I have a weakness for expensive candles. From Diptyque to Byredo and Bella Freud, you'll find them dotted everywhere around my home. I'm lucky that I have the opportunity to test these luxury candles for my job, however, if it weren't for my profession, my bank account would audibly scream at the thought of dropping over £60 on a candle—I could never justify it. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for more affordable candles that create the same bougie atmosphere, without literally burning through all of my money.
However, it's hard to find affordable candles that A, don't smell cheap and B, actually smell when you light them. I have high expectations; I want a candle to fill my entire home with scent while looking chic on my mantlepiece too. Many of the more affordable candles I've tried don't tick both boxes—until I discovered Beauty Pie candles.
Are Beauty Pie Candles Worth It?
I've been testing some of Beauty Pie's most-loved candles over the past couple of weeks, and they are truly amazing value for money at around the £20 mark. They're not the cheapest candles on the market, but the great throw, generous size and luxury packaging makes them very reasonably priced. You'll need to be a Beauty Pie member to access the 'member price' with a monthly or annual subscription (otherwise, they are £34 for non-members) but, if you love luxury candles, the membership is totally worth it if you also want to try some of Beauty Pie's best products too.
The candles are large (240g) and give around 60 hours of burn time, and they really do throw scent into the room when burning. However, I find that some of the scents are noticeable even when they are unlit, which is another plus. They have a great range of scents to suit every taste, whether you prefer a clean-smelling scent or a chocolatey gourmand. Plus, the glass vessels are incredibly chic too.
Amazingly, these candles are made in Grasse, France—the home of perfumery and where many luxury fragrance brands produce perfumes and home fragrance—where they are hand crafted and made from six different types of high-grade mineral waxes, ensuring an even burn and great scent projection.
If you're wondering which Beauty Pie candle to try next, scroll ahead for my honest review of each—I've ranked my favourites below.
The Best Beauty Pie Candles, Ranked by an Editor
1. Clean House
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: Fresh laundry
Notes: Lavender, freesia, white cotton accord, magnolia, musk
This is like hotel housekeeping in a candle. Picture an expensive hotel suite with freshly laundered linen sheets, soft furnishings and a bouquet of fresh white flowers. The Clean House name is so apt, because lighting this candle makes it feel like you've cleaned your home from top to bottom. It's a great candle to light when you don't want anything too overwhelming, but you want your space to feel fresh, airy and clean. The scent lingers long after you've blown out the flame too. I'm now on my second one, and I'll never stop buying it.
2. Bahia De Miel
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: A luxury, dimly lit French hotel bar
Notes: Pressed basil, liquorice milk, balsam fir, guaiac wood, wild honey, red juniper, vanilla, musk
Both sweet, a little smokey and seductively smooth, this Beauty Pie candle is a close second to Clean House—but this one is like a sultry, dimly lit bar that you might find in a boutique Parisian hotel. It's a really complex and classy scent that smells three times its price tag, and is unlike anything else I've smelled. Fresh out of the box, leans a little masculine with a smokey trail, but while lit is is balanced with subtly sweet honey and vanilla that has a creamy, intoxicating milkiness to it. I'd burn this on cosy nights inside when you require a moment of luxury.
3. Chocolat
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: Warm, freshly baked pain au chocolats wafting from a cafe
Notes: Hazelnut, chocolate, milk, sugar, cookie accord, vanilla, butter
This is straight up buttery, pain au chocolats served with a frothy hot chocolate and a generous swirl of whipped cream on top. It's absolutely delicious. If you don't like gourmand scents, you might not be for you, but if you have a sweet tooth you'll love the addictive chocolate scent that is almost good enough to eat. It really fills the room with scent and burns really well. I particularly love the designer-esque packaging on this one.
4. Fleurosa
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: A Sunday flower market
Notes: Freesia, osmanthus, orange blossom, clove, tuberose, iris, peony, ylang-ylang, Turkish rose, vetiver, tonka, cashmere woods, musk
Fleurosa, as you can probably guess, is a very floral-orientated scent. Lighting this candle transports you straight to a flower market with bundles of freshly cut florals. It has a strong scent of tuberose which is very pretty and creamy, but it's not overly fussy—it's light and airy too, making it a great candle to light during the spring and summer months, or during the day when you want your home to smell inviting. I'd imagine someone with an impeccably designed all-white interior lighting this type of scent.
5. Pomegrante & Baies
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: Rose and pomegranate, sprinkled in spices
Notes: Water flowers, baies rose, davana, artemisia, cinnamon, clove, pomegranate, cashmere woods, cedar, patchouli
This is a really seductive scent, and the clear red glass vessel radiates a warm glow when it is lit—so it really looks the part too. Pomegranate & Baies Rose is a fruity floral, which is given a warm, seductive twist with a sprinkle of spicy cinnamon and clove and cosy cashmere woods. You can really smell this one, even before opening the box, and the throw when lit is amazing. It's heady, sexy and smells a little like another popular designer pomegranate candle out there.
6. Hot Chocolate & Pomegranate
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: Candy canes dipped in hot chocolate
Notes: Milk chocolate, peppermint, chocolate madeleine accord, vanilla, cocoa, butter, wood
If you're looking for your next festive candle, call off the search. This delicious combination of chocolate and peppermint is the ultimate wintertime treat. Compared to the rich scent of the Chocolat candle reviewed above, this has a refreshing zing of peppermint which reminds me of After Eights. It is sweet, but not overly sickly. In fact, many Beauty Pie reviewers say this is the best candle they have ever tried.
7. Birthday
Price shown is member price.
Smells like: Vanilla birthday cake frosting
Notes: Bergamot, freesia, almond, transparent florals, black pepper, sugar, patchouli, vanilla, amber, chocolate
Lighting this candle might have your neighbours wondering if you're baking a cake—it really fills your home with the scent of a fluffy birthday cake sponge with a generous layer of vanilla frosting. You'd be forgiven that its very sweet, but it's much more complex, thanks to the addition of florals and patchouli. Needless to say, this makes a great gift for a birthday present. The box allows you to mark your recipient's birth month and and date, which is a nice touch too.
