Skeem votive candles in Vintage Peony ("a blend of peony, gardenia, lily, and musk") and Cypress Bark ("strong, rich and complex, smelling of freshly cut wood, sticky sap and peeled bark"). 30 hour burn time, $14 each at Skeem.
Pacifica's Hawaiian Ruby Guava 3-Piece Gift Set (3 oz soy candle, 2 oz body butter, solid perfume and box of matches) is a bargain at $16, and you can get the same set in a number of their fragrances (Avalon Juniper, Tuscan Blood Orange, etc). At the Pacifica website.
Ceylon (shown at left, "a sultry chai tea scent") by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, in a 1 dram roll-on; $26 at Hampton Court. Moroccan Rose by The Body Shop, in 50 ml Eau de Toilette spray; $25.
Tokyo Milk's prettily wrapped soaps, $11 each at South Moon Under.
From The Thymes, Gardener Soap Pebbles (shown at left): "With gentle exfoliants in a moisturizing base, these stone-shaped, all-vegetable soaps buff away dirt and dryness and leave behind the crisp, light scent of Thymes Gardener" (notes of freshly clipped grass, aromatic parsley, cool watercress, dewy moss and a pinch of pink peppercorn). $18 at Thymes. From L'Occitane, the Hand Indulgences set (shown at right): "A hand cream trio featuring all the favorites - nourishing Shea Butter, soothing Lavender and delicate Cherry Blossom." With three 1 oz tubes, $30 at L'Occitane.
See also: Fragrance gifts for Mother’s Day 2009, part 1, part 2 & part 3.
I’d take some of those Tokyo Milk soaps. Pretty.
They are!
I actually came across Tokyo Milk for the first time on a trip to Seattle recently and didn’t have the time to fully appreciate their fragrances. Robin, have you guys ever reviewed any of their fragrances?
No…they appeared suddenly w/ lots of scents, and we’re terribly behind this year! I haven’t smelled a single one.
That’s too bad, I found them in a Japanese-themed botique in the International District in Seattle. The packaging is enough to make me want a line of them sitting on my dresser and I liked a few of the scents very much, although most of them were a bit sweet for my liking. Overall, very simple, well done, and worth smelling. Gin and Rosewater was my favorite. Reasonably priced too. I’d love to see a review if you guys ever get the chance!
Gin & rosewater sounds nice!
We have a boutique down the street that sells Tokyo Milk products. I’ve given some as gifts and they went over very well. The packaging IS great.
I’ve tried several in local boutiques and agree that they’re pretty straightforward but pleasant and a good bargain, to boot.
People who love really sweet gourmands might try “Honey and the Moon”; fig lovers, “Ex Libris” (one of my favorites, although it smelled much like Un Jardin en Mediterranee on me); and woodchucks, “Dead Sexy” (a relatively austere vanilla combined with deep wood tones), which I bought.
Oh, and thanks, Robin, for including some great bargains. I love my Mom, but in times like these, she’d rather I got her a less expensive gift.
And thank you for the descriptions! I should try Ex Libris.
Well, sure, now you tell me… 😉
Just bought a selection of candles yesterday for my Mom. I will have to check out the Skeem site. What a name.
Well tell us what you bought!
Oh, sure, it’s not that interesting. A set of Eau d’Hadrien votives, two from a line called “Antique Garden,” in Green Tomato Leaves, and Lavendar, and a Fig, Black Currant and Fresh Grass candle from the KarenKlein Florence collection, in a pretty patterned glass. All from Beauty Encounter (not affiliated, blah, blah). I had them shipped to me. I’ll wrap ’em up and ship ’em out again.
It frustrates me that candles don’t always come in votive size. How am I supposed to commit to an $85 candle without burning it for awhile? Harrumph. Plus it seems so weird to just give *one* candle as a present. Thus the discounter.
LOL…it’s interesting to me! I’m after some new candles…if you ever think of it, tell me how the AG tomato leaf one turns out.
Hey there — coming back to report that I tried the Skeem Cypress candle because when I sniffed it in the store it was a dead ringer for Comme des Garcons’ Sequoia. Well…I just saved myself 35 bucks! It did not disappoint, has good throw, and the “dry down”—the scent left behind after I’ve blown the candle out, stays true to that boozy fresh wood, and then calms into something ever so slightly sweeter, like a very dry, tea-ish floral. Delish!
Wonderful — I’m going to have to buy one, huge thanks!
I’m with you about their name. Skeem.
Sounds too close to Skeeve…as in, skeeved out.
Or that everything’s made of skeem milk…
I assumed it was a fun alternate spelling of “scheme”. Not that “scheme” has anything to do with candles, so far as I know.
Those Skeem acndles (esp the larger sizes) have great packaging! Love those Tokyo Milk soaps too.
Yes, both of those companies are doing a great job on packaging.
I ordered a sample of Poe’s Tobacco from Tokyo Milk and I was sadly disappointed..it was pretty blah and uninteresting. I wanted to be great because I so appealed to my inner Goth, but it just wasn’t. Of course, I’m really in love with Bell Antonio right now and it seems that all tobacco fragrances are blah in comparison to that one!
What is Bell Antonio?
It’s from the Hilde Solani line. Italian. Available at New London Pharmacy. Fantastic dry coffee and cigarette tobacco.
Ah, thanks!
The Thymes’ Gardener Soap Pebbles are way too cute! I may have to go look for them for myself.
I thought those were adorable too!
They would look great in some sort of rustic soap dish. I wish my mom could even tolerate scented items – this sort of thing is out of the question for her. I guess it’s off to the bookstore for me again. Of course, there’s always chocolate…
Chocolate! And books. And tea! I want nearly everything, and am likely to get a Snoopy card and something that wasn’t on my want list 😉
Don’t forget Marshall’s and TJ’s for beautifully wrapped, elegant scented soaps everyone! My bathroom is loaded with goodies from those two stores. Awesome candles there too, of course.
Just a friendly reminder. 😉
Agree — great bath stuff there.