I love a lot of things, but I especially love a good candle and all things fruity. So here are nine candle brands that are LGBTQ+ owned and founded — plus some of my favorite recommendations from each, coming to you from a very big fruitcake with a credenza full of candles and no room left untouched. Happy Pride, babes.
The New Savant
I have, embarrassingly enough, professed my love for The New Savant across many articles and conversations. All of their candles are made with a soy-blend wax and flat braided cotton wicks with a paper core, and they’re made right here in the U.S. The brand uses a mix of essential and synthetic oils, and they’re vegan. I find their burn to be real even — no tunneling issues here, and trust me, I’ve burned through quite a few. They also have a pretty nice projection, peaking around the 2–3 hour mark in my experience.
Favorites? Morning Matcha and Hellbound Heart (blood orange, patchouli, amber). Though for Pride, I think Sapphics in the City (peonies, Thai rose, raspberry, spiced chili pepper) is the move. They also offer a sampler pack, which is super helpful if you’re indecisive like me. I also got to meet the makers, Ingrid Nilsen and Erica Anderson, during a visit to Merz Apothecary in Chicago.
Bijou Candles
Bijou Candles were my introduction to indie candles, and I’m glad they were. They have playful options that touch on pop culture without being gimmicky or cheesy. Owned by Jocelyn and Alaina, who met doing improv. They also take candle care seriously, which is hot. Their candles feature soy wax, pure cotton wicks, and a mix of synthetic and essential oils.
I really like Hedy (Amber & Tuberose) and Cher (Jasmine & Rosewater). They also release seasonal ones around Halloween — their Morticia and Elvira candles are spectacular. I appreciate their glass packaging too; I reuse a bunch of mine as small vases.
LAFCO
Simply luxury. LAFCO just gets it. Beautiful scents, quality construction, genuinely room-filling without being oppressive. They make other products too — diffusers, home mists, hand soaps — but the candles are the crown jewel. Soy wax with a touch of paraffin, essential oil-based fragrances, 100% cotton wicks.
Paradiso Fig, Rosemary Eucalyptus, and Benzoin Siam (cardamom, benzoin siam, vanilla bourbon) all hit different depending on your mood. They’ve got everything from fresh citrus to grounded herbal blends. Also, people lose their minds over the vessels, very giftable.
Malin+Goetz
For the sophisticated freaks — probably someone’s creative director. Malin+Goetzmakes body care, fragrances, skin creams, candles, room sprays, just about everything.
Their Dark Rum candle is a favorite for when I want something deeper, and their Sage candle works almost anywhere. They recently came out with a Sage room spray that I’m curious to try. Their votives are especially good for smaller spaces like bathrooms.
Mijo Candles
I love how warm and overcoming Mijo candles are. They just fill a space really well and make for a really nice burn. Founded by Vincent and Adolfo, these candles are a blend of coconut, apricot, soy, and fully refined paraffin, hand-poured in Palm Springs. They also offer candle-making classes, which I will be taking next time I’m there.
Spice (incense, eucalyptus, smoke, spruce, moss, oud, amber) is really good — rich without being too much.
Edgewater Candles
I’ve been a fan of Edgewater Candles for a while — I even took one of their candle-making classes and made a very oud-heavy scent called Two Ouds, One Candle (lol). They’re local to Chicago, so I have quite a bit of experience with them.
I like Wood Sage Sea Salt, Orange Rhubarb, Rosemary Mint, and Ginger Saffron. They tend to be more summer candles for me — they really do fresh scents well.
D.S. & DURGA
Admittedly, I haven’t burned much from D.S. & DURGA, but I know their fragrances well. The brand really commits to being interesting and high quality — they know exactly what they’re doing and don’t try to appeal to everyone. I appreciate that.
They also make car fragrances, for the gays who drive. Tuberose Myrrhder smells like a very dominant, wildly hot femme — rich, floral, but not soft. Rama Won’t You Please Come Home (tree flowers, tuberose, gardenia, sandalwood) has that overgrown secret garden feeling without being too sweet. Definitely a brand I want to spend more time with.
Boy Smells
Listen, I’ve got a lot of complicated feelings about Boy Smells. They seem to have reformulated some scents after their rebrand, so I can’t specifically speak to them now. And candidly, I don’t like their new design as much — I’m a millennial stuck in my ways.
That said, I’m still willing to try them. I’m eager to get my hands on Hinoki Fantôme (cardamom, hinoki, smoked amber) and Cowboy Kush (suede, pot, patchouli), two of my favorites from before the rebrand. I’ve also heard they’ve worked to fix some of the tunneling issues that were common with their old packaging, which I’m excited about.
Snif
I really appreciate what Snif is doing. I think they make nice products at a competitive price point. While they’re generally known for their fragrances, their candles are cute too.
I liked the now sold-out Private Hours, done in collaboration with The Standard Hotel. Vow Factor is a great option for the fig lovers. I’d also suggest Instant Karma (cardamom, nashi pear, black plum, geranium, vetiver, cedarwood, black tea). To be transparent: some of their throws aren’t as strong as I’d like, but I overlook it given the price point.
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