Christmas 2020 Perfume Gift Guide – Part 2 Everything Else

In part 1 of my Christmas 2020 Perfume Gift Guide, I featured only extraits. Now here’s part 2, with a mix of different types of scented goodies. Links are to my original reviews, where available.

For smiles: Serge Lutens Des Clous Pour Une Pelure (Christopher Sheldrake)

Who needs pot pourri when you can carry the cloves-and-orange happiness of this Lutens around with you all day?

For colour: Comme Des Garcons Rouge (perfumer unknown)

An excellent new release from CdG, mixing pepper and incense with, of all things, beetroot.

For revisiting a classic: Dior J’Adore Infinissime (Francois Demachy)

One of the best J’Adore flankers we’ve had from Dior, adding a sophisticated tuberose facet to the familiar blend of white florals.

For the planet: And Fragrance Discovery Set (Simon Constantine)

Each of the scents in And’s debut quintet comes with an eco-conscious message. Highlights include the fruity-incense vibe of Frank and the glamorous tonka-based Bean. [Click on this link for my interview with brand founder, Simon Constantine.]

For summer-lust: BDK Citrus Riviera (Ralf Schwieger)

A gorgeous, note-perfect, citrus-heavy cologne, made by none other than the creator of Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose and Aedes De Venustas Iris Nazarena.

For even more summer-lust: Histoires De Parfums This Is Not A Blue Bottle 1.6 (perfumer unknown)

I defy anyone not to start salivating at just one sniff of the hyper-real orange note in this exuberant piece of work. [Click on this link for my interview with brand ambassador, Alexandre Helwani.]

For a sense of occasion: Frederic Malle En Passant (Olivia Giacobetti)

Frederic Malle have marked their 20th anniversary with the release of a few limited edition bottles and sample sets, all of which are worth checking out. But spare a thought for some of the fragrances that appeared in the brand’s debut collection in 2000, including this perennially heart-breaking essay on lilac, freesia, lily of the valley… and all those memories that are forever just out of reach.

For a perfect illusion: Frederic Malle Joyeux Noel candle (Dominique Ropion)

Sticking with Malle for a moment, I see that they’ve just added Joyeux Noel to their site, so I absolutely have to give it a mention here. From the moment it was first released, it became my favourite yuletide candle. Every time I smell it, I’m taken aback by the way it manages to balance a thoroughly believable green-pine Christmas tree note with comforting sprinkles of icing sugar and cinnamon. I just need to make sure I order one for myself before they run out!

For quirkiness: Jack Richmond (Alienor Massenet)

Convincing ‘green garden’ notes – including a double-take-inducing bright red, cherry tomato – with just the right amount of ‘barnyard’. [Click on this link for my interview with brand founder Richard E Grant.]

For retro delight: Estee Lauder Beautiful Absolu (Mackenzie Reilly)

Reilly’s respectful, irresistible update of the 80s classic, with a slightly less bombastic floral heart.

For vivid imagery: Escentric Molecules Escentric 05 (Geza Schoen)

Focussing on Cashmeran, Schoen has fashioned a landscape depicting a tranquil abode in an expanse of fig trees on a Greek island. Also available as an excellent shower gel. [Click on this link for my interview with Schoen.]

For eccentricity: Moschino Toy Boy (Yann Vasnier)

Inside the kooky bottle hides a superb spicy rose fragrance, bringing all of Vasnier’s talents to the fore.

For sheer beauty: Les Indemodables Oriental Velours (Valerie Pulverail)

I hope to write more about this exemplary brand soon, but for now, I’ll just recommend their extraordinary take on amber and white florals. I could not pull my wrist away from my nose when I sprayed this!

For cosiness: L’Artisan Parfumeur The Et Pain D’Epices candle

Surely, this must have been the smell of the witch’s house in Hansel And Gretel. Note-perfect temptation.

For reference: The Big Book Of Perfume edited by Jeanne Dore (Nez Editions)

The team behind the exemplary Nez magazine have produced this attractively-illustrated, 200+ page tome, featuring a foreword by none other than Jean-Claude Ellena. The useful, accessible articles cover a tremendous range of topics, including perfume production, a history of aromachemicals and the current state of the industry.

For your taste buds: Perfumer H cucumber pickle

Lyn Harris has teamed up with Rosebud Preserves to create this one-off condiment, in which the main ingredient is sharpened with lemon and juniper berry.

For old-school glamour: Dolce & Gabbana Sicily (Nathalie Lorson)

The general view would appear to be that Lorson’s re-make of her own Sicily is admirably faithful to the original. Grab its velvety, vintage elegance before it vanishes again.

For something off the beaten track: Sugandhco Falaknuma assorted incense sticks

There are so many gems to be discovered in Sugandhco’s cosy Lucknow boutique. Fortunately, many of them can be shipped abroad, including their superb ‘premium’ incense sticks. Click on this link for their international store.

For wickedness: Eris Parfums Ma Bete (Antoine Lie)

A tightly-wound, animalic leather, replete with the full-bloodedness we’ve come to expect from Lie and brand founder Barbara Herman.

For your hands: Atelier Cologne Clementine California soap

Oh look, the obligatory 2020 mention of hand-washing. Be kind to those poor palms and give them something that will leave them smelling sweet: something like the ocean-kissing sunshine of this Atelier Cologne soap.

For easing into the evening: Kilian Angels’ Share (Benoist Lapouza)

Half of a duo of new releases inspired directly by Kilian Hennessy’s cognac-soaked roots, Angels’ Share is one of those delightful instances of boozy notes managing to be convincing without sinking into excessive gourmand-ness. Dry and sweet in equal measure, it’s a sophisticated addition to the brand.

For moments of contemplation: Armani Prive Bois D’Encens (Michel Almairac)

This 2004 Almairac effort remains one of the finest frankincense compositions ever committed to a bottle — and winter remains one of the finest times of the year to offer frankincense as a gift.

For the whole year: Perfume Society subscription

An excellent resource for a time when wandering around shops isn’t as easy as it used to be.

For travelling without moving: Swiss Arabian Malaki Muattar bakhoor

I see that Swiss Arabian have opened an international online shop, which means I can now recommend their Malaki Muattar incense (aka Mukhalat Malaki). If you want your house to smell of that distinctive mixture of rose, leather, saffron and oud that spells ‘Middle East’, you need look no further than this stuff. To avoid any confusion about precisely which product I mean, here’s a link.

For unexpectedness: Guerlain Patchouli Ardent (Thiery Wasser)

Patchouli is rarely exploited for its green qualities, but here, its placement next to a fig note achieves a curious, highly wearable effect.

For dreams of a brighter future: Acqua Di Parma La Casa Sul Lago candle

Light it up, and feel the sun breaking through the winter clouds.

Persolaise

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