David Sedaris said that one of the best bits of advice you can give to a young person is that there only two brands of scented candle worth buying - Diptyque and Trudon. I was given a Trudon one this year, and I know he is right. I have experienced the Dipytique ones too.
They are extremely expensive because they are made with proper perfume which has been blended by real parfumiers with real noses. Having said that, there are machines around these days which sample and recreate expensive perfumes to produce rip-off versions which are almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing and sold at a fraction of the cost. What is more, they do not break any laws of copyright, so that so long as they do not use the same names they are legal to buy and sell. I don't know how I feel about that, but if I was in the business I think I would be quite pissed off.
The high-end market has always relied on snobbery and elitism though. There are many ordinary people who are not very wealthy and save up for years to buy a genuine, 'cheaper' £5,000 Rolex watch, just for the name. The sort of fake watches which are sold by Nigerians in Italy are only bought by people with no sense of dignity, and I know many watch enthusiasts who could not show their face in polite society again if they were to be spotted wearing a fake.
I could have been the sort of person to become obsessed with expensive watches, but I trained myself out of it. About 20 years ago I finally settled on one very good watch which cost me £70 (now worth £150 and rising) and I love it. It is a tough and elegant CWC Nato watch and keeps as good time as any Rolex. I saw a famous brand equivalent in a jewellers shop window the other day and it was £10,500.
A friend of mine used to be a housekeeper for a Saudi family living in Egypt years ago. Her job was to look after the children and generally clear up behind them. One Christmas they pulled their crackers after dinner and a top-end Rolex fell out of each one. They wore them for half an hour and then threw them on the bathroom floor for my friend to tidy away.
I was given three large scented candles this year, but have been re-gifting them because of my asthma and the fact that we have a pet bird. I'd probably do the same even if they were expensive (they're not) since air quality in the house is a concern. The only candles I burn are either unscented or plain beeswax. I love the mild sweet scent of beeswax.
ReplyDeletePeople as rich and wasteful as the family you describe are disgusting.
I like beeswax ones too. I buy candles from a company (beeswax blend) who supply all the churches and cathedrals in England. They burn well.
DeleteI'm not sure that I agree about the candles ...... as long as the fragrance goes right through and not just sprayed around the edges, you can get some really lovely ones that you don't have to re mortgage your house for. I am also a bit iffy about some { not all } designer brands.You see many who have saved and saved for something and yet look very ordinary.You can't teach style .... you've either got it or you haven't regardless of how much you spend on something. You can look good in something very inexpensive. I personally think that many are a rip off and would much prefer to get something well made, individual and something that not many others have .... I wouldn't give you tuppence for a designer handbag .... many look really tacky to me. It's not an envious thing ..... I guess I like to be different and a bit quirky and individual. I'm not criticising ......It's just me !!!! Sorry .... rant over !!! That Saudi family scenario shows how obscene some with £££££'s can be XXXX
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about tacky designer brands. Lalique make some things which are hideous. You need to speak to H.I. about clothing and handbags. She is a seriously gifted expert. I bought her an Armani jacket from eBay (she spotted it) which was about £2,000 for £30 before Christmas. Amazing bargain.
DeleteI know that H.I. is very stylish and has that je ne sais quoi ..... I, too, have bought things from eBay for a song .... it's all about knowing what to buy isn't it and also, knowing ones style. I know I have things that cost a bit more but have had them for years and they still look good. I am sure that H.I. has as well. XXXX
DeleteShe used to wear designer clothes when she was art college.
DeleteI buy only unscented candles and have not experienced the high end candles you speak of. I'd probably be fine with a natural soft/subtle scent. I do like the presentation of your Christmas candle. Some people throw tons of money at things and they are no better off. For them, it is all about possessions. Are they any happier or better off individually? I think not or maybe only temporarily from the high of their purchase.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I can't shed any light on this.
ReplyDeleteAny scent?
DeleteWhere I currently live, no fire, no candles. I even was admonished by mgmt for keeping a straw platter on my electric stove's glass top. I do not use the stove, ever, and requested it be decommissioned to accommodate my straw tray. But no, there was the potential of someone throwing the breaker back on. Sigh. Makes me want to burn a beeswax candle.
ReplyDeleteMy excellent Swiss watch, a graduation present, was stolen. My last watch.
I've spied the Dipytique candles in some of the finer homes we've cleaned windows in. That's probably the closest I'll come to such a candle, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI was turned onto them by step-daughter. I found an expensive one in a charity shop once. About £100 worth for £3.
DeleteI always think that people who wear hugely expensive watches are just asking for trouble!
ReplyDeleteI think it depends where you wear them.
DeleteI really think that the more money you have the less you appreciate the things that money can buy. Rolex watches littering the bathroom floor just reinforces that thinking.
ReplyDeleteMost Saudis never had to work, but that is probably going to chnge.
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