I never used to be much of a candle person, now I have a whole array of different ones! There is something about the atmosphere they generate, and I also think part of the young pyromaniac still remains in me (as a child I used to love playing with fire, and flames).
Diptyque Paris is one of my favourite brands of candles. Diptyque itself was founded in 1961 by three friends who were all artists of some kind; Christiane Gautrot, Desmond Knox-Leet, and Yves Coueslant – the company originally printed fabrics. In 1963 they launched their first candles not knowing then that they would become Diptyque’s pièce de résistance, and the future focus of the company. The candles are almost legendary, and each one is a unique insight to some place, or some thing. Diptyque takes inspiration in a whole array of things from the bare roots of nature with tree resin, the smell of crushed flowers, to particular memories of a particular city. Each candle seems to crystallise a moment, or place, that just by lighting your candle you can join in with – for this reason Diptyque describes it’s candles as experiences.
I know of no other candle with such a staying power as Diptyque; the fragrances are potent – but never too much. They do not just smell; they fragrance the room. Even after the candle has long gone out the smell still lingers. You really notice the scent in the air, and even some days later if you walk into a room you can catch a wisp of it. The candles are made in France, and the simplistic packaging is very chic.
Two of my favourites are Tubereuse, and Verveine. The first is a sensual rose smell that simply just captivates you (and I am not usually much of a floral fan!), and the second is a citrusy delight with a fragile edge. The scent the candles give off do not come across as superficial, they come across as authentic taking you back to an old memory, or off to some exotic land. Escapism as it’s finest! They make great gifts – I quite often give friends, and family Diptyque candles on special occasions.
So of course when I saw set of Diptyque candles in the Space NK sale I had to oblige (they still have some in stock! £30 as opposed to £60 – quite a saving). The Diptyque set (dubbed ‘Mediterranean Coffret’) came beautiful presented. The set contains three mini candles (70g); Figuier, Cyprès, and Maquis – the mini candles burn up to 30 hours each.
The Mediterranean Coffret is as you guessed it inspired by the Mediterranean. Figuier; ‘the warmth of fig wood, the freshness of its leaves and the milky sap’, Cyprès; ‘the warm tints of honey and resin emanating from a Mediterranean cypress’, and Maquis ‘the scent of dry lands where cistus and everlasting flower dominate in an explosion of woody aromas’, together make the perfect combination.
As with all candles you should follow a few basic guidelines to get the most enjoyment out of them. The first time you light your Diptyque candle allow it to burn for at least two hours so that the wax continues to burn evenly as possible. When you’ve put the candle out recentre the wick if necessary, and trim the wick before relighting to avoid unnecessary smoke.
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