Can a Candle Proclaim Your Cool Girl Status?

Fragrance is the first impression you quietly convey, used to express your ever-changing moods, contrasting personas, and cherished memories. Does the invigorating burst of punchy citrus instantly revive your soul? Or do the depths of damp woods and zingy spices stir your senses awake? Welcome to ELLE Noteworthies, a definitive guide to the finest fragrances we've encountered this year, poised to accompany you as you create new scent memories.

In 1963, three friends—Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, and Yves Coueslant—launched a trio of candles in Paris under the brand name Diptyque. In 2023, every girl you know in Williamsburg is uploading a photo of her tastefully neutral apartment to her Instagram stories. It’s dappled in natural light, has a thriving monstera plant corner, and a glass vessel on the coffee table that’s instantly recognizable by the oval-shaped black-and-white label. That’s a Diptyque candle, and in sixty years, the brand has become synonymous with incredible taste.

“Shoppers are attracted to the quality of scent, collectible reusable containers, and how the candles burn down,” says Linda Levy, president of The Fragrance Foundation. “Also, Diptyque candles are a great gift.”

But what makes it special? Almost everything the Parisian-born perfume house creates is still made in France. In present day, the brand has expanded to 49 candles, along with almost 40 eau de parfums and toilettes, tabletop, objets d’art, and limited edition drops. The scents aren’t the flat-feeling one- or two-note blends, but instead as complex as the fragrances we adorn our body with, which wasn’t the norm in an era where candles were once considered function, not fashion.

It takes two days, and ten different techniques, to make just one of those perfectly-Instagrammable candles. And then there’s the distinguishable packaging. The story behind the mysteriously lettered labels is actually rather charming: Knox-Leet, a British citizen, was actually a code breaker during World War II. His love for encrypted messages continued into his second act as an entrepreneur. “Diptyque’s vessels are uniquely beautiful and also wildly interesting,” says Into The Gloss editorial director Ashley Weatherford. In the heyday of the site’s Top Shelf feature, Diptyque candles were a popular feature. “The way the name of the candle fragrance is designed on the vessel is a conversation piece all on its own. How do you read it? Clockwise? Counterclockwise? Zig-zagged? Even after all these years even, I’m not totally sure. And it doesn’t help that I don’t know any French.”

All of this has garnered a long list of celebrity fans, discussed in depth below. But some highlights: Kim Kardashian shared that Gardenia is the signature scent of her home (and a Jasmin candle has appeared on her Instagram stories, which was rumored to have been sent as a Valentine’s Day gift from then-beau Pete Davidson). Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, allegedly filled St. George’s Chapel with the candles on her wedding day, and a Tuberose candle has been spotted in the background of a YouTube video she shared.

And for us normal people, it’s the brand that has become a symbol of reachable luxury. “Diptyque is one of the first brands I clocked as ‘aspirational,’” says Hannah Baxter, a freelance beauty and wellness editor and brand consultant. “I wanted them in my home because I knew that burning it meant something special. Eventually, I came to appreciate more than just the label—the scents actually filled the room. Essentially, I came for the looks but stayed for the quality.”

Don’t forget the second flex of a Diptyque candles: Carving out the remnants of wax once the candle is finished to repurpose the glass—label on!—into something new: A Q-tip holder, pot for a tiny succulent, or whiskey glasses. The joy of a Diptyque candle can live on, so choose your new favorite below.