Diptyque

Diptyque is the Parisian house founded in 1961 at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain, with fragrances inspired by places and travel memories. Alongside the perfumes there are solid perfumes, body and hand care, hair mists and home fragrances. Eau de Minthe, for example, uses mint to reinterpret the fougère accord, one of the emblems of perfumery.

Diptyque: an artists' shop that became a fragrance house

Desmond Knox-Leet was a painter and Christiane Montadre-Gautrot an interior designer, and together they designed furnishing fabrics for Liberty and Sanderson in London. With Yves Coueslant, who grew up in Indochina, they opened a shop in Paris's fifth arrondissement selling objects found on their travels. The first three candles arrived in 1963 and, five years later, the first eau de toilette, inspired by a sixteenth-century recipe with cinnamon, rose and clove. Ever since, perfumers and illustrators have worked side by side, and the oval label, with the letters arranged around the name, has become a recognizable signature of the house.

Fragrances to wear

Woods and memories of Asia

Among the woody scents is Tam Dao, a velvety, milky sandalwood inspired by the sacred forests of Vietnam, a childhood memory of Coueslant's. Vietnam is also the source of Do Son, a tuberose with jasmine, ylang-ylang and sea breeze that recalls the coastal village of Do Son, at the edge of Halong Bay, where Coueslant spent his summers. Finally, Volutes is built on blond tobacco and powdery notes and is inspired by a voyage to Saigon in the 1930s.

Flowers, fruit and greenery

L'Ombre dans l'Eau pairs rose with green, tart blackcurrant leaves and buds, and the house describes it as one of its first fruity florals, from 1983. The florals also include Eau Rose, an infusion of damask and centifolia roses, and Olène, with the wisteria and jasmine of Venetian gardens. In Greek, the name Philosykos means "friend of the fig," and the scent evokes the whole tree: green leaves, milky fruit and white wood. Among the fresh scents are Eau des Sens, built on the branches, leaves and fruit of the bitter orange, Oyédo, with yuzu, and Eau de Néroli, with neroli and Calabrian bergamot.

Musks, vanilla and signature accords

Fleur de Peau is a skin musk with iris, ambrette seed and pink pepper, inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche. L'Eau Papier is also built on white musks, with an accord of rice steam, Grasse mimosa and blond woods. Eau Duelle is Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, calamus and cypriol. Orphéon is inspired by the jazz club where the founders used to meet, with tonka bean, cedar, juniper berries and tobacco smoke. Eau Capitale is a chypre dedicated to Paris, with bergamot, pink pepper, rose and patchouli in place of oakmoss. Lastly, Tempo is a patchouli in three extracts with violet leaf.

Eau de toilette, eau de parfum or solid perfume

Several fragrances come in two concentrations. In the Philosykos eau de parfum the fruit steps back and white cedar brings out the wood, while in the Tam Dao version Asian spices highlight the creamy side of the sandalwood. For Fleur de Peau, it is the eau de toilette that adds mandarin and magnolia, and the Orphéon eau de toilette is citrusy, spicy and woody. Do Son, Eau Duelle, Eau Rose, Vetyverio and 34 Boulevard Saint Germain also come in both versions. For the last of these, the eau de toilette was reconstructed with headspace technology from the scent of the boutique, while the eau de parfum is a new interpretation built on sandalwood, vanilla and pink berry. The solid perfume is an alcohol-free wax you apply with your fingertips to wrists and neck; it is available for Orphéon, Do Son, Eau Rose, Philosykos and Fleur de Peau, among others, with refills for the case. To find your way, there is a sample set of eaux de toilette with Fleur de Peau, Do Son, Philosykos, Tam Dao and Eau Rose.

Candles and home fragrance

The candle is the product the house started with. Sizes range from the 70 g small candle, such as Feu de Bois, an accord of rare woods, to the classic 190 g, such as Baies, with blackcurrant and rose, up to Roses, which reaches 1.5 kg. The medium size comes in colored blown glass, cognac-colored for Ambre and colored for Tubéreuse as well. Some candles have a wearable counterpart, such as Figuier for Philosykos and Freesia for the Ofrésia eau de toilette. If you prefer fragrance without a flame, there are the scented ovals, wax set in a white medallion, refills for home and car diffusers, and room sprays. Candles from other houses are in the scented candles collection.

Body, hands and hair

Many fragrances, such as Philosykos, Eau des Sens, Do Son, Fleur de Peau and Orphéon, also come as hand and body gels, lotions and hand creams. For the body there is also the Crème Riche, with rose water, honey and argan oil, which the house recommends for dry and sensitive skin, and the Lait Frais from the L'Art du Soin line, made with orange blossom water and sweet almond oil. Finally, the light hair mists are available in Eau Capitale, Eau Rose, Do Son, Fleur de Peau and Orphéon.

Frequently asked questions

Is Diptyque a French brand?

Yes, Diptyque is a French house, founded in Paris in 1961 at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain in the Latin Quarter, and it states that all its perfumes are made in France. Many fragrances, however, draw on other places: Philosykos on Greece's Mount Pelion, Tam Dao and Do Son on Vietnam, Olène on Venetian gardens and Eau de Néroli on Calabria.

Who founded Diptyque?

Diptyque was founded by Desmond Knox-Leet, a painter trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, an interior designer, and Yves Coueslant, who grew up in Indochina. The first two designed fabrics for Liberty and Sanderson, and together with Coueslant they opened the Paris shop. Tam Dao also grew out of a childhood memory of Coueslant's.

What sizes do Diptyque candles come in?

Diptyque candles come in the 70 g small size and the 190 g classic size, and Feu de Bois and Baies are available in both. The medium size, in colored blown glass, exists for Ambre and for Tubéreuse, which also comes in 70 g. Roses is available in 70 g, 190 g and 1.5 kg.

What is the best Diptyque perfume for wood lovers?

If you love woods, there is Tam Dao, a milky sandalwood. Vetyverio is dedicated to vetiver, with fresh and smoky facets. Orphéon combines cedar, tonka bean and juniper, while Tempo is a patchouli with violet leaf and L'Eau Papier a musk with blond woods.

Which Diptyque perfume is best for summer?

For summer, Diptyque has green and citrus fragrances such as Ilio, the eau de toilette devoted to the Mediterranean in summer, with prickly pear, bergamot and jasmine. There is also Eau des Sens, built on bitter orange and juniper berries, and Eau des Hespérides, with citrus and spicy notes.

Are Diptyque perfumes for men or women?

Several Diptyque fragrances are designed for both. The house presents Vetyverio as a vetiver that goes beyond the line between masculine and feminine, and Geranium Odorata as a citrusy, spicy eau de toilette conceived for a man's skin but just as good on a woman, like a tuxedo.

How do you use Diptyque solid perfume?

Diptyque solid perfume is an alcohol-free wax balm that you pick up with your fingertips and apply to the pulse points: wrists, inner elbow, base of the neck and behind the ears. The case is refilled with dedicated refills, available for Orphéon, Do Son, Eau Rose, Philosykos and Fleur de Peau.

Which Diptyque candles match an eau de toilette?

Several Diptyque candles echo a wearable fragrance. Figuier pairs with the Philosykos eau de toilette, with fig wood, leaves and sap, while Freesia picks up the freesia flower of the Ofrésia eau de toilette. The same Philosykos fig also appears in the Figuier scented oval and the Figuier diffuser refill.

What are Diptyque scented ovals?

Diptyque scented ovals are discs of scented wax set in a white porcelain medallion, engraved with the fragrance name and finished with a cord, to place in drawers or hang in closets. They come in Baies, Roses, Figuier and 34 Boulevard Saint Germain.