Fab Find of the Week: Baobab Orientalist Collection
Confession: we’d never visited Baobab’s Marylebone High Street store until quite recently, and it rather blew our minds (and noses – although that doesn’t sound quite right!)
For background, this Belgian brand takes its inspo from different regions of Africa. Their candle vessels are quite fah-bu-lous, from tortoiseshell to silver and gold, a sort of ‘Saharan sand dunes’ vibe, Sacred Trees (that’s the name of a particular fragrance and design) – many, many of them.
The range we were really there to explore was the new Orientalist Collection, which pushed our buttons for several reasons. First, the designs; taking their cue from the landscape of Morocco, the vases – for that’s what they become, after the candle’s flickered its last – are astounding. The honestly weird thing is they look lit from within, as if there’s already a candle burning inside – yet actually, it’s opaque porcelain. Clever, clever stuff.
We also like that 5% of the sales of the candles and diffusers in the Orientalist Collection are going to a charity that works to educate girls and young women in remote areas of Morocco.
If we start with Essaouira, the pink candle (below), this is the most feminine and floral scent, fusing almond blossom with hyacinth and lily – soft, like the pink.
Skoura (pictured at the bottom of this article) is, we’re told, a tribute to the largest palm grove in Morocco, green with palm trees, with kasbahs and alleyways to explore – one of the country’s great joys. This one blend sweet amber with cedar and incense, a real exotic magic carpet ride of a scent.
Our main visual, at the top of the page, is of our personal favourite of the three scents, meanwhile, Koutobia, adorbed with a visual of an architectural landmark in Marrakech which dates back to the 12th century, the Koutoubia mosque. The scent inside? A sophisticated swirl of leather, cedar and incense.
All the candles come in four sizes (you can see the comparison below, with Skoura), including GINORMOUS (they call it ‘Max 35’, and this one comes in at over 10 kilos!) The smallest, meanwhile, is about just about four inches tall, and weights 1.3 kilos.
Goes without saying: these would make fabulous gifts – for a friend who’s a scent lover, an interiors fan or who simply has a warm heart.
Essaouira/from £95 to £500 – buy here
Skoura/from £95 to £500 – buy here
All four sizes of the Baobab Orientalist Collection – Skoura pictured
