I first smelled Diptyque’s Figuier on a cold grey October afternoon at a friend’s weekend home, as we prepared tea and sat down for a major catch up session. I left feeling cheered by not only the conversation, but also by the lovely warm scent that had permeated the living room by the time I left.
Warmth could be seen as a contradiction in this scented candle that is described by Diptyque as coming “from the crushed leaves of the fig tree….slightly fruity, but mostly green”, but nonetheless, it is there. The same perfume essence that is used in the beloved Philosykos scent is used in this candle and it has strong notes of fig leaf sap, but I did not detect any of the cedar or musk notes found in Philosykos — this is a fairly monochromatic scent. It is touted as one of the top sellers of Diptyque’s well known candle line and I’m not surprised, as the green, slightly woody, sappy warmth is an easy going addition to any atmosphere, pleasing to both men and women…
The year is almost over. For those lucky souls who live in the moment, or who look ahead with hope and excitement, this time of year can be joyous. I’m the sort who glances back at the about-to-end year, who thinks of the good things the year brought and the things it took away. For me, New Year’s Day is always a pensive time, but in my last post of 2006, I’d like to keep things light, or should I say pink, and eulogize a frivolous thing: a candle. 
Is there a room in your house with “bad breath” — a stuffy attic or closet, a damp basement, or maybe a hallway where the dogs sleep, or the nook where the litter box is kept? Even an entire house can suffer from architectural halitosis: a mountain cabin or beach house that’s been closed for months has a stale, musty smell. We’ve all entered a hotel room, inhaled too deeply, and smelled yesterday’s cigarettes and coffee, the previous guests’ hairspray or perfume that’s permeated the carpets, curtains, upholstery.