These are the best Diptyque candles for summer.
I don’t know — maybe fall’s the superior candle burning time? Or winter? But why? It’s not like we’re getting heat, or in most cases light, from them: I still remember burning a Diptyque during a blackout at home during a miserably cold day, and explaining to my mom how the Diptyque had to be the absolute last resort because it was too expensive to provide light; it could only be asked to provide delight. I love burning candles in the summer — and these are the best ones to do it, with heavy floral scents (I love to be oppressed by a fragrance, you know) reminiscent of our best warm-weather vacations and our lovely little gardens and blue twilights watching the fireflies.
1. Jasmin
A.K.A: Jasmine
What Diptyque says: “Strolling down a path, our attention is instantly captured by a jasmine scent.”
Why we love it: Oof, such an overwhelming, heady smell! What I love is how much it truly captures my first experience with real jasmine, walking through the entryway to a reception area in Mexico, around which jasmine had thoughtfully been planted. In the heavy summer air, the scent was almost too much (unless you’re like me, and love being oppressed by a heavy floral smell). It was overwhelming in the best possible way — and this candle brings it back, to hot, humid nights
2. Tubéreuse
A.K.A: Tuberose
What Diptyque says: “In the flame, a fragrance unfolds: heady, yet fresh and green too.”
Why we love it: Undoubtedly one of Diptyque’s strongest scents – if you like Jasmin (or gardenia, or any other strong, white floral scents), you’ll want to try this one. (Definitely not a rose smell! If you want that, you want Roses.)
1. Feuille de Lavande
A.K.A: Lavender leaf
What Diptyque says: “The Feuille de Lavande (Lavender Leaf) candle evokes a summer sky, and lavender bushes perched on the hillsides of Haute Provence.”
Why we love it: It really does smell like summer, if summer smells to you like lavender season in the South of France. It’s not a straight lavender scent but leafier, earthen, with a little grit in there to disrupt the drowsy sweetness.
3. Verveine
A.K.A: Lemon balm
What Diptyque says: Whatever we said it said in our spring roundup — this is a true two-season candle (“Fresh, gentle and lively, with a delicate lemony zest, this scented candle summons up the fragrance of fresh-picked lemon verbena leaves crumpled in your hands.”)
Why we love it: So it’s not like I love Verveine so so so much — it’s not a forever scent like Feu de Bois or Muguet. But it’s a happy candle, and it smells like a vacation in Italy, so how could it not be one of summer’s best?
6. Mousses
A.K.A: Moss
What Diptyque says: “All the perfumes of the forest: the moistness of soil beneath the undergrowth, the woody depth of centuries-old trees, the familiar plant accents of fungi growing in the earth.”
Why we love it: This is definitely verging on an autumnal scent — consider a late-summer hike through a beautiful woodland, and that mossy smell that lets you truly know you’re out in nature. Every time I get totally disconnected from the natural world, it’s exactly that smell, of damp moss, that lets me know I’ve made it away from my screen and into the forest.
6. Citronnelle
A.K.A: Lemongrass
What Diptyque says: Nothing at the moment — this is a limited-edition seasonal scent, like autumn’s Citrouille (pumpkin).
Why we love it: I cannot lie: Verveine and Citronnelle smells almost the same to me, to the point where I can’t tell the difference. But I’m including it here because Diptyque has put a ton of money into this summer special, including really beautiful vessels (like the one above). I imagine it, like Citrouille, will make a return once its season arrives, and it can rightfully claim its place among the best Diptyque candles for summer — for now, it’s pretty easy to find at other retailers, including Nordstrom.
7. Tilleul
A.K.A: Linden tree
What Diptyque says: “Summer is coming. In the woods, the linden flowers release their fragrance: potent, floral, honeyed.”
Why we love it: I didn’t grow up with linden trees, and only came to live among them when I moved to Paris, for me this scent is linked directly to early summer in Europe, when the evening light lasts nearly toward midnight, and everything is fresh and promising — so different from the vibe of mid- and late summer, when the heat settles in. (June for the win!) Also, like Violette, another cheer for the tweak to the font selected.
If you’re still looking for a better fit, consider taking a look at this list of all the classic Diptyque candles, ranked. And if you’ve had your fill of the best Diptyque candles for summer, maybe consider those for spring?
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