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Giving Fragrant Gifts

Filed under: Decor, Cosmetics and Fragrance

Luxist Awards Expert Panelist Harry Slatkin is best known for the home fragrances he has created. Slatkin is founder of Slatkin & Co., the premier home fragrance brand celebrated for its scent experience and design (now a division of Bath & Body Works). He oversees product development for all the home fragrance brands under Bath & Body Works, the country's largest bath and body retailer with over 1,650 stores.

In this video, Slatkin explains how to give home fragrances
as gifts.

"They are great because they last for so long," he says. "Plus, it is a gift that people can enjoy instantly."

Slatkin says he may bring a fragrant candle, long with a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates, but the candle will last longer than either of the other alternatives. "A box of chocolates might last a week, but a fragrant candle will last a lot longer."

Slatkin explains how he goes about selecting the scents of the candles he gives to friends.

"I always try to think of the personality of the person, but I also make it seasonal," says Slatkin. "If it is holiday time, I will give a scent that is more wintery, with tree-like scents. If it is spring time, I will select more floral scents like jasmine. If it is summer I will give cleaner scents."

Hanae Mori Debuts No. 1 Parfum

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

hanae moriHanae Mori, named for Japan's most successful female fashion designer, inaugurates its new Eaux de Collection with the launch of No. 1, a limited-edition scent for women.

The first release in a fragrance series that aims to capture the elemental forces of the sun and wind, approximately 30% of the power used to create the appropriately named No. 1 comes from renewable sources. Additionally, a portion of US sales will benefit Clean Air-Cool Planet, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving global warming through policy and education.

The structure of the scent is built using fruits and flower blooms selected in France, which are then bathed in warm alcohol to release their natural essences. Top notes swirl with fresh bergamot, grapefruit and blackcurrants, while the middle notes express white musk, jasmine and more dark berries. A base of Indian sandalwood, amber and vanilla anchors No. 1 with a warm and calming demeanor.

Sun ripened fruit, flowering petals and a classically Japanese desire to channel nature's etherealness make No. 1 a corollary scent to the approaching summer season. Early word is that the First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, is already a fan, having received one of the debut bottles.

(3.4 ounces, $95)

Can You Layer Scents?

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

You can create your own unique signature scent by layering scents, according to Luxist Awards Expert Panelist Harry Slatkin, who is regarded as one of the country's leading fragrance experts.

"Don't be afraid to mix," says the fragrance expert who is the founder and creative force behind Slatkin & Co., the premier home fragrance brand celebrated for its scent experience and design (now a division of Bath & Body Works). "But of course your nose knows what will work and what won't."

For a truly unique scent, consider layering two or more fragrances. The trick is to blend notes that complement each other. Jasmine, vanilla, rose and citrus work well with most scents, while stronger notes such as patchouli and vetiver don't mix as well. A tea scent---or a perfume that has tea in it---might layer well with a rose, gardenia or a lavender scent. Slatkin recommends using a classic fragrance as a base, such as Chanel No. 5, and adding something on top. "Be daring and take it in a different direction," he says, "and you'll end up with something that's truly unique and memorable."

Remember, there may be scents in the shampoo, conditioner, cream and lotions that you use, which can change the scent of a perfume you may wear.

"If you like it, then it works," says Slatkin. "But if you walk in a room and you see people's eyes welling up with tears, then you know it isn't working for anyone else but you. If that is the case, then maybe it is something you shouldn't wear it again. Remember, it is not just about yourself, it is about everybody. You want to please people as much as yourself with scent."

How to Use Aromatherapy

Filed under: Spas, Cosmetics and Fragrance

aromatherapyMost of us treat ourselves with aromatherapy without even thinking -- ever taken a whiff of your coffee as it's brewing and instantly felt more energized? Or lit a scented candle after a long day's work to help yourself relax? The world is full of fragrance, and aromatherapy is the art of harnessing specific smells and using them to improve a person's health, mood, and overall well-being. Here's a basic guide to which aromas are relaxing, which ones are energizing, and which ones can help give romance a boost.

If you want to relax:
Lavender, Chamomile, Vanilla, Rose, and Sandalwood all have calming and soothing properties, and especially when combined with relaxing activities can really help relax muscles and eliminate headaches. Try lighting a candle scented with one of these oils next time you sit down to read a book or take a long soak in the tub.

Cartier Launches Les Heures du Parfum

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Cartier is the latest brand to have created a second line of more exclusive scents grouped around a central theme (others include Chanel's Les Exclusifs and Tom Ford's Private Blends). Cartier's series is titled Les Heures du Parfum and the first five fragrances in the line of 13 were released last month at Saks Fifth Avenue. The scents were created by Mathilde Laurent, Cartier's in-house perfumer, who was given free reign to create distinctive olfactory experiences meant to evoke moods and settings. They are not being released in chronological order. Each bottle features the Roman numeral of the hour it represents.

I: L' Heure Promise--The Promising Hour has delicate notes of petitgrain, iris and sandalwood.
VI: L' Heure Brillante--The Shining Hour has sharp citrusy-herbal notes of lemon and gin.
X: L' Heure Folle-- The Crazy Hour is vibrantly fruity with notes of blackcurrant and blueberry.
XII: 'L'Heure Mystérieuse--The Mysterious Hour intoxicates with touches of jasmine and patchouli.
XIII: 'La Treizième Heure-- The Thirteenth Hour seduces with notes of narcissus, leather and maté.

Each one sells for $250 for 2.5 ounces. Two more will be released each following year.

John Galliano's Debut Fragrance

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

British designer John Galliano is introducing his debut scent some 20 years after launching his fashion brand. "We had about 360 tests -- more than for a couture collection," he noted in Women's Wear Daily.

Galliano was involved with every step of the scent's development. Its outer box is designed to look like a collage or a book, reminiscent of travel tomes he makes following fact-finding voyages undertaken before creating fashion collections. The bottle's neck was inspired by collars appearing in Galliano's first fashion collection, Les Incroyables, and the flacon is topped with a Gothic G. Model Guinevere Van Seenus is the face on the box.

Galliano, who also is the couturier at Christian Dior, had thoughts of flowers, particularly of rose, peony, iris with its powdery side, and violet. The scent will be launched at the end of September in the U.K., through an exclusive with Harrods, and in Germany. On October 11, it is to be introduced in France, exclusively at Sephora, and then a few days later in Switzerland. The launch in the rest of the world will take place in 2009.

Prices vary:
90-ml. eau de parfum spray, 100 euros, or $158; 60-ml. edp spray, 80 euros, or $126; 40-ml. edp spray, 60 euros, or $95; 200-ml. body milk for 38 euros, or $60; and a 200-ml. shower gel, 33 euros, or $52, will be available at launch. A 150-ml. body scrub, 39 euros, or $62, will come out after the initial fragrance introduction.

Porsche Design Fragrance for Men Debuts This Fall

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style

The first scent from Porsche Design Group will debut this fall. The men's scent -- "The Essence by Porsche Design" -- was developed jointly by the Porsche SE subsidiary producing high-end accessories and Groupe Clarins' Parfums Azzaro. As reported in Women's Wear Daily, "It is a name everyone knows; next to 'Porsche' is the word 'design,' which is something modern and in the l'air du temps," said Gérard Delcour, president of Parfums Azzaro and Porsche Design Fragrances.

OK ... but what does it smell like? One molecule -- Artical, from International Flavors & Fragrances -- was the starting point for the scent's "fresh aromatic woody juice." Azzaro executives envisioned an urban, cultured, intelligent, sporty, sensual man in the 25-50 age range as the user (that means you, Luxist reader). In addition to Artical, other top notes are juniper and blueberry. Among heart notes are Russian coriander, black pepper and Siberian pine, and in the base are notes of fir balsam, patchouli and incense. (I'm sure that clears things up for you.)

Around early October, the scent will be introduced in selective distribution, plus Porsche Design sales points and travel-retail locations in Europe, the Middle East and North America. In the United States, the scent will be launched in Bloomingdale's during the first week of October, then in Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom during the first week of November. The second phase, starting in early 2009, will include Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The Porsche Design U.S. collection will include a 1.7-oz. eau de toilette spray for $54, a 2.7-oz. eau de toilette spray for $70, a 6.7-oz. hair and body shampoo for $28, and a 2.5-oz. stick deodorant for $20. A 2.7-oz. "luxury" eau de toilette spray (in black glass, as compared to the blue glass in the rest of the collection) for $80 is scheduled to come out in the U.S. in November. Just in time for the winter holiday gift-giving season, of course!

Chez Moi Home Diffuser

Filed under: Gadgets, Cosmetics and Fragrance


The Chez Moi home diffuser from L'Artisan Parfumeur is the result of two years of research and uses original technology to make the most of perfume and create the best olfactory experience possible. The diffuser itself appears sleek and modern, and there are 5 fragrances currently available including 4 drawn from L'Artisan Parfumeur's most popular scents and one created just for the Chez Moi.

The Chez Moi home diffuser runs on two AA batteries and easily travels where ever you may go. And you don't have to wait long either, when using the Chez Moi, as it fills a 50 cubic meter area with fragrance in less than 3 minutes. $250

via
Daily candy LA

The Malone Luxury Candle, in Grapefruit

Filed under: Decor, Cosmetics and Fragrance

Candles are one of those things that although they seem to be everywhere we look, they continue to be as popular as ever and we just can't seem to get enough. They add such a wonderful warmth and ambience to a room -- for example this Grapefruit Luxury Candle from Jo Malone will fill your home with a unique and uplifting spicy citrus scent comprised of grapefruit, tangerine, vetiver, and rosemary. It has a stylishly understated design so it will add to your decor without competing for too much attention.

Priced at $345, The Luxury Candle is also available in scents other than grapefruit, plus the website offers suggestions on what scents go well together so different rooms can blend seamlessly.

Olfactory Dictionary

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

They say that scent is one of out most deeply ingrained senses because our memory for them tends to be much better than our memory of sights, sounds, tastes and textures. The sensitivity of the sense of smell varies from person to person, but a familiar smell will probably always evoke a strong reaction. Barney's has an exclusive Le Labo Olfactory Dictionary that is designed to help you refine your sense of smell and develop a greater appreciation for perfumes and other scented things. It includes 40 specific essences and testing strips, all packed in a professional looking case, that you can experiment with. By mixing and matching a few, you may even be able to come up with your own signature fragrance. Price: $490.

Travel with Trapp Candles

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Get away from it all without ever leaving your desk with the Trapp Gardens of the World candles. Each candle has a scent that is formulated to evoke the defining scent of a particular destination with the help of native herbs, spices and flowers. The France candle is romantic, with rose, a bit of citrus and undertones of jasmine, lily and honey, while the India candle is spicy and features citrus, lotus, woods and musk. There are also less traditionally scented candles, like the Mexico candle, which has the scents of tomato, green herbs and roses. They are $25 each.

Mariah Carey To Launch Fragrance Line

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Cosmetics and Fragrance

It seems hard to believe but Mariah Carey has never launched her own fragrance. That is all about to change, the golden-throated diva is partnering with  Elizabeth Arden (the same company that sells the Britney Spears perfumes) to create Mariah Carey's first fragrance. The first scent will hit stores in 2007. The name of the fragrance hasn't been released yet but if Britney has Curious and Fantasy and Jennifer Lopez has the Glow fragrances any guesses on the name Mariah will pin on her perfume?

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