Each time I visit the Diptyque boutique or counter I discover something new. I discovered Diptyque Oyédo Candle ($60 for 6.5 oz) several months ago but just started burning it this past week. Oyédo is a light and citrus scent that smells like a sweet blend of grapefruit and mandarin oranges. It is significantly sweeter and lighter than most Diptyque candles I’ve tested but I like that it’s not too sweet. The scent itself seems on the subtle side once it burns but it is definitely noticeable and has decent throw. There is a refreshing uplifting feel to this one. It’s supposed to have an awakening feel due to the citrus notes, I find that it’s a more subtle citrus making it soothing. It’s very different from other Diptyque candles in the sense there is no earthy, herbal or spicey feel to it. Just straight citrus.
If you like subtle sweeter citrus scents that aren’t overpowering or too
sweet this one is a good one to check out. I’ve been loving it this
week and think it will be perfect for warmer summer weather.
At this time I’m not sure if it’s discontinued or just simply just one of those hard-to-find scents. I saw it several times at local counters but haven’t seen it in a while. It’s currently out of stock on the Diptyque website. I know you can still find it in boutiques and online at Saks, Lucky Scent and SpaceNK (UK).
My latest Diptyque discovery is the Aubépine Candle ($60 for 109g/6.5 oz). My husband brought me home two candles from the Diptyque Maiden Lane Boutique from a recent business trip along with one of their Photophore covers. Aubépine translates to Hawthorn. It’s described as a delicate wild flower with round and powdery accents. I’m normally not drawn to powdery florals but this one has a lovely mix of sweet almond and vanilla notes. It’s unique and fresh with almond hints making this my new favorite by Diptyque. It’s very soothing and brightens the mood. My husband picked a good one.
It’s a well rounded scent. The powdery aspect can seem quite strong when you first take it out of the box, but Aubépine burns quite nicely with the floral and almond blending in well. I find it to be more on the feminine side but it’s not quite as girly or floral as Roses or Rosa Mundi.
I absolutely adore it and was so impressed with my husband’s picks. Aubépine is one of the Diptyque Boutique Exclusives in the US so you won’t find it anywhere in stores except in their boutiques. It is available online at Diptyque, Lucky Scent, Beauty Habit and SpaceNK (UK).
Have you visited a Diptyque store? I always try to visit one when traveling as I adore the store layouts, creative decor and accessories they have. In case you missed it, check out my features on Maiden Lane, Los Angeles and South Coast Plaza.
What’s your current favorite from Diptyque? I feel another store visit coming soon for me.
I’m very excited to introduce Lumira today. My readers know I am an avid fan of luxury home candles. A well designed and crafted candle can add that perfect little accent to your home or office decor as well as make your entire room smell amazing. I’ve been following several Australian candle designers on Instagram loving the beautiful decorative imagery and inspiration from their Australian followers. I was ecstatic when Lumira reached out to provide an introduction.
For those new to this line, Lumira is a luxury lifestyle brand based in Sydney, Australia that specializes in hand-made soy candles. The line made it’s debut this year by founder Almira Armstrong. The first products in the line include a range of eight scents including Oriental Jasmine, Tuscan Fig, Persian Rose, Tropical Gardenia, Tahitian Coconut, Sicilian Citrus, Cuban Tobacco and Balinese Ylang Ylang.
The Signature Candles currently come in two sizes:
A large elegant, ebony hand-filled glass with beautifully scented creamy soy wax, $55 AUD for 450g/15.8oz, approximately60 hour burn time
A compact travel tin with a twist-off lid, perfect for travel, on your desk or on-the-go, $19.95 AUD for 100g/3.5oz, approximately 15 hour burn time
image via Lumira
The line is currently available in Australia and select international locations. You can purchase items online at Atelier Lumira (they ship internationally). According to Lumira they plan to expand their line into the US at more locations later this fall (stockists listed here).
Lumira kindly sent the Persian Rose Signature Candle and Tahitian Coconut Travel Candle for review. Readers know I am extremely particular and very selective with scents (my husband calls it “super picky”). I am pleased to report Lumira Candles are extremely well made. Both scents are high quality with an amazing blend of luxurious oils. I’ve been burning these for over a week now and everything is quite exquisite.
Persian Rose comes in a heavy black glass container. It’s the largest candle I own at 450g/15.8g. Persian Rose has a mix of rose absolute, blended with subtle notes of Jasmine, Soft Musk and
Bois de Rose. This one is designed for turning any home into a relaxing sanctuary. It’s a relaxing soothing rose that isn’t too floral and far exceeds my other rose candles in composition and blend. Yes, this is my new favorite rose. It has a really clean burn that fills up the entire room.
Notes:
Top: Sparkling Mandarin, Bergamot Zest & Sweet Orange
Mid: Budding Persian Rose & Geranium Essence
Base: Soft Musk, Patchouli & Dark Amber
Tahitian Coconut was sent in a travel size. I’ve been smitten with the Henri Bendel Travel Candles for their convenience, compact size and portability. Often times these candles are strong enough that you don’t have to burn them to enjoy the scent (I often just leave one opened). I like the concept of the travel candles with lids by Lumira. Tahitian Coconut is similar in concept to Henri Bendel’s Beach in the sense that it takes you away to a tropical getaway vacation. Tahitian Coconut is a blend of Coconut, Frangipani and Mandarin. It’s described as a scent that gives the feel of a mini-escape to be enjoyed all year round. It truly does. I find Lumira Tahitian Coconut to have a more rounded creamy feel, while Henri Bendel Beach is a bit sweeter and sharper.
The Lumira collection is available online at Atelier Lumira and within a handpicked selection of retailers across Australia and Internationally.
Lumira candles can be enjoyed as a full-size Ebony Glass Jar candle or in a convenient Travel Tin perfect for the office, when traveling, or in smaller spaces.
Have you tried Lumira? A shout out to my Australian readers! I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences 🙂 I can’t wait for the line to be available at more US locations. I’m already panicking about what I will do once they are finished burning.
You can find out more about Lumira on their website. Also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (to see beautiful home decor ideas) for the latest news and to find out where they are launching.
Samples were provided by Lumira for review. All opinions are my own. Photos of Persian Rose and Tahitian Coconut all taken by me.
Right now I’m loving fresh, light and uplifting scents for the home. I always find it interesting how my scent preferences change with the seasons. I usually think I lean towards all-occasion types of fragrances but these days I’m gravitating towards lighter fresher scents. A few favorites right now I find to be unique with good throw:
Malin + Goetz Mojito ($52 for 9 oz for 60 hour burn) is a fresh mix of lime, mint, basil and rum. This is my first Malin+Goetz candle and I love how this burns really cleanly, the scent is so unique, I’ve never smelled anything like it before. Mojito has a fresh unique uplifting scent including top notes of lime, rum, mint leaves, peppery basil, middle notes of spearmint and Chinese mint, base notes of white musk. I highly recommend this one for a clean fresh scent.
Diptyque Geranium Rosa ($60 for 6.5 oz, 60 hour burn) is one of the Diptyque scents that is harder to find (for me at least), you can find it all Diptyque stores and more retailers are starting to carry it now. This one is a fresh light green floral with a hint of mint (however I think I’m the only one who detects any mint). Geranium Rosa is one of those scents that is extremely green and very floral, if you prefer scents that aren’t quite as green, opt for Roses or Baies which are not quite as sharp. I like this one for the fresh green feel it creates.
Byredo Fleur Fantôme ($80 for 10.5 oz, 60 hour burn) is one of the splurgiest candles I’ve ever purchased, it has a highly complex mix of florals. Top notes: Rhubarb, Lemon Petitgrain Leaves, Middle notes: Violet Leaves, Tulip Extract, Base notes: Galbanum, Heliotrope, Suede. It has a refreshing floral mix and for something so complex, it actually has a simple fresh feel. Fleur Fantome has to be one of the most beautiful smelling candle I’ve ever burned, it smells like a beautiful garden.
Henri Bendel Beach ($15 for 4 oz travel size or $30 for 9.4 oz size) is another unique fresh scent (it’s one of my most repurchased candles). Beach is like the ultimate vacation scent and the mix is pure genius. There is nothing like it and it smells exactly like a beach vacation. If you’re new to Henri Bendel’s line and are looking for a recommendation to try something new, Beach would be my top pick. Notes include warm white sand and earthly driftwood blend with the summery
smells of jasmine, white lotus, creamy coconut milk and sweet
rosewater. I find Henri Bendel to be among the best candles at a decent price
range. They have a diverse range of amazing scents that aren’t too
overpowering but still have really good throw.
What home fragrances are you loving right now as we transition into warmer spring weather?
I took a much-needed mini vacation this month with my husband. We spent a week in San Francisco visiting family and friends. I’ve been a die-hard Diptyque fan so the Diptyque Store on Maiden Lane was on my list of must-see places. The store featured the new Diptyque Electric Diffuser (quite impressive) which will accomodate a small selection of scents in 34 boulevard st germain, Figuier, Baies, Amber and Feu de Bois. Both my husband and I were seriously tempted.
The Maiden Lane boutique is a small intimate store. It has a warm slightly rustic-library feel with the wood shelves and decor. The store is split into an upper and lower level creating a home-like feel. The combination of all the scents was so incredible. I wished I could take the entire store and transport it into my own home. I learned so much from the Diptyque staff on each of the different categories of scents – they were incredibly friendly and patient with all our questions as we asked about each candle. I’ve since developed quite a long wish list of items to try in the future. Due to our traveling situation I limited myself to 2 items (since we didn’t want to check any luggage) and purchased two of the Boutique Exclusives in Mousses (forest-moss) and Tilleul (linden tree). If you have a chance to visit one of the boutiques I highly recommend it. The store Diptyque reps are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. The stores themselves are decorated so beautifully – I felt inspired to up the game in our own house decoration-wise with subtle candle accents.
Mini 2.4 oz candles shown below all lined up ($28 each):
Have you been to a Diptyque Boutique? I normally purchase my candles from Nordstrom or Barneys but fell completely in love with the Diptyque store. What are your favorite Diptyque items?
This year I’ve started to venture beyond my go-to staples and explore more home fragrance scents from a variety of brands. My two latest discoveries from Diptyque include Violette and the new Genevrier candles ($60 each for 6.5 oz, approximately 60 hours burn time). Both are very different from what I’m normally drawn to but my husband has great taste when it comes to home fragrance so I asked him to help me pick out a few at our local Nordstrom. I’ve burned both separately so far and love them both. They make beautiful accent pieces around the home.
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Violette
is a soft but warm-smelling floral. I’m always drawn to violet scents
but whenever I test them, they turn quite powdery on me (not in a good
way). Diptyque Violette is more like a true floral and has a subtle
sweet quality that is quite soothing and soft. I’m not a huge fan of
florals but this one was recommended by so many readers I knew I had to
check it out. I think it is quite lovely. The scent is soft but still
quite strong with good throw. If you don’t like florals though you most
likely won’t like this one – it’s a true floral.
Violette pictured with the Diptyque wick trimmer and matches, both were gift with purchases during the last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
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Genevrier is one of two new releases from Diptyque. I thought I would prefer Noisetier (hazelnut) but ended up loving Genevrier (juniper) instead.
Genevrier is a woody green kind of scent. It smells just like juniper
with a forest-like feel. It’s not quite as green as Henri Bendel’s White
Spruce (usually released during the holiday). Genevrier has a more
earthy quality with a slight mix of a mint. It feels very clean and
fresh smelling. The scent strength is medium. It is definitely a
fall-holiday scent. In Southern California it’s still warm but as the
weather cools I think this one will be perfect.
I usually purchase my Diptyque at Nordstrom and Barneys but the brand is also available at a number of Diptyque Boutiques and other retailers worldwide.
What are your favorite home fragrances? Do you like candles, diffusers or sprays?
By popular request, here is a simple step-by-step guide to cleaning candle jars so you can recycle and reuse them as decorative containers. This will work for most candles. My favorites to re-use are Diptyque and Henri Bendel mainly because the jars are sturdy and even if there is a slight burn on the sides, the glass is strong enough so it doesn’t leave burn marks (most of the time). I like the way Henri Bendel candles are simple and clean looking. For Diptyque, I love the oval stickers and the fact that heat from the flames doesn’t change the color or make them peel.
Tools needed:
Hot running water, paper towels and a flat-edged spoon (I prefer spoons because they are safer to use) … and of course a finished candle! The spoon below is a hot chocolate spoon from Crate and Barrel from several years ago.
Step 1: Make sure your finished candle has finished cooling. Take the spoon and carve or scoop out any wax. The hard edges make the wax easier to scoop from the bottom corners where the sides meet the base. Work around the candle in a carving motion around the sides and then on the bottom. Depending on the candle, room temperature, how much you’ve burned, you may find some waxes more stubborn than others. Having remnants is ok, we will remove in the next few steps.
Step 2: Take a paper towel and wipe down any excess burnt pieces and wax. A stiffer paper towel will help pick up some of the wax you scraped off. If it doesn’t come completely clean, not to worry. Most of the cleaning has to be done in a series steps where the jar gets progressively cleaner.
Step 3: If stubborn wax remains, fill the jar with hot water. Make sure it’s not too hot (definitely not boiling). If the heat is too high it can crack the glass. Let it sit for 30 seconds to soften the glass. Note that you can re-arrange any of the steps. I like to scrape, wipe and then fill with water to remove as much wax and burnt edge remnants as possible before adding water to soften the excess.
Step 4: Now that the warm/hot water has softened the waxes on the sides, repeat the cleaning process with a paper towel to wipe the inside completely clean. The wax should glide off easily and adhere to the paper towel. If there’s still wax remaining, repeat the above steps by adding hot water for an additional 30 seconds to soften wax and wipe clean again.
Now your candles are cleaned and ready to use for decoration!
There are a number of different ways to clean out your candle jars. This is just one I’ve found works. Some recommend freezing the jars to help the wax pop out. I haven’t tried it – if you have I’d love to hear how it worked for you. For me, I tend to leave things in the freezer and forget about them. Also using the method listed above is faster for me rather than having to wait for the jars to cool/freeze in the freezer. Others recommend pouring boiling water to soften and remove the wax – I personally wouldn’t recommend boiling water since the glass might not be strong enough to sustain the shock in different temperatures.
