Trust Me: These 12 Vanilla Candles Smell So Sophisticated

Call me basic, but when it comes to candles there is one aroma that I’m always drawn to when scenting my home: vanilla. Sweet, bright and cosy, there’s something about this uplifting note that I always come back to. Is it because it basically makes my house smell like a dessert? Perhaps. Or maybe it’s because it has a comforting familiarity. From sweet, vanilla-scented childhood toys and home-baked birthday cakes to my first perfume from The Body Shop, vanilla candles smell like home to me.

However, I’ll be the first to admit that a vanilla candle doesn’t necessarily spring to mind as the most sophisticated option to scent your home with. The associations that many of us have with this sweet note from childhood mean that even I went through a stage of trying to eschew my penchant for vanilla candles in favour of more grown-up aromas like leather, woods, and earthy florals. But after some pretty extensive testing and trialling I am here to assure that no vanilla scent is created equal—and the list ahead contains some of the most complex and delicious vanilla candles on the market.