The rich and royal heritage of French candle maker Cire Trudon is woven through with quintessential elements of Parisian history. The clean-burning white candles once lit the courts of Versailles in the time of Louis the XIV and lined the infamous boudoir of Marie Antoinette. A Trudon candle was the single gift given by Napoleon at the birth of his son. Revived in 2007, the Cire Trudon brand is staying true to its storied reputation for quality and creating candles you have to smell to believe. Cire Trudon GM, Julien Pruvost, fills us in on the ins and outs of the luxury brand’s inner workings.

The Chalkboard Mag: Cire Trudone has such a fascinating history. Is it the traditions that come from Trudon’s long history that inspire the candle’s pure and all-natural ingredients?

Julien Pruvost: “Yes, candles used to be made of 100% beeswax. We would not be able to make scented candles in 100% beeswax for obvious reasons so we have blended some of the best available ingredients in order to guarantee the best possible burn and olfactory experience.”

TCM: Tell us a little about the process that goes into making a Cire Trudone candle.

JP: “All our ingredients come from traceable sources and are kept in solid form in a tempered warehouse to avoid any alteration and waste.
The wax is melted overnight and the fragrances and added in the morning right before the pouring. It is a 100% manual process; extreme care is given to each product. The candles are poured, the wicks are straightened and the surface smoothed out. All wicks are made out of 100% pure cotton and are perfectly centered and glued to the bottom of each jar. This holds the wax in place and guaranties a quality burn.”

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TCM: Tell us a little about the inspiration behind some of CTs famed scents. The descriptions are quite fascinating. Which is the oldest?

JP: “Each scent tells us a bit of the Cire Trudon history and French history, since the company lived through the centuries. The Cire Trudon scents try to capture spaces and times reminiscent of strong feelings and powerful imagery. If by ‘oldest’ you mean the first scent to be created, that would be Solis Rex (Roi Soleil).”

TCM: What are the 3 most popular candles and which is your favorite scent?

JP: “The three most popular are Ernesto, Abd el Kader and Roi Soleil. My personal favorites these days are Spiritus Sancti and Chandernagor.”

TCM: Another scented item you make are the Stink Bombs. Tell us about these fun and unusual perfumes and what inspired their creation!

JP: “The Stink Bombs come in most scents from the line (Ernesto, Odalisque, Roi Soleil, Spiritus Sancti, Nazareth, Abd el Kader). They
are called stink bombs because they are made exactly the way real stink bombs are made, except that they contain marvelous scents instead of stinking liquid. A stink bomb consists in a little fine glass vial in which the liquid is entrapped. Once you break it, it’s stench or perfume in this case is released in the atmosphere. Stink bombs are a popular prank among naughty French children. I remember having to evacuate a classroom in 6th grade when a child broke a few on the floor during class. He was dismissed for several days after that! (The Stink Bombs are discontinued and only a few are left in the US I think.)”