Our last holiday gift post for 2013 is all about luxury, just in case anyone hasn't yet run through all their funds for the year. Listed in order from what-a-bargain to holy-cow-you’ve-got-to-be-kidding. Warning: you may need to dim your computer screen lest you be blinded by all the Swarovski & bling.
If you missed them, check out Part 1: scented body products, Part 2: travel sizes & coffrets, Part 3: home fragrance, Part 4: gifts for men, Part 5: teas & sweets, Part 6: more travel sizes & coffrets and Part 7: budget options.
Starting off simple, with Jour d'Hermès in Extrait: "Jour d'Hermès pure parfum is an eminently feminine scent full of generosity and depth. $225 for 15 ml at Nordstrom.
From By Kilian, jeweled clutch + perfume: "The emblematic Kilian clutch has been revisited and enhanced with a black and red color scheme. The lacquered clutch is adorned with crystals and the Chinese symbol of longevity. The clutch comes with a 1.7 oz. iconic Kilian bottle available in Straight to Heaven, white cristal." $295 at Saks Fifth Avenue, available in several Kilian fragrances.
From House of Sillage, the Holiday 2013 Limited Edition: "Holiday Limited Edition features the stunning Swarovski crystal adorned bottle pictured here. A Choir sings notes of Virginian cedar oil and freshly fallen snow. Find comfort in the warmth of the fireplace, while anticipation stirs and orchestra of Egyptian jasmine and Haitian vetiver. Peach, mandarin, and rose resonate the spirit of generosity. Holiday magic emanates." $600 for 75 ml Parfum at Parfumerie Nasreen.
From Bond no. 9, Perfumista Avenue in the Swarovski Stunner edition: "Stunning simplicity is served with this 100ml limited-edition superstar bottle of Perfumista Avenue, whose entire front and back are emblazoned with those closely clustered Swarovski ruby fanci-stones—their glittering surface creating a creviced effect as mesmerizing as that of parfum." $1000 at Bond no. 9.
From Serge Lutens, La vierge de fer in the édition gravée. 30 numbered bottles were made, €900 (about $1200).
From Viktor & Rolf, Flowerbomb in a Swarovski Edition: "Encrusted with elegant Swarovski® Crystals, the iconic Flowerbomb bottle sparkles as magnificently as the fragrance inside. Inspired by the luxurious fragrance, the unique design is delicately crafted by hand. Each crystal is placed on the bottle one by one in an intricate pattern. Produced in the United Kingdom, the technique has been perfected over years of custom design." There are 10 bottles in the US, $1600 at Neiman Marcus.
From Yves Saint Laurent, the iconic Opium in the Opium L'Objet Rare edition. 50 bottles were produced; the 24 carat gold leaf was applied by hand by artist Manuella Paul-Cavallier. I have no idea where to buy it, but if you have the money, you probably have the wherewithal to find out. €2000 (about $2700).
From Guerlain, Shalimar in the Indes & Merveilles edition created by artist Sylvia Toledano. 48 bottles were made, 1.5 litre Parfum. I do not know what this one costs, but am guessing it's more than the Yves Saint Laurent just above, and less than the Lancôme just below.
From Lancôme, La vie est belle L'édition Féérique, a handcrafted music box by Swiss firm Reuge with crystal chandelier by Baccarat: "As a declaration of happiness, it was only natural for La vie est belle to celebrate the Holidays in its own way, enhancing the exhilarating power of its addictive scent with the added magic of an exceptional showcase. This resulted in a luxurious limited-edition of its already iconic bottle: La vie est belle L'édition Féérique." 15 were made, $35,000 (plus $250 for shipping, but who's counting) at Neiman Marcus.
According to M. Guerlain, the Indes et Merveilles edition is 9500 euros ($13,052). Also from him, a bit more description on why one would pay that much for a bottle of perfume:
“Parisian jewellery maker Sylvia Toledano has designed an exceptional set of jewels that follows the curves of the Shalimar bottle. The 24-carat matte gold is covered with a myriad of coloured stones coming from Jaipur: lapis lazuli, amethyst, carnelian, malachite, tiger-eye and yellow and pink quartz.”
Robin, if this were the Price is Right, you just won with your guess on pricing!
Hey, so I did!! It’s a gorgeous bottle too, although frankly I’d rather have that Serge. But not filled with La Vierge de Fer.
+1 What you said Robin. I love that SL bottle. Love it. 600 bucks for a cupcake snow globe? No thanks.
35k for my most hated scent atm..no, I’d travel to Fiji after I bought the SL bottle and other goodies for myself.
Sort of surprised the By Kilian one is somewhat reasonably priced! The House of Sillage & Bond ones don’t appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities…at all.
The Kilian is a relative bargain, and not all that more than getting the perfume in that box w/ key.
The Flowerbomb and La Vie are the most you’ve got to be kidding me choices, imho. Fancy schmancy bottles sadly don’t improve the juice.
The Lancome is astounding to me. But of course you’re mostly paying for a music box w/ a Baccarat chandelier, and perhaps there are people willing to pay $35,000 for that.
Seriously, the number of LE bottles V&R have done for Flowerbomb is astounding… I should count them. They vie w/ Angel for the most iterations, I’m sure.
I’d like the Jour bottle in lavender glass filled with Iris Ukiyoe, please! 😉
Ah, then I’ll take it in purple for Osmanthe Yunnan. (I guess color doesn’t match fragrance, oh well)
The Kilian clutch is get-worthy imo.
The flowerbomb bottle is a bit of a joke really (I am betting a lot of crafty ppl will be DIYing their own bottles – it’s literally a very similar effect for a fraction of the price :P) and the La Vie set Belle better come with the chandelier in the photo.
Btw, has anyone read about the uber limited turtle bottle from Guerlain? That is my ultimate 2013 holiday drool-all-over luxury item!
Oh my bad for not reading the post properly! Since there IS the chandelier I am much more at ease with the price tag for Lancome 😛
Well, it is a chandelier *inside* the music box, mind you.
The turtle bottle, for anyone who wants to see it:
http://thecandyperfumeboy.com/2013/10/01/smelly-news-the-most-amazing-perfume-bottle-ever/
I love the sea turtle bottle, and the stuff inside sounds good, too!
I like elegant simplicity, so the Hermes appeals to me more than the others. Although I would have it with 24 Faubourg.
I’ve sampled all the House of Sillage and the scents are lovely. Just a note: the HOS Holiday 2013 LE is also at LuckyScent.
Thanks, good to know!
I’m glad the House of Sillage scents are nice. I never hear of them except at this time of the year when they make the luxury gift list!
I was truly amazed – I went to their web site a few months ago and emailed asking where I could sample them in person. In about 45 minutes I received a response offering to send me samples of all the scents (except the holiday one) for free. They arrived five days later, beautifully packaged and large spray samples. I want to get one, but I can only afford one and have to decide which one I like best. (They do sell them with plainer lids at a somewhat less expensive cost.)
Off to Google House of Sillage …
Gulp, $350.
Oh my GOD that Lutens bottle!
Thanks — thought I was the only one who liked it!
On no- it’s gorgeous! But I’m with you- filled with something else.
Actually, that should be the brand’s standard bottle, IMHO. In 15 ml, please. A little row of them would be gorgeous.
I like it, too, as well as all the other fancy bell bottles – with a soft spot, of course, for the one with the black cat. 🙂
That was a lovely bottle.
I’ll take the Mandarine Mandarin Dragon Bell Jar filled with Boxeuses or Iris Silver Mist. I am starting a Lutens Dragon Bell Jar fund
Oh, no, I love it too! I would love ANY bell jar, but yes, this one is especially lovely! Haven’t smelled that particular scent, though, so can’t speak to that part of its potential fabulousness!
The Lutens bottle is gorgeous. I would want it filled with Boxeuses though.. or Iris Silver Mist.. that would go with the bottle pretty nicely, I think.
Hee, we like the same SL perfumes!
God . . . when on earth did Swarovsky crystal encrusted things stop being tacky?
Jury is apparently still out on whether or not they’re tacky. They do seem to sell, and at premium.
Some of the other bottles may be works of glass art, (although gilding crystal is neither particularily difficult nor rare).
However the incredibly high price for swarovski bottles drives me crazy. For less than $50.00 dollars (which includes the price of beading pliers, and a beading magazine to show you how to attach strands of beads to a clasp), you could make an incredible fushia swarovski necklace for yourself in about an hour and a half.
By the time I got to the end the Jour d’Hermes seemed pleasingly modest and affordable.
But none of these bottles are any more beautiful than the standard issue bottle for 24 Faubourg, which is the loveliest bottle I own. (Never been attracted to the LE bottles of 24F.)
Ha…that’s sort of how it works every year.
And agree, that’s a darned lovely bottle, although I’ve liked a few of the LEs too.
I am wondering if one more chandelier in my palazzo would be too much? Given the size of the Lancôme folly I am thinking that there may be an appropriate spot somewhere in my floor to ceiling cabinet but it is already so full of Baccarat glasses. I am also thinking that I am not thinking but dreaming.
Surely that Opium bottle contains a rare vintage?