Diptyque's Tilleul Candle

Diptyque Tuillel Candle
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Diptyque Tuillel Candle
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Diptyque Tuillel Candle
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Diptyque Tuillel Candle
Diptyque Tuillel Candle
Diptyque Tuillel Candle
Diptyque Tuillel Candle
Diptyque Tuillel Candle
Diptyque Tuillel Candle

Did you know that if you accidentally squirt lime juice on yourself, in, say, a misguided hair-lightening experiment during spring break in the Dominican Republic, said lime juice-d skin might become discolored (splotchy, brown) when exposed to direct sunlight? I learned that the hard way, and have since handled the citrus fruit carefully. Eyed them warily. Squeezed with caution.

I do not take such precautionary measures when selecting a scented candle. I am, in fact, a candle salesperson’s worst nightmare, or dream come true, depending on the salesperson. Unlike a perfume, which needs to be sprayed to be enjoyed, you can manhandle dozens of candles and walk away without physically smelling like a sum of their parts. It was after I’d touched and inquired about five-shelves-worth of candles at Diptyque's Bleecker Street boutique last summer that I lifted up, triumphant, Tilleul. “Oh, yes—that’s lime blossom,” the salesperson offered, exhausted. Well, crap. But it smelled…different from all of the others, and not like citrus (besides the aforementioned skin-stain, I’ve just never leaned toward fruity scents).

A year later, I am now on what must be my fifteenth 6.5 oz Tilleul. Here I thought I’d finally come around to limes, those tricky bastards, when a glance at the bottom of a fresh package led me to the words: “ Tilleul, Linden Tree.” Which led me to Wikipedia, which told me that “Tilia” is in fact a tree, commonly referred to as a “lime tree' in the British Isles, and that these trees are NOT closely related to the lime fruit. It turns out the reason I love Tilleul is the same reason I love Byredo’s Accord Oud and Le Labo’s Rose 31: wood. Unlike patchouli, sandalwood, or other oud-heavy fragrances, Tilleul produces a sweetly subtle, not quite floral, lingering-but-not-cloying smell that accomplishes a great space-scenting feat: it accentuates a room without dominating it or announcing itself at all.

Oh, and it won’t stain your skin.

—Emily Weiss