I Won The Lottery….. The Diptyque Christmas Advent Calendar Lottery (Part 2)

Now for part 2 of this mammoth Diptyque Christmas Advent Calendar review. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 for the first 10 products.

Door 11 – Three Diptyque Christmas Tree Ornaments(not currently available)

What a lovely idea! Three gold diptyque tree ornaments, items that will last the test of time and become part of my yearly Christmas ritual. Gold always features in my Christmas tree decorations, I am a creature of habit. These ornaments will be reused for years to come.

Day 12 – Narguile Candle 

The  narguile candle is perfectly pleasant. I enjoyed the hint of honey, tobacco and spices but being objective, this candle does not work in all settings. Other Diptyque candles have a stronger scent throw. Further, other candles are able to claim dominance regardless of the other scents in a room. Sadly, Narguile could not. This candle is best used in a neutral scented room.

Again, perfectly pleasant, but only when detectable. It is not one for those who prefer big punchy scents.

Day 13 – Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum

Fleur de peau eau de parfum reminds me of Narcisio Rodriguez for her parfum.

At the heart, fleur de peau is cottony and soft. It has a musky floral scent which is intoxicating. Thank you iris and ambrette seed for providing a musky, floral, wine-like, nutty odour reminiscent of overripe fruit or even lychees.

I am a strong believer that whilst scents can mirror a personality, they can also be age specific. This fragrance reminds me of my early 20s. A time of exploration. Where I was finding myself and carving out my own path. Now that I am in my 30s, I am in a different phase of my life which is depicted by woody, smoky and floral scents. I have moved on, grown up.

This perfume reminds me of happy memories but is not one for today.

Day 14 – Benjoin Candle

I find benjoin candle to be very, very similar to narguile as it is a subtle scent. A passenger, not the driver.

The main notes are vanilla, brown sugar, caramel and wood. The consequence, it is sweet and buttery, much like baked goods in a french patisserie.

This candle did not hold up in any of the rooms in my home.

Day 15 – Figuier Candle

I make no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of fig scented candles. Unfortunately, figuier candle is not an exception to the rule. Thinking about it, this is a testament to the fact that the candle really does smell of figs. It has a figgy intensity mingled with green and a woody warmth. Unfortunately, I’m just not into it. Although I know that many others are. If you require a gift for someone who likes figs, this is it. Whilst not being a fan I can still imagine this candle in any room, day and night, anytime of the year.

Word of warning, they may eat figs, but like me, they may not like the smell.

Day 16 – Santal Candle

The santal (sandalwood) candle is another one of my firm favourites. Actually, it was my absolute favourite until Feu de Bois turned up to the party, see Part 1 for details.

It is the perfect blend of spice, wood and cream. It is at home in every room in my home. To this point, I have gifted a number of these candles as whilst distinctive, it is not overpowering or alienating. I have also burnt this candle with a number of Diptyque’s floral candles like roses and the combination creates a sexy, sensual alluring scent.

So whether, on it’s own or with other candles, I love, love , love this candle for day and night as well as any time of the year.

Day 17 – Infused Facial Water

Again, like the rich butter for the body, I had never considered Diptyque for facial water. I am so glad that I found this bottle of rose goodness. The scent is amazing.

One word of caution, I use this product at the end of my evening facial routine and not as a standalone product. I apply it like a toner prior to adding my night cream. It simply does not have the strength I need to remove dirt and impurities.

A blend of nine traditional plants and flowers, the citrus notes of lemon and petitgrain are paired with the floral notes of rose. The outcome, a subtle yet present floral fragrance.

In my mind, this is not an essential product, it is a nice to have and something that I would welcome as a gift.

Day 18 – Tubereuse (Tuberose) Candle

This tubereuse (tuberose) candle screams white floral with a backdrop of a strong green vegetable scent; the green reminds me of celery. Diptyque describes this as sensual allure of a white flower and I do not disagree. It is intoxicating. I have the smaller candle which I placed in my entrance hall and it has a strong scent throw. Unlike the narguile or benjoin candles, this candle will mask other scents and stand out in any room.

This is a perfectly pleasant candle. It is very high on the white floral scale but if you were to only burn one candle on a floor of your home, it would be this one as the scent throw is incredible.

Day 19 – Do Son Eau De Toilette

This perfume is a spicy heady tuberose fragrance with hints of iris, rose, African orange flower, pink pepper, musk and benjoin.

This scent has an energetic and invigorating nature. This is not the fragrance for me but I can see how those who like intense florals would love it. I can’t really say much more about this scent as it doesn’t inspire me in the same way as other Diptyque fragrances do.

Day 20 – Baies Candle

This sweet smelling candle is one of Diptyque’s most popular scents. A mix of berries, Bulgarian rose bushes and blackcurrant leaves, this creates a provocative and sexy environment. This candle would be at home in any room during any season.

Diptyque explains it as a bouquet of roses spiked with blackcurrant leaves.

For me, this is a little on the sweet side but as a cult classic, clearly it is favoured by noses the world over. Actually, let me clarify, I would love to receive this as a gift but prefer other candles when I am buying for myself…..I would obviously opt for roses.

My advice, if you are looking for an inoffensive scent and a candle with the ability to fill every corner of your home, then look no further.

Day 21 – Eau Rose Perfume Sticker for Skin

A perfumed patch for the skin. A form of removable scent tattoo. I was sceptical.  It was not something that I was excited about. Not even the fact that it is eau rose was enough to win me over. I had to think outside of the box here. I love the scent but I did not love the idea. Well until I figured out that this patch sticks to material. I opted to place it in my snazzy gold Saint Laurent clutch bag and I am hit by the scent of roses every time I open the flap.

In summary, I would not buy this patch for my skin but I loved the fact that it can be used to scent my accessories.

Day 22- Pomander Candle

This candle contains spice notes like cinnamon and cloves as well as orange. It is considered to be the Christmas candle. Well I beg to differ as, for me, the pine candle is Christmas, read about it below on day 25.

This candle did not work in my home. By that I mean, it was lost against a backdrop of everyday life and other  unlit candles.

Notwithstanding the above, if you want to buy a Christmas gift then I am sure that this candle would be a welcomed addition in any home. I cannot imagine it offending anyone. Please don’t buy it for me though!.

Day 23- Muguet Candle

Much like LYS, Muguet (lily of the valley) candle is a thick, heady and intoxicating. A type of scent unique to white flowers; it is intense scent whilst being smooth and soft at the same time.

These flowers are said to signal the arrival of spring in much the same way as bluebells do. An ephemeral flower (short lived), unfortunately the lily of the valley only lasts three weeks during spring. Fear note though, this candle transports you to a forest full of white flower heads.

I really enjoyed this candle and it reminded me of Penhaligon’s Lily of the Valley candle in many ways. Definitely one for the buy list.

Day 24 – Ambre Candle

Another candle from the woody family, as you could predict, I adore Ambre/Amber.

This candle reminds me of Morocco, then Istanbul. Evenings in Dubai and nights spent eating alfresco at shisha ladened restaurants in Mayfair. It is simply a pleasant smell. Whilst woody, it is spicy and almost leathery in nature. It is luxurious and exotic. Diptyque talks of it being reminiscent of the silk road and whilst there is no way to experience that piece of history, I 100% imagine it smelling like this candle.

Day 25 – Protective Pine Scented Candle

Yet another shocker. Up until now, purchasing a pine fragrance was simply not a thing for me. Boy was I wrong. Like feu de bois, this candle is addictive. Again, another for a winter’s day and not, in my opinion, one for the bedroom. This candle literally spells out Christmas and has a scent that just will not quit.

It is pine on steroids with notes of Siberian balsam pine, cedar, and aromatic notes of basil. The combination of these notes lifts this candle to a whole different level. This multifaceted scent profile reminds me of Christmas as well as past hearty earthy meals. Thank you basil and sage.

Diptyque describes this candle as a crackling fire in the hearth, I wholeheartedly agree. I never for a minute thought that I would enjoy this scent but has now become my Christmas must have.

……..and just like that, Christmas day arrived and I was all out of doors to open.

So in summary, I would 100% purchase this Christmas Advent Candle in the future. Yes, I was incredibly lucky to win this and not having to pay for it really really did make each item that little bit sweeter but……. I wholeheartedly think that this calendar is worth every singe penny. Also, I have fallen in love with fragrances and candle scents which i simply would not have tried on my body or in my home.

Challenge yourself, by the next Christmas advent calendar and open your eyers to the full world of Diptyque!

Let me know if you think I should try any other Diptyque products not mentioned in Part 1 & 2 of this review.

*Featured image from whowhatwear.co.uk