The best Diptyque candle: Which is it?
I know what I think — but you can only buy Muguet so many times. So I quizzed shoppers going in and out of five Diptyque locations on what they consider the best Diptyque candle. For the record: The locations were the Wicker Park Diptyque in Chicago, the flagship Diptyque in Paris (officially known as Maison Diptyque Paris), the Short Hills Diptyque (one of my hometown malls), the Covent Garden location, and the Diptyque concession at Le Bon Marche. Except for the flagship, most of the shoppers were American or at least anglophone, however that might skew our results.
I believe that the best Diptyque candle is Muguet, followed by Feu de Bois and Violette. I also love Sapin de Nuit more than life and I really love Citrouille but acknowledge it’s only available for a limited time every year.
For the record: The most common answer was my least favorite (Baies!) If a link is missing it’s because the candle is limited edition or seasonal — the best place to look for them off-season is on eBay or a reseller site, carefully examining reviews so you don’t get conned on a fake. And finally yes, lol, “34” is kind of an in-joke to people who love Diptyque’s “34” candle — I actually talked to 36 people and for the list below skipped two more who love Baies, just so we could end on 34.
So — what’s the best Diptyque candle?
1. “Baies — there’s no scent like it, it’s so fresh and clean.” —Christine, Chicago
2. “Feu de Bois. It just smells like a wood fire in autumn and I love that time of year.” —Trisha, Chicago
3. “Roses. It smells exactly like roses.” —Julia, Naperville
4. “Baies.” —Jen, Los Angeles
5. “Feuille de Lavande. I visited the South of France to go to the lavender fields last summer, and I brought home lavender candles made there but was really disappointed in them. Feuille de Lavande isn’t a straight-up lavender smell like a lavender linen spray or something, it just smells like the lavender fields themselves.” —Chloé, London
6. “Eucalyptus — I burn it in my bathroom so the whole room smells exactly like eucalyptus.” —Elizabeth, Miami
7. “Vanille. I love it this time of year [November].” —Marcia, “outside Philadelphia”
8. “Oud. We burn it in the reception area of my yoga studio.” —Erika, Coral Gables
9. “Feu de Bois.” —Angie, New York City
10. “Figuier for the summer, followed by Baies.” —Nora, Portland
11. “I think Jasmin is the perfect, vacation-y tropical scent.” —Kara, Gothenburg
12. “I love Étoile, it’s one of the special editions for the holidays. It’s quite powdery but I still like it.” —Kyle, Chicago
13. “Tilleul and the Berlin city candle — they both have my favorite tree scent, linden blossom.” —Jordan, Brighton
14. “Noisetier — I feel like this always gets overlooked but it’s perfect for fall.” —Laura, Vancouver
15. “Cherry Blossom [Fleurs de Cerisier] — it’s a limited edition for spring and I buy one every year.” —Samantha, Auburn, ME
16. “Verveine. It reminds me of going to Italy in the spring.” —Marcia, London
17. “It changes every year, but I love the three-candle holiday collection — my favorite is Sapin.” —Rachelle, Paris
18. “Citrouille — I can’t believe how much it smells like a pumpkin.” —Kate, Chester, PA
19. “Feu de Bois — it makes me think of staying in a giant lodge and going skiing.” —Sophie, New York City
20. “Baies. It’s so lively, I love to burn it in the morning when I’m getting ready for work.” —Shelby, Chicago
21. “Oud.” —Karen, Rochester, MN
22. “Jasmin, but I also love Gardenia and Roses — basically any of the really strong floral ones. Jasmin is the strongest!” —Claire, Montreuil
23. “Santal. I feel like it’s one of the more masculine scents but not too heavy.” —Marcus, London
24. “Citronelle. Sometimes I think it’s a little too light, but I love burning it in my kitchen for a fresh scent after heavy cooking.” —Kara, Baltimore
25. “Paris en Fleur — the best candle I’ve ever smelled, like the most glamorous bedroom you could imagine. It’s tragic that it’s so hard to find now.” —Roberta, London
26. “Baies.” —Dana, Milwaukee
27. “Choisya — it’s just a super-light floral that’s easy to live with.” —Amanda, Summit, NJ
28. “Vanille. It’s perfect for my small apartment, it’s distinctive but not overbearing.” —Jess, Brooklyn
29. “Feuille de Lavande.” —Michaya, Montclair, NJ
30. “Le Redoute — it’s discontinued now but it came in the most beautiful porcelain jar. I only use it for special occasions until I can find a backup.” —Maggie, Philadelphia
31. “Genévrier. I only bought it because it was the candle of the month, but I love it — it’s sort of smoky like Feu de Bois but doesn’t feel like you have to burn it in the fall.” —Caitlin, New York City
32. “Feu de Bois — you can’t beat it, it’s a classic for a reason.” —Katie, New York City
33. “I buy a new Citrouille every fall.” —Tasha, Asbury Park, NJ
34. “34 — I love it so much I put the five-wick version on my wedding registry. I want my house to smell like this forever.” —Laura, New York City
See here for my ranking of 46 Diptyque candles.
