Our Founders
Yves Coueslant
The Stage Designer
Raised in Indochina, his design influences span the globe
The Stage Designer
Raised in Indochina, his design influences span the globe
Christiane Gautrot
The Designer
A graduate of Ecole des Beaux Arts, she brings a modern aesthetic to design
The Designer
A graduate of Ecole des Beaux Arts, she brings a modern aesthetic to design
Desmond Knox-Leet
The Painter
His travel sketches and lettering adorn the elegant black-and-white labels
The Painter
His travel sketches and lettering adorn the elegant black-and-white labels
- Paris 1961
- United by a passion for creativity and design, three artisans became friends and partners. They open a shop at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain to showcase their avant-garde fabric designs and decorative items from their travels.
- Fate Steps In
- The trio offers colored candles to match their fabrics, adding perfumed wax. Customers fall in love with the inimitable fragrances. Word travels. Cachet grows.
- Sweet Smell of Success
- In 1963, they introduce the first diptyque scented candle. In 1968, the first line of diptyque fragrances is launched. Today, the three Parisian artists are world-renown purveyors of fragrance and scented candles.
Our First Store
- 34 Boulevard Saint Germain
- At this very address in 1961, the first diptyque shop was opened by three artisans. Determined, the trio initially set up shop to sell their original fabric designs.
The collectibles, "bric-à-brac" and travel souvenirs they used to decorate the boutique soon became as sought-after as their innovative fabric designs. - Windows on the World
- The name diptyque was inspired by the two diptychs or windows flanking the front door of the original boutique. Though located on the bohemian end of the boulevard Saint Germain, customers found the “concept” store to be irresistible.
- An Avant-Garde Bazaar
- With ever-changing decorative collectibles on display from the partners’ world travels, to Monteverdi and the Rolling Stones on the record player, to its divinely scented candles – devotees found it impossible to stay away for long.
Our Candles
1963: Aubepine
(hawthorn) A delicate wildflower with vanilla and sweet almond accents inspired the first diptyque candle.
1963: Thé
(tea) Dark, strong, and spicy. As calming as a cup of tea, Thé is one of our first and simplest fragrances.
1983: Baies
(berries) Our most popular candle, its bouquet of blackcurrant and Bulgarian rose evokes a riverside garden.
1992: Figuier
(fig) This fruity fragrance recalls the scent of Grecian fig trees warmed by the sun.
1999: Feu de Bois
(firewood) Familiar and inviting, its scent is as enticing as a wood fireplace on a cold winter’s night.
1999: Freesia
(freesia) Imagine delicious and peppery white freesia perfuming the spring morning air.
1999: Gardénia
(gardenia) Classic and feminine, a timeless scent is for all who love white flowers.
1999: Muguet
(lily of the valley) When the woods are carpeted with this spontaneous, ephemeral flower, it signals the welcome arrival of spring.
2000: Chêne
(oak) The seductive scents of a lush forest, of freshly sawn wood, moss and lichens.
2001: Baies "Noire"
("black" berries) The classic Baies scent presented in a black frosted glass.
2001: Oyédo
(ancient capital of Japan) Exotic citrus fruit scents and thyme evoke a seaside garden of limes and tangerines.
2002: Cyprès
(cypress) The warm tints of honey and resin emanating from a Mediterranean cypress.
2002: Géranium Rosa
(rose geranium) Beloved in Provence gardens and Mediterranean terraces, where rose geraniums bloom.
2002: Tubéreuse "Rouge"
("red" tuberose) The classic Tubéreuse scent presented in red frosted glass.
2004: Violette
(violet) A favorite of the ancients, the sweet floral scent of fresh violets mingles with powdery iris.
2007: Coriandre
(coriander) A slightly peppery, aromatic herb with green-floral, almost zesty fragrance.
2007: Fenouil Sauvage
(wild fennel) The scent of fennel, dill and tarragon growing wild in ancient Italian and Greek temples.
2007: Maquis
(marquis shrub) This woody, warm fragrance is rounded with patchouli and amber.
2008: Ambre
(ambergris) Sweet and earthy, ambergris with its woody, leathery scent.
They didn’t set out to break boundaries or have a cult following. Three Parisian artists with a passion for authenticity traveled the world, capturing their experiences in fragrances that became legendary candles.
- 1963 - 1992
- 1999 - 2000
- 2000 - 2002
- 2003 - 2004
- 2007 - 2008
Our Eau De Toilettes
1968: L'Eau
L’Eau, diptyque's first fragrance, reinvents a 16th century English
pot-pourri mixing the scents of cinnamon and clove with geranium, sandalwood and rose.
1983: L'Ombre Dans L'Eau
Desmond Knox-Leet recalled a close friend, Mrs. Merwin, pruning her blackcurrant bushes and rose trees. The fragrance of crumpled blackcurrant leaves and rose petals, inspired this best seller.
1986: Eau Lente
Opopanax, a resin from an Iranian tree, was often burnt in the temples of Ancient Greece. Alexander the Great perfumed his clothes with opopanax and spices. This perfume has a mythical, mystical quality.
1988: Olène
Venetian gardens inspired Olène, a white floral fragrance that pays tribute to wisteria, and freshly cut narcissus.
1996: Philosykos
“Philosykos” is Greek for “the friend of the fig tree,” a reference to Plato who believed figs had the power to strengthen intelligence. Fig tree in all its glory: the freshness of the fig leaves, the green fruit, the slightly milky sap, and the bark.
1999: Ofrésia
This floral water evokes a garden in Normandy. It blends the light and subtle scent of freesia with black pepper for its complex masculine personality.
2000: Oyédo
Oyédo contains Edo, the former name of the town of Tokyo. Far Eastern influences come from citrus scents: bracing and biting lemon, cool and slightly spicy mandarin orange, with the warmth of thyme.
2003: Jardin Clos
Jardin Clos evokes the scent of an English secret garden. Hundreds of blue hyacinths along with white lilac, red cedar and musk provide a deliciously earthy scent and a feeling of deep tranquility.
2003: Tam Dao
Recalling the perfumes of ancient temples and tropical forests from Yves Coueslant’s childhood in Southeast Asia. Tam Dao’s Goa sandalwood, cypress and rosewood fragrance is woody, oriental and powerful.
2005: Do Son
Inspired by the exotic scents of Yves Coueslant's childhood in Vietnam, growing up not far from the seaside resort of Do Son. Memories of his family’s seaside pagoda are reinvented in this fragrance.
2006: Eau de Lierre
Loving its fresh fragrance, its sharp notes and sweet bitterness, they created this ivy-scented Eau de Toilette.
2010: Vetyverio
Ambivalence, elegance and sensuality, both masculine and feminine. The highly masculine v `etiver plays an intimate adagio with the most feminine of all flowers: the rose.
The success of diptyque candles illuminated a new direction for the founders to pursue: eau de toilette. diptyque eau de toilette are inspired by memories of scents from the trios’ childhoods, world travels and garden estates.
- 1968 - 1986
- 1988 - 1999
- 2000 - 2003
- 2005 - 2010
The Iconic Label
- Distinctive and Elegant
- diptyque scented candles and fragrances are like no others. The same is true for the iconic labels designed by painter and illustrator, Desmond Knox-Leet.
- Personal and Unforgettable
- Taken from sketchbooks filled with his drawings, each label captures a place, a scent, a memory of a partner’s personal history. A childhood growing up in Vietnam. A garden estate in Normandy. A summer spent in Greece.
- Traditional and Modern
- The powerful relationship between black and white lines conveys an image before the first reading of the word. The oval, a completely timeless concept that transcends fashion, is equally at home in a traditional space as a modern one.
Going Global
Since opening the original diptyque store at 34 boulevard Saint Germain in Paris in 1961, more than just our reputation has grown. Today, you can find diptyque stores in exclusive locations around the globe. While nothing can ever equal the intoxicating experience of visiting our fragrance-filled stores, you can satisfy your craving for all things diptyque by visiting one of our store locations or by shopping online.
- France
- St Germain, Paris
Galleries Lafayette, Paris
Francs Bourgeois, Paris
Printemps, Paris - USA
- San Francisco, California
Bleecker Street, New York
Madison Avenue, New York - England
- Westbourne Grove, London
Marylebone, London
Brook Street, London - Middle East
- Dubai, UAE
Doha, Qatar
New Collections
Baume Généreux pour les Mains
Luxurious Hand Balm in Apricot
In the 9th century Cordoba, Spain, the golden age of the Omayyad dynasty, the Emir’s palace furnishings––even the floors—were splashed with scented waters.
Gelée Lactée
Creamy Body Wash in Olive Flower and Bay Laurel
Travel back to Aleppo, Syria, where the first hard-milled soaps were fashioned and the art of body care was born.
Huiles Précieuses
Precious Bath & Body Oils in Iris
In Renaissance Italy, Florentine tanners perfumed leather gloves with the scent of iris. Our iris-scented body oil is for the modern day Medici.
Lait Frais
Fresh Body Lotion in Orange Blossom
Ancient birthplace of the bath, perfumed creams and scented oils. Cleopatra returned to Alexandria, Egypt, on a ship with perfumed sails.
Crème Riche
Rich Body Butter in Turkish Rose
In ancient Byzantium, luxurious bathing was a part of everyday life. Thermal baths were lavishly decorated with columns, sculptures and mosaics.
Exfoliate
Smoothing Body Polish
Sumptuous, rich, regenerating. This body polish gently exfoliates, leaving the skin perfectly soft. Pomegranate seed oil acts as an emollient, making skin silky and supple.
Restore
Velvet Hand Lotion
Flush, enveloping, beneficial.
This airy light lotion pampers the hands, wrapping them in sheer comfort. Immortelle floral water restores and protects them.
Cleanse
Softening Hand Wash
Mild, soothing, repairing. This liquid soap gently cleanses and nourishes the hands. Lavender floral water purifies and comforts the skin.
Inspired by our founder’s travels around the Mediterranean, The Art of Body Care Collection inspired use of woodsy and citrus scents from legendary cities. The Art of Body Care will inspire your own daily body care ritual. A justifiable indulgence – paraben, silicone and DEA free each in a different woodsy or citrus scent made for layering.
Recognition
Being recognized by the fragrance industry is rewarding. Being honored by fashion and design magazines is humbling. But it is the loyalty of diptyque devotees that matters most.
“Best Impression Award”
Japanese UOMO Magazine, 2009
diptyque Cologne: L’Eau de Tarocco
“Grand Prix Du Parfum”
Marie-Claire Fragrance Foundation 2009
diptyque Cologne Collection:
L’Eau de L’Eau, L’Eau de Néroli, and L’Eau des Hespérides
“Editors’ Top Choice Award”
Marie-Claire Magazine, 2008
diptyque Cologne
“Packaging Design”
I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review 2009
diptyque Travel Spray