Diptyque Pine Bark Dupes?

A few weeks ago, I purchased a mini candle from Diptyque's holiday collection and proceeded to fall in love with it. The candle in question was the limited edition Pine Bark (otherwise known as Ecorce de Pin) and I knew almost immediately that I had found a new favorite. 

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This candle just smells absolutely beautiful - a fresh Christmas tree that is just perfect for the season. Diptyque always manages to do complex scents, and I quite like to describe this one as "Christmas tree in my pretty smelling fancy house." Haha!

Now I know not everyone can splurge on a Diptyque candle - I can barely bring myself to buy them without a good promo - so I went on the hunt for wallet friendly alternatives. Plus, we all need something for when the limited edition Diptyque Pine Bark is no longer available... So here goes!

First up are two very affordable options from Bath & Body Works. Available in a variety of sizes (mini, medium, mason jar, and 3-wick) there is always a sale going for their candles that make these extra affordable. I got both of these for $10 during a sale last week! 

Fresh Balsam smells like a fresh tree, and smells most like Diptyque Pine Bark in the jar. While the Diptyque disperses scent quite well almost immediately, this one does take a bit of time for the scent to emerge. It is not as complex, but I quite like the Christmas tree aroma. Evergreen, on the other hand, smells like a pine tree with a bit of fire and sweetness. I find this scent to be a bit artificial, but less so than other Bath & Body Works scents. Like Fresh Balsam, it takes quite some time for the scent to disperse around the room. 

My picks are a pair of candles I picked up at Anthropologie, Capri Blue Fir & Firewood and Good Nature Balsam Cedar. While pretty different from Diptyque Pine Bark, they are pretty stellar picks in my book. They offer a sophisticated and complex aroma at a much more reasonable price, and Aspen Bay's Capri Blue candles are probably my favorites in terms of burn time, quality, and overall value for money. (Their Volcano candle has been a favorite for years!)

Capri Blue Fir & Firewood and Good Nature Balsam Cedar both have a mix of pine, wood, and fiery aromas. It is hard to describe their scents, but I love them both. Even if they don't smell like Diptyque Pine Bark, they definitely give off a similar feel. All in all, I don't think any of these measure up to Diptyque, but they are reasonable replacements to give you the same general feel. 

Have you tried Diptyque Pine Bark or any of these possible dupes? Would you splurge on Diptyque or choose one of these more affordable options? I'd love to know! 

P.S. I am contemplating doing a similar post on dupes for DIptyque Feu de Bois. Let me know if I should! 

His & Hers: Diptyque 34 L'Eau Du Trente-Quatre

In the last few months, Diptyque released a new variation of their classic 34 scent. This lighter variation, L'Eau Du Trente-Quatre, is a nice fresh blend. I wasn't in love with the scent on myself, and as we were shopping for scents for my fiance, this one caught his eye. Read on for his review!  

It has been a while since I used a new fragrance on a regular basis, about two years actually. I typically select a cologne and stay with it until it runs out, the most recent resident cologne for me was John Varvatos Artisan. Artisan proved to be consistently pleasant for daily wear, but was nothing special, and was an all around very timid and conservative scent. 

My philosophy of fragrance selection is rather simple, I will select a fragrance that is subtle  and without any blaring tones of spice or scents that are reminiscent of a men's locker room after one has fought the war on body odor with a can of Axe body spray. If the fragrance is subtle and provides a comfortable scent I am typically open to all sorts of scent profiles and varieties. 

After an admirable olfactory odyssey to many department store fragrance counters and boutique fragrance shops I concluded that one of the most appealing fragrances I encountered was Diptyque 34, which is what I've been wearing for about a month now. 

To be as succinct as possible of my description of 34 I would say the scent is clean with mellow tones of wood, and I find the scent to be relaxing and luxurious. I noticed that Diptyque markets this fragrance to be used by both men and women, and I would agree this to be accurate, nothing about the scent pushes it towards masculinity or femininity in the order of scents. Its an all around enjoyable scent that both men and women should consider.

Have you tried Diptyque L'Eau Du Trente-Quatre? Do you have a favorite unisex scent? :) We'd love to know!

Added to the Wishlist: Diptyque

I've been seriously contemplating Diptyque's lineup over these last few weeks and added a few things to my neverending wishlist...

I'm super curious to sniff the new limited edition Mina Perhonen candles, but they seem to be an online only option at the moment. In collaboration with Japanese designer Akira Minagawa, these candles seem quite pretty (Oh how I love Diptyque's scent descriptions!) The woodsy Infini, delicate Ciel, and floral Joie all sound heavenly. Now the question is, which would I choose? 

The latest addition to Diptyque's scent selection is the floral Eau Moheli. I've sniffed this a few times now, and while it is pretty, I'm just not in love with it once it is on me. I'm also super curious to check out the Baies Room Spray, as I love anything that can scent a room and perhaps I can spritz it on linens too...  

I'm also adding L'Ombre dans L'eau, the Eau de Parfum version, to my wishlist, and playing around with samples of the bath & body options. (Did you know Diptyque makes TWO oils and TWO hand creams? I sure didn't!) 

Now it is definitely time for me to stalk the DIptyque boutique in San Francisco this weekend...! 

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