Most candles are sold as florals, fruits and desserts. If you are shopping for a man, or you just prefer darker scents, you want something else: wood, smoke, leather, spice and musk. These are the same notes you find in men's colognes.
What makes a candle scent masculine?
There is no rule, but the scents people usually call masculine fall into a few families:
- Woods: cedar, sandalwood, oakmoss, pine
- Smoke and leather: campfire, charcoal, tobacco, leather
- Spice: clove, cardamom, ginger, black pepper
- Amber and musk: warm, heavy base notes that last
- Fresh and aquatic: sea salt, bergamot, citrus, juniper
A good men's candle usually mixes two of these, like wood and smoke, or citrus and musk.
10 scented candles for men
1. Firewood
Wood smoke, clove, patchouli, amber and sandalwood. It smells like a campfire or a wood-burning fireplace. Shop Firewood
2. Grit
Leather, smoke and moss, poured into a one-pint steel can. Think of an old workshop or a leather armchair. Shop Grit
3. Zeus
Cedar, oakmoss and bergamot in a copper vessel. Clean and woody, like a classic men's cologne. Shop Zeus
4. Poseidon
Sandalwood, sea salt, ozone and dark musk in a copper vessel. A fresh ocean scent with a woody base. Shop Poseidon
5. Dark Mister Darcy
Amber, cedar, sandalwood, musk, cardamom and ginger, inspired by Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Shop Dark Mister Darcy
6. Santal
Cardamom, cedar, amber, sandalwood and musk in an amber jar. Warm, spicy and woody. Shop Santal
7. I Have Spoken
Leather, sandalwood and patchouli over amber and musk, inspired by Kuiil from The Mandalorian. Shop I Have Spoken
8. Loyalty
Aged wood, juniper, botanical gin and red currant. It smells like a dry gin martini in a wood-paneled bar. Shop Loyalty
9. Campfire Stories
Maple and clove, then moss, patchouli and vetiver over smoke and embers, like a bonfire under the stars. Shop Campfire Stories
10. Guardhouse Armory
Palo santo, leather and spice, inspired by a castle armory. Made for D&D game nights. Shop Guardhouse Armory
Candle gifts for men
Candles make an easy gift for dads, brothers, husbands and groomsmen, especially when you match the scent to something he already likes: camping, the ocean, a favorite book or a game night. Browse all of our woody and earthy candles, the mythology candles, or our D&D candles for tabletop players. Most of our candles are hand-poured in Utah.
In Utah for the holidays? Smell our candles in person at our candle cart at The Shops at South Town in Sandy, November 1 through December 31.