Guerlain captures its six signature scents in wax

From wrists to necks, Guerlain has added scent to pulse points for almost two centuries. The French heritage brand was founded in 1828, when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain, a chemist and perfumer, opened his first boutique Paris’ on rue de Rivoli. Following generations were to cement the Guerlain family name within modern perfumery, authoring fragrances such as Jicky - a unisex scent released in 1889 that is notable for its use of synthetic molecules – Shalimar, Samsara and the 1959 Guerlain Vétiver, a masculine best-seller.

And throughout, six raw materials proved pivotal in defining what Guerlain smells like. Notes of bergamot, jasmine, iris, vanilla, rose and tonka bean are listed in many of the company’s formulations. They make up the so-called Guerlinade, a secret concoction – or concorde – that since its introduction in 1921 by Jacques Guerlain has united a number of Guerlain creations. It’s there in Jicky and in Shalimar, in L’Heure Bleu and also in more recent launches such as Mon Guerlain.

This year, Guerlain pays further tribute to this sextet of scents by introducing a line of candles as an extension of its prestige L'Art & La Matière collection. The bee has long been a Guerlain mascot; here, highest-quality beeswax is perfumed and contained within two-tone, mix-and-match jars, which are refillable.

Blended by the brand’s perfumer creation director Delphine Jelk, among the offering is Iris Pallida (iris butter, musk and almond), the jasmine, strawberry and candied apricot Jasmin Grandiflorum and Rose Centifolia, a mix of May roses, patchouli and frankincense. Each L'Art & La Matière Guerlain candle can be engraved with initials or a personal message.