I Have Diptyque Taste on a Budget—These 18 Zara Candles Smell So Expensive

My name is Eleanor, and I have a candle obsession. From Diptyque to Byredo and Jo Malone London to Cire Trudon, it's fair to say that I've burnt a lot of luxury candles. As a beauty editor, I'm lucky enough to be sent some of the most expensive candles out there to try. However, if it weren't for my job, there's no way I'd be able to regularly afford these designer candles. As wonderful as they are, I can't help but wince at lighting an luxury £60 candle—you're quite literally burning money, after all.

However, I love the ritual of lighting a fresh candle, whether it be to create a cosy atmosphere or to fill my home with a scent I love for a bit of a mood boost. But at the rate I burn candles, I like to swap in some affordable ones that I don't feel guilty about lighting. This is why I often turn to the high street. In recent years, high-street retailers like & Other Stories and Marks & Spencer have debuted their own affordable candle collections which are now amongst my go-tos for luxury-smelling candles that don’t break the bank.

However, my favourite affordable candles have to be from Zara. Just like Zara's perfume dupes, the brand's candles smell just as good as their luxury counterparts.

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(Image credit: @MOBINAPEIMAN)

Zara has not only nailed it with its scents, but the candle vessels look so chic too. Place one on your coffee table or fireplace mantel, and you'd never know that they weren't designer. In fact, my friends with the best-smelling homes often have Zara candles dotted around, and coming in at around £16-£30, they're way more bank-account friendly than some of the designer candle brands out there.

If you want to know the best Zara candles to try, scroll ahead for my picks that both look and smell expensive.

The Best Zara Candles, Tried and Tested

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Next Up: These 19 Candles Will Make Your Home Feel (and Smell) So Expensive

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Eleanor Vousden
Beauty Editor, Who What Wear UK

Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.