I Won The Lottery….. The Diptyque Christmas Advent Calendar Lottery (Part 1)

This Diptyque Christmas advent calendar blogpost is overdue. Way overdue! The reason, it was just such a mammoth task as it details a Diptyque event as well as the 25 Diptyque products. Also, covid stole 2020 for everyone. The year simple flew by. Now firmly in 2021, it was time to share this review.

Advent Calendars

We all know that I am a perfume and cosmetics junkie. As such, Christmas is an eagerly awaited  time of the year. For me, nothing says Christmas more than a beauty advent calendar. They provide the opportunity to try products that you have read about and/or intended to try but failed to commit to. In most cases, advent calendars allow you to bulk buy items at a discounted price. You basically make money on these purchases. Well, that’s at least what I tell myself.

Historically, I been a devoted Liberty Beauty Calendar purchaser. For years a good friend of mine would purchase or be gifted the calendar whilst I watched and envied it from a far. It was always an aspiration purchase of mine. I cannot remember the exact price back then but I do remember that I did not think it within budget. Then after two years, two calendars I wished I could have, I purchased a calendar and it was a game changer. I was hooked!

With every year more brands release calendars, it’s hard to decide which to buy. Being a purest, despite the competition, I stayed loyal to Liberty. Well, that was until I saw the 2019 advent calendar. I had never felt envy like this before. Not only did it contain candles but perfumes, creams and cosmetics. It was love at first sight but, and this was a big but, at £325 it would be my most expensive advent calendar purchase. It obliterated Liberty’s £215 price tag (worth approx £789). I needed more time to consider which I would/should commit to. Alas, the Diptyque calendar sold out in record time, the decision was taken out of my hands. Well, that’s what I thought….

Diptyque Events

A week after the advent calendar had sold out I attended a Christmas event at Diptyque’s Mayfair Store. I need to digress for a moment.

I love Diptyque events. They are usually ticketed but they typically discount the ticket price from purchases made on the night.

My last Diptyque event was held at their pop-up in Mayfair and focused on perfumes containing damascena and centifolia roses. Read my ‘A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet’ for full details.

This event was a collaboration with the beauty influencer Emma Hoareau and focused on festive home scents.

I arrived at the event and whilst checking in my jacket I was told of a prize draw for the store’s last remaining 2019 advent calendar. After having been reminded twice to enter, I registered my details and the host of the event wished me good luck. My response ‘I never win anything’.

The event started and an informal conversation with Emma pursued. There were approximately 20 other attendees and it turned into a lovely conversation. I should point out that up until this event, I had not heard of Emma. Not a slight on her but more so an illustration of my dinosaur esq approach to social media. I have since rectified this and I am now a loyal follower.

Emma spoke about her personal relationship with Diptyque as well as her childhood in Paris. She outlined her favourite Diptyque products and her go to scents for Christmas.

The Draw

Then came the time for the prize draw. The first name out was Emma’s friend who had accompanied her to the event. She refused to accept the calendar. I spoke up and said that she should have it as her name was pulled but she insisted that she could not. Then, the second name. It was my name. I could not believe it, I couldn’t contain myself and literally jumped into the air, no mean feat given that I was over 4 months pregnant. I had won the calendar. It was an amazing event and I was left floating on air.

The advent calendar weighed a ton but I was not going to let that stop me leaving with my loot. Well into my second trimester, I called myself an Uber and rushed home to facetime my mother.

If we can take a step back for a moment, this advent calendar meant so much more to me than just a bunch of candles and perfumes. My love of Diptyque has been long, passionate and full of lust.

The History

I first encountered Diptyque during my third year of Law School. I lived in a house of seven girls. It was a dream. A winding staircase across four floors, round-top baths and the sweetest floral scent I had ever smelt. Initially, I had thought the scent an amalgamation of all of our rooms, perfumes etc. Then I stepped into my housemate Kitty’s room and there it was, burning on her desk. A Mimosa Diptyque candle. It was gifted by her sister-in-law and I was jealous, oh so jealous. I realised that this candle did not just represent a scent but a lifestyle, a coming of age, a graduation of sorts.

# Diptyque mimosa Credit: Southernarrond.com

I googled it, I wanted one for myself. Then I saw the price. I could see why it was gifted. It is a luxury in jar. Not just a scent but a form of decoration. Luxury decoration.

This was the start of my relationship with Diptyque. It was an aspiration. A Lifestyle I hoped to achieve in the future. Fast forward to today and I not only possess a number of Diptyque products but I am in the blessed position today which allows me to gift others Diptyque products. I can now introduce them to the lifestyle I so badly wanted to achieve all of those years ago.

The Advent Calendar

I could not wait to get home to open the calendar. I mean, nothing says ‘The Scent Explorer’ than 25 scented products!

The nicest part of the evening, the fact that so many people, including Emma, took the time to tell me how delighted they were that I won the advent calendar. That I had attracted good karma by speaking up and saying that the first name pulled from the hat should have been rewarded with the calendar.

We all received free gifts at the end of the evening . I received the small Feu de Bois and Amber candles. I mean, I was winning in life that night.

Also, whilst I am reviewing the 2019 calendar, please do not think the contents irrelevant as all of the scented products are still available. Further, I have reviewed each item individually to be thorough. To this point, the calendar review is split into to posts to avoid scent overload.

Door 1 – L’ombre Dans L’eau Eau de Toilette

Translated, the name means shadow in the water.

Created in 1983, this is an avant-grade perfume, one of the very first floral-fruity fragrances in perfumery.

Put simply, this fragrance smells like a summery English country garden. It has top notes of bergamot, rose, cassis, blackcurrant and mandarin. Middle notes of blackcurrant leaf, ambergris and musk. Base notes drawn from amber and myrrh.

In concert, this is a floral yet green fragrance. I now understand the name and its connection with water. This scent lingers, it’s like a flowing river.

At first, I found this fragrance hard to understand. The rose hides behind the blackcurrant and the bergamot. Once I recognised this it all made sense.

I loved Neil Chapman’s explanation of this perfume in his book ‘Perfume: In Search of The Signature Scent’. “If you are yet to encounter Neil’s blog then I suggested you click here and start reading it immediately. Now to his thoughts:

‘At first intensely green – sharp, rush of galbanum resins entwined cleverly with the lush, tanging tartness of cut blackcurrant leaves.’

This fragrance comes in both eau de parfum and eau de toilette. To assist in differentiating between the two, my observations, the rose in the eau de toilette is less prevalent than in the eau de parfum.

Whether the parfum or toilette, this, in my mind, is a summer fragrance but one that I would wear in the evening. The amber and the myrrh provides a darkness and depth. It’s sexy and mystical.

Door 2 – LYS Candle

How is this the first time that I have experienced this candle? I live for the scent of lilies.

I purchase lilies every week and have spent a considerable amount of time identifying those that have the best scent and longevity. My findings, Tesco. Yes Tesco. Their lilies are by far superior to others and can last in excess of two weeks. I mean, the fact that I change the water and trim the stems every couple of days helps. As so does my positioning them in direct sunlight but away from direct heat. I also make sure not to put too much water in the vase, this helps stop the stems from moulding.

This candle quite literally smells like a huge bouquet of fresh-cut white lilies. Whilst the scent of lilies alone would be reason enough to purchase this candle, there’s more. This candle has multiple layers including green leaves, sap and a slight but ever present spicy note.

So, to the elephant in the room. Do you buy a bunch of lilies or LYS candle. My thoughts, buy them both.

Door 3 – Tam Dao Eau de Toilette

This has fast become one of my favourite perfumes. I love it.

At first you think it oriental but then you are hit with a middle eastern element. Containing sandalwood, rosewood, cypress and ambergris, this scent is rich, smoky and musky. The above may seem like a recipe to overwhelm the senses but this is not true of Tam Dao. It provides a consistently pleasing aroma throughout the day.

It is sexy, deep and inviting. Most definitely a scent for the evening. A clear example of how, whilst in isolation, one might not like a particular note but in concert, even the biggest critic can be converted.

With head notes including cardamon, lavender as well as heart notes of cinnamon and fig, I was convinced that I would not like this scent but I was wrong.

For me, this is a fragrance for a winter’s evening or autumn. It did not surprise me that this fragrance is unisex given its combination of woody, spicy and floral notes.

Door 4 – Eau De Minthé Eau De Parfum

With the most Greek husband ever, I was excited to smell Eau De Minthé Eau De Parfum.

To explain, this fragrance is said to be inspired by the mythology of Ancient Greece and named after a water nymph who was said to have transformed into mint. I can see how this fragrance tells the water nymph’s story with its heart notes including rose and top notes of mint as well as spicy aromas of nutmeg. The base notes of patchouli mixed with its menthol element adds depth to the fragrance but, in my opinion, provides the masculine slant.

It reminds me of the scents worn by my older brothers when they started to date……. funny times. The memories conjured up by fragrances never ceases to amaze me.

I am fond of unisex fragrances but this one was just that bit too far into male scent territory for me.

Door 5 – Feu de Bois Candle

This candle has become my life! Feu de Bois is by fair by favourite candle of 2020. It’s woody, smoky and incredibly sexy. Think of a woodland setting. A cottage with an open fire on a cold winter’s day and the intoxicating scent of deep burgundy leather sofas.

This is definitely a winter candle. Something for when the nights are drawing in and the windows start to steam up. Further, this candle is at home in any room of the house. I have taken to burning it in my hallway as the scent reaches every room.

To be honest, the description of this candle did not win me over, ‘smells like burning wood’. I was underwhelmed. Then I smelt it. Oh my, this candle is so much more than just the scent of a wood fire.

During the event Emma spoke of burning this with other candles, layering it. I tried this and opted to burn it with the rose candle. It created a floral yet earthy and sexy scent. I loved it but……..for me, this candle stands up all on its own.

I urge you to purchase this as it really will challenge all that you thought you appreciated and desired in a candle.

Door 6 – Crème Riche, Rich Butter For the Body

Up until now, Diptyque would not have been my first port of call for cosmetics but I genuinely like their Crème riche, rich butter for the body. A perfect example of why beauty advent calendars are perfect from an exploration perspective.

This body butter is sheer and light. It evaporates into the skin quite literally like butter. Whilst it contains argan oil, the first scent that hit me was that of rose water. It also has a powdery quality which is soft and inviting.

The butter is suitable for both use on its own and with other products but I use it before I go to bed. It does not rub off on the sheets and the fragrance is strong enough to be noticed but soft enough to avoid irritation.

I recommend this cream for skin that needs hydration but not for excessively dry or cracked skin.

Door 7 – Verveine Candle

This candle is a delicate mix of lemon zest and herbaceous green notes. It is sweet yet zesty, a fragrance reminiscent of those one would experience in the kitchen. The perfect summer candle but one that I would not burn solo but rather, layer with other Diptyque candles.

In my opinion, there are far more enticing and exciting Diptyque candles but this would not offend anyone if gifted. It’s the ‘play it safe candle’ and there is always a need for the safe option.

Door 8 – 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Eau De Parfum 

Designed by Christiane Gautrot and Desmond Knox-Leet in 1963, this is from the older school of perfumery. The fragrance is reminiscent of punchy, dark and heavy scents like Guerlain’s Chamade and big hitters like Diorissimo by Christian Dior.

The sandalwood and vanilla is enhanced by the pink berries. All of which create a deep, earthy evening fragrance. It’s sexy, spicy and oriental whilst being soft, balanced and creamy, courtesy of the vanilla

This scent has a certain romantic quality which I simply cannot put down. The middle notes of Geranium, Tuberose, iris, Violet and Rose are intoxicating and provides exactly the type of floral hit that I require from my perfumes.

I would add this into the ‘all year round’ category with a preference of wearing it it in the evening.

Door 9 – Doson Huile de Parfum Pour La Douche (perfume shower oil)

Another cosmetic surprise. I have long been a fan of shower oils. Not least to provide that moment of luxury in the shower but to aid in moisturising the skin during what ultimately is a process of striping dirt and moisture from your body. I have different shower oils for the morning and night. They have been specifically chosen for individual qualities, relaxation, de-stressing etc.

Doson huile de parfum pour la douche with its slightly spicy scent of tuberoses has become part of my evening routine. The reason, the fragrance reminds me of nights spent in Bali amongst the night blooming flowers.

For completeness, the fragrance includes hints of iris, rose, African orange flower, pink pepper, musk and benzoin, a fragrant balsamic resin often used to enhance and stabilise perfumes.

Another reason why I reserve this shower oil for the evening, I leave the shower feeling refreshed and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Door 10 – Roses Candle

This candle was a welcomed and familiar surprise. This is a firm favourite of mine. Winter, Summer, day or night. Bedroom, dining room, hallway. This candle is an allrounder and the perfect gift for anyone, male and female alike. You can read my full review on this candle here.

Advent Calendar Part 2 contains the remaining 15 products and will be posted this week. In the meantime, have you tried any of the products described above?Lets us know your thoughts below in the comments section xxx