One of the best times to write about fragrance is as we approach the festive season. Throughout the previous twelve months there will have been numerous launches and products, but during Christmas we fall back on some old favourites and maybe introduce a few new ones. With this in mind I've been working hard, honestly I have, to find this year's top five candles. Whether it's delicate, inspirational or even historical that you're looking for I think that I've found something for everyone. So, close the door, pass me a mince pie, reach for the matches and let that fragrant flicker combat the winter cold.
It's taken twelve long months but we're finally here again ... Christmas!! It's the season of extravagance, gluttony, and fights over the Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts, or Toblerone if you're anywhere near Odette Toilette! Hand in hand with this though is the pressure of finding the perfect present. A staple Christmas gift has now become the "scented candle", I think it's taken the place of the humble "bath cube", but the quality of these varies dramatically. Uneven burns and questionable fragrances makes choosing one a bit of a minefield. So, with everyone wanting that perfect scent, I went on the hunt for my top five.
In 1996 Olivier Cresp was chosen over Jean-Paul Guerlain to create the fragrance Champs-Élysées. Described as the essence of a chic woman, it couldn't have been more different to the 1904 version by Jacques Guerlain. It was never intended to be compared with the original Parfum des Champs-Élysées, and until Thierry Wasser recreated the "vintage" as part his curatorship of the Guerlain legacy it wasn't even possible. So, leaving the current "Radiant Floral" rose petal and almond wood edition, let's travel back to a time when the Champs-Élysées was a very different place.
