When we think of candles we often look back to cosy nights spent nestled under a blanket on the sofa, burrowing away from the frosty elements. Often these candles are scented rich in woody, musty and spiced fragrances that reflect the colder seasons.

But what happens when you still want to burn a candle to achieve the right ambience, but the days are long and bright and the plants are abundant and flourishing? We’ve rounded up some of the best fragrance brands re-imaging candles that bring a sweet flame to long summer nights.

Homework, Water


Getting home after a long day out in the heat calls for a heavy dose of holistic downtime. Enter homework – the brand that creates sensory stories with fragrances that harness Traditional Chinese Medicine. Their new candle range takes inspiration from the elements. So, kick back, relax and let their ‘Water’ scent transport you to a cool body of water from the comfort of your sofa.

Assouline, Mykonos Muse

For coffee table book purveyors, Assouline, creating travel-inspired scents for the home was a natural progression. They wanted to bring the spirit of their highly reputed travel hardbacks into the everyday. Our personal fave is Mykonos Muse which channels the easy-breezy essence of the Aegean Sea – from almond and tonka berry to rhubarb and wild fig

Byredo, Summer Rain


Launched today, Byredo’s tight edit of deliciously scented candles welcomes a new fragrance ‘Summer Rain.’ Signalling a “reset” the candle evokes the moment when the wet rain hits the hot ground, in all its sensory and aromatic beauty, that marks a break of relief in the heatwave.

Bella Freud, Hot Spell

Bella Freud’s heady ‘Hot Spell’ has been on our radar since January when the kiss of summer’s heat felt like a lifetime away. We find ourselves burning it now more than ever as the sun sets and a sultry air fills the late evening.

Boy Smells, Cowboy Kush

With notes of saffron, patchouli and yes, cannabis, the scent of this candle from Boy Smells transports us away from the muggy London heat into a Wild West dreamland. We love the reusable black tumbler it comes in too.

Muji, Sea Salt and Sage

We are all familiar with MUJI’s sweet-smelling essential oil diffusers that will fill any space with notes of indulgent jasmine, fresh lemongrass and earthy pine depending on your botanical preference. But if you haven’t tried them, MUJI’s candles are also pretty darn good! Their new range of glass-housed candles are sleek in appearance and delicious in aroma. We love this version that combines coast sea salt with herbaceous sage to offer a fresh and bright summer scent you’ll be burning all season long.

Diptyque, Citronelle


Diptyque’s limited edition Citronelle scented candle captures the smell of ripe lemons of the Amalfi Coast in high summer. Back in the UK, we are all also familiar with the fragrance's wasp-repelling capabilities, so this candle makes the perfect buy for candlelit alfresco dining late into the evening wherever you may be!

DS & Durga, Concrete After Lightning

Around August, when the dog days of Summer reach their sweltering apex, there’s nothing like a Summer storm to bring clarity. A fougere offering from DS & Durga, Concrete After Lightning captures its titular scent in all its herbaceous, steamy complexity.

LOEWE Home Scents, Tomato Leaves


Loewe Home Scents are masters in potent (yet delicious) candles you’ll want to burn all summer long. This particular offering harnesses the aroma of beautifully bulbous, ruby red tomatoes that have sat out in the sun ripening to perfection just waiting to be cut into, garnished with salt and oil and devoured on a scorching summer’s day.