As autumn fast unfurls, candle shops around the globe prepare their seasonal launches. This is where the internet is a double-edged sword. You have your pick of shops to browse, but there are almost too many choices. And buying scented products like perfumes and candles online? That’s a difficult task.
When virtually shopping, you have no way of knowing exactly how a candle smells to your nose. You also don’t know how it may react with the air in your dwelling.
The bad news: there isn’t a shortcut here. If you want to try a scent out, you just have to buy it. The good news: guides like this one bring more about a candle to light (pun intended) than a product description alone. You get a better feel for what you’re about to invest in, which leads to a more confident purchase.
In this guide, we’ll talk about five of our favorite candles that capture the feeling of fall to us. We’ll also take a short dive into the basics of candle care, so you get the most burn time out of any candle you buy.
As usual with our reviews on darkly elegant fashion, jewelry, and other home and beauty topics, these aren’t sponsored choices. They’re small brands that we’ve found, ordered from, and enjoyed.
1. The Haunted Carnival
(Belle & Happy)
Vibe: Sweet, gourmand
Notes: Popcorn, caramel, butter, praline, orange
Volume: 8 fluid ounces
Burn Time: Around 45 hours
Price: $28.22
Belle & Happy is a small candle store on Etsy. It’s owned and run by Stella out of their Michigan home. Stella combines literary themes with scents, carving out a unique niche in a frankly saturated market. Belle & Happy stocks 85 candles in total, and also categorize 16 as fall or Halloween scents.
We’ve bought and enjoyed plenty of their candles. We also had a dramatic fainting episode on our Victorian loveseat when trying to narrow down our favorites. We eventually settled with two picks, with the first being The Haunted Carnival.
It does indeed paint a picture of a carnival in fall, with the sweet and buttery notes of caramel corn being the strongest cold throw. The hot throw mellows out some, making your home smell like an autumn bakery. The listing says it’s best for small to medium rooms and indeed, we would agree.
2. Dracula
(Belle & Happy)
Vibe: Floral, fruity
Notes: Oud, rose, peppercorn, blackberry, myrrh, dark musk
Volume: 8 fluid ounces
Burn Time: Around 45 hours
Price: $28.22
Dracula is our second pick from Belle & Happy, though it was a close race. This one is for those who prefer florals over the sweetness that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with gourmand profiles. The scent is a bit peppery while also having strong hot and cold throws.
The description says it’s infused with essential oils like patchouli, basil, clove leaf, pine and sandalwood. The profile is dark and moody; perfect for Halloween.
Belle & Happy get extra points from us for the care they take in packaging. Each order includes a hand-written note with a wax seal that made us feel like ancient lords in the 1800s, but without all of the plague rats.
3. Cosmic Candle – Apothecary
(Mochiglow)
Vibe: Witchy, herby
Notes: White sage, aged parchment, dusty bookshelves, fresh herbs
Volume: 8.5 fluid ounces
Burn Time: 40+ hours
Price: $25
Mochiglow is a woman-owned, Asian-owned small business based in California. The two at the helm, a mother and daughter duo, craft and ship everything on their own. Their candles center Asian culture and experience through scents that Asian communities can connect to and thus feel seen through. We’ve also yet to buy a single candle from them that we don’t adore.
Apothecary, part of their Cosmic Candle series, is a departure from their usual gourmand scents. Its profile is dusty, green and earthy. Nevertheless, the feeling it gives off is comforting. Reminiscent of a witch’s cottage at the cusp of changing seasons, it’s an autumn candle for people who like cozy cabins and walks through the woods.
4. Ghostly Visitor – The Haunted Speakeasy Candle
(Hex and Wax Candle Company)
Scent Type: Dark, musky
Notes: Velvet, saffron, absinthe, apple, amber
Volume: 8 fluid ounces
Burn Time: Around 40 hours
Price: $28
Hex and Wax Candle Company is a small business owned by a husband and wife duo in Wisconsin. Each candle comes with a unique short story. For example, the concept behind Ghostly Visitor focuses on a haunted speakeasy and its bartender.
From packaging to the story to the candle itself, we love Hex and Wax’s focus on ambiance. This candle in particular is great if you like fabric-y, musky smells. It also make your room smell like a speakeasy with the notes of velvet, spice and just a hint of alcoholic sharpness.
5. Scary Stories
(Lunar Light Co.)
Scent Type: Gourmand
Notes: Hay, acorn, cedar, maple sap, golden amber, vetiver
Volume: 9 fluid ounces
Burn Time: Around 40+ hours
Price: $18
This woman-owned small business marries Halloween, horror and divine fragrance. She then uses the resulting profiles tocreate candles that would suit any dark aesthetic home.
Many of the candles this shop makes would fit the spooky vibe. However, we chose Scary Stories because it reminds us of corn mazes, hay rides and outdoor haunted houses; a rare scent profile. It evokes a sense of fall-centered nostalgia that’s different from woodsy, grassy scents. Moreover, it’s just very homey and comforting.
The scent is fairly strong, so we think this would do well in larger rooms like a kitchen or living area.
Our Autumn Candle-Picking Criteria
When narrowing down to five picks from our over-zealously large personal candle collection (an admittedly Herculean task), we took these points into consideration.
- Brand owners: We prioritize spotlighting small, independent creators, artisans and business owners. Thus, we tried to stick with boutique shops and small businesses rather than larger outlets.
- Price point: Are the candles relatively affordable given the means of production and the size of the business? Is the amount and type of product you receive also worth the price?
- Quality: How high quality is the candle itself? Does the wax melt evenly? Is the scent strong and long-lasting, or does it dissipate quickly?
- Listing accuracy: Do you get what you pay for? Does the scent profile line up? Is the listed burn time true? And of course, does the product actually look like the product pictures on the site?
- Customer service: If any problems occur, is it easy to get in touch with a real person for help? Is the site easy to navigate? Also, does it have the information you need in easily accessed places?
- Aesthetic: We are, after all, a blog focused on elegant and gothic elements. We looked for brands and scents that align with dark aesthetics with the knowledge that you, our readers, would love them just as much as we do.
This list is thus composed of autumn candles that:
- Are small business owned and operated.
- Have high quality offerings at reasonable prices.
- Post accurate listings of their products.
- Have easy checkout, shipping, and customer contact points and processes.
- Are absolutely gorgeous to look at in addition to smelling divine.
We can say with fair confidence that at least one of the candles on this list will likely scratch that autumnal scents itch for you, if not multiple.
Getting the Longest Burn From Your Autumn Candles
Even the highest quality of candles will burn up faster if you don’t care for them properly. To that end, here are five tips for candle care that maximize your candle’s lifespan. Not only will this save you money, it will also allow you to enjoy your favorite scents that much longer.
Tip 1: Trim Your Wick
This is the first tip mentioned on the National Candle Association’s Foolproof Guide to Burning a Candle Correctly. If you trim your wick every couple of hours, it maximizes burn time by up to 25 percent. A long wick might also lead to dripping, sooting and flaring, all of which cause candles to burn unevenly and quickly.
Tip 2: Let the Candle’s Top Layer Melt Entirely
This is especially important for the first burn. You want the top layer of wax to become entirely liquid before you blow your candle out. If you don’t let your candle melt to the edges of its container, it then creates a memory ring. Because of that, the candle will burn unevenly every other time you light it.
Tip 3: Keep Your Candle Free of Debris
Popular candle retailer Yankee Candle reminds you to clear away past wick trimmings, soot and other debris from your candle between burns. If you don’t, you risk adding too much fuel. This may also lead to uneven melting or the fire becoming too powerful for its container.
Tip 4: Avoid Drafts
A drafty area can cause your candle’s flame to flicker or smoke. Not only will this cause your candle to melt unevenly, but it releases soot into the air of your home.
Tip 5: Follow the Shop’s Burn Instructions
No two candles are entirely alike, and who knows a product better than its creator? Candle makers do ample research to find the perfect burn times for their products. If you want the best burn and longest-lasting candles, then you should stick to their guidelines.
Enjoy Autumn From the Comfort of Your Home
There’s nothing cozier than the scents, sights, sounds and tastes that come with fall. But as temperatures drop, it becomes all the more tempting to curl up inside with a book and mug of cider.
What’s a poor soul to do when simultaneously craving that autumn market smell but refusing to get out from under the blankets? One must simply grab a good candle (and perhaps a darkly beautiful autumnal perfume, too).
Autumnal candles aren’t just a way to make your home or apartment smell good. They’re mood-makers that transport you to the best time of the year, even if you’re still unfortunate enough to be struggling through unseasonably warm October weather.
These five candles are just a springboard for you to use as you traipse across the internet for scents you truly adore. We hope that you enjoy them and find many others that light a flame in your heart during the spooky season. Happy candle hunting.