Looking for the best Diptyque candles for men? You’ve come to the right place.
While several of this iconic French brand’s scents are — by traditional aesthetic guidelines — distinctly feminine, most of its catalogue could be considered gender neutral, and some skew decidedly masculine, including a few of its most famous — like Feu de Bois, and Oud, which you’ll find below. (We’ll just note briefly here that all scents are for everyone! Except Baies — no one should buy Baies. No-Baies list!)
Below, you’ll find six of the best Diptyque candles for men, including one hard-to-find limited-edition scent (vive Paris Grand Tour!) and Violette, which is more commonly considered a lady-ish floral but is, in actuality, a perfect, neutral springtime.
Final thoughts: Many of these selections, including Feu de Bois, are available in several sizes — keep in mind that often the larger the candle, by volume, the stronger the throw. Various holders and vessels abound, from the straightforward to a $3500 gold-bronze vessel crafted by Italian artist Osanna Visconti.
If you find the famous oval label too girly, there’s always the reed diffusers (34 boulevard Saint Germain is nice + neutral) and Mondes de Diptyque (including the earthy Temple des Mousses) — but the icon is iconic for a reason, and optioning for the second tier because the original feels too obvi reads a little “on a date with a guy who knows how to pronounce rimowa.”
@itsbrianparkbrand feedback you know♬ original sound – Brian Park
And if you’d like more options than these six, hop right on over to our master list ranking 46 of the brand’s most popular candles.
1. Feu de Bois
Consider this if: you own a Pendleton blanket.
What Diptyque says: “It is winter. In the hearth, the fire roars. This scented candle portrays the dense, smoky notes of the logs as they are gradually consumed.”
Why we like it: Feu de Bois is smoky, deep, truly autumnal in the best possible way — it smells like football Sundays in December. It’s not exactly après ski vibes — if you want that, consider Sapin, which is a holiday limited-edition candle that’s basically Feu de Bois with a fir tree mixed in.
Warning: This candle is so season-specific (to late fall and winter) that I think it’s a poor choice for spring, summer, and early fall, so skip this rec those times of the year.
Final advisory: You’ll pay extra for the “hand-blown glass vessel” shown above but it’s worth it — that chocolate color is lovely and masculine.
A suggestion: Read more about Feu de Bois in this extensive review.
2. Paris Grand Tour
Consider this if: you’re looking to smell like the an extremely attractive philosophy professor
Diptyque says: “a leisurely walk along the Seine and the weeping willows that line its banks. Notes of myrrh and old books conjure up vivid images of antique stores on the cobbled streets of Paris.”
Why we like it: Spicy and woody rather than woodsy. Imagine a little shop with wood floors and a fireplace, antiquarian books stacked on the shelves — whatever that smells like, this is it.
Warning: This candle can be hard to track down, but it’s available on resellers here and there.
Final advisory: This is not the Paris City Candle, which is floral and not the same at all.
Look for Paris Grand Tour here.
3. Eucalyptus
Consider this if: you really, really love a steam room.
What Diptyque says:
Why we like it: At first burn I did not enjoy this candle, which had a sweet layer atop the eucalyptus that I did not enjoy. Once that disapparated, though, I loved it. Diptyque is sometimes criticized for the “one-note” style of fragrance — personally I would have been happy if this smelled even more like pure eucalyptus (nothing is as healing!!) but this is close. You know if you’ll like this, or not.
4. Santal
A.K.A: Sandalwood
Consider this if: you love Santal 26 but want to try something slightly different??
Diptyque says: “In the sultry heat of Asia, the scent of the tree perfumes the air. The Santal (Sandalwood) scented candle conjures up that velvety, enveloping, slightly spicy fragrance.”
Why we like it: Sandalwood is the most assured of masculine scents — there’s a reason why upstanding Inspector Gamache, in the award-winning Louise Penny mystery series, is always described as smelling of it. It’s sweet but not cloying, warming and inviting — a scent that speaks of accomplishment and poise. (And also a bit like Santal 26.)
5. Oud
A.K.A: Agarwood
Consider this if: You’re looking for a deep, dark, spicy scent — there’s a reason this one is so often described as “animalistic.”
Diptyque says: “The Oud candle fills the room with the dense, captivating scent of a tree known for thousands of years and more precious than gold.”
Why we like it: There are candles that subtly elevate a room — and then there are those that call attention to themselves, and their owners, and their owner’s choice in candles. This is the latter: dense, rich, smoky, and spicy — think luxury Moroccan riad.
6. Violette
Consider this if: you’re a confident guy
Diptyque says: “A deeply familiar scent, evoking memories of gathering violets at first light.”
Why we like it: Perhaps a left-field choice. Perhaps the softest of all of Diptyque’s floral scents, Violette isn’t pretty, exactly, but it is soft — and mostly evocative of a mood, and that mood is a deep comfort with the natural world, alongside a desire to protect it from all that would damage it. Soft, but strong. It smells like springtime.
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