Fragrances Boutique

We’ll be back on Sunday. Sorry, make that Monday — we’re still recovering. See you tomorrow!

Note: image is christmas cactus by anee.baba at flickr; some rights reserved.

This will be the last in the 2009 series of holiday gift posts. If you’re still shopping and missed any of the earlier entries, here they are: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 (budget gifts), part 5, part 6 (for men), part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10.

Before anyone hyperventilates (and I nearly did when I saw the one in the center), these are NOT perfume bottles. They’re limited edition porcelain figurines from Lanvin, to celebrate the brand’s 120 anniversary…

From By Kilian, the Edition Artistique de Carole Midy. The limited edition set includes a box and refillable bottle with the By Kilian fragrance of your choice. The set was designed by Carole Midy of Pietra Dura and features onyx and hematite cabochons. Available at Bon Marché in France, 1000€…

From Kenzo, two Matryoshka dolls: at left, with a miniature bottle of L’Eau Par Kenzo Pour Femme, available at the US Kenzo website with purchases of $50 or more using coupon code 09GIFT, from December 8 – 14 only. At right, a doll with Kenzo Winter Flowers, available at Harrods in the UK for £46.50…

From Juicy Couture, candles in lily, tuberose or fig (there’s also a pink one with honeysuckle). $48 each at Saks Fifth Avenue…

For me, Christmas should smell like my childhood holidays; it should smell like dessert. My family’s stove was in near-constant use from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day and at least half of its output was sweets. My grandmother, with her arms of steel (she kneaded dough twice a day — all year round — so we could have fresh bread for lunch and dinner), would mix, chop, shave, dice, grate, squeeze and roll her way through pounds of flour, sugar, butter, lard, chocolate, nuts, fruits and spices; her creations would scent the house. Whenever I smell molasses, allspice, nutmeg, or ginger, I think “Christmas!” It’s a wonder I’m not the size of a house since I spent my childhood feasting on cakes, puddings, pies, candy, cookies and jams. But as much as I love to gorge on (and smell) sweets, I dislike perfumes, candles and room sprays with a pronounced “dessert” theme. I’d much rather smell gingerbread baking in the oven than the scent of “gingerbread” emanating from a candle.

To fragrance my home during the holidays, I turn to another favorite category of “Christmas” scents: evergreens…

From Tauer Perfumes, limited edition handmade Thuja wood treasure chests from Morocco, containing 50 ml bottles of Le Maroc Pour Elle or L’air du Désert Marocain. 135 or 130 Swiss Francs respectively, available directly from Tauer Perfumes…

From Fresh, a limited edition soap trio in Frankincense (”an earthy scent, full of woodsy notes and a hint of exotic incense”), Myrrh (”an uplifting, fruity scent with wild berry notes inspired by the forest”) and Gold (”a warm, soft fragrance that evokes the shimmer of precious metal in sunlight”). Three 250g bars, $45…

A repeat of a poll from last year, inspired by the holiday gift articles. Here’s the three-part poll:

What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?

Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?

Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?

My answers…

From Narciso Rodriguez, Essence in a limited edition (200 were produced) set with a 1 liter mirrored bottle plus a 10 ml refillable purse spray. 1400€ at Sephora in France. Or Cartier Roadster in a limited edition black bottle, £61 for 100 ml at Harrods…

According to market research company The NPD Group, Inc., its annual survey of consumers’ holiday spending intentions shows one in five (19%) consumers told NPD “they plan to buy fragrance” as a gift this upcoming holiday season, a two point increase from last year.

— From Fragrance On the Rise for Holiday 2009 at Happi.

Ten gift ideas under $50:

From Gianni Rose, 4 pear-shaped soaps: “Enjoy the scent of freshly picked pairs [sic] with these 4 French-milled soaps, enriched with moisture-rich buttermilk and exfoliating oatmeal.” $33 at Caswell Massey…

From Christian Dior, J’Adore in a limited edition collector bottle: “The Amphora bottle was created in 1947 for Dior’s very first fragrance, Miss Dior. The exquisite bottle was made from Baccarat crystal and originally designed by Fernand Guerycolas. The new Amphora will be presented in a luxurious case, with each one individually handmade and numbered from one to ten making it a truly unique collector’s item.” At Selfridges in London, size, price and concentration unknown…

Indie line Smell Bent has launched a limited edition collection for holiday 2009:

Père Noël Coward ~ “a portrait of the dandy in winter”, with sweet immortelle, atlas cedar, balsam fir and pinõn sap…

From Diptyque’s Holiday 2009 collection, the (gorgeous) Benjoin candle: “Its smokey note of benzoin gives off a mysterious yet warm and cozy aroma.” The design is inspired by wycinanki, the Polish folk art paper cutouts. $65 for 190g at Aedes…

From Thierry Mugler, Angel Collector Superstar Eau de Parfum (above left): “A 38mm Swarovski crystal is delicately poised, dangling at the center of the bottle as a reflection of prestige and beauty. More than 250 gleaming Swarovski crystals surround the jewel…”