Monday, October 31, 2016

The Hype Machine: Diptyque Candles


The Hype Machine is a series that takes a critical look at well-loved, cult classic, appears-in-every-other-Instagram-photo products and asks: are they worth the hype?

You can't swipe through a beauty-related Instagram feed without spotting a Diptyque candle. Maybe it's a half-empty jar of Tubereuse next to a nightly skincare routine, or maybe it's a cleaned out glass of Vanille full of brushes and lip pencils. Regardless of the scenario, it's clear that Diptyque's candles have obtained a cult following.

I'd be skeptical about these candles, too, if it weren't for so many glowing reviews. Many a YouTuber has proclaimed Feu de Bois the holiday gift to beat, and the comments on retailer pages are loaded with statements like "These are the best candles I've ever used, worth every penny, would repurchase!" And since one of my favorite retailers, Nordstrom, had a trio available, I decided to take the plunge and spend some coins.


The trio arrives beautifully packaged in a simple white box secured with plastic wrap. You can actually smell these candles as soon as you pull off the plastic, which gave me high hopes for the throw. Each candle is clear glass with white wax and the trademark labels. Said labels kind of feel like stickers to the touch, but the stood up to me scraping them with a fingernail to sate my curiosity, so I think we're okay

The three scents in the trio are some of the brand's most popular. Baies ("Berries") is especially acclaimed, and I can see why: it's a balanced mixture of sweet and woody that reminds me of a juniper bush. Shocker of shockers, Roses smells like rose, but it's not at all powdery. Rather, it's fresh and airy, and there's a bit of a watery quality to it when it's burned. It reminds me of newly opened roses in a vase. Figuier ("Fig Tree") was my least favorite of the bunch, and I chalk that up to personal preference. The scent in the jar is a little herbal and (as fig can be) vaguely coconut-y; when burned, however, it takes on more of a traditional fig leaf scent, with a tiny bit of fruity pulp and dry bark in the mixture.

When I got my trio, I read the little instruction sheet and followed it to the letter: I put the Roses candle on a flat, safe surface and prepared to burn it for 2 full hours. Unfortunately, the candle had no intention of burning. I tried lighting it for several minutes, but the wick wouldn't light. When I finally got the flame to catch, it was a tiny pin prick, and it only stayed lit for a few minutes before fading out. I was baffled. I tried to light the candle again and the same thing happened: it wouldn't stay lit. I may not be an expert in home scents, but I'm certainly not a novice, and this has never happened to me with a brand new, visibly fine product.

Frustrated, I sent the trio back to Nordstrom and asked for an even exchange. I'm glad I purchased through Nordies because their customer service can't be beat: they sent me a brand new trio within a week of receiving the package, and when I tweeted that I was impressed with their service, they sent a "glad to be of service" response.

This is as bright as it got. The flame burned out shortly after I took this photo.

My new trio seemed to be much better. Roses burned evenly and beautifully for a full two hours, and while the scent was quite light, it certainly filled the room while burning and lingered. Figuier wasn't quite as strong--I had to be within a three foot radius to smell it while it was lit--but again, it burned well and had some throw.

I will say that while these scents are pretty, they aren't especially unique. Baies is the only one that stands out to me, and even then, I'm sure I could find a comparable berry-scented candle if I looked. I've also gotten the same amount of throw (or better!) with some of my cheaper candles housed in less attractive jars. Still, they got the job done. I was satisfied.

Then I decided to light Baies, the one I was the most excited about. And despite the fact that it looked no different from the other two candles in the trio in terms of the wax level or wick length, it happened again: it took me several minutes to get the wick to catch, and the tiny ball of flame disappeared within 5 minutes.

I sent a message to Diptyque expressing my disappointment. One candle? That's a fluke; it's totally permissible. Two out of six? That's a pattern.

To be clear, I'm not knocking these candles entirely. They aren't the worst money can buy, and in fact, they brighten up a room by smelling and looking pretty. But because two of the three candles I sniffed weren't particularly special, and because I experienced quality control issues with both sets I tried, I just can't recommend that you spend an entire paycheck on Diptyque. As for me? I'm going to enjoy Roses and Figuier, and I'll chalk Baies up as a loss.

BOTTOM LINE: Diptyque candles look and smell lovely, but they aren't more potent or special-smelling than what most other candle brands produce. You shouldn't have persistent quality control issues at this price point, either. It might be worth finding one or two special scents for "Treat Yo Self" days, but if you decide to pass on these candles, you won't miss much.


The Hype Machine is a series that represents my experiences and opinions. It is not meant to be a personal attack on a specific company, product, or consumer. I always recommend that you try products for yourself and see how they work for you. Everybody is unique, after all!

13 comments:

  1. I've had exactly the same experience with Diptyque wicks! I thought it was my own ineptitude, but I'm relieved to see that it's not just me. I do love Feu de Bois (one of the only scented candles I can tolerate), but the wick is always gone before I get to the bottom of the candle.

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    1. Ugh, so glad it's not just me. I thought I was going crazy.

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  2. It's totally the quintessential background object/prop for beauty IG/blogger/YT! It's a little much. I have come to really enjoy these, though I also burn Mrs Meyers soy ones, various whatever GWP, etc. I've not experienced any wick issues. I have have crazy strong throws from my candles that it scents almost my whole house. Sometimes the room the candle is burning has been too strongly scented to my taste!

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    1. I wouldn't be surprised if the larger single candles are slightly better quality, to be honest, but at $90? I should be able to least burn the freaking things!

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    2. The wick issue is crazy! That's terrible. Thank goodness the CS @ Nordstrom was so good!

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  3. Ugh, I'm sorry you had those issues! I'm not a candle person anyway, but I've always wondered if Diptyque is worth the price. I'd always assumed they were sort of the Jo Malone of the candle world: very pricey but unique enough to justify shelling out. Now I see that you're right, the scents are by and large pretty standard. I guess Jo Malone candles can remain the Jo Malone of the candle world, haha.

    I remember one of my favourite YouTubers (who comes from a very rich family but is nonetheless totally lovely and down to earth normally) did a Christmas haul and had a section for "small things that are barely worth mentioning". She had a 5-piece Diptyque candle set worth something like £200 in it! Yikes...

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    1. I've never tried Jo Malone's candles! Have you? Did you like them?

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    2. I've smelled them at the counter and there are some really nice, unique scents. Since I'm not really into candles I haven't bought any of them myself - they're waaaay out of my budget even if I were interested. But I've heard good things, though I've also heard good things about Diptyque. My ex had one of the bigger ones and she really liked it, but otherwise all I've heard about JM candles is from the super reliable source of rich YouTubers.

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    3. Hmmmm, duly noted. I think I'll pass on those for now. Thanks!

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  4. I've always been underwhelmed by them. I've tried Pomander, Gardenia, Roses, and the LE Roses & Violet that came out (last year?) and while they're attractively packaged, I just haven't found the fragrances remarkable enough. I think the Roses smells amazingly like a fresh rose, but the effect dissipates when I burn it. Maybe I'm not enough of a candle person? Maybe I should buy some Yankee Candles or B&BW candles and compare? I don't know.

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    1. Right! It's like a bouquet of roses in a vase, and that's extremely pretty. But it's not enough for me to shell out $60+ bucks and fight with wick issues.

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  5. Lol, I guess I'll stick with Yankee Candles despite the tacky labels. Can't beat the variety and the throw!

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    1. I keep meaning to buy their Harvest candle in fall, but I can never figure out which size/shape burns the best.

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