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My Favorite Candles and Home Scents

ByAbby Saylor Armbruster

My Favorite Candles and Home Scents

I’ve always been drawn to scents and have prioritized having a home that smells as good as it feels, and nothing is more calming to me than a clean house with a candle burning. I pretty much have candles burning in every single room during all waking hours, so I’m lucky to have a husband that likes them too (maybe that’s because we’re both Taurus moons 😉🤣). Today I’m sharing my favorite candles and home scents, the best places to shop for them, as well as an affordable dupe for the very popular (and pricey) Volcano candle from Anthropologie!

My Favorite Candles and Home Scents

BEST PLACES TO BUY CANDLES

I love a good deal and it’s difficult for me to justify spending lots of money on candles when they can be easily used up so quickly. With that being said, these are my most recommended places to shop for beautifully scented, high-quality candles that won’t break the bank.

  • TJ Maxx — you already know this is pretty much my mothership
  • HomeGoods — this has been my number one stop lately and the place where I’ve gotten some of my favorite jumbo sized candles over the last couple months!
  • Target — again, great price and such cute packaging
  • Penn & Beech in Indianapolis — if you haven’t found your go-to candle yet, make your own in-store here!
  • Bath & Body Works — a crowd favorite!
  • Etsy shops — perfect if you want to shop mall and selections that are eco-conscious (Moco Candles for example, which is the Orchid + Ocean Salt one pictured above — love hers!)

SCENTS I GO FOR

I wanted to share these so if we have some of the same favorites, you’ll know we probably would have the same taste in candles and fragrances.

  • Ocean/sea salt
  • Rose
  • Peony
  • Gardenia
  • Coconut
  • Vanilla
  • Marshmallow
  • Campfire

MY FAVORITES

My Favorite Candles and Home Scents

Ocean Mist by Sand + Fog
This is my absolute holy grail one right now! I feel like if I were to make a candle for year-round, it would be exactly this. It’s heavenly. I gasped when I smelled it because I couldn’t have made it more perfect myself. I need 10 more of these to scatter throughout my house because I always want it burning! It’s linked below, but you can also find it at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods.

DW Home Peony Petals

Peony Petals by DW Home
If you love florals, this is a must! It just smells like straight up peonies, so I find it very feminine and perfect for spring and summer. The pretty pink jar is an added bonus. Shop it on Amazon here or check for it at your local TJ Maxx/HomeGoods.

Marshmallow Fireside by Bath and Body Works


Marshmallow Fireside by Bath & Body Works
This is my all-time favorite B&BW candle! Though it’s definitely geared to be a fall scent, I love it so much that I’d happily burn it year-round — so that’s why it’s safe to say I’m always out of it. The only unfortunate thing about B&BW candles is that they burn pretty fast due to the 3-wicks especially, but they’re also the most fragrant candles I’ve ever used and only a few minutes of burning it can lightly fill your entire space. I don’t think it’s for sale currently since it’s out of season, but check for it in-store and online around September!

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Ocean + Sea Salt by Natural Home
Another HomeGoods find — this is a similar vibe as the Ocean Mist one, but definitely different. If you like that one, this one would be right up your alley too! It’s very fresh and light, which is nice when you don’t want anything too perfumey.

Island Moonlight by Target

Island Moonlight at Target
This is a dupe for Anthropologie’s Capri Blue Volcano candle ($30) for only $10.99. In my opinion, the scent is as close to identical as it can get and it’s a purchase you don’t have to feel guilty about! Shop it on Target’s website here.

DW Home Fresh Cut Gardenia

Fresh Cut Gardenia by DW Home
This one smells straight out of a garden! If florals are too much for you, this may be one you’ll want to stay away from, but in my opinion, it’s not too overpowering and truly smells so fresh. Shop it on Amazon here or look for it in TJ’s/HomeGoods candle section.

Penn and Beech custom fragrance

Custom Candle/Fragrance at Penn & Beech
The idea of making your own candle or fragrance is such a cool concept to me and I had so much fun doing it at Penn & Beech back in March! You have to try it! I decided to go with a spray, which can be used for your home or body. I went with coconut, rose and champagne, and you can read more about my experience making it in this blog post.

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Those are my most recommended candles and home scents! I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I’d love to hear some of your favorites in the comments. I’ll take any excuse to buy some new ones to check out. 🤪 Thanks so much for reading & have a great weekend!