20 French Candle Brands That Smell Like Pure Luxury

Interiors
Written By Lily

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Photo credit: Cire Trudon

Over the centuries, France has built a global reputation in perfumery, including the art of scenting the home. And what better way to do that than with a candle?

From heritage fragrance houses to new and niche ateliers, these are the French candle brands that you can rely on for craftsmanship, elegance, and a moment of escapism.

Whether you're craving a warm gourmand to cozy up a quiet night in or a crisp botanical blend to brighten your entryway, there's a French candle that does more than perfume a room, it transports you. Beyond scent, they double as decor, adding color and character to your space.

Many of these candles make excellent gifts too, but they're just as perfect as an everyday luxury for yourself. Here are the 20 best French candle brands that are worth every penny. Continue reading for the very best of les bougies.

1. Diptyque

When you think of French candle brands, Diptyque is likely the first name that comes to mind. Founded in 1961 on Boulevard Saint-Germain, the Parisian perfumer quickly became known for its luxury fragrances and home scents. Each candle, including cult favorites like Baies (berries) and Feu de Bois (wood fire), is inspired by nature and housed in the brand’s signature glass vessel, complete with the iconic oval label.

A Diptyque scented candle always makes a chic gift or signature home scent. For special occasions, I light my Roses candle (my current favorite scent from Diptyque). If you’re visiting Paris soon, be sure to stop by Maison Diptyque on Rue Duphot for their exclusive Paris city candle.

2. Kerzon

If you’ve browsed my list of Paris souvenirs, then you might already be familiar with Kerzon candles. Created by brothers Etienne and Péa, this family-owned company is known for its fragrances inspired by childhood memories and Parisian landmarks. Kerzon offers a range of natural products to take care of your body and home: laundry soaps, liquid soaps, dish soaps, fragrance diffusers, and, of course, candles.

With autumn coming up, I’d recommend La Tour Eiffel candle, which has a warm, spicy amber scent that smells oh-so cozy. I also gifted my mother-in-law their Chamonix candle (no longer available) a few years ago. She’s an avid skier, and she loved it!

3. Cire Trudon

Founded in 1643, Cire Trudon is the oldest candle maker in France, once supplying the court of Louis XIV as well as most of the great churches of France. During the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the largest wax-producer in the French Kingdom.

Each Cire Trudon candle comes in a beautiful glass vessel (green is their signature color) embellished with a gold-embossed crest that feels like a regal heirloom from centuries ago.

If you're unsure where to start, I recommend Abd El Kader for a fresh burst of Moroccan mint tea, or Solis Rex, inspired by the wooden floors of Versailles. Both bring an unmistakable air of old-world luxury to your space.

4. Carrière Frères

A sister brand to Trudon, Carrière Frères traces back to 1884 when the Carrière brothers set out to revive waxmaking in Paris. Their vision was to combine time-honored candle-making techniques with modernity. The brand was so innovative that it was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1889.

Today, Carrière Frères carries on its legacy with an array of botanical scents extracted from herbs, roots, flowers, fruits and trees. Each candle is hand-poured in their Normandy workshop using organic vegetable wax.

One of my favorite candles is Absinthe. Called 'the green fairy,' absinthe was once the notorious muse for artists like Emile Zola, Paul Verlaine, Vincent Van Gogh and Edgar Degas, celebrated for its supposed creative powers before being banned. The candle itself smells very vegetal and aromatic.

5. Overose

Born in 2016, Overose is the French candle brand that puts Parisian scents in monochromatic pink packaging. But don’t let the minimalist packaging fool you because the fragrances themselves are quite sophisticated and complex. Nudesse is a fan favorite that smells like Paris in the rain: fresh petrichor mixed with roses in bloom.

More recently, Overose launched their Pâtisserie collection with decadent candles like Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, and Macaron Pistache. Miam ! You can also shop their new line of gourmand fragrances for even more indulgence.

6. Bastide

Co-founded by Frédéric Fekkai and his wife Shirin, Bastide is a lifestyle beauty brand celebrating Aix-en-Provence's terroir and extraordinary artisans. In Provence, a "bastide" is a traditional manor house made of terracotta walls, fragranced by seasonal aromas and garden blooms, and filled with loved ones and memories.

That spirit is part of every Bastide creation, including their candles. Each one is made in Provence without parabens, phthalates, silicones, sulfates, PEGs, mineral oil, or gluten. Their bestselling Figue d'Été candle smells like summer in the orchards of Provence: warm sun and juicy figs.

7. Astier de Villatte

Best known for their handmade ceramics, Astier de Villatte also creates luxury candles in collaboration with master perfumers. Each scent is tied to a specific city, from the spice stalls of Delhi to the wooden Japanese houses of Aoyama. “An olfactory world tour,” in the brand’s own words. They also craft fragrances inspired by iconic Paris spots like Opéra and Rue Saint-Honoré.

Every candle comes in a handblown glass tumbler from Tuscany. Slightly grey in color, lightly bubbled, and one-of-a-kind, each tumbler feels like a timeless objet d’art. Villa Médicis is my top choice: a beautiful blend of lavender, herbs, and lemon that I absolutely adore.

8. Maison La Bougie

The name says it all. Maison La Bougie reimagines the classic candle with novel prints and unexpected scent pairings, all inspired by founder Fanny Dumas’ love of art, architecture, vintage design, and travel. Each candle, in addition to diffusing a delicious fragrance in your home, is a real piece of art. From lipstick kisses to leopard print and 50s motifs, the packaging alone makes these candles coffee-table-worthy.

Astrology fans will want to check out the Zodiac collection. And once the wax burns down, the beautiful votives can (and should!) be repurposed as storage, a planter, a vase, or just decoration.

9. Maison Margiela

If you’re a fan of the Maison Margiela Replica fragrance collection, you’re sure to love their scented candles too. Each one evokes a specific moment or mood, whether it’s a walk on the beach, an evening by the fireplace or a sunny afternoon in the garden.

Jazz Club is one of my favorites for fall, and the candle smells just as good as the eau de toilette: warm, smoky, and cozy. For something softer, Lazy Sunday Morning smells like freshly washed cotton sheets. No matter the memory you want to recall, there is a Replica candle to match.

10. Amanda de Montal

Based in Gascony, Amanda de Montal is a home fragrance brand known for its enchanting collection of scented candles and diffusers, each crafted to capture cherished memories, places, and moments in time. The brand has over twenty unique fragrances, many infused with local ingredients like Armagnac, a regional specialty.

Every candle is held in a sleek, square glass votive that’s understated, yet elegant. I’d also recommend their bonbons parfumés, a bundle of scented wax “candies” that you can slip into your bag, suitcase, a drawer for a little burst of fragrance.

11. Buly 1803

Though officially re-established in 2014, Officine Universelle Buly 1803 traces its roots back to the early 19th century, when perfumer Jean-Vincent Bully sold his perfume on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. The brand was later revived by creative visionary Ramdane Touhami in 2014.

Today, Buly 1803 has gone viral for its luxurious line of perfumes, candles, soaps, plant oils, and beauty accessories, all contained in old-world-inspired packaging. Their scented candles are works of art: hand-poured into marble vessels, topped with a glass cloche, and finished with exquisite labels.

Each scent is oh-so refined with notes like smoked Hinoki wood and Malmaison French rose, and formulated with plant-based ingredients.

12. Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Created by one of the most celebrated noses in modern perfumery, Maison Francis Kurkdjian offers their signature perfumes in candle form. Each one is presented in an elegant porcelain biscuit jar from Limoges with a hand-painted interior. The wax is just as luxe, a blend of French mineral and vegetable waxes, and a braided cotton wick ensures an even, long-lasting burn up to 55 hours.

The most coveted of MFK candles is Baccarat Rouge 540, of course. A woody, ambery floral that has become a cult favorite. Another one that I really enjoyed sampling is Aqua Universalis, a fresh, musky scent that smells like lemony laundry. It’s so good, the brand even turned it into laundry detergent and fabric mist, so all of your linens can smell like pure, clean luxury.

13. Rigaud

Dating back to the 1850s, Rigaud is often credited as the creator of the modern scented candle. While ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Romans used fragrance in candle-making, Rigaud was the first to market scented candles specifically to perfume the home.

They're a favorite in French interiors and are instantly recognizable by their signature clear glass vessels that showcase the richly colored wax. Even former British Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland filled her vibrant workspace with Rigaud candles.

All of their fragrances are created in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, using high-quality ingredients for a sophisticated scent. You can rest assured that the wax is formulated to burn cleanly and evenly too. If you’re new to the Rigaud, I suggest you start with Cyprès, the very first scented candle from the brand.

14. BDK Parfums

Although BDK is better known for its niche perfumes, their candle collection, “Les Nocturnes”, is just as opulent. Each candle is inspired by a moment of the night in a Parisian neighborhood, whether it be mysterious, euphoric or sensual. Rich and atmospheric, they are perfect for setting the tone after dark.

For a standout pick, try Pleine Lune, a mix of musk and fresh notes that smell like a moonlit stroll through Paris. Another one to know is Palace Paradisio, inspired by the Parisian nights of the 1980s and composed of the emblematic tuberose, a true night flower. If you’ve ever enjoyed a night out in Paris, one of these candles is certain to become your own madeleine de Proust.

15. Frédéric Malle

Frédéric Malle launched Editions de Parfums in 2000, a groundbreaking concept that gave perfumers the opportunity to sell under their own names. In addition to fine fragrances, the house offers a collection of candles that are both decorative objects and powerful fragrance diffusers. Each candle is developed by a master nose and crafted with wax specially formulated for its fragrance.

Among the brand’s “Iconics” is Café Society by Carlos Benaïm, a scent that recalls the sensual nocturnal atmosphere of a Parisian party with patchouli, amber, and lavender. Another notable candle from Benaïm is Jurassic Flower, a lovely magnolia fragrance that also happens to be the signature scent of The Mark Hotel in New York City.

16. Bon Parfumeur

Created by Ludovic Bonneton in 2017, Bon Parfumeur is a newer name in French haute perfumery. Their candles follow the same minimalist format as their perfumes—no names, just notes and numbers linked to the olfactory family they belong to.

I see this brand at many boutiques in France, including one of my favorites in Strasbourg. A combination of smoked black tea, birch and mugwort, 04 is the best candle I’ve smelled from Bon Parfumeur. “A magnetic elegance” as the brand describes it, and it truly is.

If you’re sure where to begin, this candle trio is the perfect introduction to the brand’s first three scents.

17. Amen Candles

AMEN is a first-of-its-kind sustainable high-end design candle brand, handmade in Grasse using natural vegetal oil wax. Their minimalist, meditative scents are designed to create calm, clarity, and connection.

For their inaugural limited edition collection, AMEN partnered with top yoga meccas and gurus around the world to create seven scents for seven chakras, each formulated to help align the body, mind, and soul.

The brand also collaborated with sculptor Katharina Kaminski to create a series of light sculptures that contain its signature fragrances. They are truly works of art that both look and smell beautiful in any space.

18. Mad et Len

Mad et Len is a more under-the-radar French brand that all fragrance fans should know about. Inspired by the nature surrounding their workshop in the south of France, their perfumes, candles, and other decorative pieces have an industrial sophistication to them.

The scents tend to lean more earthy, mineral, and experimental. Spirituelle (a crisp garden mint) or Black Champaka (woody, aromatic and smoky) are two candles worth sniffing (especially if you visit their boutique in Galerie Vivienne).

Each candle is housed in a distinctive blackened iron pot, crafted from rolled steel by artisans using ancestral techniques. Their creations have been featured at Paris Fashion Week and in GQ. More recently, they collaborated with French label Lemaire on the ultra-luxe candle Bois d’Orage.

19. Fragonard

One of the oldest perfumeries in Grasse, Fragonard has been crafting fine fragrances since 1926, and they make scented candles too. Their Garden Candles collection is one of my favorites with a variety of cheerful scents inspired by the garden (mint basil, coriander lemongrass, cedar pistachio, and more). They also come in colorful tin cases that brighten up any little corner.

Fleur d’Oranger, a sunny citrus, is one of Fragonard’s most iconic scents that’s available in candle form. If you’re visiting Paris or the South of France, Fragonard candles make lovely souvenirs.

20. L’Artisan Parfumeur

L'Artisan Parfumeur is a French niche perfume house founded in 1976 by Jean Laporte, a chemist with a passion for creating unique and artisanal fragrances. The brand is known for its focus on natural essences and for crafting perfumes that tell stories and evoke specific olfactory journeys.

Their candles offer the same experience, transporting you to a sunny terrace, a bustling spice market, or a garden in full bloom. You always know what you're getting too, whether it’s La Rose, L’Encens, or La Figue.

cire trudon candles 
L’Artisan Parfumeur

L'Encens Candle

$98 at Harrods

Shop French Candles

If you’re planning a trip to the French capital, don’t miss my curated guide to where to buy candles in Paris.

What are your favorite French candle brands? Let me know in the comments below.

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