Choosing a candle scent can feel harder than it should. Fragrance is personal, descriptions only get you so far, and most guides just list "top notes" without telling you what a scent actually feels like in a room.
So instead of a generic buying guide, here's a simpler way to think about it: match the candle to the space (or the mood) you're trying to create. Three of our most-loved scents each do something different — here's how to tell which one is yours.
For everyday spaces that need to feel clean and grounding → Rainstorm
If you want a scent that works in almost any room, any season, any mood — start here. Rainstorm is our signature candle, built around the smell of rain on dry earth: crisp ozone and citrus up top, settling into an earthy, grounding base.
It's the candle for:
- Living rooms and entryways, where you want something universally loved rather than polarising
- Anyone new to Petrichor — it's the scent the whole brand was built around, so it's the truest introduction to what we do
- A reset moment — after a long day, opening a window, that feeling of air clearing
If your favourite smell in the world is the first rain after a dry spell, this is not a hard decision.
For spaces that want to feel earthy and natural → Australian Bush
Where Rainstorm is about freshness and reset, Australian Bush is about warmth and depth. Built around lemon and pine up top, eucalyptus and lemon myrtle in the middle, and patchouli and sandalwood underneath, it's a scent that feels like it belongs outdoors — and brings that calm indoors.
It's the candle for:
- Home offices and reading nooks, where you want something grounding rather than energising
- People who love native, nature-inspired scents over florals or sweetness
- Slower moments — long books, quiet mornings, spaces you spend real time sitting still in
If you find yourself drawn to bushwalks over beach days, this is your candle.
For a space that deserves a centrepiece → Petrichor Bowl
Some spaces don't need a candle in the background — they need a candle that is the room's focal point. The Petrichor Bowl is our largest and most striking candle: a nine-wick, 1500ml statement piece with a burn time built to last for months, not weeks.
It's the candle for:
- Dining tables and entryway consoles, anywhere you want something to be seen, not just smelled
- Gifting — for a housewarming, a milestone birthday, anyone who appreciates bold design as much as fragrance
- Anyone furnishing a space that's meant to make an impression — this is less "add a candle" and more "add a piece"
Available in a wide range of scent profiles, from Australian Bush to Black Rose & Oud, so you can match the bowl to your space's personality, not just default to one scent.
Still not sure?
A simple rule of thumb: if you want a candle that resets a room, start with Rainstorm. If you want a candle that grounds a room, go with Australian Bush. And if you want a candle that makes the room, the Petrichor Bowl is built for exactly that.
However you choose, every Petrichor candle is hand-poured in Melbourne using 100% soy wax — so the only real decision is which feeling you want to bring home.
