Through his scented candles, Aurélien Guichard captures the raw beauty of the brand’s signature materials. Five scents, five creations, an invitation to discover a natural material in abundance within an object designed to fragrance the home.
The scented candle, MATIERE PREMIERE style
At MATIERE PREMIERE, the scented candle evokes a natural material as it expresses itself at a precise moment in its life cycle, from cultivation to processing. Aurélien Guichard, the brand’s Founder and Perfumer, sums it up as follows: creating candles that smell of the material itself, rather than of the candle. A direct approach to home fragrance.
Each creation embodies the character of an ingredient captured in its terroir. Rose de Mai evokes the fresh, petal-filled Centifolia rose, covered in dew on a harvest morning in Aurélien Guichard’s fields in the Grasse region. Encens Oman conjures up the woody, smoky resin of freshly harvested tears, at the foot of the trees beneath the desert sun. Fragrances conceived as olfactory encounters, raw notes that transform the atmosphere of a room from the very first flame.
A perfumer-grower, from field to bottle
Aurélien Guichard is the only Perfumer in the world to grow his own ingredients. In his Ecocert-certified fields in the Grasse region of France, he plants and harvests the flowers used in his creations. A story of family, the land and expertise. The Centifolia rose used in the ‘Rose de Mai Grasse’ candle and the tuberose in the ‘Tuberose Grasse’ candle are extracted from flowers grown by the Guichard family. Sandalwood, saffron, frankincense – each ingredient is selected for its unique intensity, then used in generous quantities to ensure it stands out in the scent.
Handcrafted in France, drawing on exceptional expertise
The art of MATIERE PREMIERE’s luxury scented candles is based on a seamless process, from field to flame. The fragrance concentrates are formulated to the same exacting standards as the Maison’s eaux de parfum. The wax is poured by hand in small batches in the workshops. The artisans add the concentrates at the final weighing stage to preserve the olfactory quality of the essences. Creating a candle is also an art of perfumery.
The Bohemian crystal glass is flame-polished, then hand-lacquered on the inside. Each candle is a high-end, semi-artisanal product, from the selection of flowers to the application of the label. This expertise is evident in the strength of the design, the angles of the glass and the grace of the flame.
A formula containing over 85% natural ingredients
The candles are formulated with 95 per cent natural wax. The 100% cotton wick is BC-Cotton certified. Each 220 g candle offers a burn time of approximately 50 hours, with a long-lasting fragrance that fills every room in the Maison. The formulations are vegan, phthalate-free and contain no artificial colourings.
Natural wax promotes a gradual diffusion of scents and an olfactory experience true to the raw material. When essential oils are added in excessive quantities, they create a scent trail that closely resembles the raw material in its natural state. The Bohemian crystal, flame-polished and hand-lacquered, makes the container a decorative object in its own right, a source of both light and fragrance. The bottle serves a purpose beyond that of a mere container: it contributes to the sensory pleasure every time the candle is lit.
The scented candle collection
The collection comprises five creations, each centred around an iconic ingredient:
- Rose de Mai Grasse, the Centifolia rose from Grasse, petal-filled and radiant on the morning of harvest day.
- Tubereuse Grasse, the scent of the tuberose fields in Grasse, floral and enveloping, balancing softness and character.
- Encens Oman, freshly harvested resin ‘tears’ from the desert, with notes of wood and smoke. A contemplative atmosphere.
- Santal Australia, Australian sandalwood reduced to powder in its first steam bath, creamy and woody like vegetable leather, an invitation to travel.
- Saffron Kozani: the three precious Greek saffron stigmas plucked from the heart of crocus flowers, a spicy and luminous scent, balancing warmth and subtlety.
The choice depends on your mood, olfactory preferences and the atmosphere you wish to create. This selection extends the Maison’s world of ingredients into a format designed for the home, crafted with the same care as the eaux de parfum.
A gift idea and a home ritual
Giving a luxury MATIERE PREMIERE scented candle is like giving a journey through the senses: the feel of Bohemian crystal, the light of the flame, the scent of the material. The design is understated, with a black label and a clear jar. Everything is designed to let the material speak for itself. A touch of natural quality at the heart of your home.
When lit indoors, the candle expresses the raw beauty of the material in a whole new way. The scent fills the room, creating an atmosphere that complements a dinner, a read or an evening in.
Getting the most out of your candle
When using it for the first time, allow the wax to melt across the entire surface. This initial full burn ensures even diffusion thereafter. Trimming the wick slightly between each use maintains a steady flame. The longer you let your candle burn, the more the 95% natural wax will return to a flat surface. The candle looks good in any room. Once burnt down, the Bohemian crystal glass remains a beautiful decorative object in keeping with the home’s design.
