Le Cherche Midi This Fall

My nose is doing the Bewitched twitch... I think it got a tad overworked today between all the Le Cherche Midi's, Japanese Koh and Indian teas (more on those last two later). Do I complain? No! This is fantastic because I love, love smelling new things.

Despite popping into Le Cherche Midi's store on the island of Nantucket it just dawned on me that the candles and scents I now have are from the same company. The clever Casino Royal look of the fragrances (where each scent has but a color and number for its moniker) is in stark contrast to the homey Nantucket store* I encountered. Even further away are the origins of the perfume house—the Left Bank of Paris.

Something else curious is the way Le Cherche Midi offers each scent in various forms for the home and the skin. The real clincher is the lovely reusable wooden boxes that the scents come in and simple look of the candles themselves which can make them perfect for giving. After smelling their entire line here are my favorite picks, all of which are perfect for your Fall (Autumn!) and holiday rotation:

20: My immediate reaction was somber darkness, deeply masculine with just enough lemon to keep it from going too low. It's described as being a blend of Armoise, Bergamot, Lemon Zest, Black Pepper, Rose Water, Soft Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Dark Amber.

57 (an exclusive for Bergdorf Goodman): This is quintessential Christmas personified in scent! Green with enough spice to make it perfect for greeting guests on a cold winters fête. It includes notes of White Tea, Rhubarb Leaves, Pink Laurel, Cherry Blossom, Casablanca Lily, Cyclamen, Vetíver, Amber Crème, White Moss Vanilla.

CT | 01: (a collaboration with designers Costello Tagliapietra) Earthy and herbaceous with a glimmer of citrus tea... like a holiday pomander (despite it being likened by Le Cherche Midi as being on a summer beach). This would be perfect in the kitchen along with the hot mulled apple cider you're brewing. It's described as being a blend of Sicilian Bergamot, Sage, Lavender, Freesia, Mint, Oakmoss, Driftwood, White Amber, Sand Musk.

09: Can we say delicious real slow and drawn out? This scent in very moody and deep in a warm way with Tobacco, Leather and Vanilla mingling together for something very mens club. It's said to include Lemon Meringue, Lily of the Valley, Night Blooming Jasmine, Whipped Lavender Crème, Patchouli, Soft Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla Absolute. This scent is thoroughly addicting.

Signature: This is one of the scents found in Le Cherche Midi's Nantucket store and while the packaging reflects more of the breezy, weathered nature of the island the scent is very much in keeping with all of their scents... very, very masculine and deep with musky woods. Incredible throw as well so I keep it in small doses (and, the sacrilege... mix it with lavender).

While these scents are not designated to either sex, I find them all to be very classic por homme, with most being even too masculine for me to wear. For the home it might be much the same except for the two citrus laden scents I mentioned above. These also might be a tad hard to give as they really need to be sniffed individually unlike Jonathan Adler's Muse candles for instance which I've found pretty universally loved scent wise. Le Cherche Midi are much more complex and heavy on the woods which is why I'm saving them for when the temperature really drops. From $50. to $39.

Image: Le Cherche Midi

Editor note: Nathan Motylinski, owner of Le Cherche Midi, personally let me know that the Nantucket store is a separate entity now hence the contrast in aesthetics. Nathan Motylinski and Alex Mehfar re-branded Le Cherche Midi in 2006 into what it is today. For more on this see the great piece / video by Candles Off Main TV.

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