A Night of Wax and Gold: Diptyque crowns Sapin as the holiday main event

I didn’t expect Diptyque to gamble on restraint for the holidays, but here we are. The 2025 collection lands next week under the cinematic title A Night of Wax and Gold, and instead of the usual festive trio, the brand is making one bold bet on Sapin. One candle to scent December. Brave or boring. I’m leaning brave.

If you’ve ever snapped a fir twig just to smell your fingers afterward, Sapin is your season. Think crisp needles, resin still warm under winter sun, a touch of wood that cuts clean through indoor heat. Pine can go cheap very quickly. Diptyque rarely does cheap. The name alone promises that luminous, varnished take on the forest that makes a room feel taller.

The lineup is simple and, frankly, elegant:

• Gold glass in 70g for €44
• Gold glass in 190g for €74
• Gold speckled ceramic in 1.5 kg for €350

That 1.5 kg ceramic is the conversation piece. It’s the candle equivalent of an evening gown, and the price behaves accordingly. If you host, or if the ritual of striking a match is your winter sport, it will earn its keep. For most of us, the 190g is the sweet spot. The 70g is the smart test drive or a gift that reads considered rather than perfunctory.

What I like about this move is the edit. No peppermint detours, no spiced-orange side quests. We get a single, focused mood told in gold and green. It feels grown, almost old-world, like a Christmas carol sung a cappella because the melody stands on its own.

Will a lone pine carry the season. If the burn is clean and the throw lands just right, yes. A tight, resinous Sapin can cut through party fog, perfume the quiet morning after, and make even a tiny hallway feel like a night walk. I’ll be watching how the gold glass glows in low light and whether the ceramic warms evenly. Practical matters, but the magic is in those details.

Holiday candle fatigue is real. A single, confident Sapin from Diptyque feels like an antidote. One story, told well, in wax and gold.