring downpour.
'Wet concrete' might not have the same ring to it as 'fresh flowers', but this unusual candle boasts addictive, unconventional appeal. It's blended with petrichor – the chemical compound released after rainfall – and smells uncannily like a coastal road on a rainy day.
In the same vein as the cult Parisian brand's signature fragrance, this 100% soy-wax candle burns (for 24 hours) with a classically masculine blend of bright citrus and deep woody notes.
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Part of Paul Smith's pleasingly perky homeware line, this colour-blocked glass candle will breathe life into any living space. The Botanist scent is perfect for spring days and nights: think peppy lemon and vetiver combined with herbs: a fitting ode to the great British garden.
The scent that made Le Labo a name worth dropping, Santal 26 now boasts heavyweight cult status. Turns out, it makes a stellar home scent too: the soft, sweet sandalwood and leather blend feels warming, yet never cloying.
Once you know that 'skog' is Swedish for 'forest', the appeal of this one grows exponentially. Pine and fir trees blend with bright florals, creating a calming yet bracing scent.
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French fragrance house Eight & Bob makes vegetable-wax candles that feel fresh and invigorating – never fusty or cloying. Start with Varenna: an ode to Lake Como, it blends bright green botanicals with a smooth amber base.
Urban Apothecary Fig Tree Luxury Candle
The note to unite all fragrance heads, fig leaf smells famously good –be it in a mens fragrance or a candle. This one combines the sharp green note with mind-clearing eucalyptus and deep, smooth cedarwood.
Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille Candle
Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille Candle
This is the candle version of the scent rumoured to be Harry Styles' fragrance of choice – a fact that sent demand spiralling last year. Indeed, it's a very nice smell to have on your body or in your bedroom: think a deep, warming blend of sweet vanilla and smoky woods.
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Properly sustainable, B-Corp certified bath and body brand Comfort Zone makes some of the best candles for slowing down a brain that's slipped into overdrive. Sweet orange is combined with earthy, grounding cedarwood: a welcome alternative to the host of saccharine lavender scents out there.
Burning with the same unmistakeable blend of bergamot and woods, this classic yellow candle is the perfect gift for any loyal wearer of Acqua di Parma's Colonia.
Penhaligon’s line of scented candles is as rich and sophisticated as its colognes. Ronanoke Ivy is the one to light now, blending snapped stems and crushed leaves with the twang of ripe berries.
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Comme Des Garcons' 2 has been the signature scent of many a well-dressed man since the late nineties, and now you can fill your home with the blend of tea-tinged spice and soft woods.
Francisco Costa's shift from big fashion to niche beauty may be an unexpected one, but the resultant Costa Brasil collection is impressive on so many levels.
This weighty (and reusable) metal votive contains a sustainable blend of soy and coconut waxes, which burns to release a meditative blend of green vetiver, cypress root and breu: a precious resinous incense, native to the Amazon.
Loewe's focus on artisanal craft runs through the brand's home-fragrance line. Each ribbed terracotta pot houses a scent inspired by a thriving greenhouse: Tomato Leaves is fresh, tangy, and unnervingly close to the real thing.
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The name might scream ‘teenage bedroom’ but this tongue-in-cheek blend is actually surprisingly sophisticated. Rather than a gimmicky riff on the herbaceous cannabis plant, Italian Kush burns with an energising trail of crisp citrus, basil and oregano. Trust it to make the stuffiest of living rooms feel instantly fresher.
Another classic choice, Diptyque’s fragrant candles will scent the most high-ceilinged rooms with ease. Figuier is a crowd-pleasing blend of sharp, green fig with a gentle hint of woods.