Now, there are scented candles - and then there is Cire Trudon, a Parisian firm which has been making candles since the reign of Louis XIV. (Personally, we quite like burning a candle knowing that Marie-Antoinette or the Empress Joséphine might have done the exact same thing...) Today, though, Cire Trudon belongs to Ramdane Touhami, who's turning it into one of the most exciting home fragrance brands in the world. (With a little help from his wife Victoire de Taillac, whose serious claim to fame is having opened what used to be one of our favourite Parisian beautiques, Parfumerie Générale.) In their distinctive deep green glass containers, the candles themselves are richer in fragrance than anything you'll find out there, with a seriously l-o-n-g burn time (justifying the higher-than-most price, we give you our word). Beauty Bible loves boudoir-esque La Marquise, the fabulously incense-sensual Spritus Sancti, and mint-tea-infused Abd El Kader. (Actually, we adore all of them, but those are currently top of our candle pops.) The innovations we saw yesterday, though, nudge Cire Trudon to another level: stink bombs - yes, stink bombs! - which create a fragrant explosion when you throw on the ground. Think of it as guerilla perfumery! (Perfect for parties.) But we're also enraptured by the 'scented fairy tales': spritz the delicately-scented spray, while reading the accompanying fairytale to your child - green-bean-y Jack and the Beanstalk, mossy/foresty Little Red Riding Hood, or spicily oceanic Sinbad the Sailor. A brilliant idea for encouraging a child to use his or her sense of smell (and turbo-charging the pleasure of a bedtime story). What's next for Cire Trudon (which you can find at Selfridges, Petersham Nurseries and the gorgeous Atelier, in Battersea)? A store in New York - a 'hall of mirrors', no less. (Though slightly closer to home, we can also recommend a visit to their Parisian flagship shop at 78 Rue de Seine). Honestly, you can't hold a candle to them.
www.ciretrudon.com
