For the ones who want to look great and smell great this festive season. And who doesn’t? The keenest of noses will appreciate these luscious scents, some limited edition, and others, iconic ones wrapped up in delightful holiday packaging. We’ve also got home scents and candles to liven up any cosy abode.
FRAGRANCES
CHANEL N°5 HOLIDAY 2020 ESSENTIALS
From $69, available at CHANEL Fragrance and Beauty boutiques and counters
CHANEL’s N°5 fragrance has to be one of the most iconic and enduring scents. You can now wear its powdery floral notes on your body in five varied textures, such as a hydrating body lotion, a lightly scented deodorant, and a hair mist encased in a frosted glass bottle.
BURBERRY MY BURBERRY BLUSH EDP
$156 (50ml), available at at BHG Bugis Junction and sg.burberry.com
The fresh pink bottle of Burberry’s latest fruity-floral EDP is telling of its sparkling twist to the original. Created by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, it evokes the feeling of stepping into an English garden at dawn, as the scent opens with glazed pomegranate and vibrant lemon, followed by delicate rose that’s lightly lifted by a crisp apple.
MEMO PARIS OCEAN LEATHER EDP
$355, available at escentials
Ignite your loved one’s wanderlust with MEMO’s series of destination-based scents, starting with Ocean Leather, a heartfelt tribute to the sea. This comes inspired by the mythical cetacean, which has sparked the imagination of centuries of authors, and now, a fragrance that combines fresh oceanic notes with the depth of leather, vetiver and cedar.
JO MALONE LONDON MIDNIGHT MUSK & AMBER
$225 (100ml), available at Jo Malone London boutiques
Jo Malone London’s holiday scent is touted as a ‘Bright Young Thing’, very much like the person that dazzles you the moment they enter the room. Here, sensual midnight musk waltzes with warm amber, as top notes of juniper and mandarin entwine for an enchanting scent that will constantly draw you in. You won’t want to take this off.
KILIAN PARIS ROSES ON ICE
$305 (50ml), available at escentials
The look of Kilian Paris’ latest scent reminds us of cocktail hour in an old-school gin parlour, and we’re honestly not that far off. Served ‘on ice’, it captures the character of gin in its floral yet sharp notes, opening first with fresh cucumber and juniper berries for that icy texture, a heart of Rose Centifolia, and then a drydown of sandalwood and musk.
BYREDO LIL FLEUR EDP LIMITED EDITION
$372 (100ml), available at escentials and the Byredo boutique
We’re used to Byredo’s minimalist, monochrome bottles, though these happy colours are welcome too. Similarly, the scents within boast of a youthful interpretation of Lil Fleur, inspired by surging emotions — both happy and sad, though brimming with promise and potential. With a heart of Damascena Rose, top notes of cassis and tangerine add crisp sparkle, while saffron, amber, blonde woods, and vanilla create a sophisticated base.
ACQUA DI PARMA COLONIA ESSENZA EAU DE COLOGNE HOLIDAY SET
$215, available at Sephora
The festive illustrations of Chinese artist Oamul give this Acqua di Parma set a lively feel, making it a great gift for the default host of cosy home gatherings. It features the Colonia Essenza scent in an Eau de Cologne, Deodorant Spray, and Hair & Shower Gel, where the scent’s welcoming notes of citrus and woods can be worn however way they like.
DIPTYQUE FLEUR DE PEAU EDP LIMITED EDITION
$226 (75ml), available at escentials and diptyque boutiques
For a scent that pays tribute to the mythical love between Psyche and Eros, you can expect this to be a romantic one, of musky notes accentuated by iris and ambrette seed. Fragrance and candle brand diptyque has gone one step further, by presenting the scent in an exclusive box that visually expresses the romance found within, making this a sweet gift for your loved one.
CHLOÉ ATELIER DES FLEURS VERBENA EDP
$175 (50ml), available at Sephora
The pretty glass flacon holds Chloé’s latest line of perfumes —the Chloé Atelier Des Fleurs, a collection of nine fragrances by six renowned perfumers who interpret their childhood memories and travel recollections into scents infused with natural botanicals. Crafted by Mylene Alran, the garden-fresh verbena scent here is an aromatic one that recalls her parents’ garden, of “lemony freshness and natural radiance”.
YSL BEAUTY LIBRE EDP 50ML SET
$179, available at all YSL Beauty stores and counters
Any free-spirited person will love the feeling of LIBRE, a YSL Beauty scent that’s created for “the woman who craves for the scent of an untamed freedom”. Its empowering notes contain a complex floral-lavender scent that deftly toes the line between sensual orange blossom and bold lavender, topped off with a clean-looking bottle that bears the distinct YSL bottle. For the bolder, these’s also a collector’s edition of the scent, wrapped in wild leopard prints.
DIOR BEAUTY J’ADORE FRAGRANCE SET
$261, available at Dior Beauty boutiques and counters
The iconic J’adore Eau de Parfum is here in Dior’s dreamy holiday packaging, which imagines a magical starry Christmas anybody would be delighted to be a part of. This limited edition set presents the EDP together with a Travel Spray, so your friend can take the stunning notes of ylang-ylang, Damascus Rose,
and jasmine along wherever they go.
GUCCI BEAUTY BLOOM EDP CHRISTMAS SET
$280, available at Sephora
The first fragrance developed under Alessandro Michele’s creative vision is, as he puts it, “a courageous scent that transports you to a vast garden filled with many flowers and plants, a bouquet of abundance”. The Gucci Bloom EDP is one that celebrates life and vitality, so gift this to the most charming person you know. Here, the set includes both the Gucci Beauty Bloom EDP (100ml) and the house’s Rouge à Lèvres Voile Sheer Lipstick in Goldie 25.
AERIN AMBER MUSK FRAGRANCE SET
$194, available at Sephora
Aerin fans would appreciate this limited edition gift set of their Amber Musk scent in three essential sizes for home or travel — a 50ml bottle, as well as a 7ml and 4ml roll-on and mini. The scent itself is an oriental woody amber, of florals with distinctive whiffs of warm amber and creamy musk.
MAISON CHRISTIAN DIOR FRAGRANCE DISCOVERY SET
$250, available exclusively at the Maison Christian Dior boutique at ION Orchard
Know a hardcore fragrance lover? For the ones who know their musks from their vetivers, this Maison Christian Dior Fragrance Discovery Set brings together eight unisex fragrances from the luxury brand, each inspired by a unique flower and crafted by Dior Perfumer-Creator François Demachy with precious ingredients. These include Ambre Nuit, Jasmin des Anges, Oud Ispahan, Rouge Trafalgar and Holy Peony.
MAISON21G SCENT DISCOVERY SET
$190, available at BHG Bugis and Sephora
While MAISON21G also labels this a ‘discovery set’, we’d recommend this for the more adventurous ones who’d like to experiment with and create their own scent. The box, or scent wardrobe, holds 34 mini perfume bottles and blotter papers so they can put together an endless array of combinations, for various moods, occasions, or just because.
HOME SCENTS
AESOP THE SEASONED WAYFARER
$130, available at Aesop stores
As whimsical as ever, Aesop’s theme of their holiday kits revolve around the idea of stories and literature, where each kit comes with a QR code on its sleeve that leads the reader to an e-book they can enjoy in their own time. Here, the Australian brand combines interior scents that make up the cosiest of nooks, whether it’s the Istros Aromatique Room Spray, a bathroom deodoriser, and a fan-favourite hand wash for clean hands.
LOEWE SCENTED CANDLE IN JUNIPER BERRY
From $125, available at LOEWE Paragon
The luxury house debuted a whole line of scents and candles to much fanfare earlier this year, as creative director Jonathan Anderson gives us 11 alluring scents meant to “evoke the earthly delights of a vegetable garden”. This means, instead of the usual floral notes, the scented candles often feature a more natural green aroma — of rosy wood tones for Juniper Berry — while we still can’t get over the tone-on-tone design of those glazed ceramic holders.
LE LABO CANDLE DISCOVERY SET
$120, available at the Le Labo Singapore Lab
Now that cherished fragrance brand Le Labo is here on our sunny shores, we’re free to enjoy their hand-crafted artisanal scents all year round. For those who simply can’t decide on a single scent — because really, they’re all amazing — this discovery set gives them the time to slowly take in these gentle aromas. Featured scents: Figue 15, Palo Santo 14, Petit Grain 21.
JO MALONE DECORATED CANDLE COLLECTION
$385, available at Jo Malone boutiques
If Christmas happens to coincide with the housewarming party of a new home owner, this Jo Malone series of candles ought to come in handy. Imagine this on a new shelf or console — the trio puts together three festive fragrances of Frosted Cherry & Clove, Roasted Chestnut, and Sweet Almond & Macaroon, while we just love their minimalist vibes too.
HUSH CANDLE FESTIVE GIFT BUNDLE
$58, available at hushcandle.com
Homegrown brand Hush just seems to know what we all want for Christmas. On the budget-friendly side, but no doubt still a great gift, the set contains their top festive favourites of a Limited Edition Christmas Woods Room Spray, Orange Clove candle, and the Limited edition Cinnamon Nutmeg candle.
FORNASETTI PROFUMI COMME DES FORNÀ SCENTED CANDLE
$291, available at escentials
With notes of lavender and thyme, the scented candle is decorated by the works of painter Piero Fornasetti on a handcraftee ceramic vessel, and is equal parts chic and quirky for the not-so-basic home decorator.
DIPTYQUE AMBER FEATHER SCENTED CANDLE
$58 (70g), available at escentials and diptyque boutiques
“Spreading its wings above a rocky hill, a mysterious swan releases the scent of amber resin.” The dream comes to life with diptyque’s mystical holiday story set in Paris after midnight, and is definitely made for the not-so-literal who will appreciate the decadent illustrations by Parisian artist Ugo Gattoni. The Amber Feather candle brings together citrus notes and a warm amber accord, along with notes of cinnamon and ginger.
MORE GIFT IDEAS IN OUR NYLON STAY HOME XMAS GIFT GUIDE, HERE.
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