- New York, NY
Diptyque the Parisian fragrance maker that has been in business since the 1960s just recently entered the US retail market with three free standing shops. One is in San Francisco, one in Greenwich Village New York, and now their largest flagship location opened this winter on Madison Avenue near 76th Street.
Up until 2007 a limited range of the perfume, personal care, and candle products could be found at better specialty & department stores. Otherwise one would need to travel to Paris. Walking into the boutique on Boulevard Saint Germaine is like stepping back in time. Like many shops in Paris there is an air of formality here but once invited to sit down and test the scents the experience is quite enjoyable and relaxing. The simple and elegant black and white design of the space does not in any way take away from the focus on the products. The offering consists of about 50 different ranges. On my last visit there I chose a bottle of Eau d’Elide with the pan god figure illustration on the front – it’s a limited edition man’s fragrance no longer available combining bitter orange, lavender, and musk.
A brief history of modern home fragrance
Home fragrance is an important category for many retailers and has evolved very quickly in the past few years. For a long time potpourri when made correctly, was a very popular and an effective way to deliver a localized scent. Then at the end of the season you could just replace it. However when the market shifted toward heavy synthetic scents and garish dyes it feel out of fashion.
Natural or naturally inspired aromatherapy candle pillars and votives were all the rage for a while. Then the candle’s container became the new focal point, glass and ceramic jars, little tins for traveling. There was a quick flash of gel candles that offered a modern new look but some of those created a literal flash with safety issues and then vanished.
Smokeless soy-based candles signaled a revolutionary shift in the candle industry. This was a welcome trend and still offers the best choice for clean and even burning; the softer compound will not hollow out as quickly as wax does.
Once the fashion designers got involved in the candle business we saw some crazy pricing appear in the $100 and above range. These are gifts for the person you do not know very well-wrapped up in outrageous silk packaging and ribbons. I suspect that these are one of the most popular re-gifted or returned items that just get passed on and on perhaps never to be opened.
Most recently the arrival of the reed infuser category has exploded. It’s flameless and when you compare the hours of scent delivered quite economical. These are very popular and have a place in public washrooms and airport lounges, but the smell is much too powerful for me. Perhaps there is a brand out there that can offer a more subtle perfume but I have not found it yet. The benefit of burning a candle is that you light it for a few hours and then blow it out – it can release a feint scent afterwards unless it’s covered. However the idea of an open bottle of perfume that continuously evaporates into the air in an enclosed space is far from appealing. Frequently corking the bottle and saving or discarding the reeds seems impractical. My goal is to find an mild pleasant essential-oil based diffuser product and report on promptly. Suggestions are welcome.
Lastly I mention a new technology of battery operated flicker type candles that offer the illusion of real flames but only from a distance. The addition of a vanilla or other scent was a very bad move. I find these a bit depressing like anything pretending to be something it is not and are more suitable for commecial spaces where open flames are prohibited.
More about Diptyque
Somewhere in the range of mid to better quality soy blended candles is Diptyque. The scents are sophisticated and can trigger an emotional response to memories or naturally occurring fragrances. Diptyque uses only natural ingredients when composing fragrances and is proud to never have used synthetics. The packaging is a clean black and white its signature style; a playful broken line text spelling out the names in an old-world font. The standard 6.5 oz hand poured candle with a cotton wick and 50 hours of burning time sells for € 40 or about $60 US- special, but not too high for self purchase.
The popular Philosykos and Ofresia scents were created by world famous nose Olivia Giacobetti. She is know for creating fragrances for Guerlain, Hermès, the Costes brothers, and Penhaligon’s. She recently opened a little shop inside the Hotel Costes, Paris.
www.DiptyqueParis.com
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