I don't remember when we fell in love with the not so easy scent of incense. Off course I know from our childhood the weird ceremony in our catholic church, where incense was used in a silver burner and walked around by the priest. Why? No idea, but it gave a cerebral mystique feel and as we are looking more and more for authentic moments and full-filing sensations, my quest for this scent began in Paris last month.
Rick Owens' store there was filled with a sensual scent that took over our mind. We entered his place, his world and it felt familiar. Intimacy, devotion and silence on a moment we least expected it, just by some candles burning in a store.
Scent as a travel in our mind, a happiness endorphin that worked for me.
So, back home, we started looking for that perfect scent, that perfect candle that would bring this same energy, feel and mystique.
First we found a candle from Cire Trudon at Your in Antwerp, the store from our friend Jorrit. Cire Trudon candles have been referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of candles. This old French manufacturer produces one of the world’s most prestigious candles of very high quality. We bought the 'spiritus sancti' candle after an intense 'sniffing session' in the store.
Beautiful scent in the store and in the nose, disappointing using it at home in our loft as the scent was not strong (enough) to fill the space. A pity...
Check: http://www.ciretrudon.com/les-bougies-parfumees-spiritus-sancti.php
We looked further.
In Paris we bought the fabulous parfume Avignon by Comme des Garcons. It was love at first smell. Ivan wears it daily, and I 'm seduced once in a while for a little pump.
When we found out there was a candle with the same fragrance, we were trilled. Think about it, Avignon, the memory of a medieval city in the South of France which surpassed Rome as the Catholic Church's power center in the 14th century. The scent of gothic cathedrals and Papal palaces, of tapestries imbued with centuries of incense. Of cold marble steps, holy relics and dark confessions. This should be it..
Our verdict? The recognizable smells of frankincense and myrrh open the high mass of Avignon, evolving to an almost eye-smarting, gloriously smoky and resinous heart.
The Avignon candle scent is beautiful, dark and mysterious, and certainly among the most talked about (and admired) of Comme des Garçons line. But in our home? Again, not strong enough. Damn!
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| Series 3: Avignon – a spicy fragrance with Roman camomile, Labdanum, Frankincense, Vanilla, Patchouly and Palisander. |
Next!
It's all ready years I know about a store 'Senteurs d'ailleurs'in Brussels, so friday we decided to pay this store a visit, and check out that other 'famous' scented candle Diptyque.
The candle models talk about for years as 'their scent to beat home sickness and loneliness'.
Diptyque began producing candles in 1963, and it has cornered the candle market with its exotic wax concoctions and packaging.
Diptyque's fragrance repertoire is an ode to nature and its exquisite ingredients. Seemingly simple, they are all in fact an ingenious reinvention of nature. Each fragrance brings a moment, or an extraordinary place to expression: a summer field in Provence, a cozy evening at home with the family, a a dew-covered garden in full bloom.
Diptyque's luxury scented candles are handmade in 12 steps. Each candle has its own composition of wax and wick to ensure a consistent fragrance, with a duration of more than 60 hours.
And, do they have an incense scented one? More or less. At least at Senteurs d'ailleurs the had only one that came close.
Diptyque's Myrrhe candle is both mysterious and sophisticated, earthy, spicy and aromatic. And with a good sniff of incense.
Described as "an ambery resin burned in offering, the gift of a king and a sensual scent since Ancient Times.".
And, was this thé ultimate candle I was looking for? No, not yet.
The quest continues, stories will follow.
At the moment, we light them all at once, and we feel quite blessed in our home. Thank god.
