Guerlain Turned Its Viral Vanilla Perfume Into a Matching Candle—And I'm Obsessed
Both my apartment and I smell like old money now.
There are a few things that I do that I objectively find very chic. I have a pink Drowsy sleep mask that matches my favorite night gown. I’ve committed to a daily LED mask routine. I even have a signature red lipstick. However, I recently started matching my perfume with my home fragrance, and I have unlocked a new level of boujee that I didn’t even know existed.
While I typically gravitate toward candles and perfumes that share similar notes, a recent pre-bedtime scroll made me realize Guerlain had already done all the heavy lifting for those of us who like to partake in this indulgent little practice. For context, I’ve been a big fan of the maison for a while now, and the brand’s Les Eaux line continues to be some of my most reached-for formulas. The house has scents that run the full gamut of the olfactive spectrum, from smoky, honey gourmands to sultry, heady leathers.
That said, Guerlain also carries a magical, somewhat lesser-known line, simply called the signature extraits, or “Les Extraits Signature.” The collection centers on extrait perfume interpretations of some of Guerlain’s most iconic notes, such as vanilla, iris, bergamot, rose, tonka bean, and jasmine. Because the line has been so well-received, the brand recently launched candles with the same notes as the perfumes. See where I’m going here?
There are a total of six extrait perfumes in this collection and nine candles in the home fragrance line. Each extrait de parfum has a matching candle for all six options. I’ve recently managed to get my hands on a few of duos and, well, I’ll let you keep reading for the rest. At the end of this, you might suddenly find yourself on the brand’s website with a rather hefty shopping cart. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The Scents
Ariel Baker testing the Vanille Planifolia perfume.
It's the perfume heard around the world: Vanille Planifolia. Often hailed as the perfect vanilla fragrance, it has gone viral countless times, so you’ve likely heard of it by now. Still, I would like to reiterate that it is, in fact, incredible. This is the vanilla, and nothing else that I’ve ever tried even comes close. The notes include bergamot, pink pepper, Madagascar vanilla planifolia, rose, Opoponax, and musk (and that’s not even all of them). The result? A scent that is warm, a little resinous, and honestly, very expensive-smelling, which tracks because the fragrances from this collection cost almost 700 dollars each.
I was also able to get Rose Centifolia, and I have to be honest: It’s the best rose perfume I have ever smelled. If you’ve read any of my work, then you’re already likely aware that florals aren't typically my jam. This one, however? Heavenly. The notes are centifolia rose absolute, patchouli, frankincense, and amber, and it’s like the brand took the entirety of the flower, from the petals to the stem, and even all the way down to the soil it’s planted in, and turned it into a fragrance. The result is a scent that is soft to the point of almost feeling ethereal, grounding, and somehow also very fresh—literally like smelling a full rose garden on a perfectly sunny (but not oppressively hot) day.
The Candles
Ariel Baker holding Guerlain's Vanille Planifolia candle before lighting it.
The same notes that are in each perfume are in the candles, and just like the extraits, the sillage (or, in this case, throw) is immaculate. One single candle fills my entire one-bedroom apartment with fragrance, and the best part? You can choose the vessel that your candle comes in. There are six colorways to choose from, based on your personal taste in home decor (I personally went with Linden Blanc, which is a white and gold combination), but if you want to take things even a step further, you can also match your vessel with the color you think your fragrance embodies. I will be getting my hands on the Pompadour Rose vase for my rose-scented candle, and I just know that I’ll be unstoppable when I have on my pink night gown and sleep mask, and have my pink, rose-scented candle burning.
In addition, the candle vessels are reusable, and the scented wax itself is sold as a refill that you can pop into each holder and burn. This means that when your favorite candle is done, you can either repurchase the refill to keep enjoying your custom combination or use the jar as a very chic container for all your makeup brushes or little bits and bobs. Yes, I know everyone says to reuse your candle jars all the time, but I promise this is one you’ll actually want to keep around and use as decor—they’re that gorgeous.
The Takeaway
In all, this is a level of classy that I didn’t even know existed, and it absolutely is going to become my new norm. Having a signature scent is one thing, and having one for your home is another. And having those two fragrances be the same scent? That just screams “I have my life together.” That may be the farthest thing from the truth in my case, but smelling like it feels like the next best thing (and a win is a win, right?!).
The brand also offers the Exceptional Set, which includes sample sizes of all six perfumes in the collection, so you can test them at your leisure before buying full-size. My advice? Locate the nearest boutique, spa, or retailer that carries the brand, go in person, and play. The world of Guerlain is a beautiful place, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll be leaving with more than just a bottle of perfume, especially if you’re a true lover of haute perfumerie.
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