Each year, nothing signals Christmas more clearly to me, than the arrival of the Diptyque Christmas collections and their Christmas candles. There is always an interesting story behind their new designs and scents. Last year’s was an undisputed winner, I’m sure you all agree! So, Diptyque Christmas 2018 had a lot to live up to in my eyes!
I confess that when I first laid eyes on the Diptyque Christmas 2018 collection – Legende du Nord, I felt a little disappointed. It is still a beautiful collection. But coming down from last year’s with its sleek black jars adorned with mystical creatures, and coloured wax, I felt this to be almost normal :(
It isn’t however. It goes back to Diptyque’s regular Christmas offerings – each year, as you can see from 2016, Diptyque houses their Christmas candles in coloured jars, with a back story to them. This year is no different.
The story this year for Diptyque Christmas 2018 is the Legende du Nord – or the Legend of the North. It tells of the meeting of 3 travellers in the cold wintry North – the Spirit of the East, the Spirit of the West and the Spirit of the South, to discover the secret of the North.
Each of the candles therefore, represent one of these spirits, with their magical scents.
Truth to tell, a truly mesmerizing folktale type of story. But to the consumer, it basically comes down to just two things – how the candles look, and how they smell.
I do often find that Diptyque Christmas candles (RM199 for 70g, 329 for 190g) tend to have quite similar scents year on year, with slight variations. The one constant is always the green candle, with its noticable green notes of pine.
- Amande Exquise (Exquisite Almond) Candle – Red – A more gourmand smelling candle, with notes of bitter almond, heliotrope and tonka bean. This is the one that evokes the smells of baking cookies.
- Baume d’Ambre (Amber Balm) Candle – Blue – A warm, spicy scent of benzoin, lavender and vanilla. Not too strong, with a freshness of lavender.
- Sapin de Lumiere (Pine Tree of Light) Candle – Green – This is a staple in all Diptyque Christmas candles. It carries the unmistakeable green scent of pine, warmed and evoking crisp air, pine cones and a freshness of pine needles.
Truth to tell, I wasn’t quite taken by this year’s collection. It didn’t quite stand out as much as I hoped it would and to me, it was a bit of a letdown after the exquisite Constellation series last year.
I will however, commend them for creating a beautiful back story to the collection, and for the exquisite, intricate designs. This is the Sapin de Lumiere candle. The glass jar bears a slight metallic sheen and the paper design stuck on it has a tactile feel.
If you pair this with the golden Carousel (RM289) that fits on the 190g candles, and gently spins as your candle burns, it makes for a beautiful sight in your home. Turn your lights down, light your candle, and watch as the warm air spins the carousel, throwing its golden light against your walls. It’s mesmerizing!
They did bring in the Diptyque Advent Calendar (RM2990) this year again, but last I checked, it was already sold out. I’m not sure if they do plan to restock, so I suggest checking in at the Diptyque store at Pavilion to enquire.
Aside from these limited edition candles, there are of course, the regular Christmas (Holiday) offerings. There are sets of mini candles for you to start your Diptyque candle collection, as well as a set of spray perfumes which form a discovery set.
While I might be a little underwhelmed by the design of the candles, I must say that the outer packaging of the gift sets are truly beautiful this time around. It is intricate as Diptyque can be, with its beautiful golden design, and limited edition holiday ribbons.
All that said, I don’t know about you, but I do feel like it’s missing a little oomph!
Do you have thoughts on the Diptyque Christmas 2018 candles?
There are collectors however, who will make it a point to collect them each year, so I expect it will sell out. And really, who can blame them? It is still a beautiful work of art :)
Paris B
PRICE: As above
WHERE TO BUY: Diptyque store at Pavilion KL, Ken’s Apothecary stores, SpaceNK, Selfridges
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