People are making their own “fake candles” for 50p – and it smells like Jo Malone

With prices rising and luxury candles creeping past £50, a new kitchen‑cupboard hack is spreading quietly through group chats and TikTok comments: “fake candles” that cost around 50p a pop and smell suspiciously like a Jo Malone counter on a Saturday afternoon.

I walked into a friend’s flat in Hackney on a wet Tuesday and froze at the doorway. Three glass jars sat on a shelf with that soft, believable glow — not flickering, not smoky — and the air was bright with lime, basil and a whisper of peppery leaves. The scent felt expensive; the set‑up didn’t. My friend laughed, tipped one jar toward me and revealed an LED tea light tucked into a bed of coarse salt and soda crystals, the perfume hiding in plain sight. She’d spent pennies and ten minutes. No wax. No wick.

The 50p ‘fake candle’ that’s fooling noses

This is the gist: repurpose an empty candle jar, add a cushion of bicarbonate of soda and coarse salt, drip in a Jo Malone‑style dupe oil, then plant a small LED tea light for that cosy look. The soda traps odours; the salt helps the scent climb. The jar warms slightly on a radiator or in a sunny spot and suddenly the room smells boutique‑hotel plush. It costs about 50p per jar.

Scroll through the cosy‑home corner of TikTok and you’ll find it everywhere. A mum in Walsall lines up six jars before guests arrive. A student in Cardiff does one next to her desk to make rented walls feel grown‑up. One creator pours a dupe called “Lime, Basil & Mandarin” into a jar saved from an Aldi candle, claiming “my living room smells like Selfridges”. The replies are full of thumbs‑up emojis and quick maths on the savings. You can almost smell the comments.

Why it works is pleasingly simple chemistry and a bit of stagecraft. Bicarbonate neutralises stale smells, so the background clears. Fragrance oil disperses slowly across the salt’s crystals, releasing steady notes without the flash burn of a wick. The LED light gives you a warm, candle‑ish glow, which tricks the brain into sensing “cosy” before it even registers “scent”. Add a radiator’s low heat and the perfume lifts gently. That’s all most noses need to think “posh”.

How to make your own — safely and well

Grab a clean glass jar — an old candle pot or jam jar. Add 2–3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda, then 2–3 tablespoons of coarse salt. Sprinkle 8–15 drops of fragrance oil labelled as a Jo Malone dupe (Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir, Peony & Blush Suede all exist in budget shops). Stir lightly with a spoon. Nestle an LED tea light on top for glow, or leave it bare for a minimalist look. Park the jar near a gentle heat source or where air moves.

Go easy on the oil at first. Too much turns cloying fast. If you keep pets, pick pet‑safe blends or go lighter — cats in particular don’t love strong florals. Skip disinfectants like Zoflora inside jars; it’s for surfaces, not scent bowls. Refresh with a few new drops every couple of days and replace the soda every few weeks. Let’s be honest: no one actually does that every day. You’ll still get a beautiful lift even with a lazy top‑up routine.

Here’s what people keep telling me when they switch: it feels a bit cheeky, like beating the aisle at its own game. That thrill is half the fun. Do not place fragrance oils near a real flame. If you want extra theatre, sit the jar on a mug warmer on its lowest setting in a well‑ventilated spot and keep it in sight. Then step back and enjoy the smell that says “I paid a lot” when you didn’t.

“It scratches the luxury itch without the price tag,” says Jas, 31, who now makes two for the hallway before friends come over. “People ask which candle it is. I just grin.”

• Starter kit: clean jar, bicarbonate of soda, coarse salt, LED tea light, fragrance oil dupe
• Cost per jar: roughly 50p when you break down multi‑pack bits
• Good dupe notes: Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir, Peony & Blush Suede
• Where to find oils: discount stores, online marketplaces, craft shops
• Refresh rate: 8–10 new drops every 2–3 days, new soda/salt monthly

Why this little hack hits a nerve

We’ve all had that moment where the doorbell goes and the house smells like shoes, takeaway and laundry that nearly dried. A “fake candle” is a tiny fix that changes the feel of a room — and your mood — without lighting a thing. It’s quiet DIY luxury. It’s also democratic: a saved jar, a cheap dupe oil, and you’re in the game. Use pet‑safe fragrances or skip if unsure.

There’s something deeper too. Candles have become status objects, held up in bathrooms like trophies. This flips it. The glow is real, the scent is lush, but you’re not burning money. You’re playing with texture and light and smell the way people have for centuries, just with modern bits from the corner shop. Friends lean in, sniff, smile. Someone always asks for the recipe.

Maybe that’s why the clips keep spreading: not just because it’s cheap, but because it’s shareable. You can teach it in a kitchen in under a minute. You can tailor it to seasons. You can give it away in a ribboned jar and pretend you spent a fortune. It’s scent as a wink. And the secret’s too good not to pass on.

FAQ :

• What exactly is a “fake candle”?A scented jar using bicarbonate, salt and fragrance oil, topped with an LED tea light for the look — no wax or flame.
• Does it really smell like Jo Malone?If you use a quality dupe oil in similar notes (Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir), the vibe is convincingly close.
• How long does one jar last?The glow lasts as long as your LED; the scent feels fresh for 2–3 days before needing 8–10 new drops.
• Is it safe around kids and pets?Safer than flames, yes, though go light on oils and pick pet‑safe blends; keep jars out of reach.
• Can I use essentials from the kitchen?Yes — try orange peel, a cinnamon stick or vanilla extract for a softer, bakery‑style scent.