Imagine this: It is dark, and there’s no light. No light at all, and the night is a scary thing: it holds creatures that will harm and kill you, unseen. It holds the cold, and the fear. And into the darkness, someone brings a small light – a candle, or a little oil lamp that not only brightens a small space around you, it also is magical – it alleviates fears, and gives hope. No wonder that the lighting of candles has gotten a religious connotation!
Candles have been around for so long (the ancient Egyptians came up with them), but during hundreds of years, burning candles has been a stinky affair. You need fat to burn, and this fat was made from tallow (animal fat). Beeswax was very, very expensive, and while scented candles were around (the Indians used them for religious ceremonies, and in the 19th century, people in the US used bayberries to make candles), candles were still something that illuminated your home, and not a fancy home scent. Understandably.
The rise of scented candles
Not really surprising, then, that when candles were on the decline because there’s now a fancy new thing called electricity and light bulbs that light our homes and cities, candle manufacturers had to come up with new ideas. One of them was the scented candle. And while IKEA has them for a few pennies, they’re the most superfluous luxury item you can imagine – and still. Lighting them, especially in winter, when it’s cold and dark, you will still feel that deeply engrained thankfulness for light, for the specialness of it, and will make you smile. (No matter if it’s Yankee Candle or Diptyque.)
Are luxury candles better? Their manufacturers say they are, and cite superior wax, superior oils, the purest cotton wicks. I can say that for me, I like complex perfumes, and I like a complex home scent, and I wouldn’t douse myself in cheap vanilla nor I would do that to my home. But then, there’re Yankee Candle scents I enjoy, and there’re Jo Malone candles I enjoy, too.
Diptyque Holiday collection 2018
I bought Diptyque’s Holiday Candles now for three years. Usually, they release three holiday fragrances – one is pine scented, one is vanilla based, and one is something of a maverick – often frankincense, but not always. I do like the pine and vanilla ones, but they are not very original. I can’t physically stand frankincense – it makes me sick. So, when this year Diptyque released a candle composed around the notes of vanilla, amber and lavender, I pounced.
The collection is called Légende du Nord, the jars are decorated by designer Pierre Marie.
“…a winter collection that awakens the spirits of an imaginary folklore. The scented candles take on magical powers, each representing one of the spirits from the legend.”
Baume d’Ambre is “Inspired by the rising winds, bringing with it the song of the mermaid and the perfume of her pearly hair, Diptyque’s Baume D’Ambre strikes a gracious accord between vanilla and benzoin resin, enhanced by the freshness of lavender.”
Diptyque Baume d’Ambre review
The artwork on the candle (please go back to the engravings, Diptyque – the stickers are annoying if you want to keep the candle after burning it) depicts a mermaid, following a folk tale of the friendship between a mermaid and a fishing village.
This isn’t a traditional holiday scent. You’ll like this, though, if you like Lush’s Twilight or Sleepy, or Guerlain’s Jicky.
The overall impression is of a spicy, yet cool vanilla. The lavender isn’t as sweet and earthy as in Twilight, but has a cool, nearly minty aspect to it – like a breath of fresh air. While it doesn’t send me into a particular holiday mood, I do find it very uplifting and relaxing – for me, it’s a very ‘happy’ scent. Diptyque uses a soy wax blend and burns down evenly. The burn time is supposed to be around 30 hours.
It’s more suited for a bedroom, or a small living room/office, because the scent’s throw isn’t huge.
The holiday candles are still available on the Diptyque site and at various other retailers. I bought mine (small size – 2.4oz/70gr) for 32€ at a small perfumery in Frankfurt (Albrecht). I smile when I light mine, and, for me, it can lift the darkness – the real one, and the one that clouds the soul.
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
