Diptyque Tubereuse Candle

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld wisely noted that certain smells remind us of home and for her the scent of the Diptyque Tubéreuse Candle always makes her feel as if she is back in Paris with her parents. Carine Roitfeld prefers the scent of tubéreuse (or in English, "tuberose") and burns the Diptyque candles in her home constantly.

It is no wonder that tubéreuse is La Roitfeld's favorite scent as it is one of the most costly ingredients used in blending perfumes. The tubéreuse is a white flower native to Mexico and unusual in that it deploys its heady fragrance at dusk. Described as beguiling, captivating, intoxicating, sensual, intense, enchanting, exotic, tubéreuse does indeed sound like the smell that epitomizes Carine...

The candles by Diptyque are also on par with the Roitfeld standard of quality: the wax is a natural vegetable and paraffin formula custom blended to complement the scent of tubéreuse and distributed properly so that the candle burns evenly. The cotton, lead-free wick is placed into each glass and straightened and trimmed by hand. Talk about white glove treatment! With care, the Diptyque candles will burn for 50 to 60 hours on average so enjoy the essence of Carine while it lasts...

Diptyque Tubereuse Candle image courtesy of diptyqueparis.com.
Tuberose photographs courtesy of candlefind.com and shapingyouth.org.

Saint Petersburg

Though Carine Roitfeld was raised in bourgeois Paris, she is actually half Russian because her father, Jacques, was born in Russia. "My family name is Vladimirovna. My father was a film producer who worked in Berlin before he came to Paris and met my mother, who was a very classic French woman. She was the chichest mother at school. My father had a huge influence on me. He was sort of a fantasist, a very charming hero, an idol to me," says Carine and she has never put her Russian heritage on the shelf. Besides giving her two children names with Russian roots (Julia and Vladimir), she visits Saint Petersburg regularly to keep in touch with her history. "I love, love, love Saint Petersburg," La Roitfeld exclaims with passion. Asked to name what she loves most about Mother Russia, here is what makes this czarina smile:

1. Dostoevsky
2. Horseradish vodka (Polish vodka is nothing compared to it)
3. Very hot black tea with no milk and some jam under the tongue to sweeten it
4. The churches
5. The classical ballet dancer

 Carine Roitfeld in Saint Petersburg images © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Update on mardi 23 mars 2010 by kellina

Timely as ever, Derek Blasberg provides a photograph of the Restoin-Roitfeld children, Julia and Vladimir, impersonating Russian peasants!

Julia and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld photograph courtesy of style.com.

Christian Restoin

To say that Christian Restoin is elusive is a giant understatement. It is more likely to find a photograph of the hermetically sealed Martin Margiela than Carine Roitfeld's baby daddy. Though he and Carine have been partners for thirty years, they are not technically married. Why not? Because Carine, being superstitious (and practical), reasons that this way they will never divorce. Christian, affectionately known as Sisley, formerly owned the apparel company Equipment. Since Carine's phenomenal success in recent years, he has become a stay-at-home paramour which just may make him the world's luckiest man! Now if only we could get some gossip about him...

Christian Restoin photograph courtesy of fashionologie.com
Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Christian Restoin photograph courtesy of theshoegoddess.com