Diptyque Home Fragrance Master Class

Who doesn’t love scented candles and anything that can make your home smell nice? It’s always pleasant to walk into a bathroom which is scented. Some candles of course cost more but with that price comes excellent quality. You just cannot compare a diptyque candle to others because diptyque has made its mark as the crème de la crème of candles.

Not that I ever had the privilege of learning more about this brand other than what I read on their website since they never invited me to anything 🙁 what to do….some bloggers are treated as such. Often I think I am in ‘D’ category.

My enlightenment on candles begins with Diptyque Home Fragrance Master Class

Providence lent a hand in the form of their Home Fragrance Master Class at Isetan KLCC today presented by fragrance expert, Hubert Hoi. There were 2 one hour sessions and it was held at Caffe Gino. There were 10 participants at the morning session including one intrepid Juniper.

Hubert started by introducing us to the brand’s history. It began in Paris at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain more than 50 years ago and was started by 3 friends driven by the same creative passion. Although it started with he production of candles, they now sell body and face care too.

Each diptyque candle’s wax is properly distributed so your candle burns evenly. With proper care, diptyque candles burn for an average of 50 to 60 hours. diptyque candles are made of a high quality vegetable/paraffin wax mix. Because each fragrance contains a unique mix of natural ingredients, diptyque custom blends specific wax formulas designed to complement every candle scent. diptyque candles are regarded as the Rolls Royce of the candle world.

Some of the brand’s candles are 190gm but the 34 boulevard saint germain candle is 220gm. 34 boulevard saint germain is a fragrance celebrating diptyque’s 50th anniversary. Contained in an oval-shaped porcelain jar made by hand, this candle will burn for approximately 70 hours.

To ensure that the candles burn evenly and because the wick is new, Hubert recommends burning the candle for 1 hour upon 1st use. Hubert recommends candles to be burnt for no longer than 3-4 hours per time.

diptyque candle jars are much too beautiful and unique to be cast aside once the candles are used up. Recycle the jars by growing plants/flowers in them! Roses and hydrangeas look so gorgeous in these jars.

Colored candles are 300gm in a hand drawn jar. Each glass is votive mouth-blown and tinted with a shiny finish so the flame shines through. There are 5 variations of colored candles.

Now this is one giant candle with 5 wicks, it’s 1.5kg and priced at RM1195! It burns for 400+ hours and is like 5 candles burning at the same time.

There are certain scented candles which should not be used for dinner parties as the scent will spoil one’s palate. Figuiera is recommended for dinner parties as it as a neutral scent but bay is a no-no as it can be too overpowering. However, bay is a favourite scent  of designers for their runway shows (Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham love the scent for their shows). Bay candles can create a long-lasting memory at weddings.

Feu de Bois has a smoky, woody scent (it’s very masculine) and reminds one of wood fires under the chimney. It’s not a scent everyone loves but if you are living in a wintery climate, this might be a very welcome scent when you come home to a warm house.

Lavender and eucalyptus scents are recommended for bath time as the scents are clean and crisp.

Now these are interesting scented products called scented ovals, they are attached to a black cotton cord so that you can hang them up in your wardrobe, you can also pack them in your luggage so your clothes smell great when you arrive at your destination. Each oval of scented wax, engraved with the name of the scent, is encased in a white porcelain medallion. Once the wax shrinks until it’s all used up, the oval frame can be used to hang ties, scarves etc.

An alternative to the candle, this unique, original object reinvents the world of perfume. Simply flip it over in a single movement to sock the wick in the centre of the two glass sections, then place it on a table to ensure perfect air circulation. The fragrance takes around twenty minutes to flow through, in a soothing, hypnotic fashion, drop by drop. Without using heat or electricity, the scent stays intact and is released immediately, to enchant a room of up to 20 square meters.

If turned over four times a day, it will last for around two and a half months and can be refilled twice.

If you’re going to buy luxe and expensive candles, you need accessories to care for them and ensure maximum mileage. So you need a Candle Wick Trimmer and Snuffer. Hubert explained the need for a Candle Wick Trimmer – the wick should be kept 3-5mm long or half cm. long and always push it to the center of the candle. Why do you need a Snuffer? Well, you don’t want to be so undignified as to blow out the candle yourself and have all that black smoke coming out on to your face now, do you?

Oh yes, I can see I have a lot more to learn about candles!