As cooler temperatures approach, one Marie Claire editor says her candle collection is already feeling the seasonal shift. In a September 2026 selection, the beauty director shares 10 fall candles she is considering for the upcoming season, noting that autumn scents tend to lean warm, woody, spicy and gourmand after a summer of skin scents, fresh citrus, Ambroxan and salty mineral perfumes.
The editor describes her own collection as extensive — stored on a vintage credenza that is literally bowed in the middle from the weight of the jars — but still finds the ritual of striking a match and lighting a favorite scent hard to beat at the end of the day. For fall, she is drawn to sandalwood, magnolia, Italian lemon, leather, cashmere, cedarwood, amber, resin, coffee, almond pastry, tobacco, burning wood and chestnut.
Her first pick is a sandalwood candle. Sandalwood is one of the most popular notes in perfumery, she writes, and is equally seductive in candle form, with creamy, woody and cozy qualities suited to fall. Another option balances magnolia, sandalwood and Italian lemon, evoking the Tuscan countryside for leisurely fall weekends.
For those still attached to the Santal 33 trend of the 2010s, the editor points to a smoky, leathery candle in a concrete vessel. She keeps it on her coffee table and plans to light it on September 1. Other selections include a cashmere-scented candle for cozy fall vibes and a floral-meets-woody Bath & Body Works option that she calls a strong value for the quality — one her millennial sensibility keeps returning to.
Diptyque also appears in the edit. The editor highlights a delicate musky candle that captures an enveloping cashmere aura, noting that the jar can be repurposed as a makeup brush holder after the candle is finished. For an outdoor fix when a hike upstate is not possible, she chooses a cedar candle; cedarwood is one of her favorite fall fragrance notes, and she finds it just as beautiful in candle form. A West Coast-inspired option is included for anyone dreaming of mountainous woods and occasional surf adventures.
Warm, spicy and balanced, a three-wick candle is described as a treat for extended burn time because, in her words, she deserves it. Leather and suede, her favorite fall fabrics, also make for what she calls an undeniably sexy candle. For true luxury lovers, a leather and tobacco candle draws inspiration from Havana hotels with glass crafted in Tuscany, while sandalwood, amber and resin ground a chic leather scent from Nette, which she says is a favorite of NYC It-girls.
Because a seat near a wood-burning fireplace is hard to find in New York City, several brands have captured that scent for homes without a hearth. One candle is designed to replicate a cozy breakfast beside a fireplace with notes of coffee, almond pastry, tobacco and leather upholstery. Another, with burning wood and chestnut notes, is an if-you-know-you-know candle the editor keeps in a cabinet, waiting for the moment the night temperature drops below 65.
The roundup reflects the editor’s personal picks rather than an objective ranking, and every product featured by the publication is described as personally recommended by a writer or editor, or by an expert spoken to firsthand. For shoppers browsing scented luxury candles, the list offers a seasonal cross-section of sandalwood, cashmere, leather and fireside profiles. The editor’s broader point is that switching a home’s fragrance profile for fall can feel like a welcome palette cleanser — and for luxury fragrance candles, the season’s warm, woody and spicy notes offer a distinct shift from summer’s fresher fare.