Diptyque’s Holiday Candle Is the Perfect Gift For That Impossible-to-Buy-For Person on Your List
SHOP $72, diptyque.com
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There is a moment every year (usually around now) when I look at my calendar and think, "Oh shit! I forgot to get [insert name here] a gift!" It feels like there are hundreds of people to get presents for, and even more reasons to give them, yet fewer and fewer minutes to actually procure them. Why isn’t there something out there that would be perfect for literally anyone on my list?
I was now years old when it finally clicked for me. Yes, there is a perfect gift, and it has arrived from my dreams in the form of the 2019 Diptyque holiday candle. Okay, there are actually three Diptyque holiday candles, but I’m specifically talking about the “Lucky Flowers” flavor because it is perfect in every way. Here’s why.
It smells incredible.
The Lucky Flowers candle smells like an intoxicating wild shrub or a kind of tea that might get you stoned or an exceedingly expensive floral arrangement or maybe a secret spice mix passed down through generations. It’s hard to pin down except that it smells pretty freaking amazing. Notes of rose mixed with clove and anise give it a genderless quality that smells good to anyone with a nose. Best of all, it’s warm and cozy enough to make it seasonally appropriate, but zesty and herbal enough to not be weird if you burned it in July.
SHOP $72, diptyque.com
It says 'holiday,' but not in an annoying way.
We all have that uncle who gets drunk and starts ranting about non-denominational Starbucks cups and the War on Christmas. He’s a jerk, but he has one thing right—getting a holiday gift for someone without knowing their religious or spiritual practices can be sincerely stressful. That’s the good thing about this candle: it says “holiday” without hitting you over the head with a Christmas tree (and it's not a cop-out like buying someone a Chili’s gift card). The red vessel is festive enough for your grandma to burn it next to her nativity scene, but the painted-looking multicultural luck symbols keep your atheist cousin from rolling his eyes.
It checks all the boxes.
The theme of this year’s Diptyque holiday collection is "wishes," and this candle certainly grants mine: for no one on my list to be disappointed. The brand says luck will come to anyone that lights this candle, which your astrology-obsessed friend will be into. At $72 a pop, it’s expensive enough to really impress your mother-in-law (she’ll definitely Google it once you leave), but not so expensive to make your boss think you’re sucking up. It’s something everyone from your sibling to girlfriend to neighbor to personal trainer would be stoked to get. If someone in your life cares anything about candles or fragrance, it will make their eyes light up at first glimpse, plus it’s limited-edition enough to impress even the most discerning label hound. Not to mention, it’s the ideal gift for anyone you forgot to shop for because it’s just unexpected enough to look thoughtful. So, does a perfect gift exist? You’re looking at it. My only gripe is that Diptyque doesn’t take bulk orders.
SHOP $72, diptyque.com
Prop styling by Miako Katoh
Photography by Tim Mulcare
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