The time changed here over Saturday night into Sunday. It now gets dark at 5 pm. We descend towards the winter solstice, when it will be dark by 4 pm (or maybe even slightly before). I celebrate the solstice each year on the basis that we emerge from it into the light. It seems I have long had pagan tendencies.
In last week’s post I took a brief look at two Diptyque samples. After that it occurred to me that I’d never really paid much attention to Diptyque’s history as a brand even though I have loved and owned Philosykos perfume for years and always have a small Feu de Bois candle in the house for autumn since I discovered it around five years ago.
I’ve owned (and do own) other Diptyque products. So, thought I’d do a slightly deeper dive.
Diptyque was founded in 1961 and was acquired by private equity firm Manzanita Capital of London in 2005, a trajectory it seems (launching and then being acquired by a PE company) has happened with reasonable frequency in the past 20 odd years for boutique fragrance companies.
The company was established by three artists in Paris and the first shop was on Boulevard St Germain on the Left Bank. The shop offered furnishings and made printed fabric, and ‘imported scents’ (Fragrantica’s words) from London (since when was London more about perfume than Paris?). In 1963, scented candles were added to the offer.
The first own brand fragrance, l’Eau, was launched in 1968, which was based on old English home fragrances. Apparently the brand owners loved to travel and much of what was offered was based on their travels.
Currently, the brand offers all kinds of things, including scented candles, which I think are what it’s best known for, fragrances, pomanders, etc.
It seems to me the best known products include the Baies candles (berries) plus Feu de Bois and a number of perfumes including Philosykos.
Every Christmas season the company offers a pricey Advent calendar where the boxes hold candles, solid perfumes, samples and travel sizes of fragrances. A fancy YouTuber I sometimes watch buys the calendar each year and from 1 December she shows what is held in each box. I am lemming this but I just can’t imagine it is something I’d ever fork out for.
Diptyque also offers annual Christmas limited edition candles. It seems these usually include a balsam type, a sweet one, and a wild card. A few years ago I got the sweet one, Biscuits, which is really nice and quite strong, and is a perfect autumn/winter/holiday burn. About an inch is left in mine.
This year’s offer is Sapin (pine tree – Siberian pine resin), Friandise (sweet treat – gingerbread and cinnamon), and Etoile (star – rose and sandalwood). These come in a three candle set and in various sizes, including the small (£40 here).
In the past I’ve owned the fragrance l’Autre, which is Middle Eastern spices and a dryer, headier fragrance vs something like Serge Lutens Arabie. I don’t know what happened to my bottle. It was a perfume, after the initial couple of wears, that I rarely reached for as it took over a room and wasn’t hugely enticing even though it smelled very interesting. My first Diptyque purchase was a trio of full sized candles – Saffron, Jasmine and Rose – more than 20 years ago during a visit to Paris when I was six months pregnant and sort of nesting. All three were amazing and got used up over time.
One Christmas I did a blind buy of the Tea candle, which was a huge disappointment, smelling more of soap than black tea.
As noted, Feu de Bois is now a constant and I’ve gifted that on a number of occasions.
I don’t have huge hankerings for most Diptyque perfumes but I have a list of candles I am interested in (Lys, Vanille, Cannelle, Narguile, Tubereuse and Muguet).
As noted in a post a few weeks ago, I bought a LE candle, Encre, recently. Sadly, it smells better before burning than when lit (it is wan). So, I’m now sort of inclined to stick with the more classic fragrances for candles, along with the sweet Christmas scent.
So, are you a Diptyque lover or meh on the brand? If you are interested or own products what has caught your eye and/or which products do you rate? Other candle brands you love (me: Trudon and Literie, but the latter isn’t easily procured here so I have to rely on friends visiting or returning from the US).
Pics: Pexels and mine
I haven’t been splashing out on candles so much, more room sprays. But I find winter so depressing I think I’ll lean into the hygge here this winter and get a bunch of candles, not all scented though. I think the fancy gift store downtown sells their candles but it might be just some other brands like Fornasetti.
Along with the various scented ones I have, I really like the beeswax ones that aren’t smooth — I can’t recall how they are described but they even look like the interior of a bee hive. They burn really nicely. If you are interested in scented, I have one Literie candle — I think they might be based in NYC. Mine is Caramel Nut Cart. It is profoundly delicious.
Thanks for the Diptyque history, Cinnamon. I haven’t splurged on their candles yet. Here in the US I love Thymes, a US company that makes candles, scents, and bath & body products. Their candles have great throw. Favorites: Frasier Fir and Simmered Cider. Nest also makes high quality ones. Favorite: Bamboo.
Don’t appear to be able to get Thymes here. Nest are available and around same price point as small Diptyques. A bamboo candle sounds interesting.
I always have a Frasier Fir for the holidays!
Same here! Also buy one for a friend every Christmas, so for her it’s part of the holidays too.
Heya Cinnamon,
I had a 34 Boulevard Saint Germain scented candle in a beautiful ceramic. The smell was freaking gorgeous.
It’s their fragrances I love and am still kicking myself for not buying Volutes while it was still available.
I have two favourite candle crews, Eau de Bougie and Gascoigne & King. They are my most loved and most gifted.
Portia xx
Looks like they still do that candle? I think the next time I am at a Diptyque shop I’ll make myself slow down and smell a lot more of the fragrances.
Ooooh, great dive into the history, and it jogged my memory. Baies Is the one that I remember- it was one of those “go-to” things that for a while everybody you knew had at the holidays. Baies candles, those orange flavored chocolates wrapped in gold foil that looked like real oranges, segments and all, and those nubby Irish sweaters that seemed heavier than a car. I’d like to get all of them this Xmas.
We go off daylight savings next week. I kind of hate it. Darkness at 4:30PM is fine when you’re curled up by a roaring fire with a book in your hand and a sheepdog at your feet. On the 405 with 12 trillion people who neglected to see that their exit is coming up NOW!!! and have to cut you off? Not so much.
I liked those orange flavored chocolate oranges. I had forgotten all about them.
I hate the time change in autumn!
Yes, Baies had a big, big moment. We have the orange flavoured segmented chocolates here. They have a name which escapes me at the moment.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange. They now come in both dark & milk chocolate as well as mint flavoured.
OMG- thank you! They are supposedly sold at tow places close by as well, and cheap. I may need to pick some up!
My kids still get a Terry’s chocolate orange every Christmas in their stockings. You can get them at Walgreens here (usually) and World Market.
Great minds, March……I found them this morning on Amazon and am getting two dark chocolate ones. One for me and one for my daughter’s stocking. I know she’ll love it!
Oooh…this year’s Christmas candle set sounds nice! I like many Diptyque scents, but find others meh, so I haven’t aggressively perused the brand. Perhaps I need to investigate a bit more…
I would like the sweet one but I’m also lemming a small Trudon…