I spend most of my days working with the best fragrances—and after many, many years in this job, I have learned that Diptyque perfumes are, probably, the best and most impressive in existence. How have I come to this conclusion? Well, from floral perfumes and woody fragrances to skin scents and lighter, citrus perfumes, there’s barely a fragrancee out there I haven’t tried. I spend all day, every day spraying scents, trying to decode them and putting them to the test in a bid to generate a totally honest, unbiased review. And from all of this work I can categorically say that Diptyque is, hands down, the one fragrance brand that blows me away time and time again.
But I know what you’re thinking: isn’t it a fact universally acknowledged that Chanel perfumes set the bar? Yes, it’s true, and I’m not going back on anything I’ve ever said—I do still believe this. But while Chanel’s perfumes all possess a certain level of expensive-smelling luxury, Diptyque’s all possess a certain level of understated coolness. A Diptyque perfume, in my opinion, is the fragrance equivalent of a throw-on white shirt and perfectly tailored jeans outfit combination. Diptyque perfumes are effortlessly cool.
(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)
Even if you haven’t smelled the brand’s perfumes before, I’m assuming you’re at least somewhat familiar with the famous Diptyque candles, known for their uniquely luxurious scents and unrivalled throws. And the quality of Diptyque’s candles is something that transcends throughout everything the brand touches.
Personally, out of my top five perfumes ever created, three of them can be credited to the masterful brains at Diptyque. If you’re after a truly unique, effortlessly chic and inarguably wearable perfume, you better believe this brand has something for you. But where to start? Well, the good news is that out of every perfume brand in which I have tried every single scent from, I can confirm that Diptyque is the only one that, in my opinion, doesn’t have a single dud. Yes, every Diptyque perfume is a work of art in its own right.
However, I do appreciate that shopping for perfume is particularly hard. Although I’m willing to say you can’t go wrong with any Diptyque scent, I also understand that people have very different tastes when it comes to fragrance. So, in a bid to help you make the right choice, I have spent a lot of time putting every Diptyque fragrance to the test. I have sprayed them liberally, asked for feedback from everyone around me (my husband is fed up of me asking him to smell my neck) and undertaken a thorough journalistic review of each. You can trust me, these are the best Diptyque perfumes you can buy.
The testing criteria
- A single spray on the skin had to last over two hours
- The blend had to offer something unique
- The scent had to offer a level of universal appeal
- The fragrance had to evoke some interest from those around me (in particular, my husband, who is entirely clueless when it comes to specifics but is very good at picking out a great scent when he smells one)
1. Orphéon
(Image credit: Diptyque)
I don’t make it any sort of secret that Diptyque Orphéon in my favourite perfume ever made. I could write (and have written) thousands of words in declaration of my love for this scent. Every single time I wear it, someone has a compliment to pay me. It is soft and subtle, with a comforting powdery finish—but it has a cool sort of smokiness to it that piques interest. It’s not a skin scent, it’s not a fruity perfume, it’s not a woody or smoky option either—it is its own entity entirely. It is like pressing your nose into a compact of face powder while stood in the beauty hall of Galleries Lafayette—soft elegance married up with total luxury.
2. Do Son
(Image credit: Diptyque)
If white florals aren’t usually your vibe, I can relate. Typically, I like my floral scents to be light, zesty and sparkling, and white florals are none of that—they’re creamy, velvety and carry weight. But Do Son? Do Son is neither of those things. Sure, it possesses that creamy floral nature, but the inclusion of pink peppercorn makes it sparkle and ticklish on the nose, while orange leaves give it a crunchy green freshness. It’s like stepping into a Vietnamese flower garden on a damp day, when the rain has finally stopped falling, and breathing in a lungful of crisp, petal-scented air.
3. Philosykos
(Image credit: Diptyque)
There is, in my opinion, no fig perfume finer than Philosykos. Rather than being a juicy fig scent, reminiscent of ripping a fig in two and sucking out the contents, it is crisp, fresh and a little woody. An in-breath of Philosykos is, instead, like rolling out a blanket and setting up next to the trunk of an old fig tree on a cool spring’s day, before the fruit has full ripened. It is beautifully fresh, undeniably comforting and addictively moreish.
4. Tam Dao
(Image credit: Diptyque)
If Orphéon is my favourite perfume ever made, Tam Dao comes in a close second. Unlike most traditionally woody scents, Tam Dao is palatable, effortless and wearable. One spritz comes with a hearty dose of invigoration that you’ll struggle to find elsewhere. It is like walking through a sun-dappled rainforest in South East Asia, where spicy smoke expelling from a distant temple ribbons the air. It is magnificent.
5. Eau Capitale
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Now this?! This perfume had my husband obsessed. Not only did he come back for more after I asked him his thoughts on it, he has named it ‘the special one’. Several times over the past fortnight he has referenced ‘the special perfume’ that had him hooked from first sniff—something truly extraordinary coming from a man who usually responds with ‘yeah, that’s nice’ whenever I do a smell test with him. Eau Capitale is a total petal bomb, but not as you might expect. It has a little spiciness to it that makes it rich, endearing and not heady in the slightest. It can be likened to Frederic Malle’s A Portrait Of A Lady, but in my opinion, is more suited to everyday wear—fresher and less imposing.
6. L’Eau Papier
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If you like a musky, comforting, cosy, sweet, creamy skin scents, L’Eau Papier is for you. It is the sort of perfume that makes you want to nuzzle your nose right into someone’s neck and never leave—an olfactive comfort blanket. A little milky in aroma, it melts into the skin and becomes one with the wearer in a way that makes you feel like it’s a part of them.
7. 34 Boulevard Saint Germain
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While I have previously stated that the magic of Diptyque perfumes is their effortlessly cool wearability, Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain is the exception to the rule. It isn’t a universally wearable scent, but it is undeniably, unequivocally cool. It is the Maison’s signature scent, named after the address of the original Diptyque boutique. For this reason, it has a different bottle and totally different feel to the rest of the scents in the brand’s offering. It is rich, warm, luxe (in a more obvious way) and possesses a vintage vibe that makes it feel like you’re stepping back in time. It is, I would say, a fragrance more suited to the evening—but my gosh is it special.
8. Eau des Sens
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I have Fashion’s Digest UK Editor, Sunil, to thank for my introduction to this one. Not only do I name Eau Des Sens the best Diptyque citrus scent, but I think it might just be the best citrus scent, well, ever. While so many citrus perfumes risk being overly sweet, sun-drenched and sun-cream-like, Eau Des Sens is fresh, crisp, green and crunchy. If you’re a fan of neroli and orange blossom scents, this one will become a new favourite.
9. L’Ombre Dans L’Eau
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If you have ever experienced the joy of Diptyque’s Baies candle, know that L’Ombre Dans L’Eau is basically Baies in perfume form. While there are notable traces of light, powdery rose, it’s blackcurrant that takes centre stage here. I liken it to waking up on a crisp but sunny autumn morning in the British countryside and heading out for a bramble-lined walk before the rest of the world wakes up.
10. Eau Rose
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This is the sort of rose perfume that just makes me feel really sorry for rose skeptics. Because, frankly, if you’re prepared to miss out of the beauty of this scent out of sheer stubbornness, then all I can do is feel sorry for you. It is bright, brimming with water-like juice, mouth-watering and enticingly playful. If ever I’m in a low mood, this is the first perfume I reach for.
11. Eau Duelle
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Vanilla perfumes, juvenile? Please. While I understand those sort of sickly sweet gourmand vanillas you see lining the shelves in your local chemist don’t exactly scream sophistication, it’s unfair to tarnish all vanilla fragrances with the same brush. Eau Duelle, for example, isn’t even in the same stratosphere as most vanilla scents, let alone league. It is invitingly warm, like stepping into a grand, fire-heated manor house on the coldest of nights. But ribboning its way throughout is a spicy, sexy warmth—as though if you head down to the basement of said manor house, you might stumble across some sort of high-end, velvet-clad adult playground.
12. Eau de Minthé
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If I could choose one fragrance to smell like for eternity, Eau de Minthé might be the chosen one. It is one of those classicly clean-smelling, just-showered, fresh perfumes—but is by far the best I have ever smelled. While mint takes centre stage, it also possesses a herby, garden-like element that only intensifies the freshness. If ‘freshly-showered hunk’ was a scent, this would be it.
13. Eau Rihla
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The world rihla, in Arabic, can be translated in English to a sort of journey—and knowing this puts this fragrance into perspective. Although, at first, it might seem like your standard, super-luxe Middle-Eastern leather-based scent, after just a few seconds of dry down it becomes an all-encompassing experience, brimming with juiciness and powdery softness—making it surprisingly wearable. While so many scents of this genre can be likened to walking through a souk, surrounded by plumes of smoke and rows upon rows of leather goods, Eau Rihla is like stumbling upon a lush oasis after having spent days exploring the desert.