Diptyque
Parisian perfumery in an oval label since 1961
The most recognisable luxury candle on earth, and deservedly so. Diptyque’s oval-labelled glass has become interior shorthand for good taste, and the fragrance library is the deepest of any house we reviewed.
The Diptyque review
Three friends, a painter, a set designer and an interior architect, opened a shop at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain in 1961 selling fabrics and objects. The first candle followed in 1963. Six decades later the oval label is one of the most copied pieces of design in home fragrance, and Diptyque remains the brand most people picture when they hear the words luxury candle.
The strength here is range and consistency. Baies, the blackcurrant and Bulgarian rose composition, is among the best selling luxury candles in the world for good reason. Feu de Bois is a genuinely convincing woodsmoke rather than a sweet approximation of one. Figuier captures the whole fig tree, leaf and bark included, which is harder than it sounds. Whatever a room needs, Diptyque has a well-executed answer.
Two honest caveats. The burn is very good but not quite best in class: the standard 190g glass can tunnel if the first burn is cut short, so give it three hours to establish a full melt pool. And the glass is not refillable, so unlike Lumond or Trudon the vessel has a shorter second life. Price per hour sits in the upper-middle of the field.
Signature scents
- Baies
- Figuier
- Feu de Bois
- Roses
- Tubéreuse
The verdict
What we like
- The deepest and most reliable fragrance library on this list
- Iconic oval label with real design credibility
- Excellent, consistent cold and hot throw
- Wide range of sizes from travel to five-wick
- Easy to find in department stores worldwide
Worth knowing
- Prone to tunnelling if the first burn is cut short
- Glass vessels are not refillable
- Premium pricing across every format