The 57-year-old French perfumer opens its first store in our garden city.
The 57-year-old French perfumer opens its first store in our garden city.
The ever-busy crowd at Takashimaya melts away when you enter the Diptyque boutique, whose warm wood tones and powdery scents create an inviting ambience. The 423sqf space is also an ode to the brand’s biggest muse: nature. Slabs of Indian Forest Green marble clad the walls and counter, while lush foliage wraps a brass pergola, framing a two-seat alcove where tete-a-tetes over notes and noses are to be had.
Nature is in all of Diptyque’s scents, from the dark berry and rose combination in L’Ombre dans l’Eau to the fig tree of Philosykos. This idea came about when the founding trio – interior designer Christiane Gautrot, painter Desmond Knox-Leet, and theatre director and set designer Yves Coueslant – decided to translate their love for discovery, travel and eclectic objects into scents. Today, the brand has branched out from perfumes and candles to scented objects and skincare products, all of which – in this boutique – sit alongside curios like clay jars and agate stands.
The opening coincides with the 50th anniversary of Diptyque’s first eau de toilette, named L’Eau (water in French), and the launch of two invigorating scents. Fleur de Peau is a floral scent made up of musk, iris and pink peppercorn, while Tempo is a woody fragrance with hints of patchouli and clary sage. And exclusive to the Singapore store are three scented candles: the spicy Cinnamon and Tea, as well as floral Hawthorn, which you won’t find at retailers such as Escentials and Tangs.
Don’t leave the store empty handed: We have our eye on elegant handcrafted glass globes, as well as the large, five-wick 34 Boulevard Saint Germain candle to scent the home. If you’re buying a gift, you can have it wrapped at the counter, too.
Diptyque is located at #B1-33A Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City.
The founding trio initially set out to design fabrics, explaining the brand’s sharp eye for prints, such as on this marble-look candleholder.
