10% Off Your First Order
Sign up to receive the latest news from Osmology via email, including product launches, events and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Osmology’s Privacy Policy.
The Scented Candles Every Man Should Be Burning
Discover the top scented candles for men. From woody fragrances to uplifting spicy scents, we’ve curated the best masculine candle scents.
Times have changed, and the preconception that candles are just for women is no longer true. Many men are now discovering and enjoying the warm glow and enriching scent burning candles can provide to their home and work spaces.
Times have changed, and the preconception that candles are just for women is no longer true. Many men are now discovering and enjoying the warm glow and enriching scent burning candles can provide to their home and work spaces.
For men, burning a candle at home is often an extension of their personal taste in wearable fragrances, and with stinky gym clothes and other not so lovely man smells to cover, candles are the grown up choice for gentlemen to up-level their bachelor pad.
There are many different fragrances available that are well suited to guys, from those that feature scent notes traditionally found within aftershaves to smells that are unashamedly unisex. Tobacco, citrus, sandalwood and oakmoss are ingredients that feature within many of our bestselling scented candles for men. Many of these candles are housed within elegant, neutral packaging, making them visually look great inside masculine decor.
In this gift guide we have explored the best scented candles for the men in your life, each featuring rich, warm, and manly fragrances that’ll make them the perfect Christmas gift or birthday present for him this year.
Our Top Masculine Fragrance Notes
Tobacco – has a pleasant and woody aroma. Consider the fragrance of a new pipe mix or the tobacco-impregnated sheets that line the interior of cigarette boxes. Warm, cosy, nostalgic, and delightfully intoxicating – it makes the perfect fragrance to add to any man’s home.
Leather – the rich, earthy, and somewhat sweet perfume is wonderfully evocative and comforting, and it pairs well with toasty spiced odours and warm, elegant floral notes.
Wood – our selection of wood fragrances will offer timeless sophistication to any space, taking inspiration from the depths of the forest to the polished elegance of oak panelled rooms.
Citrus – fragrance notes are recognised to be energising, enlivening, and invigorating. Bergamot, lemon, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit are all light and refreshing and help improve the atmosphere and vitality of a space.
Oakmoss – is an earthy, woody, seductive scent notes with hints of musk and amber. Oakmoss is a popular component among fragrances because it helps to ground more volatile aromas.
The Best Men's Scented Candles
The Fairytale of New York Candle by Bella Freud is inspired by the ultimate punk rock love song, written by Shane MacGowan, the wild genius of rock and roll. Its harsh and poetic tenderness is charged with romantic feeling and is the influence behind this captivating smell. Top notes of blood orange and coriander are evoked by a heart of mimosa and saffron with a veil of smoky tobacco flower. The strength and beat of the base contains rich notes of oud, myrrh resins, patchouli, musk and amber oils.
The New York Candle by 42Pressed blends notes of santal, night jasmine, hemlock and vermouth. to transport you to the iconic city of New York. Surface from the tunnel to find the warm aromas of hemlock and vermouth. Stroll down fifth avenue and feel the presence of santal all around. Find peace in the bright green oasis of central park with the lingering trace of night jasmine.
The Nordic Cedar Candle by Aery envelopes you in a blanket of cosy fragrance. The scent straddles woody, warm and fresh at the same time as the cedar notes are sprinkled with warm spices and a hint of citrus – a tree dressed in festive pomander.
Mystical notes of black tea, palo santo, and eucalyptus deliver a smoked herbal scent. Additional notes of gardenia, cashmeran, and papyrus invoke mysterious warmth.
The Dusk Candle by P.F. Candle Co is part of the Sunset collection. Dusk is inspired by taking the long way home, the buzz of streetlights, everything washed in shades of blue. Dusk is a mysterious, dreamy, and captivating scent, with notes of clary sage, iris, and palo santo. This fragrance is the perfect partner for unwinding before dark and getting nostalgic on a weeknight.
The Before Sleep Candle by Aery leads you towards the comforting embrace of bedtime. With its combination of Lavender, Eucalyptus and Coriander, the fragrance entices your body to relax fully in preparation for a deep, peaceful and ultimately revitalising slumber. A fragrance to make dreams come true.
The Breakfast Leipzig Candle by D.S. & DURGA is inspired by breakfast with Bach at Café Zimmermann, Leipzig. Think buttery almond pastries, pipe tobacco, and a hint of warm coffee in the background. Café Zimmerman was the backdrop to many of the first performances of Bach’s works, such as the Coffee Cantata. In 1723, the year Bach moved to Leipzig, it was the largest and best-appointed Coffeehouse in the city.
The Los Angeles Candle by P.F. Candle Co is as complex and rebellious as it’s hometown. It wraps a warm, woody base with night blooming jasmine, unfolding into a luxe fragrance with earthy undertones. Rejuvenating notes of sea salt, coastal sage, and deeply herbaceous yarrow lead towards a magnetic heart.
The FJÄLL Candle by Skandinavisk takes its inspiration from Sweden’s right to roam that gives everyone access to the countries spectacular wilderness. The fragrance is fresh with herbaceous floral notes. Windswept heather and wild thyme sit alongside crushed berries and leaf sap, creating a landscape of scent to get lost in.
The Laze Scented Candle by Eym features the peaceful, mellowing fragrance of frankincense and patchouli. The soothing scent invites you to relax, bringing a moment of reflective calm to any space. Crafted with pure essential oils and clean soy wax, this 100% natural candle will undoubtedly bring out the inner yogi within you, helping you find balance and peace whenever you light it.
The FJORD Scented Candle by Skandinavisk will bring the magnificent drama of the Norwegian landscape into your home. Refreshing and bright, it’s fragrance is reminiscent of crashing waterfalls and big landscapes. Notes of apple and pear blossom, dappled in late summer sunlight sit alongside orchard fruits and redcurrants.
Smoke & Musk will transport you to the rustic cabin in the woods that dreams are made of. Its combination of musky patchouli, fresh fir, and woodsmoke entwine to create a scent cosy and warm.
The ’85 Diesel Candle by D.S. & DURGA takes you out on the open road. It’s the elegant, robust scent of sun-drenched saffron tanned leather seats entwined with damp earth and diesel smoke. A fragrance inspired by road-tripping in a 1980s Mercedes Benz, windows rolled down, singing “we must never break the chain” while leaving the smell of burning fuel in your wake.
The St. Al Candle by Boy Smells captures the mysterious and exotic. Warm and creamy sandalwood combines with heady florals and undertones of musky frankincense to create a richly layered scent evoking memories of the orient.
This intriguing scent dances over notes of subtle spice via black pepper and cardamom before flourishing into a heart of rose, lavender and fir balsam.
The KOTO (Home) Candle by Skandinavisk takes its name from the traditional Finnish word meaning ‘cosy at home’. This candles warming mix of fragrance notes, featuring vanilla beans and dried orange peel, Baltic amber and vintage leather furniture, will keep the elements outside at bay. Whether its a Nordic chill or a blustery British day, create a refuge inside by lighting this candle and embracing the homely intimacy of the familiar.
The Elementary Candle by Earl of East is filled with tobacco leaf, amber and leather notes – giving it a luxurious, rich and intense aroma. It’s the perfect gift for those who love the grandeur of old London.
The LES Candle by Boy Smells is full of fruitiness thanks to plump blackcurrants, peach blossom and asian pear. Jasmine rice, cedar and cardamom add depth. As you’ve come to expect from Boy Smells, this vibrant scent is an unexpected, non-binary, cross-cultural, olfactive exploration filled with warmth.
The Black Fig Candle by P.F. Candle Co is a sophisticated fragrance combining sweet Mission Fig, calming lavender and earthy patchouli. To lend the scent depth and warmth, spicy clove and tobacco provide the heart notes, while fir and moss are layered through the top. The result is compelling, making this a favourite among P.F fans.
The De Nîmes Candle by Boy Smells features earthy notes of violet, eucalyptus, and blueberry alongside rhubarb and almond, peppered with darker notes of wood, juniper berry, and ambergris.
The Inspire Candle by Aery will arouse a sense of adventure and hearten your creative endeavours. Combining beautiful fragrance notes of rosemary, eucalyptus, and cedar, with hints of sandalwood, orange, and balsamic, the scent acts as a talisman to rekindling your motivation.
The HAV (Sea) Candle by Skandinavisk captures the ancient drama of the freezing North Atlantic, Baltic and Arctic seas as they crash into the endless Scandinavian coast. This new impression of the vast Nordic coastline captures the freshness of the air, mixed with salty sea spray and sea kelp, alongside hawthorn and beach rose from the shoreline.
The fresh fragrance of fir trees is blended alongside warmer notes of aged-leather and lily of the valley. This refreshing scent captures the magic of log cabins deep in the Nordic north, where home meets the green and mysterious outdoors.
The HYGGE Candle by Skandinavisk perfectly distils the intimacy and fellowship the Danish embrace within their everyday moments. The homely scent of this candle features notes of black tea, dried apple, wild mint and a dusting of baked cinnamon. Light it to create a cosy environment, perfect for reflection, contemplation and friendship.
An icy blend of dry cedarwood and saffron, shadowed by warm sandalwood oil. Black walnut and oud oil are washed in sensual silken musk and vetiver.
A spiritual aroma of a temple garden laden with golden autumn leaves – a combination of hinoki, Japanese cypress, and sustainably harvested sandalwood.
The earthy forest fragrance of pine and balsam fir, it’s scent will inspire a nostalgia for hiking through the warm Californian mountains. The woody notes are balanced by warm amber, vanilla and spicy black pepper. A great choice for early autumn, and cosy evenings in you’re imaginary cabin.
The Tabac Candle by Tatine features orange and honey-scented pipe tobacco, that drifts into rich, gourmand notes of roasted nuts, caramel, and burnt woods. Warm, sweet, and smoky with a comforting accord of vanilla.
The Holy Basil Candle by Tatine features dark green herbal notes blended with wild meadow grasses, cannabis, and sacred basil. Drops of dark violet oil, anise, and garden mint round out top notes of Absinthe, clove buds, and green vine tomato. A spiritual ceremony; an offering.
Aaron Toumazou at GQ listed his favourite scented candles to enhance any masculine living space during the lockdown, including the Man candle by Eym, Smoke and Musk by Earl of East and Kush scented candle by Boy Smells. Many of the candles he chose feature warm and woody notes such as Tobacco, Cedar and Leather.
At Elle Decor, Lucia Tonelli recommends using spicy, smokey, sultry scents to create a masculine vibe in your favourite spaces. They highlight the bestselling Teakwood & Tobacco Candle by P.F. Candle Co. as a top choice for men, alongside LES by Boy Smells – a great candle for men who like something a little fruity.
Esquire’s Roberta Schroeder compiled the twelve of the best scented candles to burn this winter, with classic choices from Byredo, Le Labo and Diptyque. Cire Trudon’s Ernesto (one of our faves) got high praise with Roberta saying “Ernesto is a scent that feels truly timeless: sun-beaten notes of rum and bergamot enliven the base of tobacco and leather, creating an homage to the heat of Havana.”
The team at Grazia know “we shouldn’t assume it’s just women who appreciate a nice-smelling room.” and listed their top 16 best scented candles for men this autumn. They say “there’s nothing ‘girly’ about wanting a room to smell good, or to aid focus, but there are some fragrance notes that may be more appealing to men. To make a sweeping generalisation, guys might be less drawn to heavily floral or sweet candles and may prefer woody, smoky profiles and fresher marine or citrus scents.”
In their list D.S. & Durga’s Big Sur After Rain is favourited with them stating “it captures the comforting essence of the Californian coast after a rainstorm. The scent is the combination of lush vegetation, mountainous terrain and pacific spray. Notes that emerge are magnolia, eucalyptus and soaked wood for a refreshing, full-bodied aroma.”
So, why do men like scented candles? I mean really the question should by why on earth wouldn’t they! Firstly having a fire in the home is a very primal thing. For millennia, from the time of cavemen to the invention of the lightbulb, humans relied on the light, heat and cooking power of fire. Tales of hunting prowess were shared between men sat around campfires, the dancing flame becoming a focal point of the evening. Fire represents home and safety, and just because we no longer live outside doesn’t mean that sense of wonder and protection has left us. When men light a scented candle at home it creates a similar ambience of relaxed camaraderie our ancestors felt in the presence of the homely hearth.
Unfortunately, over the years the feminisation of candles has put men off igniting this nightly ritual and connecting to their hunter-gather selves. Thankfully, this has changed in recent years and masculine scented candles with woody, citrus, spicy and smoked fragrances that appeal to the male nose have been created, gaining popularity across the gender spectrum.
The best manly candle scents are often similar to the fragrance of men’s cologne. Warm and woody fragrances are a great place for uninitiated men to begin discovering the best-scented candles for their man cave, but we highly recommend being brave and exploring fresh or floral fragrances too. Boy Smells create amazing candles that defy gender stereotypes and their entire collection is worth exploring for great men’s candles.
The best smelling candles for guys can also help alleviate bad odours (sneakers we’re looking at you) and of course, elevate any man’s bedroom into a romantic space in which to woo. Who can deny the power of candlelight to get you in the mood for loving?
Here at Osmology, over a third of our customers are men. Some come to us to buy gifts, but the overwhelming majority are buying candles for themselves. We love helping guys discover the perfect candle scents for them, so if you have any questions regarding the best men’s candles drop us a line.
We are dedicated to continually hunting out the best scented candles for men from top brands around the world. We will be adding even more masculine scented candles to our candle collection, so make sure you check out our full range of men’s candles today.