Posted by Robin
on
18 December 2011
The 8th and last of our 2011 series of holiday gift posts. Today’s focus: budget gifts and stocking stuffers, listed in order of price (low to high).
If you missed them, here are links to part 1 (scented body products), part 2 (travel sizes & coffrets), part 3 (more travel sizes & coffrets), part 4 (home fragrance), part 5 (men’s fragrance), part 6 (solid perfumes) and part 7 (luxury).
If you know of a fabulous (scented) gift item that we missed, do post it in the comments!
From Bath & Body Works, the Signature Cello: “Your favorite pampering pair is wrapped in gingham and ready to give. Set includes Shower Gel and Body Lotion, 3 oz. each.” In Paris Amour, Twilight Woods, Sweet Pea, Moonlight Path and Japanese Cherry Blossom. $5 a pop…
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Posted by Robin
on
9 December 2011
Our series of holiday gift posts continues today with some gift ideas for the men, although bear in mind that all of the holiday gift posts have at least one or two masculine and/or unisex items, and for that matter, there are plenty of items below that women might want.
If you missed them, here are links to part 1 (scented body products), part 2 (travel sizes & coffrets), part 3 (more travel sizes & coffrets) and part 4 (home fragrance). Coming up next: solid perfumes.
From Odin, candles in their four unisex fragrances (Sunda, Owari, Century or Petrana). $65 each at Barneys…
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Posted by Robin
on
6 December 2011
Our series of holiday gift posts continues; today we’re covering home fragrances of all sorts. If you missed them, here are links to part 1 (scented body products), part 2 (travel sizes & coffrets) and part 3 (more travel sizes & coffrets). Coming up next: men’s fragrances.
The 2011 holiday collection from Diptyque: Epinette in green (“Echoing the aromatic freshness of its needles and the resinuous notes of its pine cones, the Spruce Tree candle promises a wintry runaway in the depths of the wood.”; in 3 sizes $32-$275) or Perdigone in red (“Concentrate of warm and fruity notes around a spiced plum that deliciously perfumes the house. Absolutely comforting in the depths of winter.”; in 2 sizes $32-68)…
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Posted by Kevin
on
23 November 2011
It’s the season for holiday candles. I, for one, am tired of the usual pine and pomander (fruit-and-spice) offerings, so I’ve decided to review a candle that qualifies as “festive” without being a cliché: Astier de Villatte Naples.
When Astier de Villatte decided to honor Napoli with a candle, they had many scent options: the sea (Bay of Naples), the volcano (imagine the incense/smoky notes of Vesuvius); or the pizza (tomato leaf, basil, olive, rosemary).* Instead, Astier de Villatte choose Italian pastry as inspiration; unexpected, but it works.
When I was in Napoli a few years back, I ate like a hog: cappuccino and strawberry tarts for breakfast, an entire pizza or big bowl of pasta for lunch (as for dinners — they were almost “endless,” but in a good way). At tea time each day, I got into the habit of “snacking” at the old Gran Caffè Gambrinus (where the likes of Oscar Wilde, Gabriele D’Annunzio, and, yes, the always-famished Luciano Pavarotti, have sipped and chewed over the last hundred years). There are less expensive, and friendlier, places to take tea, coffee or cocktails than Gambrinus but the pastries are delicious, the café is gorgeous, and if you sit outside, you’ll see the glories of Napoli walk by — animal and human…
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Posted by Robin
on
15 September 2011
French niche line Diptyque has launched a new collection, Les Invités du Trente-Quatre, comprising three limited edition items in connection with their 50th anniversary…
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