Candle Dupes for Your Signature Scent
Affordable Fragrance for Your Favorite Smells at Home
Ana Piteira’s Coogee home for Vogue Living. Photographed by Traianos Pakioufakis.
Known for having a sensitive nose and an extensive perfume collection, candles have always been my favorite cherry on top of a tablescape. While I don’t mind splurging on a perfume, I hesitate to pay the same price for a candle—especially when I like to swap out candles seasonally and so many affordable alternatives exist.
If you have a signature scent, there’s likely a candle that mirrors its notes minus the markup. As someone obsessed with scented candles (I even once jokingly considered creating a page dedicated to smelling and rating them), here’s a curated list of affordable candles that closely dupe or are a close alternative to the below beloved fragrances.
Dupes & Affordable Alternatives:
If you wear: Aesop Aurner OR Le Labo The Noir 29
Burn this:
Salt & Stone Black Rose & Oud – Complex, dry floral and woods, with a sharp hint of sweetness.
If you wear: Le Labo Bergamot
Burn this:
Salt & Stone Bergamot & Hinoki – Crisp and citrus-forward with a soft woody base.
Malin + Goetz Bergamot – Slightly warmer, with a touch of spice.
If you wear: Le Labo Santal 26
Burn this:
Maison Louis Marie No. 04 Bois de Balincourt – A near-perfect match. Creamy sandalwood, clean, and balanced.
Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver – Slightly fresher, with soft green edges.
If you wear: Byredo Bibliothèque
Burn this:
Element Brooklyn Reading Room – A blend of leather and soft florals with a similar depth to Byredo, but without the price tag. Check out their website for a full lineup of dupe scents.
Candle-to-candle Dupes & Close Alternatives:
Image from @amyvitkauskas on Pinterest
If you like: Loewe Tomato Leaves
Burn this:
Malin + Goetz Tomato – Clean, green, and slightly herbaceous. Garden-fresh without being sweet.
If you like: Diptyque Feu de Bois
Burn this:
Kindling by Otherland – Smoky, dry woods. Prefect for the fall and winter time.
If you like: Diptyque Baies
Burn this:
Seda France Japanese Quince – Sharp fruit and floral tones that mirror the punch of Baies.
♠ Grace House Rule: Don’t overlook your sense of smell when thinking about the five senses. Fragrance is one of the easiest ways to shift the mood of a space. Let your candle complement your perfume, reflect the season, or simply match your current vibe.
CANDLES BY SCENT:
