What is the best-smelling scent in the world?
It is a question everyone has asked at some point. A simple question with no single answer: a scent touches our memory, our history, our culture. And yet some fragrances seem to cross borders and come back, again and again, among the most loved on the planet.
The short answer: vanilla. In 2022, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet had 235 people from nine communities with very different ways of life, from hunter-gatherers to fishers and farmers, smell a series of odours. Everywhere, vanilla was rated the most pleasant, ahead of a fruity note close to peach. You will find it in our Vanilla & Honey candle.
So is there really one best-smelling scent in the world? We can get close, by looking at the notes that please almost everywhere.
The most loved scents in the world
Even though our response to a smell remains personal, some fragrance families keep coming back among the most appreciated on every continent. You find them in perfumes, scented candles, room sprays and in the scents we spontaneously associate with well-being.
Vanilla: the softness that reassures
It is the most universally loved smell, and it has now been shown: in the study published in Current Biology, vanilla came out on top in every culture tested. Gourmand, warm and comforting, it brings to mind childhood, cooking and generosity.
At OALI, it comes in three versions: Vanilla & Honey (vanilla, tonka bean and golden honey), Madeleine de Proust (creamy vanilla and almond, more like a bakery) and Coconut Musk (vanilla and blond woods, a sunny version).
Orange blossom, jasmine, neroli: light in the air
These fresh, sunny floral notes are among the most chosen in women's perfumes, room fragrances and Mediterranean rituals. Orange blossom soothes, jasmine uplifts and neroli brings a luminous softness.
Neroli is the essence drawn from the bitter orange blossom: you will find it in our Orange Blossom candle, which opens on petitgrain. For a headier floral, choose Jasmine.
Sandalwood, cedar, amber: enveloping scents
Warm, deep and comfortable. They give the feeling of coming home, even when you are elsewhere. In home fragrance, they are often the most appreciated notes.
Our Sandalwood combines sandalwood, cedar and tonka bean; Amber adds rose and patchouli; Fig & Sandalwood brings a fruity touch to the wood.
Fruity notes: lightness
Watermelon, melon, citrus… Smells that recall summer, sunny days and the outdoors. They please instinctively because they evoke energy and freshness. It is no coincidence that second place in the study went to a fruity note.
Our Wild Watermelon blends watermelon and melon on a milky base. Citrus lovers will find bergamot in the opening of Amber and Cotton Flower.
Amber, myrrh, incense: mystical scents
These warm, resinous notes are loved in home fragrance for their depth. They are often associated with calm, meditation and rituals.
To find that resinous, smoky spirit, light Cedarwood & Elemi (elemi, cistus and oud) or Gurjum Heart (gurjum resin, black pepper, patchouli).
These are the families that dominate rankings, searches and spontaneous choices, because they activate something universal.
Which scent “smells the best” for the home?
The question is no longer about a perfume on the skin, but about an atmosphere. The best home fragrances are the ones that transform the atmosphere without being overpowering. Here are the most appreciated scents, and the OALI candle that matches each one.
For a soft, welcoming atmosphere
- Vanilla: Vanilla & Honey
- Amber: Amber
- Sandalwood: Sandalwood
- Cashmere: Cashmere Wood
For a fresh, bright home
- Orange blossom and neroli: Orange Blossom
- Jasmine: Jasmine
- Citrus: Cotton Flower, which opens on bergamot
For a soothing atmosphere
- Myrrh, incense: Gurjum Heart
- Cedarwood: Cedarwood & Elemi
- Tonka bean: Tonka Bean
For a “clean and fresh” home
- Clean cotton, white tea: Cotton Flower
- Petrichor, mountain air: Edelweiss
Why do some scents please so much?
Because a scent reaches the brain before logic. According to the same study, how much we like a smell depends about 41% on the structure of its molecule and 54% on our personal preferences. Culture plays almost no role.
In other words: some smells, like vanilla, start with a head start for almost everyone. But your own story does the rest. We don't choose a scent at random: we choose an emotion.
The scents that come up everywhere: our ranking
Only first place is confirmed by science. The rest is a summary of the trends seen in home fragrance, with, for each note, the OALI candle where you will find it.
- Vanilla: Vanilla & Honey, Madeleine de Proust
- Orange blossom: Orange Blossom
- Jasmine: Jasmine
- Sandalwood: Sandalwood, Fig & Sandalwood
- Amber: Amber
- Cedar: Cedarwood & Elemi
- Citrus (bergamot, orange, mandarin): Cotton Flower, which opens on bergamot
- Watermelon / melon: Wild Watermelon
- Myrrh: Gurjum Heart, for its resinous side
- Petrichor: Edelweiss, for the fresh smell of nature after rain
How to choose “your” favourite scent in the world?
Simply ask yourself: what emotion are you looking for?
- To soothe: Sandalwood or Orange Blossom
- To welcome: Vanilla & Honey or Tonka Bean
- To energise: Edelweiss
- To refresh: Wild Watermelon or Cotton Flower
- To warm up: Amber or Gurjum Heart
The “best scent in the world” is the one that does something to you. The one that tells you a story.
When craftsmanship gives scents another dimension
In plant-based wax scented candles, the raw materials change everything: a soy wax that burns slowly and cleanly, fragrances from Grasse free from CMR substances and phthalates, a cotton wick.
At OALI, the world's most loved scents take shape in handmade candles hand-poured in our workshops in Belgium and France, in ceramic pots shaped and painted by hand. And once the candle has burnt down, the seed paper label is planted to grow wildflowers.
Some of our favourites:
- Vanilla & Honey, a comforting softness
- Orange Blossom, bright and fresh
- Sandalwood, enveloping
- Amber, warm and elegant
- Wild Watermelon, summery and fruity
Universal scents, interpreted with intention. Discover all our candles, with free delivery to Belgium and France via Mondial Relay.
And what about the best handmade candle?
A scent you love is not enough: in a candle, it is the quality of the wax, the wick and the fragrance that decides how it spreads, and what you breathe. The strength of a candle also depends less on the amount of fragrance than on the balance between wax, wick and the size of the room. At OALI, woody, amber and vanilla notes, such as Amber or Vanilla & Honey, are the ones that spread the longest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the world's favourite scent?
Vanilla. A study published in 2022 in Current Biology ranked it the most pleasant smell in nine communities with very different ways of life. It is usually followed by orange blossom, jasmine and sandalwood.
Which scent smells the best for the home?
The most appreciated are vanilla, amber, orange blossom, citrus and woody notes.
Which smell is the most loved?
Vanilla, for its comforting, universal effect.
Why is vanilla so popular?
According to the researchers, our attraction to a smell depends largely on its molecular structure, and vanilla's pleases almost everyone. It is also associated with sweetness, childhood and cooking.
What is petrichor?
The smell of rain on warm earth, one of the most loved smells in the world. For a fresh, natural atmosphere at home, try Edelweiss.
Which candle smells the strongest?
The one whose fragrance, wax and wick are well balanced, and suited to the size of the room: a 320 g candle fills a large living room more easily than a small one. Warm notes (amber, vanilla, woods) also stay more present than very fresh notes.
Which home fragrances last the longest?
Woody, amber and vanilla notes generally last longer than very fresh notes.
Source: Arshamian A. et al., “The perception of odor pleasantness is shared across cultures”, Current Biology, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.062
