Diptyque has re-released their candle Rosa Mundi ($65, limited-edition) along with a new hand cream Eau Rose Hand Lotion ($28 for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz). Fun fact: Rosa Mundi was my very first Diptyque candle several years ago. I never finished burning it – for some reason it was stored in one of my cabinets hidden behind boxes. I burned it again this past month and the scent is the exact same as this year’s version although the glass is a bit different (brushed with the older release versus a gloss finish with this year’s) and the wax this year is pink (my original candle is white).
The Rosa Mundi candle is a lovely sweet rose scent. It’s has a strong and sweet mix of rose and honey with a slight hint of a powdery perfume-like scent compared to the regular Roses candle. It’s described as a rose with a “soothing, sparkling scent that features notes of blackcurrant, lychee, damask rose, centifolia rose and honey.” It’s quite a mix of scents combined into one candle. I find this one to be quite feminine and girly.
Here is the original Rosa Mundi candle from several years ago. The Rosa Mundi released today smells exactly the same. The differences are in the floral design of the vase and the wax this year is pink. Many have asked for my thoughts on Rosa Mundi versus Roses. Rosa Mundi is stronger and sweeter with a more complex blend of scents while Roses is more of a pure rose floral scent. Both are really lovely. If you want something more neutral, go with Roses. If you don’t mind stronger girly scents you can’t go wrong with Rosa Mundi.
Eau Rose Hand Lotion is a beautifully packaged hand lotion. It comes in a small white squeeze tube with a beautiful floral design on the front. It seems a bit small for a $28 hand cream but the scent is really lovely, texture nicely moisturizing and it’s compact enough to fit into your purse. Similar to Rosa Mundi candle, the Eau Rose hand lotion has a mix of many different scents. It has bergamot, blackcurrant, musk, cedar and honey. It’s a lightweight liquid lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves the hands feeling fresh but well hydrated. It contains a blend of macadamia oil and aloe vera. The scent is quite strong for a lotion but not overpowering.
Compared to the Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream (another favorite), the Diptyque is slightly sharper in scent. The bergamot, blackcurrant, and cedar give it an extra kick making it different from your traditional rose scent. Aerin’s Rose Hand and Body is thicker in texture but feels like it blends all over better for a body and hand cream. The Aerin cream has a softer sweeter candy-like scent compared to Diptyque. I can’t pick between the two – they are both amazing in their own unique way.
Overall both beautifully designed luxurious scented items that are well worth the splurge. I always thought I didn’t like rose scents – this was until I smelled Diptyque Roses which has opened my mind to not rule out roses as soon as I see the name or it listed in a description. Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose are beautiful additions that are strong florals but not so overpowered with powdery-ness like some rose scents are.
You can find the Diptyque Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose at all Diptyque locations now, although my local Nordstrom sold out of the hand lotion by the time I got to the counter (which was the week before Valentine’s Day). They kindly ordered it for me with free shipping – I bought four of the hand creams as gifts and everyone was smitten with the beautiful packaging.
