Perfume Diary: Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Eau de Toilette

Monday, February 3, 2014

Ah, Diptyque. I have more fragrances from this Parisian line than any other perfume house and there's a good reason for that. Diptyque's fragrances are wonderfully complex and tend to be worn quite easily by both genders.

34 Boulevard Saint Germain EdT is one of my newer acquisitions, I managed to participate in a split a trio of travel sprays last year and snagged a 12ml bottle. Described by Diptyque as having a "chypre backbone", spices, a heart of soft floral and sultry wood notes all harmonize together to create this fragrance. 34 has a lot going for it but also a lot going on at the same time.

34 reminds me of a spice market, but in slow motion. Hear me out. What should be a chaotic, bustling, busy experience is suddenly a leisurely walk. Instead of many bodies jostling about, you are free to stroll between stalls and dip your hands into the tumbling sacks of spices. You grasp cloves and cinnamon bark in your hands, but are distracted by cardamon and sift it through your fingers like sand. A flower vendor is near by and absently you pluck roses, irises and geranium from among the floral displays. With this stolen bouquet firmly in your hand, you pause to admire a cart full of wood carvings from fragrant woods. Small figurines chiseled into cedar and small intricate fans cut from sandalwood are among the wares, as are small decorative lockets filled with resin.

Longevity: 6+ hours for me

Silliage: moderate

I truly love 34, from start to finish. One of my favorite uses is to lightly spritz 34 before wearing Diptyque Tam Dao EdP, to liven and sweeten that super woodsy scent. 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Eau de Toilette is $100 for 50ml and $135 for a 100ml bottle.

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