Diptyque – Bois Cire (Waxed Wood) and Cuir (Leather) Candles v. Feu de Bois and Vanille – Reviews

Diptque’s Bois Cire and Cuir are limited edition candles this season, exclusive to Diptyque’s boutiques. I think they’ve all sold out in stores and probably online at the Diptyque boutique. I managed to snag them though, and I’ll tell you what I think. (Try ebay for Bois Cire and Cuir.)

I’ll compare and contrast these two LE’s to Vanille and Feu De Bois (find Feu de Bois 6.5 oz 2.4 oz, and 10.2 oz, here, and Vanille 6.5 oz and 2.4 oz here). These are my favorite Diptyque Woody/ Warm/ Spicy candles. (Note, Diptyque separates Woody from Spicy. Vanille is “Spicy” and the others are “Woody.” However I think they all really go together so I will review them in one post.)

(I’ll also review florals and fruity together in another post because those also go together in my mind.)

Below: Limited Edition – Diptyque Cuir Candle (“Leather”)

Out of the box, Cuir did not smell like the masculine, smokey fragrance I was expecting from Diptyque’s description: “This candle evokes the scent of tanned leather with birch bark, characteristic note of Cuir de Russie. Its scent is perfect for an office.” Instead of leathery, it was sweet and almost floral. I don’t know off hand how Birch bark smells, but if it’s sweet then this may be a good dupe. Cuir also had an unmistakably “clean” final note which I just cannot place. It smelled almost like a household product (but not in a chemical or gross way).

As I burned it I mentally connected some similarities between Cuir and Bois Cire.  Bois Cire is described as providing g the “welcoming ambiance of a freshly waxed library floor.” Bois Cire had the same top notes of a sweet (and in Bois Cire’s case, sourish) type of smell. However Bois Cire did not smell like a library or any the other old University buildings I’ve spent years in. Instead it was much more cloying and simply waxy, without the wood smell.

In sum, neither Cuir nor Bois Cire  hit a home run with me. I was expecting to fall madly into a “Limited Edition Romance” with these scents, and I would pine away (pun intended) until they were released again. But unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I only wished I was smelling Feu De Bois or Vanille instead of Cuir or Bois Cire.

Below: Limited Edition – Diptyque Bois Cire Candle (“Waxed Wood”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below: The candle loves of my life? – the perfect, unmistakable, iconic Diptyque Feu de Bois Candle (“Firewood”) in a Limited Edition colored glass, 10.2 oz jar, and Diptyque Vanille Candle (“Vanilla”) in a standard jar.

If you haven’t met Feu De Bois, I’m afraid you need to go do it now! I can only tell you that it’s out of this world. It’s very reminiscent of a smokey and sweet burning fire of pine. It’s surely unisex. It’s wonderful. It’s never out of place and the smell never shocks me or catches me off guard. I don’t have to try to like it. It’s just perfect.

As for Vanille, she’s a bit more heady. The scent is sweet with a twist into the spicy or woody area, but that keeps her from being sickly sweet. This vanilla is not your Bath and Body Works vanilla. This is not your “smells like a bakery” vanilla. This is barely even gourmand. This is just … wonderful!

So, what should we burn next?

Your comments are welcomed and encouraged!

-JGG