One thing about me is that I’m a sucker for an Aldi candle, and this Sunday you’ll catch me stalking the middle aisle looking for their latest offerings, which are said to be a dead ringer for cult designer candle brand Diptyque.
Landing in stores on Sunday (12 October), Aldi’s Hotel Collection Classic Ceramic Candles are an almost perfect match for one of the best scented candles you can buy on the market - the Diptyque Figuier Scented Candle (£58 at Selfridges).
At £6.99, Aldi is once again providing affordable alternatives to some of our favourite designer brands. But how do the two compare?
Choose from three stunning fragrances, all designed to create a warm and cosy ambience this autumn. Opt for rose & clove for to create a festive feeling, Sweet Iris for for a lighter floral note and Fig Tree if you want something earthy and fresh.
While Aldi's candle scents are closest to the Figuier candle, in terms of looks, they are most similar to the iconic 34 Boulevard Saint Germain ceramic candle, which has notes of moss, spices and blackcurrant.
Diptyque has long been known for creating stunning fragrances paired with chic style. They’re the ultimate cool-girl candle and a favourite amongst the Ideal Home team. So much so, many of the team are guilty of reusing the candle jars as make-up tool holders, pencil pots or trinket holders around their home.
My one qualm when it comes to Diptyque candles is the designer price tag that comes with them. And while this means I often look to scoop Diptyque candles up at TK Maxx, I’m always on the lookout for worthy, cheaper alternatives.
Enter Aldi and their new Hotel Collection Classic Ceramic Candles. Available in three scents, Sweet Iris, Rose & Clove, and Fig Tree, and offering a 49-hour burn time, these candles are a bargain when you consider the £6.99 price tag.
Most notable is the white ceramic vessel, which looks incredibly similar to the French brand’s packaging. Diptyque sell their candles in both glass vessels and ceramic vessels; and the ceramic versions will set you back almost £170. However, a Diptyque candle burns for a lot longer, with 50 hours for the classic candle and a mighty 90 hours for the large ceramic candles.
'Diptyque candles are among my favourites! It's a brand loved as much for the aesthetic of the candles as much as the lovely scents. And you'll always be able to spot at least one Diptyque candle in any stylish person's home, I guarantee it,’ says Sara Hesikova, Ideal Home’s room decor editor.
‘The Figuier candle is among the brand's most popular scents and it's one of my favourites too as its fig fragrance is not too heavy but not too light either, blending a sort of earthy, gourmand sweetness with freshness.'
Now I haven’t smelt Aldi’s new Fig Tree ceramic candle, so I can’t confirm or deny how closely it smells to the Figuier candle, but what I will say is that Aldi fragrances haven’t let me down before. In fact, Aldi’s Hotel Collection reed diffuser is rated as one of Ideal Home’s best reed diffusers.
My main issue with Aldi candles is that they can tunnel, but if you know how to fix candle tunnelling, this isn’t too much of an issue.
If you can't make it to Aldi this week, here are a few more scents we can't get enough of this autumn.
The Winter Candle is a popular choice for good reason. It has notes of Cinnamon, Clove and Orange, making it the perfect choice to acompany cosy evenings.
I adore WoodWick's vanilla scented candles as they fill my home with the sweet scent. Plus, it's crackling wick only adds to the cosiness.
If you love William Morris then you'll love this candle. It has notes of bergamot, forest pine, cedar, sandalwood and patchouli for a warm, woody blend.
I’m really excited about this new product launch and plan to try out Aldi’s new Fig Tree fragrance in particular. What about you?
