The best scented candles: These fancy aromas will make a chilly room instantly inviting
Maybe it's the childhood memories of crisp piles of leaves and smooth conkers nestled in pockets, but autumn is a time of year I relish. The brief hibernation between the long days of summer and December's social whirligig appeals to my sybaritic side.
As the skies darken earlier each evening, home needs to be a sanctuary, and a candle can make a chilly room instantly inviting. Cheaper ones seem to be a false economy, burning too quickly and often with a cloying scent. A fancy candle, then, is a wonderful gift whether it's for someone else or yourself.
Manor Christmas No40
£28, truegrace.co.uk
Too many festive candles are horribly sweet with vanilla and too much cinnamon, so this is a pleasant change as it's lifted by a hit of zesty orange.
After the Rain
£20, arranaromatics.com
Clean, mild and fresh with rose petals and precious wood – perfect for city dwellers who only get to smell wet tarmac after a downpour.
Studion
£17, & Other Stories, stories.com
Earthy fig, blond woods and violet leaves combine in this chic ceramic container to fill a room with a warming aroma.
Gingembre
£60, Byredo, liberty.co.uk
One of three festive scents from the Swedish brand, the sweetness of vanilla is sliced through by fiery notes of ginger and pepper.
Orange blossom honey
£30, urbanapothecarylondon.com
With honey at its heart and base notes of vanilla, this is undeniably oh so sweet – but so is the cut-glass beehive it comes in.