I Love Expensive Candles, But These Under-£25 Ones Are Just as Good

This wouldn't be an affordable candle roundup without mentioning Zara's offering. For £20, you get 620g of candle, which will give you some serious burn time. This one is the perfect winter scent—a blend of smooth sandalwoood, warm amber and creamy ylang ylang. It reminds me of stepping into an expensive hotel with a dimly lit lobby.

Not only does this beautiful glass jar look incredibly expensive, but the scent inside is amazing too. It has notes of white lotus, violet, mandarin and smooth woods for an uplifting floral scent with a hint of warmth.

Not only does this candle look exceedingly similar to an iconic premium apothecary-style candle, but the scent smells suprisingly expensive too Inspired by "an oasis in the desert", it has sunshine-soaked notes of sandalwood, tonka bean and musk with the calm sweetness of vanilla running throughout.

When I asked fellow candle aficionados on the Who What Wear team what their favourite affordable candles were, & Other Stories came up a lot. So, I hot-footed it to my nearest store for a sniff and discovered some new favourites. Not only are they housed in a minimalistic vessel, but for £17 you get around 38 hours of burn time. This one is citrusy and earthy—think freshly sliced tangerine combined with moss and warming amber.

Perle de Coco was another standout. It's creamy and coconutty and makes you feel like you're sitting on a sun-kissed beach, surrounded by palm trees.

Who What Wear shopping editor Remy Farrell got me on to this candle, and I'll be forever grateful. It smells so expensive. The notes open with guava and pink freesia, which are grounded with rose absolute, saffron and Indian jasmine​. You just have to smell this next time you're in & Other Stories.

H&M have so many brilliant candles at an affordable price point. I find it hard to pop into H&M Home without picking up a candle on my way to the till. If you like fresh, citrus fragrances, then Yuzu Blossom would make a great option. It has notes of yuzu, grapefruit and tangerine, which are great for creating a bright and inviting home fragrance, and the stoneware pot looks seriously chic too.

A candle of the clean-smelling variety, Darjeeling Cotton smells just like fresh laundry with hints of tea and creamy white amber.

I'm snapping up this candle for winter, which has notes of fig, magnolia, patchouli and vanilla beans for an expensive-smelling cosy blend.

The notes in this candle smell very sophisticated indeed. Expect fresh green tea and fig that mellows down with warm amber and sandalwood. 

Sometimes, you just want a dependable citrus candle to have on your desk to lift your spirits while working from home, or even as a decorative feature in your kitchen or bathroom. This one is ideal and looks really chic too.

With notes of neroli, lime and bergamot, this candle fragrance is really uplifting.

When I first laid my eyes on this candle, I was sold by the beautiful glass vessel. At £16, I would have been happy to take it home for the pot alone but the candle inside smells like a citrus dream with juicy oranges, bergamot and green florals.

If you've ever stepped foot inside an Anthropologie store then this is exactly what it smells like. Tropical fruits, including sugared oranges, lemons and limes, give it a citrus freshness while exotic mountain greens lend an earthy edge.

A woody gourmand is how I would describe this candle—think spiced brown sugar, and vanilla loaf cake mingled with rich amber, musk and dark smokey woods. And that jar? Chef's kiss.

While these are at the top end of the £20 price budget in this article, I really think The White Company's candles are great value for money. These really fill the room with fragrance, and it lasts. Seychelles is one of my favourites and reminds me of summer holidays spent on the beach every time I light it.

Sweet and fruity, there's a reason why this candle fragrance has so many five-star reviews. Pomegranate and mandarin create an uplifting atmosphere, which is paired with patchouli and amber for depth.

Fireside is a great winter candle fragrance. It has notes of smoked woods, birch and amber and will have you feeling like your cosied up amongst a roaring log fire.