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Cire Trudon

Diptyque Holiday Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Favorite Fancy Candles for the Holidays

December 18, 2019

Best Fancy Candles from Diptyque, Cire Trudon and Byredo

There’s nothing quite like a good bougie candle to make your home feel extra fancy, warm and cozy all at the same time. By popular request I have an updated favorites roundup for the holiday season! My tried and true favorites remain the same with my top three favorite brands being Diptyque, Byredo and Cire Trudon. Many of these I started burning in late fall and will continue using many of these through early spring.

Diptyque

Best Diptyque Candles

1. Diptyque Baies is in my top three favorites and this one is my most burned, repurchased and recommended candle ever! It has notes of rose and blackcurrant, it smells like berries and rose to me. I’ve bought this in almost all the different sizes. If you are new to Diptyque this is the one I recommend to everyone.

2. Diptyque Feu de Bois is one of the best firewood smokey scents. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it always feels like Christmas to me! It smells warm and cozy.

3. Diptyque Vanille is a smokey vanilla. It’s not your typical sweet gourmand vanilla. It’s almost like a leather smokey kind of vanilla that has a warm vibe.

4. Diptyque Ambre is my favorite amber scent. It has the perfect mix of wood, vetiver and patchouli with a hint of spice. It’s another warm one – I bought the large colored glass version a few years ago and found it a lot more potent than the standard size (which is still very good).

5. Diptyque Santal is the best sandalwood candle. It’s not too strong or spicy and is perfect year round.

I bought the Mini Carousel Set and standard size Lucky Charm carousels last year and love them! They usually have them out only during the holiday season. Both are still available right now at Nordstrom.

Cire Trudon

Cire Trudon Christmas

6. Cire Trudon Ernesto is the best candle of all time to me. It’s a magical mix of leather and tobacco – but I find it hard to describe. I have yet to try all the Cire Trudon candles (I have also tried minis of Positano and Rose Poivree which were lovely!). They’re the most expensive candle splurge I’ve made for the home in past years. Every Christmas they launch special edition packaging for a selection of scents. The Cire Trudon team was generous enough to send this year’s for review and it’s GLORIOUS! I have the Classic size but it also comes in two larger options.

7 / 8 / 9 Cire Trudon Gabriel, Nazareth and Fir have been on my radar for years but every time I’ve decided to buy one I always go back to Ernesto. They have a beautiful Odeurs D’Hiver Christmas Trio which is boxed in the most beautiful packaging I have ever seen. Every candle in the box is carefully packed with inserts around the edges and also in the top to protect the wick/wax. Gabriel is glorious mix of leather, chestnut and wood. Nazareth is a mix of clove, oranges and cinnamon (smells like Christmas!). I’ve always been more of a pine lover for Christmas scents but Cire Trudon Fir is so unique and sweet while still being very green.

Byredo

Best Byredo Candles

10. Byredo Tree House is my favorite one from the line. When I first smelled it years ago I actually did not like the way it smelled straight out of the jar. It wasn’t until I smelled it burning in their New York store that I decided to give it a try. It has the most amazing mix of cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood, hay, spice, myrrh and labdanum. It’s warm and cozy with wood and spice mix.

11. Byredo Bibliotheque is almost like a smoky candle version of Bal D’Afrique perfume to me. It’s not as sweet but to me it has a similar vibe that is so unique and unlike anything else I’ve tried. Even the little one has amazing throw.

Room Sprays

Aesop Room Spray Trio Set

12. Aesop Room Sprays – For those who cannot burn candles room sprays are a great alternative. I’m completely obsessed with all the Aesop Room Sprays and was thrilled to find they launched a mini trio this holiday! I’ve also loved Diptyque Baies and 34 Boulevard St. Germain sprays as well for our home. I’ve been dying to try one from Byredo but haven’t yet.

Best Christmas Candles

How I recycle and clean out wax to recycle/repurpose candles in this post here. What are your favorite home scents for the holiday season?

 

 

Cire Trudon candles gifted. All others purchased by me.

Beauty Favorites Fragrance Home / Interiors Lifestyle

Loving Right Now: Spring Scents

April 10, 2017

Scents of Spring Cire Trudon, Antica Farmacista, Diptyque, Tom Ford and Jo Malone | The Beauty Look Book

Right now I’m obsessed with all kinds of scents that smell like spring. Since moving to Florida I’ve more into scents than I’ve ever been, but there’s something about warm sunny weather that makes me crave something that smells like a tropical vacation. I have a mix of home scents and perfumes I’ve been loving. Some are new launches others have been around for years. I did my spring transition scent post last month and loved hearing about your favorites. Over the years I’ve found a lot of scents I love for spring so this is by no means comprehensive of the best ones out there, but here’s a small selection of what I’ve been loving right now.

For the home I discovered Antica Farmacista last year thanks to the recommendation of Edward Bess. He knew I loved Diptyque and said that Antica Farmacista was a beautiful line with gorgeous diffusers and candles. I fell in love at first sniff and even though I had seen the line for years at Nordstrom I never really paid much attention. I stocked up on a lot of diffusers during the Nordstrom anniversary sale and over the holiday bought a lot of sets as gifts. The line is truly exquisite! Since diffusers do last a lot longer than a candle I’m slowly working my way through trying new scents.

Antica Farmacista Bergamot and Ocean Aria and Lush Palm | The Beauty Look Book

The latest from their line is Lush Palm which is a green floral with Tahitian Gardenia, banana leaf and palm. Notes include Herbaceous Green Accord, Crisp Apple, Pear, Aloe, Grapefruit, Bergamot, White Pepper, Pine, Tahitian Gardenia, Sambac Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Crisp Water Notes, Cedarwood, Mexican Vanilla, Labdanum, and Sweet Amber. It has a lush green floral feel that has an uplifting cooling and relaxing feel. We’ve been using the large diffuser at home and it fills our living room. The candle has pretty good throw. In their catalog they have scent combinations and one of them is the Bergamot and Ocean Aria. I’ve already burned through two of the candles for that one and adore it. They sent the room spray for me to try and as a bergamot lover it’s really lovely. If you’re looking for a nice mother’s day gift they have a Spring Diffuser Trio with minis of Acqua, Lush Palm and Bergamot Ocean Aria – it’s really perfect. Pair it with a nice bouquet of flowers and I think it would look super cute.

Antica Farmacista Bergamot and Ocean Aria and Lush Palm | The Beauty Look Book

For more in the home scent arena, one of my favorite spring time scents (also good for summer) is the Diptyque Tomas Maier Palm Beach (originally reviewed here). It was a limited-edition scent years ago but they keep restocking and you can find it exclusively at Diptyque stores or online at Diptyque. It has jasmine, iris, lemon, lime, salt and grass. It’s got a lovely lush tropical vibe that isn’t overly sweet. I’ve been exploring more in Cire Trudon. One of the cute stores near us is called the Oxford Exchange and they have a mix of things like a cute restaurant, coffee area, tea bar, Aesop Skincare and a shop with Cire Trudon. I spotted a mini duo called the Giambattista Valli and Cire Trudon Duet which has Positano and Rose Poivree ($105). So far I have not spotted the duo anywhere else online except on Cire Trudon’s website and online at Barneys New York. I’m a sucker for minis and even though this was extremely expensive I could not resist the beautiful design and cute box. Positano is a strong bright white floral with gardenia, orange blossom, jasmine, magnolia, tuberose and lily. Rose Poivree is a strong rose with pepper notes. You can also buy the individual full size at places like Net-A-Porter, Barneys New York or Lucky Scent. Cire Trudon candles are quite the splurge but in my experience the throw and intensity surpasses all other brands.

Cire Trudon Giambattista Valli Duet and Diptyque Tomas Maier Palm Beach | The Beauty Look Book

In perfume long-time readers know I like to switch things up. I finally splurged on a full bottle of the Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt after using up a few minis I had from sets and GWPs. It’s funny because when it first launched I did not like it – but I gave it another chance before I moved and fell in love. I love layering it with the Mimosa and Cardamom and Wild Bluebell both thanks to the rec from one of my favorite Jo Malone reps in San Diego).

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc remains one of my favorites for warm weather but the latest launch Sole Di Positano is just absolutely amazing, especially for bergamot lovers. It an extension of the Neroli Portofino line which gets better with each  new launch. This one has Italian bergamot, petitgrain bigrate, lemon and mandarin and shiso leaf. Sole Di Positano is not as citrus or sweet as the Neroli Portofino (one that I find smells great on others but not for me). It’s happiness in a bottle. The All Over Body Sprays have been around for quite some time but I never looked into them. I saw them in person for the first time (I finally discovered a counter near me) and was really surprised by how big the bottles were. They’re aerosol sprays and I decided to try Fleur de Portofino. I have the perfume version which I love for a more floral version of the Neroli Portofino line. I have mixed feelings about the sprays. When I’m indoors the scent lasts a long time on me with good staying power. However if I spray it on me and am outdoors for an extended period of time I find it fades after a few hours. I absolutely love the scent and am going to try layering the spray with the perfume. More thoughts to come soon – but Fleur de Portofino is another spring time favorite.

Last but not least Creed Virgin Island Water is pure love. It’s more of a summer scent but since it feels like summer where I am this is perfect. I don’t know that I’ve fallen in love with a scent as much as I have this one. I’m trying to ease up on use because I bought the smallest one and an worried I’m going to use it up too fast. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about since perfume is meant to be used – the small bottle was just so expensive!

Jo Malone Wood Sage Sea Salt, Tom Ford Soleil Blanc, Tom Ford Sole di Positano, Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino, Creed Virgin Island Water | The Beauty Look Book

Scents of Spring Cire Trudon, Antica Farmacista, Diptyque, Tom Ford and Jo Malone | The Beauty Look Book

That rounds up my loving right now spring home and perfume roundup. What are you loving right now? Do you have anything you’ve been obsessed with for the home? This time of year I feel like it’s the best time to makeover one’s home whether it’s updating bedding, home accents or new scents. Since we just moved, we are still in the process of furnishing our home. Going from a small loft to a full size house with a backyard and more bedrooms has been so exciting for us, but our furniture is pretty much swallowed up by the space. The last time we moved it took us about 6 months to fully furnish our loft because we started from scratch. This round I suspect it will also take time to fully furnish the home.

Press samples include Tom Ford Sole di Positano, Antica Farmacista Lush Balm and Bergamot Ocean Aria.

Fragrance Home / Interiors

Cire Trudon Odalisque

March 18, 2015

I purchased my first Cire Trudon candle a few weeks ago at Barneys in Beverly Hills. I have @wendyg_nyc to blame for this splurge (or rather thank) as she has been pleading that I check out Cire Trudon for months. I don’t have close access to the brand and although it’s been on my list for quite some time, every time I stopped by Barneys all the distractions on the beauty floor prevented me from looking into these candles.

If you’ve seen Cire Trudon candles in person at Barneys you will see they are all displayed on the counter covered with a glass dome to help retain the scent. These are the strongest candles I’ve ever smelled or burned and seeing all the options was quite overwhelming. Thanks to Wendy I had a list of three to narrow down my first purchase and I picked out Odalisque ($95 for 270 g / 9.5 oz).

Cire Trudon candles are made of vegetable-based wax. They come in several sizes, the Classic Size is a large brown-tinted class jar. The one I picked out has a mix of orange blossom and cinnamon. It’s quite complex and is extremely rich. It smells so rich it almost smells holy, like it belongs in a cathedral.The official description of Odalisque is:

“Enclosed in citrus and wood bark, the orange blossom weaves a painter’s dream from which escapes the pale volute of smoke from a narghile. As an orientalist painting, furiously romantic, the vigorous scent of the case, and solar splinter of citrus fruits, come out as a thin blade in the silky shadow of vanilla. Top notes of lemon and orange, heart notes of orange blossom, and base notes are cade and vanilla.”

top note : lemon, orange / middle : orange blossom / base : wild juniper, vanilla

The candles have a small label on the back:

Odalisque is a classic orange blossom scent amped up with spice and wood. I find traditional orange blossom candles to be very light and airy, there is a hint of citrus but there is a good mix of florals to prevent it from smelling too fruity. Odalisque is a unique orange blossom because the mix of wood bark and juniper add depth to it that is hard to describe but makes it complex.


This is my first time burning something from Cire Trudon and it’s pure love. Odalisque proved to be one of the strongest home scents I’ve burned, the scent fills the entire room within a few minutes and the scent lingers for a while even after you blow out the flame. It is a luxurious splurge so if you’re unsure about ordering sight unseen at all I highly recommend you try to visit a store first (locator by region here).

I bought mine at Barneys New York. Cire Trudon is also available online at Saks Fifth AvenueBeautyhabitNet-A-Porter, Lucky Scent and Ciretrudon.com.

Have you tried Cire Trudon yet? What are your favorites? Do I need the fancy scented matches?