Sunset, spice, and a hint of fig – Diptyque’s 34 is travel in a spritz

There’s something about Paris in spring – the uneven cobblestones, the glint of sun off café glasses, and the air, somehow perfumed with promise.

Diptyque’s 34 Boulevard Saint Germain bottles that ambience, capturing not just the scent of a boutique, but a mood: of strolling without aim, of charming encounters, of afternoons that slip into night far too easily.

It opens with leafy blackcurrant and a touch of fig – sun-dappled and just juicy enough to make you smile. Then comes the heart: rose with a cheeky flicker of clove and cinnamon, like a knowing wink across a crowded room. The base is where it settles in for the long haul: rich woods, soft resins, and a whisper of incense that clings like the memory of your favourite travel fling.

For an eau de toilette, it’s surprisingly persistent. Expect compliments well into cocktail hour, with a soft scent trail that doesn’t shout but entices. It wears beautifully on warm skin, even better after a dip in the Mediterranean or a breezy Vespa ride through town.

Tried and Tested Tested in Lisbon, Marrakech, and a particularly decadent rooftop bar in Rome, it never felt out of place. It’s the scent equivalent of linen trousers and bare shoulders, confident, relaxed, a little bit sultry. It doesn’t demand attention; it invites it.