To be honest, we’re suckers for a candle at any time of the year but even we can see that the festive season is when they really come into their own. After all nothing screams Christmas quite like the gentle flickering of a flame and your favourite scent filling the air… But while the shops may be filled with a sometimes bewildering array, it is definitely true to say that not all candles are created equal! So whether you are buying for yourself or as a gift, here’s our round up of the best candles we have found.

La Montana

Relative newbies on the candle scene, La Montana make products with passion and it shows. The brainchild of ex-PR supremo Cassandra Hall and her screenwriter husband Jonathan, La Montana candles are an ode to life in the Spanish mountain village of Barx, where the couple made their home after escaping the rat race in London. From the enigmatic First Light with its notes of wild mountain herbs and intoxicating rock rose, to the rich and comforting Alfredo’s Cafe an unusual and comforting blend of coffee, brandy and black tobacco, these are candles that truly deliver on their promise to fill your home with heavenly scent.

If you are looking for something really Christmassy then try Winter Oranges, a warm spicy blend of Valencian oranges, cinnamon, red apple and clove. Or for a slightly different take on the festive season Three Kings is an absolute feast for the senses. Frankincense, myrrh and cedarwood, with trampled pine needles, traditional, homemade turrón (almond nougat) and a brightening tot of brandy – positively delicious.

This year La Montana have created the most stunning sparkling gift boxes offering customers a whole range of gifts (or gift to self!) options. The Star Collection brings the whole range together in one beautiful box of mini (80gm) candles. Experience both Winter Oranges and Three Kings in the mini duo set or choose your three favourites with the Trio set. Find out more about these fabulous gift ideas here.

Jovoy

Jovoy candles, with their elegant glass cloches and covetable red hat boxes are always on our wish list so we were very excited to see that the complete range is now available at the newly opened Jovoy Perfumery in London’s Conduit Street. The original Ambre Premiere is a real Parisian love story with notes of vanilla, patchouli and musk and is the signature fragrance of Jovoy’s flagship store on the elegant rue Castiglione. If you are not sure of the fragrance taste of the person you are buying for, this one is a winner as it has really universal appeal.

Christmas comes in the form of Datcha an intense study in cinnamon, clove, resinous woods and spices. Think evenings spent by the fire with friends and family while outside all is cold, crisp and wintry. Or try Marron with its gourmet scent of roasted chestnuts and cinnamon and enjoy a nostalgia fest of childhood memories and nostalgia as the end of the year approaches. Take a look here.

Arty

This brand is a recent discovery and we can’t believe we haven’t come across it before! Created by the fabulous sounding Elisabeth de Feydeau, the brand was originally launched in 2011 and specialises in home fragrancing.

Having worked for some of the most illustrious names in the business – Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Guerlain to name but a few – Elizabeth knew that she wanted to create the kind of luxurious yet accessible products that she herself would want to use. There are several collections to choose from each with its own specific DNA. We love the Collection de la Cour, described as the stories of Versailles told through fragrance! Try Jardins et Bosquets with its amazing hit of jasmine or Délice des Libertins, an utterly sensual blend of vanilla, chocolate, musk and ambergris.

The delicious sounding Alcôve Royale (in the centre of the picture above) releases a truly sensual scent and was inspired by a love potion originally drunk by Louis IV and his lover Madame de Pompadour. This is a massage candle and the warm vanilla scented wax can also be used on the body – how very decadent! Find Arty candles here.

Cire Trudon

Officially the world’s oldest candlemakers, Cire Trudon know a thing or two about the creation of beautiful scented gifts!  Founded on the Rue Saint Honoré in Paris in 1643, Cire Trudon and its candles quickly became a part of French history and have even appeared in a Balzac novel! The candles have lit the homes of Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette and even Napoleon – impressive stuff! Today Cire Trudon works with contemporary noses and desingers to create the most gorgeous scented candles. each presented in a distinctive coloured glass container and finished with an elegant gold seal.

We particularly love Josephine, a romantic garden bursting with flowers – the perfect gift for lovers of florals. For something a little more masculine (and actually quite Christmassy in our opinion!) Ernesto is full of cool notes of rum, oak, clove, leather and tobacco. And if you’ve got a cool £495 to spend then the fabulous 3kg candle is seriously impressive!!!

Cire Trudon candles are widely available, John Lewis has a great selection and are taking orders until Friday 22nd December for delivery in store so if you are a seriously last minute shopper, you are in luck! Take a look here.