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25 Scary-Chic Halloween Candles You’ll Want to Burn All Year Round

Listen up, witches.

By Hannah Chubb, Kim Duong NA and Megan Uy
halloween candles
Getty Images

If you’re committed to doing October right, chances are you’ve got a slate of Halloween-themed activities planned to celebrate spooky season. I’m talking scary movie marathons, boozy costume parties, haunted house decorating, and So. Much. More. And what do you need to have burning in the background at each eerie extravaganza? A Halloween candle, of course.

You can always count on candles to set the tone, which is why you need one that both looks and smells a little ~spooky~ when you’re trying to play up the Halloween mood. Now, I hate to say it, but sadly, finding the perfect option can be a biiiit tricky, especially since there are so many cheesy ones out there. (No shade to the tacky candles options—we need you too!) Lucky for you, I love a challenge, so I found a plethora of scary-good options that’ll convey all the creepy vibes without ruining your aesthetic.

Scroll down for some candles that “bleed,” some shaped like skulls, some with a freaky deeky surprise inside, and more. Happy Halloween from one candle lover to another!

1
This quirky candle

Copper Wings Candle Co. Rated R Candle

Copper Wings Candle Co. Rated R Candle
1
This quirky candle

Copper Wings Candle Co. Rated R Candle

$35 at copperwingscandleco.com
Credit: Copper Wings Candle Co.

This candle is bad to the bone (in a good way)—that’s why it’s rated R like your favorite scary movie. Sniff away for notes of cognac, lemon, and orange.

2
this earthy candle

White Barn Dark Amber & Oud 3-Wick Candle

White Barn Dark Amber & Oud 3-Wick Candle
2
this earthy candle

White Barn Dark Amber & Oud 3-Wick Candle

Now 50% Off
Credit: Bath and Body Works

The woodsy aromas from this amber and oud wood scent will give you major Halloween hayride vibes.

3
These bloody good candlesticks

Something Different Vampire Tears Candles - Set of 4

Something Different Vampire Tears Candles - Set of 4
3
These bloody good candlesticks

Something Different Vampire Tears Candles - Set of 4

Credit: Amazon

These tapered candlesticks are black on the outside, but “bleed” a dark red wax when lit. Long story short, they’re gruesome perfection and you need them for your Halloween tablescape. Your inner goth girl is begging you.

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4
This straight-to-the-point scent

Birthdate Candles October Thirty-First Candle

Birthdate Candles October Thirty-First Candle
4
This straight-to-the-point scent

Birthdate Candles October Thirty-First Candle

Now 29% Off
Credit: Birthdate Candles

The best holiday of the year is October 31st, and this candle will make sure you never forget it. The fragrance is also layered with notes of bergamot, cinnamon, and mahogany, which you’ll want to burn all year round.

5
This black-waxed beauty

Apotheke Charcoal Candle

Apotheke Charcoal Candle
5
This black-waxed beauty

Apotheke Charcoal Candle

Credit: Apotheke

Everything about this candle is as matte black as the night sky—from the sleek votive to the cedarwood- and sandalwood-scented wax. To die for! (You see what I did there?)

6
These ones with slithering snakes(!)

Pretty Honest Shop Medusa Skull Candle

Pretty Honest Shop Medusa Skull Candle
6
These ones with slithering snakes(!)

Pretty Honest Shop Medusa Skull Candle

Credit: Pretty Honest Shop

These hand-poured skulls are made to look like Medusa—and boy, do they ever. Take your pick of white, black, or bubblegum pink. (Insert snake emoji here.)

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7
This textured option

Voluspa Suede Noir

Voluspa Suede Noir
7
This textured option

Voluspa Suede Noir

Credit: Voluspa

Does this candle look like it belongs in the Versace mansion? Yes. Is that kinda creepy and therefore perfect for Halloween? Also yes.

8
this mysterious one

Village Candle Ghost Cemetery

Village Candle Ghost Cemetery
8
this mysterious one

Village Candle Ghost Cemetery

Now 21% Off
Credit: Amazon

With a near five-star rating, this candle is ~The One~ if you want to bring all the spooky energy to your space. One reviewer said there's "earthy elements" in the scent—and if that doesn't scream eerie cemetery to you, then IDK what will.

If you're into musky notes, you'll love this one from Yankee Candle that has a spooky aesthetic.

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10
a candle great for story-telling

IsleAndWildCreations Ghost Stories Candle

IsleAndWildCreations Ghost Stories Candle
10
a candle great for story-telling

IsleAndWildCreations Ghost Stories Candle

Credit: Etsy

Light this bad boy up when you and your pals gather together to tell some scary stories. It'll totally set the mood with its toasted marshmallow and campfire smell.

11
a subtle votive

BLK Sunflower Light The Fire

BLK Sunflower Light The Fire
11
a subtle votive

BLK Sunflower Light The Fire

Credit: BLK Sunflower

Maybe you're not exactly looking for a scent that has Halloween written all over it—no prob, because I hear you and I gotchu! This bb smells like a light cologne (we know how much we all secretly love that scent) while still giving off mysterious inflections.

12
a spooky, yet aesthetically-pleasing candle

West Elm Molded Skull Candles

West Elm Molded Skull Candles
12
a spooky, yet aesthetically-pleasing candle

West Elm Molded Skull Candles

Credit: West Elm

Let's be real, these trendy candleswill look scary good in your home no matter the season.

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13
this on-theme option

Harlem Candle Company Josephine Luxury Candle

Harlem Candle Company Josephine Luxury Candle
13
this on-theme option

Harlem Candle Company Josephine Luxury Candle

Credit: Harlem Candle Company

A blood-red candle with a velvety warm scent sounds just right for Halloween.

14
a ghostly romantic one

Catbird Ghost Rose Candle

Catbird Ghost Rose Candle
14
a ghostly romantic one

Catbird Ghost Rose Candle

With notes of English rose, champagne, and peony, this Catbird scent wants you to imagine yourself in a "lost estate... where sylphs wound through the damp, thorny gardens at night." And honestly? Sure. Sign me up.

15
this big boy

CreepyCandles Coffin Skeleton Candle

CreepyCandles Coffin Skeleton Candle
15
this big boy

CreepyCandles Coffin Skeleton Candle

Nearly a foot tall, this coffin candle melts down to reveal a creepy, metal skeleton inside. Love to see it!

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16
A witchy wax find

CasaDeYan Handpoured Bruja Candle

Handpoured Bruja Candle
16
A witchy wax find

CasaDeYan Handpoured Bruja Candle

Calling all witches. You need to have this patchouli- and jasmine-scent in your life on the big night.

17
an all black one

Diptyque Diptyque Baies Candle

Diptyque Baies Candle
17
an all black one

Diptyque Diptyque Baies Candle

Credit: diptyque

A classic Diptyque candle dressed up in all black for the occasion.

18
a mystic option

Uncommon Goods Tarot Card Candles

Uncommon Goods Tarot Card Candles
18
a mystic option

Uncommon Goods Tarot Card Candles

Whether it's Halloween night or not, light up any one of these tarot card-inspired candles to invoke positive vibes from the major arcana.

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19
this room-filling scent

Bath and Body Works Vampire Blood 3-Wick Candle

Bath and Body Works Vampire Blood 3-Wick Candle
19
this room-filling scent

Bath and Body Works Vampire Blood 3-Wick Candle

Now 75% Off
Credit: Bath and Body Works

According to the description, this blood red candle is "equal parts fruity, floral and frightful," with notes of midnight jasmine and Transylvanian plum.

20
A skull candle

EmberCandleCo Pastel Skull Candle

EmberCandleCo Pastel Skull Candle
20
A skull candle

EmberCandleCo Pastel Skull Candle

I'm not gonna lie. Skulls usually creep me out, but these pastel colored guys are sorta cute, right?

Headshot of Hannah Chubb
Hannah Chubb
Associate Lifestyle Editor

Hannah Chubb is the associate lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things home, travel, food, health, career, and more. She spends pretty much every hour of every day curating the internet for the best new products, trends, and travel destinations. You can typically find her looking for houses she can’t afford on Zillow or Airbnb, planning her next meal before she gets to the restaurant, or taking all of the Justin Bieber classes over and over and over again on Peloton. Follow her on Instagram

Headshot of Megan Uy
Assistant Shopping Editor

Megan Uy is the assistant shopping editor at Cosmopolitan, where she searches for the best products in all things fashion, home, beauty, sex, gifts, and more, so you don’t have to. When she’s not writing for the site, she’s whipping up some cool and trendy content for the fashion section of the print magazine. She’s been with the brand since 2019 (when she was an itty-bitty editorial fellow), and she's also written for Delish, House Beautiful, and People. Follow her on Instagram to get some BTS of the editor life and chaotic NYC content. Also, feel free to hit her up if you ever wanna discuss the madness that is TikTok

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