Diptyque: Uncommon Scents

At Diptyque’s original location, a small corner shop on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, the pleasure of shopping begins with the enticing vitrines.  Dozens of candles are artfully arranged in a tempting display, their instantly recognizable black-and-white labels announcing scents from single florals like heliotrope and honeysuckle to surprises like tea, myrrh, and new-mown hay.

Inside, oriental rugs, richly colored walls and classical music create the perfect ambiance for a whimsical gift collection that includes glass paperweights, silk neckties and woolen coverlets. But the candles are the stars, and they come in some forty different fragrances—with tuberose, freesia, coriander, mint, musk and even wood smoke on offer, there’ something for everyone.

Diptyque’s history is as colorful as its interior.  Founded in 1961 by three friends who’d met at the École des Beaux-Arts, the shop originally sold the fabrics and wallpaper they designed.  But when customers started lining up to buy the exotic objets they used as window decorations, the owners broadened their stock, and produced their first scented candles in 1963.  Over the years they’ve also created eaux de toilette, soaps, lotions and creams. One of the first of these fragrances was L’Ombre dans l’Eau, a haunting floral with fruity and green notes; others include Eau d’Élide, a pungent mixture of bitter orange, wild lavender, and other aromatic plants; and Virgilio, fresh and green, with hints of basil and cedarwood.

34 blvd Saint-Germain, 5th. 01.43.26.77.44.

Diptyque also has shops in New York and San Francisco, or you can shop online.

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