Fragrances Boutique

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

The new bottle for Guerlain Shalimar, designed by Jade Jagger (yes, daughter of Mick and Bianca) and due to launch in September. It will be available in 30, 50 and 90 ml Eau de Parfum, and in a limited edition 20 ml Extrait version…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Marc Jacobs, Daisy in the Pop Art Edition, due to launch in August…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Loewe, Quizás, Quizás, Quizás in the Colección Matador edition, inspired by the brand’s Matador Collection scarf. In 100 ml Eau de Toilette…

Lately there’s been a wave of magazine and newspaper features discussing the rise of the solid perfume “trend.” Of course, solid perfumes have been around since ancient Egypt, and they were revived in the twentieth century through the efforts of Molinard, Estee Lauder, and Avon (to name just a few examples), but it does seem that more and more companies are offering solid fragrances right now. I’ll admit that I haven’t tried very many solids, other than a cherished Youth Dew “cameo” compact and some wonderful Crazylibellule and the Poppies Crazysticks. I’m generally more of a “spritzer.” However, the new perfume palettes from Love, Me Scents caught my eye. They’re packaged in sturdy little cardboard “books,” similar to the makeup palettes sold by companies like Too Faced and The Balm, and the one called In the Garden has a Klimt-inspired cover design, embossed with gold ink. I can’t recall any other company releasing a solid perfume palette, except Sonia Kashuk for Target, and I’ve never been able to find those in person.

Each Love, Me palette includes three scents, a card with suggestions for layering the fragrances, and some mood-setting text…

If you still need to come up with a gift for Mother’s Day, you’re running out of time! Here are a few more scented gift ideas:

From Laduree, scented candles in Caramel au beurre salé…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

Due to launch in May, new limited edition items for Annick Goutal Petite Cherie will include an Eau de Toilette with a polka dot ribbon, a rollerball, and the adorable solid perfume compact shown above…

From Caswell Massey, a fragrance brought back from the archives: Casma, “A bold fragrance that’s bound to turn heads. We’ve taken the scents of rose, jasmine and magnolia petals and touched them with vanilla and silken musk to create a unique fragrance that’s sophisticated and oh-so-feminine.” Shown here in bar soap (3 bars for $18) or talc (3.5 oz for $12)…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Diesel, a collector edition of Only The Brave launching in conjunction with the Iron Man 2 movie. In 75 ml Eau de Toilette, it will be available in April for $67.50…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Cacharel, the “Jellies” collection: 20 ml atomizers of Noa, Anais Anais, Scarlett, Amor Amor y Amor Amor Tentation…

Leslie Blodgett of Bare Escentuals has launched Golden Light, a new fragrance in her limited edition Perfume Diaries series (see Perfume Diaries Bare Skin and Santa Barbara).

Like sunshine in a bottle, this bright and happy scent…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Hermès, Terre d’Hermès in a limited edition 100 ml Eau de Toilette decorated with an H. €76.50…

I’ve never referred to myself as a “chocoholic.” I enjoy chocolate, but I’m an equal-opportunity sweets lover, and I’m usually more likely to seek out cookies or ice cream or a really good piece of apple pie than a cocoa-based dessert. Today, however, I rounded off my lunch with a slab of chocolate cake. I think the last long weeks of winter have finally gotten to me. In this spirit of unexpected cravings, I’ve rounded up a handful of chocolate-fragrance body products for your delectation.

I’m fond of Villainess’ vaguely steampunk aesthetic, not to mention its range of unusual scents. Its Dulces en Fuego (“fire candies”) blend mixes cocoa with cinnamon and black pepper and a touch of musk. The dense, sugar-based Smooch! Warming Body Scrub actually does seem to give off heat when it’s first applied to the skin, and the matching Dulces en Fuego soap (shown above) looks dangerously dark before it foams. The scent of Dulces en Fuego reminds me of the tiny cups of rich, spiced “Aztec” chocolate served at Mariebelle in New York, although it probably doesn’t taste as good…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Estee Lauder, a solid perfume pendant in the Bronze Goddess fragrance…

Roxana Illuminated Perfume has launched “the second tier” in their series of natural chocolate perfumes (see the first set here):

Figure 7: Pétales ~ “The classic combination of Chocolate and Roses…”

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Annick Goutal, Ninféo Mio (above left) in a limited edition butterfly bottle “which bears images of the Garden of Ninfa, the breathtaking locale from which the fragrance takes its name”. £150 for 100 ml Eau de Toilette at Harrods in the UK…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Estee Lauder, the Sensuous Collector’s Edition with bulb atomizer…

Artemisia Natural Perfume has introduced two new fragrances, Ondine and Rayon Vert:

Ondine (shown) ~ “Cool and soothing, the essence of water. Essences of narcissus and myrrh and sweet kewda attar relax the senses and unlock memories of river, lake and pond.”

Rayon Vert ~ “Deep green moss, wet roots, dark licorice. Intricate mosaic of scents…”

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Jean Paul Gaultier, Le Mâle in “The iconic Le Male Gaultier bottle, with original scent, stars in a comic book-inspired story as Super Le Male…”

Leslie Blodgett of Bare Escentuals has launched the second fragrance in her limited edition Perfume Diaries series (see vol 1, Perfume Diaries Bare Skin), Santa Barbara:

Picture yourself sipping a cool drink on the pier…

Roxana Illuminated Perfume has launched six new natural chocolate perfumes in solid format, and plans to release more before Valentine’s Day:

A decadent and sensual delight for the senses has been debuted by Roxana Illuminated Perfume…

I recently complained about fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One that disappoint me when they rely so heavily on predictable gimmicks of celebrity, sex appeal, and the status of a designer label (often to the neglect of the perfume itself). Companies like Crazylibellule and the Poppies, on the other hand, delight me when they present their fragrances with some light-hearted and allusive story-telling, an interest in the connection between scent and memory, and the reminder that you can wear fragrance just to please yourself.

The Les Bâtons de Parfum collection from Crazylibelulle is positioned (and priced) as a higher-end range, and its three scents are thematically linked with three times of the day. The Bâtons are twice the size of Crazylibellule’s core collections, the Crazysticks (10 grams, rather than 5 grams), and they’re packaged in nicely weighted metal tubes that close with a satisfying clicking sound, like high-end lipsticks. Their perfume solids are very slightly pearlized, to leave the faintest trace of shimmer on the skin…

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From David Yurman, David Yurman Eau de Parfum in the Luxury Jewel Case edition…

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€…

My guess is that most obsessive perfume samplers have the equivalent of Robin’s purgatory basket. As someone who suffers from chronic indecision, I have a large collection of scents I just can’t decide whether I like or not, separated into a series of elegant “snack-sized” plastic freezer bags. Every couple of months I retrieve all of these baggies and place them on my bed, along with two larger plastic tubs, which house, respectively, fragrances in the current rotation (scents in good standing) and samples that I see every couple of months when I perform this ritual (the tub of no return). I spread the contents of the purgatory bags over my duvet and begin picking through the vials and atomizers, sorting them into piles: judgement rendered, cult favorites that need one more try, scents that have somehow eluded skin-testing. Like Robin, I always end up with a pile of scents that stubbornly resist categorization and tubbing. As my spouse looks on with bafflement and mild disapproval, I return these fragrances to the twilight, limbo land of the snack bag.

The firmer, sterner souls among you probably agree with my husband. With multiple new fragrances being launched every single day, why does anyone bother trying to puzzle out their complicated relationship with one? Well, my problem is that I often prefer the interesting to the simply likable…