The Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier candle is the closest thing I have found to standing in a garden center on a lazy afternoon, and it manages that without a trace of sugar.
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I love to spend lazy afternoons wandering aimlessly through our local garden center. Acres of trees, flowers and plants scattered around like the most beautiful eye candy. Warm sun, fresh air and a soft breeze caressing me as I drink it in slowly, in quiet peace.
This past summer I remember passing by the fig trees. I didn’t realized what they were at first. Their natural scent called out to me before I even saw them. I recognized that fresh, green scent and went in search to see what had my sense of smell perked. I looked over at the awkward trees. Stalks barley thicker than my thumb. Gigantic, floppy leaves like elephant ears overwhelming the stick-like structure. I was surprised that a leaf could crate such a clean and strong fragrance.
The Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier fragrance is that day in candle form. Fresh nature exuding a delicious scent. Clean, pure and relaxing. It’s a big green scent, as big as the leaves on the tiny fig trees. I love the way Herve Gambs candles burn. The wax liquefies to create the most clear wax pool softly glowing though the milky white glass. This is a great background fragrance.
Do you have fig trees in your yard? Does the fragrance change when the tree bares fruit? I almost bought the trees so I could have this amazing scent in my yard.
Fig leaf is not fig fruit
People hear fig and think of jam, but the leaf smells nothing like that. It is green, a little milky and faintly woody, with something almost like fresh-cut stems. That is the smell I caught at the garden center before I knew what I was looking at.
It surprised me that a single leaf could smell so clean and strong. Stand near a fig tree on a warm day and the whole plant seems to breathe out.
If you want to see the plant itself, the Wikipedia entry for the common fig has photos of those big floppy leaves.
Many fig fragrances in candles blend leaf with fruit, wood or a creamy, coconut-like softness. I cannot say exactly how this maker built theirs, and the maker’s page is the place to look. What I can tell you is that the green part is what I smell first and last.
Tell me what leaf or herb is your own favorite smell. Mine is anything I can rub between my fingers.
The Essence de Figuier candle takes its name from the French word for fig tree, and the green leaf is the star.
Burning the Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier candle
One reason I love this brand is how the candles burn. The wax melts into a clear pool that glows softly through the milky white glass, so the candle looks good even when you are not thinking about the scent.
For a first burn, let the pool reach the edge before you blow it out. That helps prevent a tunnel down the middle. Trim the wick short before each lighting, and keep the candle away from drafts.
A steady flame matters with a fragrance this green. A flickering one burns hotter and uneven, and delicate notes are the first to suffer.
I also like what the glass does. Milky white diffuses the flame so the glow reads as soft rather than sharp. In a dim room the Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier candle looks like a small lantern made of milk.
The Essence de Figuier candle sits in milky white glass that makes the flame look soft.
A background fragrance
I called it a background scent and I stand by that. It does not demand attention. It sits behind a conversation, a book or a pot of tea and keeps the air feeling clean.
Kitchens, sunrooms and bathrooms are the rooms I would try first. The Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier candle is also a good answer for people who find florals too perfumey but still want something that smells alive.
For exact notes, check the maker’s page. I am describing how it smells to me and not quoting a formula.
Because the scent is fresh and quiet, it suits people who are sensitive to heavy perfume. Start with one hour in a room and see how you feel. If you want more, burn it longer next time rather than moving to a bigger candle right away.
Seasonally, I think of it as a late spring through early fall candle, though nothing stops you burning it in January when you want a reminder of warm weather. A green scent in winter is a small kindness.
I reach for the Essence de Figuier candle when I want calm and not a performance.
Pairing and next steps
If green is your thing, the Carrière Frères Santalum Album candle offers a warmer, woodier contrast. For something zestier, read about fresh orange candles.
Green scents also pair well with white linen, open windows and spring cleaning. I would not layer this one with a heavy sweet candle. Let it have its own room and its own afternoon.
And if you have a fig tree in the yard, let me know whether the smell changes when it fruits. I am still tempted to buy one.
The Herve Gambs Essence de Figuier candle also makes a thoughtful gift for a gardener, since it echoes the garden without competing with the real thing. Add a good pair of pruning shears and you have a present with a story.
Green fragrances also reward a clean room. Open a window for a few minutes before you light it, and the first breath of the candle will smell like a garden after rain.
Gift the Essence de Figuier candle to someone who loves plants.
The Essence de Figuier candle is also a good first step into green fragrances.
That, in short, is essence de figuier candle, and I stand by it.
Come back and tell us how essence de figuier candle worked for you.
