These Are the Best-Smelling (and Coziest!) Winter Candles of 2023

With notes of eucalyptus, fir, cedar, and of course balsam, my testers loved the “nostalgic” and “rich, robust” scent of this candle. “I want to go hermit in the forest with this candle,” another shared. 

“Fresh air” and “Christmas” were the takeaways from the testers for Thymes’ most iconic candle. In addition to fir, the scent notes include sandalwood and cedarwood to round out the warming fragrance.

With notes of snow powder, blue spruce, cedarwood, and citrus, my testers had a lot to say about this one. “Real tree smell,” “log cabin,” and “faint woodland breeze” all came to mind. 

Sur is a mix of cedarwood, frankincense, and tangerine balanced with floral notes of almarosa and ylang ylang. Not a strictly woody smell, but “like the California coast when it’s recently rained,” one person said. 

If you like your tree smells balanced with citrus and spice, then this is the one for you. With notes of pine, smoked cinnamon, and spiced orange rind, the testers commented on its “complex” fragrance, picking up on the smokiness. “Christmas tree bonfire,” someone said. 

This was an overall favorite with the testers, with folks saying it “smells like Christmas outside,” like “Maine summer,” and that they would “get it as a gift for my mom.” One even said it’s “better than the Barbra Streisand song.”

I had my testers try and guess the most expensive candle in the lot, and five of them guessed this one correctly. At $128, it’s definitely pricey, but the luxurious blend of acacia, ginger, honeysuckle, jasmine, white floral, and vanilla cream smells “like a wealthy woman standing next to you at the crosswalk.” Plus, the ceramic vessel is gold-plated and gorgeous. 

This Target candle might only be $14.99, but one tester said its sage and eucalyptus scent “smells like one of the expensive boutiques.” A few picked up on citrusy notes, as well as “clean clothes” and a “throw fresh from the dryer.”

I raffle off all the candles at the end of the party, and the Glasshouse ones got the most oohs and aahs over the packaging. The boxes and vessels are decorated like adorable townhouses with illustrations by Michelle Pereira and are such a conversation piece. People loved the scent, too, calling it “vacation,” “very fresh,” and “the perfect candle.”

This “pleasant” candle smells like “Christmas desserts,” according to my testers. With notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, fir, and pine, it’s definitely ready for your holiday mantel or table. 

With notes of wild fig leaf, crisp ambe, neroli, and cashmere woods, several testers said they “wanted to eat” this candle. (Please don’t eat candles.)

Like winter spices? This one has them all. Scent notes include cinnamon, clove, smoke, lemon, thyme, cedar, nutmeg, and rosemary. My testers said it smells like “Vermont,” “hot girl fall,” a “candle shop in Maine,” a “hot winter cocktail,” and a “Boho dream apartment with too many books.”

Outdoor Fellow’s new winter candle has both clove buds and clove leaf, as well as vanilla spice, smoky birch, hickory embers, sandalwood, and musk. One tester just wrote “Gilmore Girls,” so take that for what it’s worth. 

Krampus has notes of cinnamon, clove, fir needle, frankincense, orange, patchouli, and peppermint, which my testers said smelled like “boozy spiced punch” and “your auntie’s other boyfriend.”

New for 2023, Yankee Candle’s top-rated submission amongst my testers has notes of white marshmallow, milk, and sweet vanilla. They described it as “not fake,” “french vanilla ice cream,” and “nice and subtle,” which (in my expert opinion) is rare amongst dessert-scented candles that can often be overwhelming. 

A new-to-me candle brand, my testers overall loved the submissions from Poured, ranking this one the favorite. They gravitated toward the “masculine” scent, saying it smells like a “six-figure income body wash,” “hugging a good guy,” a “sexy older man,” and “a refined leather jacket.”

With notes of faded sage, frosted eucalyptus, glistening cypress needles, crystal amber, and velvet moss, my testers called it “delightful,” “herbaceous,” and “a subtle warm blanket.”