The Story of Cire Trudon

Lighting up the hallways and boudoirs of the monarchy, Cire Trudon’s flames flickered in both Versailles and the Imperial Court during Napoleon’s reign. Thanks to the Sun King and the Little General, this candle company managed to survive not only the French Revolution, but also the miracle of electricity and is still around today.

Opening his grocery and candle shop on the infamous Rue Saint-Honoré in 1643, Claude Trudon used beeswax to manufacture his

wares. Referring to the bees, his motto “Deo regique laborant” translates as “They work for God and the King.”

Painstakingly nurtured, the wax is treated with the utmost care, before being exposed to intense sunlight to produce the brightest, whitest result. These splutter free, long lasting candles had French aristocracy swooning and King Louis himself quickly became a number one fan.

Now installed on the Left Bank in Paris, this ancestral empire has workshops in Normandy, producing a vast collection of covetable goodies in an array of olfactory families, sizes and shapes.

These include scented wax cameos, elegant taper candles in handsome shades, and candles in the shape of busts of historic personages.

Quintessentially French elements are evi- dent in every detail. The handcrafted glass is reminiscent of champagne buckets, while off the wall notes like cigar smoke, mossy walls and hay make for clever concoctions, wrought by renowned perfumers.

As well as candles, there are diffusers, room sprays, and gift sets, and scented matches that are so pretty, you may never want to strike them. Cire Trudon is exclusive to WORLD in New Zealand.