Despite its close proximity to Oxford Street, you’ll actually find the best little shops just around the corner from The Marylebone. Marylebone High Street is blessed with a high concentration of quirky retailers, selling the best of high quality, unique produce. In this series, we take a look at some of the best shops you can find in the area.

Cire Trudon is the oldest candle shop in the world. Founded in 1643 in Paris, Claude Trudon created candles designed to light parishes and homes. They illuminated Versailles in the early days of Louis XIV reign and were even found in the chambers of Marie Antoinette.

In 2007, the company became a specialist in perfumed candles. Renowned ‘Noses’ are enlisted to hone and perfect the candles, all of which are still dipped and made by hand.

The tiny shop on Chiltern Street feels like a Parisian hideaway, lavishly decorated with the candles lining the walls. You’re not met by an overwhelming wall of aroma – rather, by the tinkling of a bell and an unexpectedly odourless room.

The candles are hidden underneath glass domes, which serve two purposes. Firstly, they protect the collection of candles from overpowering the nose, but secondly, they provide a dome of scent for you to experience the perfume of the candle. Instead of smelling the candle itself, you put your nose in the dome, to experience the scents that have been developing within.

A Cire Trudon assistant will be extremely helpful when it comes to browsing the candles, as the scents are as unusual as the names. Forget your typical varieties of scented candle – the blends on offer are far from everyday.

One of the most popular blends is the Ernesto, an intoxicating mix of leather and tobacco. The lines are strongly influenced by the history of the brand, and you can feel this in candles like the Spiritus Sancti. This incense rich scent feels like walking the aisles of an ancient church.

Abd el Kader is another popular choice, inspired by Moroccan mint tea with strong notes of ginger. One of the oldest on offer is Solis Rex, inspired by the palace of Versailles, designed to emulate the scent of their wooden floors.

Whether you have a favourite scent already or want to discover a new perfume that will entrance anyone who walks into your home, it’s likely Cire Trudon will have the candle for you.

Cire Trudon is on 36 Chiltern Street, a five-minute walk from The Marylebone.