Diptyque

My love for candles is no secret. I recall one summer walking past a Yankee Candle store, ubiquitously found in the States, and stopping dead in my tracks to inhale. I'm sure you've been there too. Candles are a small luxury to the senses. As a kid I used to go no where near them, as an adolescent I would test my pain threshold by dipping my finger in its molten hot wax. But as an *cough cough* adult I burn them for pure olfactory pleasure.

It was only a matter of time before I traded my Yankees for Diptyques. It was such a major upgrade that I can not remember how I ever found joy in over-perfumed jarred candles. Every self respecting home understands the importance of a Diptyque candle; slowly releasing its essence into the room. Everything from the packaging, to the scent is sublime! However, I do not recall my first candle sniffing experience with the French establishment, but I know how comfortable I feel whenever I light one of their creations. They truly possess a transporting quality that I have seldom found in other candle makers.

My favorite above all is the Figuier. Rightly so, it is one of the three top selling candles that they've produced. Very homey, very green, and a one way ticket to some Grecian getaway. Never has the scent of fig enchanted the world such as this. Or at least, enchanted me.

The top selling one (and my mom's personal favorite) is Tubereuse. When I choose to bestow the gift of Diptyque to someone I always pick this crowd pleaser. Not many would agree to my personal choice so this one fits the bill of the basic Diptyque 101 course. It is derived from a Mexican bulbous herb and has a very sensuous heady scent. Surprisingly so, it is the most expensive floral perfume ingredient in the world. The quality is unsurpassed.

And finally, the Feu de Bois is one worth mentioning. I don't think anyone else has come close to capturing the exact scent of a fire place better than these guys. This is the real transporter. In the winters, I sit in my desert home, light this candle and in seconds, I find myself in the Alps. It's the best thing I can do in winters of a minimum of 7 degrees and a maximum of room temperature. The rare 1 or 0 is a haphazard circumstance.

My Figuier is down to its last two hours. Time to give the store a little visit :)