It's holiday candle time! Every season, I love sharing my favorite candles from Bath & Body Works because they make some of the most popular, most accessible candles out there. Their annual "candle day" is also coming up, which is the best deal you can get on candles all year! The date of the sale isn't announced until the day of, but it's typically at the beginning of December, after Black Friday. If you plan on stocking up on holiday candles during the sale, then this post is for you!
So this time around with my holiday candle review I'm doing things a little bit differently - Bath & Body Works has SO many holiday fragrance options, many of which are similar, so today I'm going to be comparing a lot of the similar ones that I like based on their scent category (as determined by me). I'm also going to be sharing my other favorites that don't really compare to others, as well as some that are new this year. There are a LOT of candles included in today's post, so buckle up, and let's talk holiday home fragrance!
*Candles with an asterisk denote my personal favorites.
Pine
*Fresh Balsam (2, 3, 4) (Woodland Balsam, Crisp Eucalyptus, Fir Branches, Cedarwood): This is just the quintessential B&BW holiday candle. When I think of holiday scents, I think of the smell of pine, and that's just what this is - smells just like a Christmas tree!
*Evergreen (White Fir Needles, Fresh Cedarwood, Sweet Sap):
This is another great pine-scented candle, but is more "manly" in my
opinion. Not in a cologne-y sort of way, more of in a heavier, more
rustic pine way.
*Tree Farm (2, 3) (Crisp Pine Needle, Warm Cedar, Spiced Apple): To me, this is the truest fresh pine scent that B&BW has - it smells exactly like a cold day at a Christmas tree
farm. It's even more of a true pine scent than Fresh Balsam with a teeny hit of freshness from the apple note, but they're both very piney. I can't decide whether this is my favorite pine scent from B&BW or if Fresh Balsam is, but I'm leaning toward this one! As a B&BW cheat while we're on the topic of pine candles, Thymes Frasier Fir is my ALL TIME FAVORITE pine candle, and holiday candle in general!
Vanilla Pine
*Vanilla Balsam (Balsam Fir, Frosted Vanilla, Snowcapped Pine Needles):
This one basically smells identical to Fresh Balsam, with just a TOUCH
of vanilla underneath. Not overly sweet at all, that's why I like it.
It's something a little different from the usual pine-scented
candles.
*Under The Christmas Tree (2) (Fir Balsam, Juniper Berries, Vanilla Eggnog, Sage):
This one reminds me a lot of Vanilla Balsam, but a little sweeter with
the vanilla eggnog note. It does remind me of drinking eggnog by the
Christmas tree! I enjoy both of these, but if I had to pick a favorite I'd go with Vanilla Balsam because it's less sweet.
Cinnamon Apple
*Spiced Apple Toddy (2, 3) (Warm Apple Brandy, Spiced Plum, Tart Cranberry, Cinnamon Stick): To me this is more of a fall candle, but they release it for the holiday season too so I had to include it! It's warm and comforting, so it works for both seasons. It's a classic apple cinnamon fragrance with a slight twist of plum and cranberry. This one is my personal favorite of these four!
'Tis The Season (2, 3, 4) (Rich Red Apple, Sweet Cinnamon, Cedarwood): This is a nice Christmassy take on a classic apple cinnamon fragrance with the addition of a hint of cedarwood - it really is the perfect mix of its three notes. This one does smell a lot like Spiced Apple Toddy, but it's a little more fresh while Spiced Apple Toddy is more cozy and spicy.
Christmas Cider (Mulled Cinnamon, Crushed Clove, Creamy Nutmeg, Simmering Cider): This one smells similar to Spiced Apple Toddy, but it's heavier and sweeter. It has almost a creamy caramel undertone. I prefer Spiced Apple Toddy over this one, but if you like fragrances that are on the sweeter side you'll like this one.
Holiday (Red Cinnamon Stick, Christmas Clove Buds, Ground Nutmeg):
Last year, Kenny described this one as "Fireball in a candle" and he's definitely
right. 😂 It's strong on cinnamon, subtly followed by clove and nutmeg, making a
classic Christmas spice candle. No apple in this one, but it reminds me of the other three with the cinnamon, so I wanted to compare it.
Peppermint
Twisted Peppermint (2) (Cool Peppermint, Sugared Snow, Vanilla Buttercream, Fresh Balsam, Hint of Musk): Like the name insinuates, this smells like peppermint with a twist. It's mostly minty, definitely sweet from the vanilla buttercream note, and the musk note gives it the tiniest smoky quality.
Crushed Candy Cane (2) (Crunchy Peppermint, White Sugar Crystals, Frosted Mint Leaf): This one truly smells JUST like a candy cane. It's very minty with a hint of sweetness, nothing more! Compared to Twisted Peppermint it's mintier and less sweet, but they're quite similar, although this one is my favorite of the two.
Smoky
Fireside (Smoked Cedar, Fresh Clove Bud, Warm Embers):
This one is very woodsy and smoky, it smells just like a bonfire. It's very cozy, and one that a lot of guys like, too - I've gotten it for my brother as a gift.
*Balsam & Firewood (Cedarwood, Cardamom, White Birch): This one smells a lot like Fireside with some balsam added (although balsam is not included in the notes, it's definitely there). I love both of these, but if I had to pick between the two I'd go with this one because I like the freshness that the pine adds.
Other Favorites
These are all scents I repurchase year after year! None of them are comparable to other fragrances B&BW carries in my opinion, so they have their own category.
*The Perfect Christmas (2, 3) (Fresh Cut Pine, Cinnamon Sugar, Toasted Marshmallow):
This one really is the perfect Christmas candle. It's primarily
cinnamon-pine smelling to me, followed by a hint of sweetness, but isn't
nearly as sweet as the notes would lead you to believe.
*Winter Candy Apple (2, 3)
(Candied Apples, Crisp Pears, Oranges): I absolutely love this
scent because it has so many memories attached to it - this is one of my
friend's signature scent, and it will always remind me of
Christmas break in college when we first started hanging out a lot. It has a very fun and unique
sweet fruit scent that isn't cheap or childish-smelling, you just have to smell it to understand! It's not an inherently Christmassy-smelling candle, so it's a nice one to burn to mix it up. I definitely recommend smelling this one if you haven't before, it's one of a kind.
*Winter (2, 3)
(White Woods, Pine Needles, Sparkling Clementine, Spiced Clove): This
is my FAVORITE winter candle! I was candle shopping with Kenny years ago
and he picked this one out, and it's been our go-to ever since. If I could only keep one B&BW holiday candle, it would be this one. I like
burning it after Christmas too because it doesn't have the typical pine or cinnamon smells that many holiday candles do. The fragrance is very cozy and sophisticated, clove is definitely a prominent note but there's more to it than that. It smells like an expensive designer candle, and it's unlike any other home fragrance I've ever had.
*Sweater Weather (2, 3, 4) (Fresh Sage, Juniper Berries, Aromatic Eucalyptus, Fresh Woods):
This is more of a fall candle than a holiday candle in my opinion, but
it's still one of my favorites and they always bring it out in holiday
packaging, so I wanted to include it! It's super fresh, a bit woodsy, a little herbaceous, and does give the feeling of stepping out into the crisp fall and winter air.
New To Me
These are scents that are new to me this year, and a couple of them are brand new to B&BW. I didn't end up getting any of them, but I liked all of them and wanted to review them!
Winterberry Wreath (Fresh Picked Orange, Juicy Blackberry, Warm Vetiver): This fragrance is new this year. It's very fruity but not sugary, it smells just like a blackberry! It was a little too fruity for me so I didn't get it, but I did like it. I think people who like Winter Candy Apple would also like this one, it has a similar vibe.
Vanilla Birch (White Birch, Madagascar Vanilla, Warm Sandalwood):
If you liked Warm Vanilla Sugar back in the day, you'll definitely like
this fragrance too! It smells like a toned-down, more mature Warm Vanilla Sugar,
with a bit of subtle complexity from the sandalwood. It's definitely
sweet, but not overwhelmingly so - it doesn't smell like a baked good. I
didn't buy this one since I already have SO many other candles, but I
did like it! It's a good homey scent.
Birch Leaf and Sage (Birch Leaf, White Sage, Icy Spearmint): This is also a new fragrance this year, and I anticipate a lot of people liking it. It's good for winter because it's fresh and minty, it almost smells cold. I think it would make a great scent for the kitchen since it's so crisp and clean-smelling.
Cinnamon and Clove Buds (Cinnamon Leaf, Clove Bud, Ground Nutmeg): This one is not a new fragrance, but I had never seen it before this year. The scent really reminds me of reminds me of Spiced Cardamom (which is one of my favorites), but with more cinnamon. And the jar is SO beautiful! It's my favorite shade of red, and has a stunning cut glass lid. This scent is my favorite of these four!
Let me know if I'm missing out on your favorite! I LOVE holiday candles (clearly) and I love knowing what other peoples' favorites are.
xoxx, Laura
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