There are certain markers that happen throughout the year that signal a new season or celebration is approaching. This could be leaves changing colour on the trees, the first tips of the daffodils breaking through the soil, or the scent of chocolate as Easter eggs begin to fill the shelves. When it comes to the festive season however, you can’t get a better signal than the launch of the Fragonard Christmas Candle Collection. Every year sees beloved scents temporarily return in newly-inspired packaging, and 2022 is no different. Drawing on their strong relationship with UK audiences, it’s time to discover An English Christmas.
Fragonard started life in 1926 as a perfumery that catered for the holidaying travellers that had begun motoring up to Grasse. The city had a long association with the perfume industry, which is why it’s still thought of as its spiritual home, and so the visitors immersed themselves in both simple flower waters and fragrances such as Fragonard’s timeless Belle de Nuit. Jump forward ninety-six years and the company now exports worldwide. By working with some of the finest perfumers, and creating outstanding scents, the days of Fragonard being merely a “tourist perfumer” are long gone.
This Christmas sees Fragonard celebrating both their relationship with the UK and also the company’s love of historical costume. They asked British artist Lizzie Riches to create a series of characters to adorn each of their festive products, and the results are spectacular. Each of the characters leap out of the images and you really want to know more about them, but you’ll just have to settle for their scented secrets instead. Lizzie was born in East London and her paintings have been exhibited around the world. She always said that she wanted to develop her own visual language, and these paintings truly speak volumes.
The first two fragrances are the eagerly awaited returns, although they’ve been given new titles to match their characters this year. Orangette is the new name for last year’s Bientôt Minuit, which combines cinnamon and tart orange with a sweetened note of frankincense, while Allumez-Moi has become Cette Nuit-Là. This candle takes the idea of the Christmas tree and weaves it with orange blossom and citrus to provide a sweetened pine. Whether you’re amplifying the scent of a real tree or compensating for an artificial one, this is still the ultimate Christmas tree candle.
This year also sees a new candle join us for Christmas. Bois Dormant is named after a property that the father of the three sisters who currently run Fragonard purchased in 1955. It’s a few kilometres from Grasse, and this tranquil place literally is a “sleeping wood”. The candle isn't a new scent, but it’s given a new lease of life thanks to Lizzie’s regal character. The scent celebrates the aroma of a gently burning fire, with its sweetly peppered ember quality, but there's also a touch of pine-like sap and evocatively smoky guaiac wood. It’s a wonderful addition to the collection, and perfect if you're longing for a fireplace this Christmas.
The three limited edition candles are all available from the Fragonard website at fragonard.com and are each priced at €31 for 200g. The Christmas Collection also includes a diffuser, a hand cream, and a duo of soaps. [Purchased, with the exception of Bois Dormant]
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