As you may remember, I had a chance to visit Paris back in January and of course I couldn’t come home empty handed. January is a great time to visit Paris if you’re planning to go shopping. It’s winter sales and a lot of designer items were selling 60% off at the Bon Marché. Anyway, since I love scented candles so much I thought why not stock up on my favourite French candles. It probably wasn’t the most original idea but scented candles make me happy. I’ve actually just lit a candle as I’m writing this post and the scent is taking me straight back to Paris where I bought the candle. Scented candles can be spiritually very uplifting and energising. They are also seen as the ultimate luxury but I would make sure to stick to good quality candles that don’t include toxins like paraffin.
I should probably make it clear though that French candles aren’t that much cheaper in France (if you come from the UK that is). The difference was about 4 pounds so it’s not really worth a trip if you’re just after some fancy candles. But of course if you’re visiting France anyway, why not take a piece of France home with you, right?
On my third day in Paris, I headed to the original Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain store which was just a 10 minute walk from our hotel. The shop itself isn’t very big but it feels very luxurious and intimate. The staff were super helpful and I immediately fell in love with their new Roses collection that celebrate the scent of rose in all its forms. I decided to go with the Centifolia candle in the end. I really loved the way it looked (the perfect shade of blue!) and couldn’t get over the floral scent. It’s a pretty strong rose scent, so if you don’t like strong(ish) scents that are floral, you won’t like it. But luckily I loved it!
I do find myself more sensitive to strong scents these days and I found the Centifolia candle a little too overpowering in our bathroom (especially when used together with a scented bath oil). I decided to move the candle back to our lounge and it’s just perfect in our open plan kitchen/dining living area. My husbands biggest complaint with expensive candles is that he can’t smell them (which equals waste of money for him). Well, he certainly couldn’t say that about the Centifolia candle. It’s such a lovely floral scent with some discreet spicy notes. I have no regrets about buying it and it’s a bonus that I can use this jar as a decorative item afterwards.
Now I did end up buying one of my ‘old’ favourite candles as well. Diptyque Vanille is quite a strange scent in the sense that when I ever I smell it in the shops, I always worry it’s going to be too woody. But then when I buy it I wonder why I haven’t bought it for so long. It really should be our house scent. It’s the most seductive, sexiest scent I know. It’s a totally different scent from the Centifolia for sure. It’s a very delicate scent of vanilla with some woody and spicy undertones. It’s quite subtle but it leaves this gorgeous lingering scent in the room even when it’s not lit. None of my other candles do that. I’ve moved the candle to our bedroom now and I can smell the scent every time I get ready or do my make up. I love it so much that I’ve gotten through almost the entire candle by now which speaks volumes. I love this scent. I think I may even prefer it over Baies..
In case you’re wondering what I do with all these empty candle jars, upcycling is the way to go. I sometimes use them as tea light holders but I really love storing my make up brushes in the Diptyque ones. The black and white logo looks perfect in our monochrome bathroom. You can also use them to store cotton wool or cotton wool pads or buds, or anything you want really.
And finally (but certainly not least), I was very excited to spot the luxurious Goutal Paris candles in Le Bon Marche. I actually stumbled across this brand in Liberty just before Christmas and couldn’t get over their heavenly scents. I immediately loved the Un Air d’Hadrien scent which reminded me of Italian summer. There are lots of citrussy notes and powdery lightness. It’s subtle but strong enough for a decent size living room. I always ask my husband for a second opinion before writing about scents and he could definitely smell this one as well. I think this was probably his favourite scent out of them all. Quite a few department stores stock Goutal in the UK (John Lewis, Selfridges, House of Fraser and Harrods etc), so you really don’t need to go all the way to Paris (unless that’s what you want to do of course!)
I hope my fellow candle lovers have found this post helpful and if you know any candle brands worth discovering, drop me an email or leave a comment below. Although I’ve got my favourite brands that I keep going back to (Jo Malone, Diptyque, Sand & Fog), I’m always excited to discover new brands and ranges and share my thought on the blog with you.Enjoy the rest of the week!
