Annie Collyer
As a scented candle aficionado (ok, hoarder), I have some big opinions on which the best Diptyque candle is.
The French brand is known to make some of the best scented candles on the market, commonly found in upmarket hotels and the homes of celebrities with great taste. Diptyque is celebrating its 60th year of candles this year - it all started in 1963 started with three spicy scents (Aubépine, Cannelle and Thé), and from then, the brand has expanded to almost 50 scents. From soft florals to dark ouds, there's a candle out there for every mood and style.
Hand-poured, these high-quality and much-coveted candles are worth every penny. While known to be super-luxe with a price tag to match, there are ways of experiencing the best Diptyque candles without having to remortgage. The 70g mini sizes, for example, are more affordable and make great beauty gift ideas. You can find discount codes or big birthdays to invest in the jumbo 600g three-wicks.
While you wait for this year's Diptyque Black Friday deals to kick in, you should probably narrow down your favorite scents. Here, we've narrowed down the very best across the whole product line, so you can confidently pick the best Diptyque candle for your home.
How we chose the best Diptyque candles
Essentially, finding out the best Diptyque candles has been my life’s work. I ask for one for every birthday and Christmas. Every time I’m in a department store with a Diptyque concession, I almost always head over for a little sniff. I am a dedicated, devoted fan.
With scent taste being so subjective, I roped in the rest of the w&h team for their opinions and favorites. While doing the more intensive testing while writing up this list, the team and I considered factors like:
- The scent of each one and who it might appeal to: we also considered the notes of each candle, and who might generally prefer each one. Based on the scent, we also assessed when the best time of year would be to light each fragrance.
- Sizes and burn time: we made sure to check the sizes each one is available in, which ultimately correlates to their burn time. All of these have been noted for each of the best Diptyque candles.
- What forms each scent comes in: All of the below scents are available in candle form, but Diptyque also offers some of their scents in other formats, including diffuser reeds, scented ovals, and in-room sprays. We've noted which ones come in different forms below.
The best Diptque candles as chosen by our beauty team
Diptyque's Baies is their bestselling candle and for good reason - it smells divine and it's exactly the blend of floral and fruity goodness you'd want to smell inside your home. It has notes of Bulgarian roses, blended with blackcurrant leaves and buds, and then topped with ambergris. A unique concoction, that's for sure, and our top pick of the best-smelling Diptyque candles you can buy. The team all agreed that this was the agreed winner - it's a bestseller for a reason. It's just gorgeous - luxe but not overpowering, and a real crowd-pleaser.
We'd say to light this candle in spring or summer, in either your hallway or your living area. We reckon it might be a tad too strong for a bedroom, and having it in a hallway will encourage the scent to subtly flood each and every room in your home.
Feels like: A 5 star hotel, surrounded by fruit vines and rose bushes.
The Rose candle from Diptyque is their iconic floral blend, and you probably guessed the scent from the name - roses! Like all the best rose perfumes, it's not just floral, though, with fresh notes from the jasmine also blended in to ensure it's far from boring. As a floral fan, I love the simplicity of the Roses candle - it's fresh and fragrant.
We rate the rose candle as the best Diptyque candle for spring - light this candle just before those first flowers begin to bloom in early spring, and let its aroma fill your home. If you want your home to smell like you've just bought and cut a few fresh (and rather sizeable) rose bouquets and displayed one in each room, that is. This is currently available in a pretty Millenial pink jar, which would make a gorgeous pot for a houseplant once the candle's burned down.
Feels like: An early morning in a private rose garden.
One word we can use to describe this bestseller is captivating - any guests to your home will be sure to comment on its uniqueness, whether lit or unlit as it's that powerful. As you might have guessed from the name, the immediate notes of this candle are amber, with subtle notes of musk and balsams.
The Ambre somehow manages to be sweet yet spicy, with an aura of warmth, making it the perfect burn for both autumn and wintertime. Don't let that stop you from burning it in the summer seasons though - Ambre is definitely one you can use all year round.
Feels like: A cosy armchair nesled by a fireside.
This uplifting buy cleverly combines zesty orange essence with warmer, sweeter notes for a new twist on the scent. Some citrus candles can smell a little like cleaning products, but of course, uber-luxe Diptyque would never let that happen. The result is a warming, unique scent with a refreshing edge.
Citrus scents and candles are often my go-to, particularly in the spring and summer months and I think this has become my new favorite. It's fresh and zingy but with some extra depth. I've kept one in my kitchen to try to appear impossibly chic (my forever life goal).
Feels like: A warm afternoon at an orangery in Seville.
The Diptyque Feu de Bois is another bestseller for the brand, and we can see why. The scent is the epitome of wintertime, boasting a strong yet welcoming spicy, woody smell that only seems fit to be burnt in the festive month of December. Essentially, it smells like a cozy roaring fire on a cold day. That's why we've rated it our best-smelling Diptyque candle for lighting in the winter.
It's scented with essential oils for a powerful, calming aroma (if you like the sound of this read our guide to the best aromatherapy candles). Luckily enough, this fragrance comes in four sizes including a 1.5kg jar that can be lit indoors or out - and there's a limited edition one that comes presented in a golden vessel. So there are plenty of size options to choose from.
Feels like: Sitting next to a flickering fireplace.
In 2022 the brand launched a collection of limited-edition candles named after a handful of cities, to capture their essence. From Tokyo to New York, or Belin to Beverely hills, these scents are designed to transport you to these buzzy cities, minus the air miles. By popular demand, they're back - but only for a limited time, so you'll have to be quick to get your hands on this floral buy.
We picked London as the best Diptyque candle from this run - an elegant, soft floral buy with a spike of spice. Delicate lilacs are awoken by this spicy kick, for a unique, addictive scent. Diptyque, consider this a plea - please keep this around for good. And while I have you - a matching scent would be nice too.
Feels like: 9am at Colombia Road flower market, minus the tourists.
The luxe-looking 34 Boulevard Saint Germain candle was created for Diptyque's 50th anniversary. It's a nod to the brand's original boutique, situated on 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris. And it smells as elegant as it looks - with fresh, green, and spicy notes from raw ingredients including damp mosses, crumpled blackcurrant leaves, and sun-dried fig leaves. It's gorgeous - almost undescribable at first sniff, but once you read more about the notes, they're right there and easy to pick up.
We love that it's encased within a white handmade ceramic vessel, which will add a touch of class and elegance to any home (it also means it makes for one of the best wedding gifts on this list). We say you can burn this candle at any time of the year, but in particular during the change of seasons, for a fresh aroma in your home to signal the changing weather.
Feels like: A rainy afternoon in Paris, just as the weather turns.
Sometimes it's nice to have a slightly under-the-radar option as your house's signature scent, and we think Figuier is the ideal candidate, and the best Diptyque candle for the job, thanks to the matching room spray and diffuser options. It's not wildly unknown - it's certainly not far from the top of Diptyque's bestseller list, but this has a certain can't-put-your-finger-on-it quality and is more subtle than the immediately identifiable Baies.
With a blend of woody and fruity notes, this buy takes inspiration from fig trees on Greek aisles, and while it didn't quite shapeshift my office desk to a sandy beach, it smells delicate and fresh, and quite sunny. Fig is the main note - for obvious reasons - but it's not too fruity or sweet - it's nicely balanced.
Feels like: Being sat under a fig tree in the Mediterranean sun.
The calming, balancing scent of eucalyptus has always been popular, which is why we were pleasantly surprised to find out that Diptyque has bottled it up and poured it into the form of a candle. Diptyque's Eucalyptus Candle is by far our best Diptyque candle if you are after something fresh.
Herbal by nature, this lively scent would be perfectly suited to a bathroom or a bedroom - it also has notes of oak trees as a nod to the outdoors. It comes in just one size, the classic 190g, which may be prohibitive if you'd rather start with the mini size to test out the scent. However, we pretty much guarantee you'll love this. Plus, it'd make a lovely gift for the fussy gift-receiver in your life too, as the fresh herbal scent is a hard one to dislike, across all ages and sexes.
Feels like: Walking through a rainforest after a storm.
The floral Mimosa candle by Diptyque evokes the yellow mimosa buds found on the French Riviera. With added notes of violet, this perfumed scent is strong and decorative and even has a hint of honey to make it smell sweet. Crucially, this doesn't mean it's sickly, as it's brightened by lighter notes. We loved this unique take on florals - it was the furthest thing from old-fashioned.
We reckon it would make a faultless addition to a living room - although you make want to avoid burning it in a bedroom due to the strength of the smell. It'd also make an ideal gift. Looking for a perfect 50th birthday gift? Pair this with a bunch of mimosa, for ultimate style points.
Feels like: A stroll through fields bursting with flowers.
For floral fans who are looking for something a bit different, Tubereuse is the best Diptyque candle for you. It takes inspiration from - yes, tuberose flowers, with their rich, sweet notes. The brand hasn't just focused on the petals but also incorporated greener elements from the stems and roots.
This is one of the strongest candles on this list - I tested it on an evening post-commute, and the room filled with the aroma in what felt like seconds after lighting. There's nothing I like more than a huge bouquet of fresh-cut flowers, so I absolutely loved how full my flat felt of florals. If just the thought of that is giving you Hay Fever twinges, probably swerve this one.
Feels like: A garden full of Tuberuse, at the very beginning of summer.
What is the best seller Diptyque candle?
The most popular Diptyque candle is their Baies scent, and it's also the brand's bestseller. It has tangy notes of freshly picked blackcurrant berries, mixed with rose, and is ideal for lighting at home in spring or summer. Don't just take our word for it - it's bestselling for good reason.
There are a couple of other popular, Diptyque bestsellers too. Second place goes to Feu de Bois, a wintertime scent for smoky scent lovers, and Roses - one for lighting in spring or summer, with notes of roses and peonies. Figuier comes in last but definitely not least as a Diptyque bestseller, and this candle is fragranced with figs and opopanax, a sweet and sensual scent.
What is so special about Diptyque candles?
The best Diptyque candles are pricey, there's no doubt about it. But we'd argue that the quality and unique scents of Diptyque candles mean they are worth the money.
Admittedly, they're expensive. However, this is due to the fact that they can offer something quite a few other candles on the market cannot - firstly, each one is a unique blend of ingredients you would never normally mix together.
Another reason why Diptyque candles boast a mighty price tag is that they are hand poured to the highest standard, using high-quality paraffin wax. The candles are actually produced in impressively small batches, too, and each individual candlewick is straightened by hand to guarantee an even burn every time to prevent any waste of fragrance.
They also boast an incredibly even burn (no tunneling!), as long as you trim your wick and burn for an appropriate amount of time. The best Diptyque candles are also now well-known for their decorative packaging, which has become utterly iconic. And while they look uber-classic whilst burning, the jars can also be used for beauty storage once you've finished with the candle
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