Denmark and India are two very different countries. In fact, I am hard pressed to imagine two countries with less in common. This is probably why, being half Danish and half Indian, I tend to notice the very few occasions when they share something. On a recent trip to India, in the garden of the house that used to belong to my grandparents, I was enchanted to see a whole wall covered with fragrant sweet pea flowers. I was enchanted not only because of their wonderful colors and fragrance, but also because as a child spending summers in Denmark, my most vivid fragrance recollection is that of sweet peas as well. They grew profusely in my Danish grandparents' garden and thrive in the mild Danish summer climate, while limiting their life span in India to the (very) early spring before the summer heat sets in.

The warm round floral tones of sweet peas in the sun remains one of my favorite fragrances, and so I had high hopes for Diptyque's Pois de Senteur (Sweet Pea) candle. Diptyque promises to use only natural fragrances in their candles, and I was hoping to find in wax form the true scent of sweet pea as many of us have nostalgic memories of it: cut and loosely gathered into a small bouquet placed somewhere inside the house to herald early summer.

The Pois de Senteur candle started out with a rather light, almost tart floral, more reminiscent of lily of the valley than of sweet pea. It lacked depth, and had a significantly greener (almost lemony) component than any sweet pea I recall. After about 15 minutes, a bit more warmth started to emerge and there was one elusive moment where I encountered a full taste of glorious sweet pea. This floral accord was warm, inviting and almost encircling with its nectary sweetness. But it didn't last, and the scent went back to a sheer white floral with occasional soapy overtones. There were hints of peony as well. Also lovely, also summery, just not sweet pea.

Overall, the candle seemed more aptly termed 'early summer flowers' than sweet pea. I did not detect any citrus notes. Perhaps it is composed of a blend of the delicate flowers which make their appearance this time of year, and so it is a nice seasonal candle but I did not find it as true to form as I generally find Diptyque to be.

The burn was clean, but the throw was unusually weak for this particular brand (I can only burn the Diptyque Jasmin candle for 15 minutes at a time before it becomes overwhelming). Overall, I would say this is one of my least favorite Diptyque candles, partly because I can't consistently find the sweet pea in it, and partly because the throw is unimpressive. That being said, it is still a pretty floral candle, and the subtle throw may be more suitable than a dramatic one for some situations.

The Diptyque Pois de Senteur candle is $48 for 6.5 oz. For buying information, see the listing for Diptyque under Perfume Houses.