A bargain: Caron Pour Un Homme, in a gift set with 125 ml each Eau de Toilette and After Shave. $47.90 at Beauty Encounter.
The luxury alternative: Caron Pour Un Homme in a “limited numbered edition of 300 sumptuous Baccarat solid crystal bottles…”
Holiday fragrance gifts 2008 part 2
For the (wealthy) Andy Warhol fanatic, Bond no. 9's “Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue Shoe Extravaganza….A larger-than-life-size limited-edition shoe, containing three bottles of Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue – the latest in Bond No. 9’s series of Warhol perfumes”. Artist Joseph Pastor has created a 3D replica of a drawing from Warhol's A La Recherche du Shoe Perdu, and Bond added the bottles. $1300 at Bond no. 9 or Saks Fifth Avenue…
Pacifica Avalon Juniper & Tibetan Mountain Temple ~ brief perfume reviews
Pacifica, a brand that concentrated on scented candles and body products before introducing a range of personal scents last year, is turning out to be a great resource for anyone looking for decent, wearable fragrances at a budget price — to my mind, they fit into the same niche that L’Occitane used to fill before they started inching towards upscale*. The Pacifica fragrances are not wildly complicated, but they’re generally nicely done with attractive packaging, and the blends are more sophisticated than you’d expect for the price: $8.95 for a 10 gr solid compact, $19.95 for a 35 ml bottle of “Spray Perfume”.
Here are brief reviews of my favorite two out of Pacifica’s latest batch of releases, Avalon Juniper and Tibetan Mountain Temple. Both fragrances are unisex. Please bear in mind that I’m trying both in their solid form, and have never smelled either in the liquid form. I love solid perfumes, but admittedly, what you gain in portability, you lose in complexity and sillage…
L’Artisan Parfumeur Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum ~ fragrance review
I said yesterday that the gods are not pleased with me this year, but they must not be entirely angry — Fleur de Liane is not my only chance for joy from perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour at L’Artisan this year. Next month also sees the launch of L’Artisan’s new signature fragrance for the West Village perfume boutique Aedes de Venustas*, and this one is right up my alley.
Kevin reviewed the L’Artisan Aedes de Venustas Parfum d’Ambiance room spray back in 2006, and noted that he used the spray on his skin as much as in the air…
Something else to worry about
But scientists have now found that regularly burning joss sticks increases the risk of certain mouth, throat and lung cancers.
The 12-year study backs up previous research showing that incense smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls and benzene, which cause mutations to DNA in human cells.
— From Incense smoke may increase the risk of developing some cancers in The Guardian.