Scented Love Letters
By Rebecca Blakeston
We have all experienced the power that fragrance holds. It is both transformative and transportive, creating an olfactory experience that can take you back to a memory, a place or a feeling. We can use fragrance as a tool to go back to a specific moment or even to seduce someone. A soft coating around us; enveloping us and others. Innovation in fragrance has brought to life many unique scents alongside the feelings they evoke. Always at the forefront of this innovation alongside emotion, is the beloved house Diptyque. Read more about their enticing new dynamic encompassing launches here and how the softness of scent can act as your own Scented Love Letters.
Images by Jason Yates
If prompted to think up traditional ideas of what a perfume may seek to evoke, you’d probably be tempted to draw on visions of sex and seduction or perhaps the gourmand sugar-sweetness of cocoa or vanilla. The cloud-like aroma encases us. These soft aroma comforts and draws others in. There are many ways we can use this tool to our own preferences. The array of options becomes more expansive as days go on. How about paper, as the key to creative essence?
In the L’Eau Papier Eau de Toilette, developed by Diptyque alongside perfumer Fabric Pellegrin and artist Alex Waline, the notion of creation itself is pondered through the medium of fragrance. Utilising white musks, an accord of a rice steam, notes of mimosa and blonde wood, the image that unfolds is one of ink meeting paper and ideas blossoming. This is a clean, clear fragrance yet also one of intrigue and curiosity. The art of the love letter is age-old, a treasure to hold onto, capturing the spirit of those we hold closest. And now, this treasure comes bottled. A tool for us to use in the art of seduction and love.
A more conventional source of inspiration in the art of perfume is nature. But a road less travelled in this world of inspiration is the desert. Diptyque’s Eau Nabati Eau de Parfum (pictured below) began as a love letter to the luxuriant gardens that had been frequented by Diptyque’s well-travelled founders Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Montadre-Gautrot and Yves Coueslant but the story it weaves is one of exotic, desert landscapes.
Representing visions of a paradise garden and the contrast between desert heat and a glistening oasis, this fragrance is an intoxicating mix of Bergamot, Petitgrain and Balsam of Peru. To take in a breath of Eau Nabati is to be transported to stretches of desert sands. Embraced by warm beams of sun, cooled and comforted by the waters of an oasis, life is harmonious and rich.
Another classic that is paired best with basking in the summer heat comes in the form of Diptyque’s Ilio. This limited edition scent is an ode to the Mediterranean coast with notes of Prickly Pear, Bergamot, Jasmine and Iris. Ilio invites you to embrace visions of lounging in the shade of rocky cliffs and the peace in an escape to the ocean.
Pictured (from left to right): Eau Nabati Eau de Parfum, Ilio Eau de Toilette, L’Eau Papier Eau de Toilette, Seoul City Candle
And if you want to luxuriate further in the warmth of summer, Diptyque’s latest releases extend beyond fragrance alone. With their limited edition collection of spring/summer homeware, Diptyque has created what is comparable to a solar system with their pieces revolving around the central icon that is one of their expertly-crafted candles.
If embracing this candle-based solar system, why not do so with their limited edition range of City Candles: a wide selection of scented candles all inspired by a different city from New York to Seoul (pictured above)? With so many options, you can pick out the location you want to channel in your own, domestic world. Always in high demand, these coveted candles are beloved for good reason.
With plates, vases, candle holders and more available in lively yellows and tranquil neutrals, there is plenty of opportunity to create a sanctuary of sunbeams and shade to perfectly complement the turning of the season.
Envelope yourself in a perfumed love letter written by Diptyque and immerse yourself in relaxed, refreshing luxury this summer, using fragrance as your tool.
L’Eau Papier Eau de Toilette can be found Here
Eau Nabati Eau de Parfum can be found Here
The summer homeware collection can be found Here
If you enjoyed reading Scented Love Letters, why not try A Perfumed Trail?
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