Christmas: The best home scents to promote hygge

Nothing creates hygge like a well-chosen home scent. Velvet rounds up the best candles for a cosy Christmas

Pott Candles Petite Pott and Noel Refill, 80g, £32.50, pottcandles.com

Housed in a beautifully tactile hand-thrown, dip-glazed, refillable pottery votive, festive limited-edition Noel is, as its name suggests, the ultimate Christmas candle: cinnamon, clove, orange, vanilla, musk. It’s made from rapeseed and coconut wax for a clean burn in all senses.

Sevin London Fresh Clay Candle, 270g, £35, sevinlondon.co.uk

Coming from a brand which pledges “to transform a daily routine into a heavenly treat”, Fresh Clay is a cosseting combination of vanilla and ylang ylang; part comfort blanket, part spa trip. It’s also natural, vegan, handmade, cotton-wicked and seriously stylish.

Bamford 12 Days of Christmas Candle, 300g, £65, bamford.com

Founded by organic pioneer Carole Bamford, you can expect this brand’s candles to be natural beauties. Made solely from rapeseed and beeswax and scented with cinnamon and clove, 12 Days packs a pleasingly spicy punch. The keepsake glass jar is pretty too.

ARRAN Home Amberwood Candle, 350g, £33, arran.com

Hailing from the Isle of Arran, like all its sister bath, body and home products, this candle is inspired by Scotland’s wild landscape. A remarkably light, elegant layering of spices, woods and warm amber, it brings a welcome breath of fresh air to stuffy winter rooms.

Noble Isle Fireside Candle, 200g, £42, nobleisle.com

Just like a flickering log fire, this candle is an invitation to gather round and snuggle up. The scent is a masterclass: sparkling grapefruit is spiced by black pepper and ginger, then mellow vanilla, cinnamon and oakmoss kick in. It’s also British-made, cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.

Henry’s Townhouse The Carriage Snug Candle, 220g, £65, henrystownhouse.co.uk

Doffing its topper to the combined elegance and irreverence of the Regency period, Henry’s Townhouse is named after the co-publisher of light-hearted 18th century periodical The Loiterer. The Carriage Snug is a beautifully balanced pairing of feminine florals with masculine musk, leather and rum.

VILSHENKO Winter Candle, 230g, £120, libertylondon.com

Inspired by the snowy days and fireside nights of her childhood in the Russian countryside, fashion designer Olga Vilshenko’s beguiling Winter scent softens the sharp spice of clove and incense with inviting cedar and rose. An intricately decorated ceramic matryoshka doll made by artisans in Portugal, the container too is a thing of beauty.

NEST New York Wilderness Charcoal Woods Candle, 230g, £43, cultbeauty.co.uk

Evoking the smoky, woodsy, mossy, magnetic warmth of a campfire, this candle is utterly distinctive and utterly delicious - as you’d expect from the cult US brand, which promises “scents that transport, inspire and captivate the senses”. Patchouli, cedarwood and charred birch are the big-hitters.

Miller Harris Santal candle, £50, millerharris.com

With heady sandalwood at its heart, this candle’s scent captures all the good things about winter, from crisp woodland walks (green moss, earthy amber) to cuddling up in a big jumper (warming pink pepper, sweet vanilla). The natural soy and rapeseed wax is clean burning and long lasting and the fragrance is room-filling in the very best way; it embraces the space.