Brits are ditching scented candles in favour of wax melts in their droves as they clamour to make their homes smell like their favourite perfumes for the party season.

Mrs Hinch’s favourite wax melt and scented candle maker, Ava May Aromas, has revealed customers can’t get enough of its wax melts, while sales of ‘traditional’ scented candles have dipped.

Figures revealed today show that it has sold almost half a billion individual wax melts since it was founded in 2018, with almost 800,000 expected to be sold this festive season. In comparison, Ava May Aromas founder Hannah Chapman said she’s expecting to sell just over 1,000 scented candles in the same period.

“Wax melts are easy to use, it’s very easy to change the melt for a different scent and they’re more affordable than a large scented candle, especially when you’re trying a new fragrance for the first time,” said 25-year-old Hannah, who started the business hand pouring candles two years ago at her parents’ kitchen table. She now has 10 units and more than 20 members of staff hand-making beautiful candles, wax melts and more.

“I still love our scented candles, they make a lovely gift or fantastic addition to any room of the house – but it seems like our customers just can’t get enough of the wax melt packs and single wax melt discs.

“While there is still so much uncertainty in the economy, I think people are happier to splash out £2.50 for a wax melt disc, or £5 for a wax melt pack to treat themselves, instead of paying £18 or £25 for a candle.”

Wax melts are discs made of perfumed wax which release their fragrance when melted on a ceramic or electronic burner. When the fragrance is gone, they can be scooped out and new fragrance added to the burner.

“We’ve also noticed a huge upturn in sales of our designer perfume-inspired dupes. I think it’s because as we enter what would be the Christmas and New Year party season, people are really starting to miss a night out – and part of the ritual of getting ready is a spray of your favourite perfume or aftershave.

“So instead of using their expensive perfume for another night on the sofa, they’re turning to our wax melts to get their fix.

“By filling their homes with the scent of their favourite perfumes and aftershaves, they’re able to save the actual fragrances for the time when the vaccine has worked its magic and we can all get out and start socialising properly again.”

Hannah says the most popular designer perfume dupes include Dark Opium, which is based on YSL’s Black Opium, Life is Beautiful, inspired by on Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle, and Alien Invasion, based on Thierry Mugler’s Alien, while the most popular aftershave dupes include Savage, a take on Dior’s Sauvage, and Aventos for Men, inspired by Creed’s Aventus.

Ava May Aromas, which has more than a quarter of a million adoring followers across social media including a private fan-led Facebook group of more than 5,000 addicts, offers a wide range of beautiful products with dupe scents inspired by popular designer fragrances.

All products come in more than 30 inspired designer dupe scents, from Dior to Jo Malone, as well as popular cleaning products like ZoFlora and Lenor.