I have to say I was thrilled when Trish of the Scent Hive invited me to participate in the Holiday Gift Guide blog event. I get to talk about shopping ideas? Wonderful! :) Especially since shopping brings me much joy.
The only holiday we are looking forward here is Christmas and I admit, I already have most of my shopping for that event planned out (and some actually done). Shoppingholic, what can I say.
My first choice and the latest discovery would be Winter Woods by Sonoma Scent Studio. As I live in a city, a perfume that can transport me for a walk in the fresh woods where you can even smell the resin from pines, well, is there a better way to refresh your Christmas day in the city? Or someone else's? 17 ml of this natural perfume will cost you 40$, and 34ml are 75$.
My next stop is the online boutique of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. She has several great holiday choices I wouldn't mind finding under my Christmas tree.
My recommendations for Christmas scents would be: Piment et Chocolat, Cimabue, Festive and Gingembre.
Piment et Chocolat can be found on Dawn's site under Perfection Connoisseur Fragrances and Les Rouges. This one comes as a perfume solid (among other variants) for this holiday season and is 45 $. Gingembre will evoke a wonderful smell of orange and cake but one you will want to wear, as a purse spray for 35$ and shea body lotion for 27$.
Which brings me to Festive - if you want to smell sexy for a Christmas party, my suggestion is this. And, it's the most economically approachable, purse spray for 27$ and shea body lotion for 14$.
Dawn's site is not easy to navigate, so if you cannot find these perfumes, try the Search function.
My choices in gifts usually reflect what I would like to own or receive as a gift. Lately, I've beein trying to coax people into drinking more tea, so one of my holiday gift choices are sets from Mariages Freres. In Zagreb, their products can be found at Institut Parfumeur Flores but you can also order from their site.
The products I found would make for lovely gifts are Tea break Noël set which will set you back 46 Euros and a box of chocolates Chocolat des Mandarins - Esprit de Noël for 15 Euros.
On to some more easily acquirable/economic choices.
One of my first forays into niche perfumery was through the Irish wildness of Burren Perfumery. I still love the fact that their love of Irish nature and natural products is easily seen in what they do and how they approach life. They have a page for their Christmas specials, but what I enjoyed most giving my friend last Christmas were their soy candles (9,50 Euros).
If I cannot get myself over there to experience Irish nature in real life, at least I can get some of it over here and share it with my friends.
Also, if you subscribe to their newsletter, you get 10% off your first order.
And last but not least, my favourite due to the fact that it is easy to acquire and even though somewhat typical, I will be giving it this Christmas to some of my friends.
A bottle of quality red wine but since it is a Christmas gift, why not buy some cinammon and clove and put it in little bags in order to warm up and spice up the cold winter days with some mulled wine? You should probably aim for a wine with a more fruity taste and if you really want to add spice to it, add cardamom to cinammon and clove. :)I hope your holiday season is filled with love and laughter because even though gifts will be exchanged, the most important gift we all will be getting this holiday season is the love of our family and friends.
Please visit other participating blogs for some other interesting ideas:
Thank you to Roxana for coming with the picture for the blog event.
Ines, fun project and excellent gift ideas! One could browse DSH perfumes for a very long time and find multiple treasures!
ReplyDeleteHappy shopping to you!
Oh, you have listed many of my favorites! DSH, Sonoma Scent, tea and wine, you can't go wrong with any of those choices as far as I'm concerned! Thanks so much for joining in, it's a pleasure to read your post, as always.
ReplyDeletexoxo
T
I have yet to try that Winter Woods scent, so thanks for reminding me of the SSS line, which is eminently affordable.
ReplyDeleteNot knowing that there was a Burren Perfumery, I made an earthy patchouli scent from the blends in The Perfume Studio range and called it Burren! The Burren area is one of my favourite parts of Ireland, so rugged and bare.
You can never go wrong with good wine, and the tea break set looks cute!
So many fun things...all of which would bring a smile to my face, including and especially my nose...
ReplyDeleteHey, the spiced wine...perfect for me...you know how I like to, erm, *mull* things over. ;) The SSS is a great choice, but then, I am a fan of a number from that line. I think I would also nod along if somebody thought a bottle of Tabac Aurea in the stocking would be an appropriate choice, or Champagne du Bois for the Bois des Isles fan. DSH I am still working to get to know better, but you know I had a happy time with the few samples I've tried.
As for tea...Mariage Freres...le sigh. I am thinking of putting a tea shelf up on my kitchen wall. For one thing, I'm running out of cupboard space. For another, being able to look at those tins would be such a happy thing. :)
Thanks for the tip on Burren Perfumery. Completely new to me, but happy to check them out!
Amazing picks! I think I'll just print this entry and give it to my husband ;)
ReplyDeleteDSH Festive is one of my favorites too. I love that she is now offering a selection in solids now.
What wonders you have shared with us Ines. I too am a fan of the tea, especially the brand Mariages Freres!
ReplyDeleteThanks Josephine - and I have to admit I often get lost browsing DSH choices. :) Quite often...
ReplyDeleteTrish, thank you for inviting me, I had such a great time thinking about it and writing it. And now have an additional list of things to buy. ;)
ReplyDeleteVanessa (it still feels strange not calling you flittersniffer), I do hope you try some of SSS line, like you said, they are quite affordable.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear you like Burren, I've never been there but it looks to me like I would love it. :) I wonder what your Burren perfume smells like...
ScentScelf, the two bottles I bought from SSS were Winter Woods and Tabac Aurea. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd btw, I love when you *mull* things, I usually end up laughing.
Regarding Burren, I think I tried most of their scents (as you can order samples) and I can't say I like them all, but I certainly love some of them. Like Ilaun.
JoanElaine, I'm always happy when I see other people loving DSH stuff. I do think the Christmas solids are a great idea for the season, although Festive doesn't come as such, I still wouldn't mind it in any way it came under my Christmas tree. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rpxana. I try and not visit Flores too often (where they have Mariage Freres) because I end up lost among the choices and want to take so many home. :)
ReplyDeleteSweet! I must try the perfumes suggested. Thank you for the introduction to Mariages Freres. I was not familiar with this company.
ReplyDeleteAh, Ines !
ReplyDeleteWhat a pleasure.
I love hearing all your suggestions!
May the season shower you, too-
@With abundant blessing.
Lisa, I'm glad you found something new among my choices (as I did with the other blogger's ideas). I find it great how many good ideas have come out of this. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you chayaruchama for the kind words. And I have to add, I could really use some blessing these days, so thank you once more. :)
ReplyDelete