Candles used to be pretty straightforward. You had your basic vanilla bean, maybe a "fresh linen" if you were feeling adventurous, and they mostly just looked... like candles. But somewhere between the rise of questionable internet trends and everyone suddenly becoming obsessed with aesthetics, candles decided to have a major glow-up, sometimes literally getting shaped like things that probably shouldn't be set on fire.
So, prepare your scrolling fingers because we've gone down the waxy rabbit hole to find 25 candles that are less "calming ambiance" and more "wait, is that really a candle?!" From food replicas that look alarmingly realistic to shapes that perfectly capture your internet-induced existential dread, these aren't your grandma's dusty potpourri accompaniments (unless your grandma is way cooler than ours). Get ready for some truly lit designs.
#1 Make Your Your Harry Potter Dreams A Reality With These Floating Candles That You Turn On With A Wand
Review: "These are exactly how they appear! We put them in our stairs that lead up to our living room, and the ceiling is leveled so it gives it even more of a awesome effect! so many compliments from our friends and family! They love to come over and see them!!!" - Brittany Miner
Buy Now: amazon.com
#2 We Can’t Decide If This Cat Candle Is Creepy Or Cute, But We Do Know We Are Obsessed!
Review: "I purchased this as a gift for a friend for hosting a Halloween party. It was really exciting for the kids at the party when she opened it and lit it . Everyone watched it melt throughout the night and it got so much attention. Everyone, especially the kids, eagerly waited to see more and more of the skeleton come through. It was a bigger hit than expected. Highly recommend." - Nina G.
Buy Now: amazon.com
#3 This Horizontal Candle Brings A Whimsical Splash Of Steampunk To Your Space
Review: "I love the way this candle and stand look. Very steam punk! The stand is a good quality, antique finish metal. The beeswax smells really good." - Sharon Tiahrt
Buy Now: amazon.com
#4 No Two Handmade Candles Are Ever The Same, Making Each Burning Almost An Event!
Review: "Absolutely love these candles. Arrived in perfect condition. They are beautiful and the artist payed very close attention to detail." - Laura Day
Buy Now: amazon.com
#5 Nothing Says 'I Really Want Tacos Right Now' Quite Like Lighting One Of These Taco Candles
Review: "The scent is very strong for about 3 days and then it goes away. It sort of smells like taco." - Michael H.
Buy Now: amazon.com
#6 Finally, A Way To Ward Off Vampires And Make Your Apartment Smell Heavenly, All Thanks To This Garlic Bread Candle
Review: "Great item smells amazing! Looks beautiful." - Sarah Haag
Buy Now: etsy.com
#7 This Jackpot Candle Is The Adult Version Of The Prize Inside A Cereal Box!
Review: "Bought for my granddaughter for her 17th birthday. She loved it. The scent is so inviting and the candle is still going strong over a month later and she uses it every evening. Of course she had to get her ring out. The ring was beautiful high quality. Very much a good value for price. A+" - Tawana56
Buy Now: amazon.com
Speaking of things that look alarmingly realistic, grab a snack (a real one, please don't eat the candles) because we're diving headfirst into the world of culinary wax creations. If you've ever looked at your favorite food or drink and thought, "I wish I could set a wick in that," well, apparently, many people have, and they brought receipts... or, uh, candles.
#8 Say “You Light My Heart On Fire” With This Anatomical Heart Shaped Candle
Review: "These looks amazing, I loved it. Has a very nice smell too, not quite pine but nice" - Kaye
Buy Now: amazon.com
#9 This Cereal Bowl Candle Might Just Be Your New Lucky Charm
Review: "The cereal wax melts look like the real thing and it has a nice vanilla smell. I want more of these types of candles now. So fun." - d.earnhardt
Buy Now: amazon.com
#10 Ever Wonder What Jack Skellington Looks Like At Bath Time? Wonder No More With This Skeleton Candle
Review: Beautiful Halloween candle. Nice scent and received many compliments on it." - Gary M. Buyachek
Buy Now: amazon.com
#11 This Xanax Pill Candle Gives New Meaning To The Phrase “Take A Chill Pill”
Review: "Bought this as a gift for my boyfriend who has been super stressed at work recently. Instant smile on his face when he saw the packaging and actually laughed when he read out the note on the side. He isn’t normally into candles but said if there was something to get him into them then it would be this." - ALessem
Buy Now: amazon.com
#12 Imagine The Glorious Confusion When The Birthday Cake Arrives Topped With Sausage Birthday Candles
Review: "I have loved everything I have purchased from Genuine Fred brand. This product is no exception." - FC
Buy Now: amazon.com
#13 We Understand Physics, But There Is Still Something Magical About The Fluttering Of This Butterfly Candle
Review: "The person who received it loved it and said candle smells amazing they were so surprised the fan moved the butterflies." - Fatbobskid
Buy Now: amazon.com
#14 Finally, A Geometric Face Candle That Totally Gets Our Pre-Caffeine Morning Mood
Review: "These look classy! They were a well received gift." - Rachel H.
Buy Now: amazon.com
Okay, moving away from stuff that might make you hungry, let's fully embrace the wonderfully weird. The next batch of candles takes inspiration from everything from internet memes and oddly specific hobbies to body parts and abstract shapes that look like they belong in a modern art museum's slightly confused cousin's gallery. Basically, things are about to get beautifully bizarre.
#15 It Seems The Only Thing Missing From The Whole Stanley Phenomenon Was Actual Fire, So Naturally, A Stanley Cup Candle Now Exists
Review: "Everyone loved it, looks exactly like a small version of a Stanley. Was shocked to see it was completely made out of candle. Very cute gift idea." - Arianna
Buy Now: amazon.com
#16 These Spooky Spine Candle will Send Shivvers Down Your Spine For All The Right Reasons
Review: "I bought this for a chiropractor friend and he cannot stop raving over it. Perfect gift!" - JPearl
Buy Now: amazon.com
#17 The Only Thing Worse Than A Shart Candle Might Be A Durian Candle
Review: "I like buying prank/funny gifts for my brothers at Christmas and this one was honestly just too funny, candle smells absolutely horrible so definitely true to name, if you like funny gifts I would definitely choose this one" - Amazon Customer
Buy Now: amazon.com
#18 Someone Went And Made A Ridiculously Buff Muscle Bear Candle And Honestly? Werk
Review: "It is adorable. I don't know who would actually burn this candle; it has more value as a decoration. As such it works better as a gag gift for "that" friend. It doesn't have any odor or scent, but I didn't light it to see if it would smell when burned. I actually prefer it that way." - Cory
Buy Now: amazon.com
#19 Finally, Your Room Can Smell Like The Breakroom Fridge Thanks To This Doctor Pepper Candle
Review: "This candle is awesome! It legit smells just like Dr Pepper. The packaging is really cool too, looks just like a can. It’s a fun gift or just something cool to have if you love Dr Pepper. Totally worth it!" - Giovanni
Buy Now: amazon.com
#20 Okay, Switching Gears To Candles! Ready For Some Cozy, Cool Vibes. Your Guests Might Do A Double-Take Thinking You Adopted More Furry Friends, But Nope, It's Just This Adorable 4-Pack Of Cute Cat Candles
Review: "These are much bigger than I expected, which is awesome! They look great, smell nice and burn for quite a while longer than I thought they would. Definitely worth the money and a lot of fun!" - Brent Duncan
Buy Now: amazon.com
#21 Your Inner Cottagecore Aesthetic Is Practically Screaming For These Cute Flower Candles
Review: "Smells wonderful, beautifully crafted candles and looks just like the picture." - T
Buy Now: amazon.com
#22 If You Too Belong To The Church Of The Office, This Dwight Schrute Prayer Candle Is Right Up Your Abbey
Review: "I have had many different prayer candles over the years and this is the highest quality I have ever seen. The image is clear and perfect, I was shocked at how heavy duty it is, and the candle lid is a nice touch. I bought this as a gift but will be ordering one for myself!" - livandbloom
Buy Now: amazon.com
#23 We Appreciate The Direct Approach Of This 'Light Me When The Dog Farts' Candle Because Sometimes You Just Gotta Clear The Air
Review: "Cute candle. Is a bit smaller than I was thinking but still worth it. Smell is fairly neutral. Recipient enjoyed it." - Misty Garrick
Buy Now: amazon.com
#24 Okay, Serving Up A Hot Take! You Could Totally Grill Burgers, Or You Could Just Appreciate The Vibes From This Hamburger Candle Instead, Way Less Effort
Review: "Great detail on this burger and it has a scent to it which is really cool. The only thing I’m a little disappointed with was the size. It’s actually the size of a small candle. I thought it was gonna be more like a hamburger size but it’s OK it’s super cute. The detailing is really good and the scent is awsome . It’s so cute. I don’t think I could actually burn it though.." - Kaen981
Buy Now: amazon.com
#25 A Sneaker Candle Exists, Proving You Can Have Fire Kicks Without Those Crazy Resell Prices
Review: "The details on candle are amazing would recommend." - Archie16
Buy Now: amazon.com
