Given my post about the collaboration between Hotel Café Royal and Diptyque, I thought it would be prudent to review the candle that I received as part of the rose afternoon tea, Diptyque’s Roses candle.
A homage to the rose
This candle is floral in nature with its unmistakably rose scent. It a homage to the rose and it most definitely does what it says on the box.
The strong rose scent, whilst being fresh is romantic and sensual. I imagine light pastel roses, white and pinks. It’s a delicate fragrance, not one which I would associate with a red rose.
I should point out that I am unsure of the roses used in this candle but during an event with Diptyque it was revealed that they use Centifolia and Damascena in their fragrances. These roses come in a number of colours and shades and they may well be red and this candle, in theory makes me think of red roses but in practice, reminds me of white roses. Fun fact, the majority of varieties we call white are actually creamy white with tints of apricot or pink.
An all rounder
This candle is an all rounder; I burn it in any room in the house, at any time of day and any time of year.
Not to be confused with Diptyque’s Eau Rose fragrance, this candle is less complex. It literally smells of roses. As is often the case with rose scented items, this candle has a powdery nature. To me powdery normally means old and dated but this is not the case with this candle, the top notes of this candle are fresh and modern. Clearly it does not just contain rose notes but the accord has been blended to smell like a well-rounded rose bush.
When I compare this candle to others and by others I mean over 50 different brands that I have tried and tested, the scent throw when unlit cannot be compared to other candles that quite literally fill the room. That being said, once burnt the candle has an amazing scent throw. It is almost like spraying a mist.
Useful instructions for candle burning
Regarding burn time, I am always careful to ensure that the wick is no longer than the length instructed by the manual enclosed within the candle. This is actually a key point, it is important not to allow your wick to grow too long so ensure you trim it down. If you do not, the burn pool will be too large. To provide context, the burn pool is the circle of melted wax around the lit wick. The best candles have a circle that grows as the candle burns and the goal is to have the candle burn hole extend steadily over time. If the wick is not cut it generates too much heat, the burn hole becomes too big and the candle burns too quickly. If trimmed before every burn, the candle will burn as per the manual. If in doubt, trim the wick to approximately 4mm and you will not go wrong.
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