Having spent the past few springs in Dallas, I’ve learned that you never know what the season will bring. One day it might be sunny and 75, the next could bring a winter storm with golf ball-sized hail. But you live, learn to check the weather app before you leave, and focus on one environment where you 100 percent can control the seasons: your home. With the best candles for spring, moods can be instantly lifted and any setting feels a little fresher—no matter where you are.
And fortunately for scent lovers, the past couple of years have seen the rise of a veritable candle renaissance. With more time at home to rearrange and re-energize your space with home decor, the it-bag or shoe gave way to a different kind of status symbol: the cult-loved candle. Unique brands like the gender-neutral Boy Smells, beautifully packaged Otherworld, and sustainably made Keap began mingling alongside the Diptyques and Cire Trudons of the world, offering more variety than ever when it comes to finding your scented soul mate.
To help you on the hunt, we’ve divided the best, spring-evoking candles into three scent categories: floral, citrus, and earthy. Explore wild lavender in Brooklyn, an eco-friendly mixture of grapefruit and yuzu, or indulge in a fresh, mossy aroma. These days, there’s a fresh spring scent for truly every style.
Featured image by Michelle Nash.
The Best Floral Candles for Spring
Floral candles for spring? The following scents prove that gardenia and lavender can, indeed, be groundbreaking.
Go ahead, judge this pink peony-scented candle by its jar.
This Brooklyn-based company’s unique, evocative scents have earned buzz for being “The Next Status Candle.”
D.S. & DURGA Wild Brooklyn Lavender Candle
With an architect and a musician as its founders, New York-made D.S. & Durga always nails the vibe. Try the brand’s take on spring with top notes of spike lavender wayside herbs.
There’s nothing like the crackle of three wooden wicks—apart from the cozy scent of April showers to signal spring.
Try a limited-edition scent from the original status candle for the sweet smell of tuberose and a cheery jar to use long after spring.
The Best Citrus Candles for Spring
Fill your space with grapefruit, bergamot, and French citrus for a zesty take on the spring season.
Vessels from the small, women-owned brand make a statement on their own—and can even be repurposed as planters—but the soy candle scented with grapefruit, apple, and bergamot sets the perfect spring tone.
Produced out of another design-minded Brooklyn studio, Keap and its coconut wax candles *keep* things sustainable and affordable.
If you’re looking to splurge on a luxurious candle, French company Cire Trudon and its beautiful glass jars are always a safe bet.
Maison Louis Marie Candle No.06 Neige de Printempts
With their clean look and heavenly potent scents, it’s always surprising Maison Louis Marie candles aren’t triple the price.
East Fork Italian Fruit Candles
Think outside of the box (or in this case, the jar) with a unique, citrusy find from the Asheville-based candle company East Fork. A little kitsch never hurt anyone.
The New York-based apothecary brand now offers their signature spring scent in candle form.
The Best Earthy Candles for Spring
Spring top notes don’t have to be sweet. For earthier, more gender-neutral scents, these buzzy candle brands deliver.
FORVR Mood NOT Down To Earth Candle
The latest spring collection from Black-owned Forvr Mood offers the same cheeky names and natural coconut soy wax goodness that set the brand apart, with an earthy eucalyptus scent to embrace the season.
Boy Smells is becoming more and more of a tabletop status symbol. Seal the deal this spring with the newly launched Secrete Garden vegan collection, featuring top notes of tobacco leaf and suede.
Brooklyn Candle Studio Fern + Moss
All of Brooklyn Candle Studio’s offerings are a minimalist’s dream. But if you happen to be a minimalist who also digs nature, this one’s for you.
OTHERLAND Chandelier Champagne Vegan Candle
These buzzy candles offer so much more than great logo design. Try a hand-poured, champagne- and leather-evoking option for a different approach to spring.
These amber-colored jars always spark joy, and can immerse your home in a powerful, earthy scent to signal the spring season.
