There will always be a soft spot in every girl’s heart for flowers and candy, but flowers die and chocolates don’t last long. While nothing is eternal, for a distinctive and lingering gift for Valentine’s Day or any day, I highly recommend Diptyque (pronounced dip-TEEK).
Famous for their unmistakable luxury candles, Diptyque also has a new line of unisex body products that are bomb–perfect for mom or dad, your girl, your guy, your child, grandparents or a cherished friend. Diptyque has something for everyone, even elegant corporate gifts for the discerning employer.
If you’re into aromatherapy and the powerful transformative possibilities of scent, you simply must spoil your Valentine with something from Diptyque. Trust me, they will love it.
Pure, Paraffin, Pleasure…
The diminutive Diptyque candle smells like nothing you’ve ever experienced, and believe me, you can really smell it. The standard votive boasts a tireless 60 hours of burn time and will undoubtedly outshine its cheaper competitors. It’s a smart choice.
With a Diptyque candle, you get what you pay for. Created using powerful concentrations of only the finest essential oils steeped in pure paraffin, they’re sure to set the mood for a romantic evening. Plus, a Diptyque candle will actually stick around long after Valentine’s Day has ended. Even unlit you can still smell the candle in the room.
You can choose from an endless exquisite bouquet of more than 50, yes fifty scents–that’s an amazing variety–in five categories of flowers, herbs, fruity, woods and spicy, so there’s something for everyone, no matter your preference. It’s a complete collection.
One of my favorite memories is the night I dined at the opening of a Francis Ford Coppola restaurant in California, where a flurry of Baies Diptyque candles and their intoxicating aroma seduced me.
Every celebrity is said to have their favorite Diptyque scent, and Coppola’s is Baies. It soon became mine too, and of the many scents to choose from, I still prefer Baies to this day.
Baies, pronounced, simply, ‘Bay,’ is a French term of endearment, meaning sweetie, or some such.
It’s composed of Bulgarian rose with notes of blackcurrant leaves–an irresistible melange of fruit and floral.
Reminiscent of a walk through blooming gardens in Europe, it smells absolutely delicious, and every time I encounter it, after all these years, I’m immediately drawn back to the first time I experienced it–that beautiful balmy night at the restaurant. It’s a powerful testament to the virtues of aromatherapy and memory recall.
The Art of Body Care
Once mistaken as primarily high-end home fragrance, Diptyque recently launched an ambrosial offering of luxury body care products for men and women, known as The Art of Body Care, to complement their lesser-known collection of eaux de toilette which has in fact existed since 1968.
Pick a simple spray or dip into the many tempting products from the line. The Art of Body Care is based on the history of beauty from around the world and includes so many gorgeous things–such as a hand balm from Spain, below, using organic ingredients from that region.
You can put a capful in the tub, or apply it directly on the skin. It’s a very luxurious olive oil and soaks right in so it won’t get on your clothes.
Common Scents That Aren’t So Common
Unlike ordinary synthetic fragrances, the Diptyque scents are inspired by essences commonly found in nature, and all the body products are unisex, so if you buy them for your sweetheart, there’s always the chance you can share.
A beautiful body cream from Istanbul, not Constantinople–lush with myrrh and roses–is a personal favorite of my friend Gregory Costanza, former regional sales manager of the intimate but elegant San Francisco Diptyque boutique.
It may surprise you that a man might enjoy wearing a floral such as rose, but that convention is worn-out. In Europe people are much more liberal with what constitutes a ‘feminine’ fragrance and gender specificity has been replaced by good taste.
The notes of myrrh and roses found in the body cream can be tied over to home fragrance too, making a great candle combination if you care to experiment. Remember, you can customize the Diptyque scents for your home and yourself by choosing any of the fragrance families and combining until you discover what suits you. This is the modern approach to aromatherapy.
A lot of couples come in to share fragrance, which is a great idea if you live near a boutique. The Diptyque staff is very hands-on with their clients. They really aim to please.
Because fragrance is highly personal, you can go to a boutique with your Valentine and identify the scents that you’re attracted to, and then you can coordinate them, together.
But there are only 14 Diptyque boutiques in the world, so if you can’t make it to Paris, London, Doha, Qatar or Dubai, you can call one of the three shops in the United States and let their accommodating, knowledgeable staff guide you on your purchase and educate you on how to burn a candle properly. Believe it or not, there’s an art to that too.
For ultimate convenience, most Diptyque products can come elegantly pre-wrapped, or you can opt to do it yourself.
Fragrance may be simple and straightforward for some people, or infinitely complex and indulgent. Whatever your approach, Diptyque definitely delivers.
Perhaps rapper Eminem could conjure several ways to turn a phrase, but here at BSSTW, we will flatly admit that we cannot think of anything out there that can be likened to Pantone’s color for 2012–it’s named Tangerine Tango, and the fashion and beauty world is eating it up. A bit of a visual oddity, the vivid, saturated, iconic orange is now everywhere. It seems as though you cannot escape it.
The tangerine tones are coming from the European runways. Irreverent, rebellious and bold by nature, they are sure to attract attention, and with any luck, a bit of controversy.
Bottega Veneta’s silk blend petal hip dress, $2,650, from Barneys New York, can be worn casually for day with bare legs, flat sandals and a pedicure in the aforementioned Essie polish, above, or dressed up at night simply with a cashmere shawl.
Even in intimate circles, orange is making its presence scandalously known, as in this coral-lined lace bodysuit by luxury lingerie I.D. Sarrieri.
So as you can see, orange can be naughty or nice, depending on just how far you want to take it. Did you see the article on Tory Burch’s fab accessories, crafted in saffron saffiano leather, here on BSSTW? They mean business.
In fragrance also, the sweet, unmistakable orange is leaving its trace.
Her Orange Blossom body oil, $65, gives your legs an irresistible sheen and delicious fragrance. You can get it at Nordstrom.
Keep your eyes peeled for this juicy citrus. You will see it again and again in fashion and beauty, and of course you will absolutely fall in love, and learn unrivaled respect, for this complicated, intense, rich, ripe hue. Now that’s a rap.
Perfume pioneer Kilian Hennessy’s fragrances launched exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue almost one year ago. The impressive line includes tantalizing mixtures steeped in utter luxury, and a Kilian fragrance would no doubt be an unforgettable gift for your Valentine.
Amazing, heirloom-quality packaging ensconces elixirs with names as complicated and beautiful as the scents themselves…Love and Tears, Straight to Heaven, Cruel Intentions, Back to Black…the names read like an endless poem from a man with a broken heart, but in fact, Kilian, pictured above, is heir of the Hennessy cognac, and was trained by the greatest noses in perfumery. He worked for perfume houses such as Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Alexander McQueen and Giorgio Armani before launching the provocative line that bears his name.
Beyond Love, Prohibited, above, is my favorite Kilian scent. Ripe with unmistakable tuberose, the eau de parfum, $225 for 1.7 oz., is offered in his signature ceremonial black bottles and encased entirely in elegant ebony. Rich, evocative, lingering…It’s a fragrance you won’t forget.
Rose Oud, $395 for 1.7 oz., is another of my favorites. A heady mixture of Turkish rose with oud combine to make a luscious memory in fragrant form.
The refill kits, $125-$175, render the packaging reusable. It’s all part of Kilian’s ‘eco-luxe’ philosophy–a smart way to have beautiful things that are also environmentally friendly and socially conscious.
A lovely Kilian candle, $85, is always a tasteful choice if you are unsure about your girl’s preferences and are experiencing fragrance anxiety.
Kilian’s fragrances are available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco and saksfifthavenue.com.
My inside source at Jo Malone tells me that Jo Malone may be bringing back the intoxicating Tuberose!
There could be no greater satisfaction for Malone fans, especially floral-lovers such as myself, than for this rumor to be true.
The Tuberose scent may be available in the Cologne Intense Collection as early as this summer according to my source, although others are speculating it won’t be available until the fall of 2011 as a limited edition at one exclusive location only, and yet others are saying it won’t be coming back at all!
We have no idea what to expect after talking to six different sources, who all have different stories. Hot gossip indeed!
Unlike most flowers, the tuberose continues to produce scent even after being harvested, making it one of the strongest of all the florals. Its sweet power can be experienced in the Robert Piguet classic fragrance Fracas, launched in 1948, created by French perfumer Germaine Cellier.
The famous Diptyque candle in Tuberose is a wonderful way to experience the deliciously strong scent in your home. Even unlit, the candle’s intoxicating odor telepathically transports you to a fragrant otherworld.
We can only hope that Malone will reconsider the retirement of such a classic fragrance. Yummy is not exactly a textbook term for fine perfumes; however, it is the perfect word to describe tuberose.
What can you expect when the oldest cosmetics house in the world collides with a fashion icon of Rock Royalty?
Something beautiful is bound to happen.
Guerlain’s famous Shalimar, created in 1925 as a classic soft amber, defined the oriental blend with a heady mix of bergamot, lemon, iris, vanilla and exotic amber.
The formula has never changed but the bottle, on the other hand, just received a nip and tuck by artist and designer Jade Jagger, daughter of Mick and Bianca.
The subtle facelift elevates the bottle with a gentle pedestal and pays tribute to rock’n’roll with a dark blue leather scarf. And nothing could be more welcome for Valentine’s Day than a big bottle of eau de parfum in its newly-sculpted design.
Everyone knows Jimmy Choo shoes have elegant style, fine craftsmanship, and unsurpassed glamour. Now the famous brand is expanding to include fragrance.
“We’ve transitioned into a lifestyle luxury brand, and it seemed like the next natural step for us,” said Tamara Mellon, co-founder, chief creative officer of Jimmy Choo and model in the provocative ads.
Brand new and exclusive to Saks, the fragrance, which was three years in the making, is complex. Deep and lush, earthy and exotic, sexy and delicate all at the same time.
What more welcome Valentine’s gift for your sweetheart than a pink facetted gem of the concoction–a gorgeous bottle reminiscent of a giant Murano glass paperweight.
“We wanted to create something that was an object of desire, that you would be proud to have on show,” Mellon stated.
Mellon was involved in the entire creative process, including the making of the fragrance itself with perfumer Olivier Polge of International Flavors & Fragrances.
It’s a fruity chypre (chypre is a perfume made with sandalwood), with green top notes, as well as exotic tiger orchid and Indonesian patchouli.
“I like things that are sensual, so that’s how we came in with the patchouli,” Mellon stated.
“Fragrance is such an important accessory for women,” she said, “And our customer is every woman.”
Perfect gift for your mother, your girlfriend, or yourself!
Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum, $95 for 3.3 fl. oz., is available exclusively through Saks Fifth Avenue. Visit Saks online or call 415-986-4300 and have them charge-send you a bottle before Valentine’s Day.
Jo Malone’s delicious new fragrant offering, English Pear & Freesia, was inspired by the John Keats poem “Ode to Autumn.”
Keats describes the tastes, sights, and sounds of fall.
“The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness conspires with the sun to produce luscious fruits.”
In this poet’s world the bounty is ripe, just like Malone’s new scent, available at Neiman Marcus stores or neimanmarcus.com.
“Imagine a garden in London with rambling white roses and the freesia and the pears and the fruits and the woods. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful fragrance,” stated Jo Malone Education Director Vicki Smith.
“It’s all about that fresh crisp pear,” she continued. “When you bite into a pear the outer portion is a little bit tough and maybe even bitter, but when you get to the meat of it, it’s juicy and sweet and succulent,” she noted.
The fruity fragrance of the pear combine with quince, rhubarb and rambling roses in a woodsy base to create an unforgettable concoction, which is handsome on its own but spectacular when combined with other Jo Malone scents.
Try Grapefruit if you want to bring out the top citrus notes. Or if you want to emphasize the fruity you could add a little Nectarine Blossom & Honey, Jo Malone’s number one seller in North America.
Personally I love using a strong, single-note floral–like the Red Roses bath oil–with the English Pear cologne on top.
The bath oils, which are quite versatile and can be used in a myriad of ways, “bloom into a beautiful bath milk,” Vicki explained, “without the mess.”
“No bathtub ring, no slick bathtubs–your bathroom, and your skin, just smell amazing,” she said.
You can use it after the shower on damp skin, so it’s a perfect layer for your other fragrances. Put it on dry or mix with an unscented body cream.
In fact, it’s such a light oil that you can even smooth a few drops on the ends of your hair for shine and scent.
But remember that the order in which you apply your fragrances can also make a difference.
“If you’re using a really warm scent, you want to put that on your skin first and then layer your lighter, fresher scent over it because you don’t want them to overwhelm one another,” Vicki explained. “Or you could reverse it with a lighter fragrance in a body cream or bath oil, topped with the warmer scent, and it changes the whole dynamic of the fragrance.”
Thanks, Vicki, for the tips, and to Jo Malone for paying homage to the fall season with another wildly inventive creation inspired by one of my husband’s favorite poems.
The English Pear & Freesia is a must for your fragrance collection as much as John Keats is a must for your library.
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The famous Diptyque candle in Tuberose
What can you expect when the oldest cosmetics house in the world collides with a fashion icon of Rock Royalty?
Everyone knows Jimmy Choo shoes have elegant style, fine craftsmanship, and unsurpassed glamour. Now the famous brand is expanding to include fragrance.
“I like things that are sensual, so that’s how we came in with the patchouli,” Mellon stated.
Jo Malone’s delicious new fragrant offering, English Pear & Freesia, was inspired by the John Keats poem “Ode to Autumn.”
