I tried Aldi’s new £8.99 luxury candle claimed to be a dupe of White Company’s £75 version – but was it any good?

ALDI has announced its latest home fragrances to help interior lovers update scent-scapes for the winter.

With prices starting from £2.99 customers can get their hands on the new collection in the middle aisle from October 17th.

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Described as an “understated option that will look chic in any home”, is the new Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle, 700g for £8.99.

It’s available in two scents, Cedarwood & Vetiver or Tuberose & Cashmere, with each one said to “evoke warming feelings of calm and serenity”.

Better yet, Aldi says “shoppers can save themselves 87 percent compared to The White Company’s” Ceramic 3 Wick Candle which is priced at a whopping £75.

So, I put them to the test.

Could we really call Aldi’s candle a dupe of The White Company’s?

Aldi’s Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle

First impressions – it’s chic, it looks expensive.

It comes in a gorgeous stone vessel and I love the engraved Hotel Collection logo on the side, and the name of scent on the lid. Speaking of the lid, it has a rubber seal around it so it traps the scent.

One thing I’ve found with Aldi candles is the scents can be overpowering if there isn’t a lid, but this does the job perfectly.

Onto the scent…Cedarwood and Vetiver.

Cedarwood is an essential oil from various types of conifers aka trees. It is produced from the foliage, and sometimes the wood, roots, and stumps left after logging of trees for timber. It’s typically referred to as quite a musky, masculine smell.

Vetiver, on the other hand – which I have never heard of – is a grass. It has a similar fragrance to lemongrass and citronella.

Aldi’s candle is a cross between dark, musky, woody and fresh lemon, or as I so politely described it as ‘musky lemon dish soap’.

The scent is not my cup of tea personally, however, my boyfriend said it smelt similar to his aftershave, and he really liked it.

As for how well it burnt, getting the wicks to light was a challenge. I used extra long matches and by the time I was on the third wick, the match had nearly run out.

The wicks were really long and thin to begin with, so the flames were smaller meaning the amount of wax burnt was a lot less.

I burnt the candle for two hours – note, the label recommends not letting the candle burn for more than four hours at a time – and around a cm of wax had melted. With a 70 hours burn time (approx), the candle will last a few months if you burnt it every evening.

It was quite strong, filling the room very obviously with the fragrance.

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The White Company’s Ceramic 3 Wick Candle

The White Company’s packaging is just next level – the candle comes in a gorgeous branded box with the lid and vessel securely wrapped.

The vessel is made from smooth bone china, which The White Company says can be reused after the wax has finished.

But the lid doesn’t have a rubber seal, and I quickly noticed the china can mark easily.

The Ceramic 3 Wick Candle comes in several fragrances – Nourish, Calm, Spa Restore, and Sleep. I tried Nourish.

The scent description read “soft and comforting” and the scent notes were Oat, Bergamot and Amber.

Made using the “highest quality mineral wax” – a coconut and paraffin blend – the candle is said to have “soft creamy scent notes of oat and barley combined with bright bergamot and lemon, plus warming amber”.

Customers should be able to “picture the gentle sway of a warm, sunlit wheat field lightly brushed with a fresh citrus breeze” when the scent fills the room.

So when I lit the candle, was I transported to a wheat field surrounded by a citrus breeze? No.

But I was transported to a luxurious seaside beach house bedroom, with the windows open, and curtains blowing in the fresh sea breeze. That was the visual I got when I smelt the candle.

It’s creamy, with a subtle hint of lemon – very spring-like. Very luxurious.

As for how well it burnt – you can tell this is a well-made candle.

The wicks are thick, meaning the flames are larger so more surface area of the candle burns evenly, and you won’t be left with three holes and surrounding wax. And it subtly fills the room with fragrance, it doesn’t overpower.

The verdict?

I think Aldi’s Quiet Luxury Ceramic Candle is a really good product inspired by The White Company’s Ceramic 3 Wick Candle.

But I wouldn’t call it a dupe.

Firstly, the scents are very different. So unless they were the exact same fragrance, they can’t be a dupe.

I prefer The White Company’s fragrance, only because I’m not a fan of musky smells, but everyone likes different scents, and I would be eager to smell Aldi’s Tuberose and Cashmere candle.

Secondly, value for money. Aldi’s candle is only £8.99 – and I honestly was doubtful about how good it was going to be, but I was really impressed. It’s a brilliant product at a brilliant price point.

It’s not made from the most luxurious candle wax, and it doesn’t burn 100% of the wax either, but the packaging is gorgeous, and it would make a brilliant present.

The White Company’s, on the other hand, is just pure luxury. You can tell the ingredients used are expensive and it burns really well, so it is worth the price tag. But, The White Company should take note from Aldi – the rubber seal around the lid is a really great feature.