I Hoard Candles—These Are the 13 I Turn to After a Long, Stressful Day

As temperatures start to drop and dark evenings draw in, it's safe to say that my motivation to do just about anything has hit rock bottom. While post-work activities were abundant during warm summer evenings, as soon as autumn hit, I started spending my weekday afternoons battling energy slumps and counting down the minutes until it's deemed acceptable to go to bed

It's true that summoning the energy to do anything at this time of year can be tricky. Even cooking dinner after a long day at work can feel like a mountain climb. However, while physical motivation is no doubt lacking, that's not to say that our brains switch off quite so easily. While our bodies are crying out to be horizontal and swaddled in blankets, the everyday stresses of work (and life in general) can remain racing around our minds. And with fewer social activities to take our minds off of it, relaxing can sometimes prove just as tricky now as any other time of the year.

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(Image credit: @EMMAHOAREAU)

However, while we Brits have a wonderful way of complaining about short days and cold climes, there is something to be said for the comforting cosiness of autumn evenings, and there are ways to unwind your mind so that you can make the most out of your autumn evening. My go-to method? Lighting a good ol' relaxing candle.

While lighting candles en masse in the autumn might be deemed a total stereotype, as someone whose entire home is filled with candles (and who seriously struggles to unwind), I have come to accept that their power is most definitely best utilised for relaxation.

After coming to terms with the notion that this makes me an autumn stereotype, I have dedicated a substantial amount of time to finding the most relaxing candles out there so that I can spend my cold evenings in a state of blissful zen. Keep scrolling for the 13 best relaxing candles out there. (Trust me—I've burned them all.)

1. Cire Trudon Mary Candle

2. This Works Deep Sleep Heavenly Scented Candle

3. Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot Scented Candle

4. Crabtree & Evelyn Sundown Candle

5. Rituals The Ritual of Jing Scented Candle

6. Diptyque Feu de Bois Scented Candle

7. Byredo Tree House Candle

8. Neom Perfect Night's Sleep Scented Candle

9. Elemis Rose Arbour Candle

10. Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Candle

11. Drowsy Sleep Co. Sleep Candle

12. Keys Soulcare Oat Milk Candle

13. Jo Malone Lilac Lavender & Lovage Townhouse Candle

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Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.