Cire Trudon is the oldest candlemaker in the world – the company was founded in 1643 and later became the Royal Wax Manufacturer in France. And though over centuries Cire Trudon has been built upon tradition, this season they’ve collaborated outside their own doors for the very first time.
The brand tapped Arquiste fragrance maker Carlos Huber to develop a new scent for their iconic candle that is delightfully pungent and reminiscent of exotic far away places. In Huber’s case the far away place was Mérida, in Mexico’s Yucatan, a destination that inspired his sweet scent for Cire Trudon. Huber told DuJour, “I was visiting an artist’s house there, and when I went to the back there was a tall guava tree that had an incredible and unforgettable smell to it.” The strong smell of the fruit was, “overwhelming in such a wonderful way,” he explained, “it was vibrant and juicy and really captured the idea of being on holiday somewhere wonderful.” Although guava is at the root of the scent, Huber added that “the notes here are actually the entire spectrum of the tree, so you are getting the bark, the foliage, the blossoms and the ripe fruit all at once.”
While Huber has his own story of discovering the Mérida smell, it was also important for him to tie in a bit of history to the candle, as both Arquiste and Cire Trudon are both companies deeply rooted in the past. He began to research the Francophile period in Mexican history, and discovered that his encounter with the guava tree was similar to one that Empress Charlotte once had in the Yucatan while writing a letter to her husband Maximilian. “The empress described the guava tree she was sitting under on a beautiful night while penning her letter, and the backyard and the house and I thought, that’s my tree, that’s my tale.” Huber continued, “that night she was also going to a celebration with fireworks in her honor, so I wanted to incorporate a hint of that gunpowder, burning paper smell as well to round out the story.”
With the woody, fruity detail of the notes and the strong historical narrative behind the Mérida candle, there is a charming synergy between the Cire Trudon heritage and Huber’s incredible expertise. To burn this wax down is to sit under that same guava tree, take in the happy smell and indulge in a little springtime joy.
Cire Trudon Merida Candle is available from Barneys.com for $90.
