5 Summer Candle Scents That Will Set the Vibe for the Season — And Which Brands to Buy Them From

It's inevitable that, after a while, your treasured go-to scents will start to lose that initial intoxicating impact — you may even fail to notice them at all. Mixing it up is crucial to ensure you notice the aromas and benefit from their relaxing or energizing properties.

What better way to keep it fresh this summer than a brand-new scent for the season? Forget wintery cinnamon and cloves; summer is about clean aromas that will bring sunny blue sky vibes and fresh garden aromatics into your home.

We've picked the best candle scents for summer, and which brands to buy them from, so that your home can be filled with the glorious aromas of the season.

1. Fruited Favorites

Nothing says summer like soft fruit season — think raspberries ripening on a trellis, heirloom tomatoes, and of course, fresh figs. With these kinds of scents, you can easily be transported to a Green garden paradise.

Forget the sickly-sweet fruited scents you may have tried before, too; today’s luxury candle scene has fine-tuned this fragrance to a tee. Gone are the cupcake-level sweet scents — these fruited candle aromas deliver a scent that feels warming and fresh.

One of our favorites? Fig Tree. Otherwise known as Figuier or Figur amongst designers, this is one of the best home fragrance profiles to deliver essential summer vibes without overpowering your rooms.

• Base Notes: The magic behind fruited fragrances really lies in the base notes. Here is where you’ll achieve a more earthy, well-rounded candle profile. Remember, base notes will linger even after the candle has been extinguished — it’s the foundation of a great fragrance. To counter the sweetness of the fruit, look for a candle with a robust base note like bark or musk. Dior’s Figue Méditerranée is a great example. Described by the iconic French design house as combining "the milky accords of a gourmet fig with the scent of bark heated in the sun," it’s a resounding winner for us.
• Mid Notes: Mid notes are the main fragrance profile you’ll experience. An earthier base note allows you to really let the summer fruits sing alongside floral mid notes, as opposed to the spicier mid notes we want in the autumn and winter. For a classic summer fruit fragrance, you can’t go wrong with Fig Tree or stone fruits like nectarine and plum. But if you're feeling a bit alternative, get your hands on a tomato-inspired candle, like Loewe's Tomato Candle. If you’ve ever grown your own tomatoes, you’ll recognize the rustic, earthy scent immediately. Matched with the sweeter tomato fruit fragrance, it screams summer.
• Top Notes: For a summery top note that will complement every room, look out for citrus, especially orange blossom. The delicate citrus hues cut through the sweeter blossom aromas to ensure the scent is kept fresh and not overpoweringly sweet. Citrus can be incredibly uplifting and energizing too, making it the perfect fruit profile for a more lively affair during a day of sunshine, like Neom's Happiness Scented Candle.

2. Fresh Botanicals

If you’re looking for a luxury candle that leans a bit more neutral, fresh botanicals are what you need. But we’re not talking about the wintery pine, but rather its Mediterranean cousin — Cyprus trees.

Seen throughout sunny Southern Europe, Cyprus trees have a delicate woody aroma that gives a fresh and clean feel to interiors, which can be found throughout luxury design houses, too. Fragrance brand Diptyque describes their Cyprus fragrance as "A grove of Cypress trees on a late summer afternoon. In the air, the accents of their needles — soft, resinous, almost honeyed."

Don’t be afraid to go for a candle that combines the Cyprus base notes with other complementary scents.

Jo Malone, famous for its high-quality candle pairings, opts for Cypress and Grapevine to deliver a well-rounded fresh botanical scent that steers away from the more traditional floral notes we see in summer candles.

• Base notes: For a slightly warmer scent well-suited to intimate dinners inside, look for botanical candles that include amber base notes. It’ll add a gentle warmth while keeping a fresh feel.
• Mid Notes: Lean into the clean, woody aroma of Cyprus. It’ll leave a long-lasting, clean scent that complements both indoor and outdoor settings perfectly.
• Top Notes: Sea salt is a classic top note well-suited to fresher scents. Just make sure Cyprus is the true star here!

3. Evening Florals

When we think of summer evenings on the balcony or in our modern garden, the first fragrance that comes to mind is jasmine. Perfuming the air well into the night, this heady floral sings of summer.

We’re not the only ones who love it, founder of fragrance house Atelier Noite, Natalie Schober, says, "I created Nuit de Jasmin for evenings of soft return, when your inner muse stirs and quiet beauty fills your soul.

"Inspired by Mediterranean summer nights, Nuit de Jasmin captures the moment when the last light melts into the night. It’s a luminous and delicate scent, soft as moonlight on silk, showcasing jasmine at its most airy and radiant rather than overly heady — perfect for summer evenings."

And perfect for all rooms — including outdoors — evening florals like jasmine are super versatile summer scents. Though given its warm and soothing complementary fragrances like ylang-ylang, we think it’s perfect for the bathroom when you’re enjoying a relaxing soak!

If evening jasmine isn’t your vibe, look out for mid-notes of peony or geranium — a great summer floral alternative that will still deliver a scent worthy of a fresh market floral arrangement.

• Base Notes: Using amber in the base notes will create a warming evening vibe. For a slightly earthier feel, look for musk or cedar wood.
• Mid Notes: Jasmine is the hero here, but it works exceptionally well paired with hints of vanilla or tuberose.
• Top Notes: Hints of bergamot can provide a clean and fresh feel that you need for summer, or you can double up on the florals and opt for neroli.

4. Practical Perfumery

Of course, summer candles aren’t just for inside — with warm summer evenings on the cards, there’s nothing like outdoor dining on a long summer’s night around a candlelit table with friends or family.

The best part of outdoor candles? Their practical bug-repelling qualities! Thanks to the inclusion of citronella candles, your patio can be perfumed while simultaneously keeping the critters away. One sniff and you’ll be filled with nostalgia for bygone barbecues and gatherings.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking citronella will sacrifice a well-rounded fragrance profile for practicalities, though. Just look at the luxury fragrance brand Diptyque — this brand chooses to use citronella within an array of other classic summer scents to truly complement the essential oil, making it suitable for even the most citronella-avoidant.

Choosing to focus on fresh scents, UK managing director at Diptyque, Amanda Morgan, says, "Lemongrass, given an extra twist or two by verbena and neroli, diffuses an airy, soothing fragrance while gently discouraging any uninvited visitors."

Don't forget to take a look at the brand’s sun-shaped carousel accessory too! Compatible with its extra-large candle, this fun accessory adds a visual effect to your candles and lets the light dance around the gold shapes, creating beautiful silhouettes in the flame’s light.

• Base Notes: Cedarwood and honey will be popular base notes for citronella candles. As they tend to be very citrus-focused these base notes will only provide a light background hum of fragrance in comparison to others.
• Mid Notes: Citronella is the big player here, but pairing it with other strong citrus fragrances is a match made in heaven. Bitter orange and lemongrass are some of our favorite complementary scents for this practical fragrance combo.
• Top Notes: Lemon zest is a great option for a citronella candle that smells fresh and inviting. Or for something slightly subtler look for notes of bergamot.

5. Herbal Remedies

Herbaceous scents make fantastic summer candle scents for kitchen and outdoor spaces. In our opinion, every home needs them this season!

From rustic smoked rosemary to subtle summery sage, herbs are a great choice when you want your space filled with a naturally inviting fragrance.

For a fresh combination, look out for herbaceous candles that combine woodier notes with fresher scents, like lemon or peppermint. The combination of earthy herb tones with a clean citrus top note is always a winner.

• Base Notes: Look out for scents that incorporate pine or Cyprus — these woody undertones will lay a great foundation for the lighter herbaceous aromas to sing.
• Mid Notes: Thyme, rosemary, basil, and sage are all tried and tested herbal mid notes. You’ll find designers tend to favor sage, for its delicate balance of earthy and sweeter tones, too.
• Top Notes: Lemon or bergamot are great companions to herbs like basil and thyme. For sage, we like candles that lean into the more subtle floral notes like geranium.

Now that you know what summer candle scents will bring vacation vibes to your space, you might be interested in how we settled the candles vs diffusers debate.