Fragrance is a classic and beloved gift, no matter what the season, with festive fragrances to suit every budget. Here are some of my new favorites for “the females,” for Holiday 2011: 
Marilyn Monroe sang: “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” but gold and diamonds are even better! Imagine a huge, golden diamond with a secret: a beautiful, fresh oriental solid formula fragrance that you can dab on to your heart’s delight. This isn’t a dream, it is the vision of Paco Rabane for a limited edition 2011 holiday “gem” – Lady Million Solid Perfume ($48.00) .07 oz. Francisco “Paco” Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known as Paco Rabanne, is a Franco-Spanish fashion designer known for many things, including being the creative behind costume designs for such films as Barbarella. He is now a senior statesman in the fashion industry but his designs, and fragrance, continue to be an influence on fashionistas both male and female. One of the more extravagant, especially in packaging, is Lady Million and 1 Million (for men, to be reviewed tomorrow). These fragrances are inspired by the eternal glamour of gold and diamonds in blends and bottles that are extravagant, and striking. “Design is not about seduction; it’s about shock” says Paco Rabanne. But shock can be a great thing! If you are seeking a special and extravagant, but still reasonably affordable gift for a woman, you can’t go wrong with this stunning, solid perfume that is both beautiful, and reasonably affordable for an upscale fragrance. Lady Million’s note include: Neroli, Bitter Orange, Raspberry, Orange Flower Absolute, Sambac Jasmine Absolute, Gardenia, Patchouli, Honey, Amber. The first thing you smell is a hint of bitter orange and raspberry, but the heart is floral, and you really do smell them: neroli and orange blossom, plus a range of other white florals. But as with the men’s fragrance, the bottom notes of patchouli, honey, and amber at drydown subdue the florals into a a scent that isn’t easily definied. It smells unique, expressive, and expensive. The scent lingers lightly (but nicely) on the skin. The scent and the packaging are so seductive — a diamond-shaped gold compact with interior mirror and a large round of solid fragrance just begging to be touched. The gold diamond could be a holiday ornament, with a golden cord and charm that you could literally hang on a tree. But while it is supopsed to be purse-friendly, it really is heavy. I would probably not carry this around unless I was really trying to impress someone. Better to leave it like a precious jewel, on your dressing table or desk, and “touch up” just for luxuriousness of it. There is also a 1 Million for men, to be reviewed tomorrow on www.advicesisters.net.
Francisco “Paco” Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known as Paco Rabanne, is a Franco-Spanish fashion designer known for many things, including being the creative behind costume designs for such films as Barbarella. He is now a senior statesman in the fashion industry but his designs, and fragrance, continue to be an influence on fashionistas both male and female. One of the more extravagant, especially in packaging, is 1 Million and Lady Million (reviewed in another www.advicesisters.net post), his latest, inspired by the eternal glamour of gold and diamonds in blends and bottles that are extravagant, and striking. From couture to prêt-à-porter, accessories to perfumes, Rabanne has never stopped innovating. ”Design is not about seduction; it’s about shock.” —Paco Rabanne. If you are seeking a special and extravagant, but still reasonably affordable gift for a man this season, the Gold Fever 1 Million Gift Set ($75.00) is sure to be a rich choice (sorry, pun intended). But seriously, the gold ingot packaging (designed by famous industrial designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance), will entice any man who seeks to improve his fortune be it in life, love or career. Who wouldn’t want to hold a gold bar in his hand?! The nicely boxed gift set contains a gold ingot key chain that he will definitely want to use, and the now iconic, gold bar flacon filled with – 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray of 1 million fragrance. The scent is unusual, and it smells expensive. The overall feeling is spicy, but not in a grandpa’s cologne sort of way. It is light-ish, modern, sexy with a hint of spice and of leather. The actual notes are: Frosted Grapefruit, Blood Mandarin, Peppermint, Rose Absolute, Musk, Cinnamon Bark, Blond Leather, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, White Wood, Amber Ketal. You initially smell the Tonka bean and fruit, but then the florals, woods and patchouli come together as with the last, resounding notes of a powerful symphony, to produce something not quite as definable, but lasting in both memory and on the skin. For those with less expansive budgets, or to give a special gift for a road warrior, the The Paco Rabanne 1 Million Travel Spray $36.00 offers a 0.68 oz Eau de Toilette Spray in the gorgeous, gold ingot case, but you can pull out a glass flacon to take with you “on the road” or to the gym, etc. You can find Paco Rabanne and 1 Million in a number of places, including Sephora, and Macy’s, among others.
Alas, Kim Kardashian! Like so many faux-socialites and reality stars before, her star has fallen. But love or loathe the Kardashian sisters, they are true natural beauties. Kim and her sister Khloe, both have managed to create a number of products with their celebrity status.
Kim Kardashian has created three fragrances all in the name of “love.” It may seem ironic, since the member of Occupy Wall Street have endured longer than her ill-fated marriage, but the fragrances are here to stay. So I am divorcing (pun intended) her public personna from the value of the fragrances that bear her name, and focusing on what there is to love (pun intended) about these fragrances. On a very positive note, Kim is still a very glamorous figure and no titilating scandale can take that away from her. The three fragrances: Love, Gold, and Signature arrive in beautiful, retro-glam, rounded bottles with classic, square toppers. For the holidays, you can give someone (or three friends) each a 1 oz. spray bottle of these Eau de Parfum sprays, in a nice, presentation box . This limited edition set is a $104 value for only $55.00. It makes a truly impressive gift.
So what’s in the bottles? For Kim Kardashian LOVE, Kim was inspired by:’ the intoxicating sensation of true, eternal love.” That squirm-worthy sentiment aside, less fleeting is the fragance, in a flashy flacon, shiny silver with a rhinestone collar. The fragrance starts out with a bust of alcohol that quickly blows off to become a very feminine floral. The top notes are sparkling red currant, pink freesia and star jasmine, but it is the strong heart (and hopefully, Kim has one as well) that consists of French mimosa, rare Egyptian tuberose, and rose absolute orpur that stands out, throughout. If you are into spicy, exotic florals (and apparently Kim is), you will adore the fragrance. Upon drydown you get a hit of sensual musk, creamy sandalwood, and orris butter bottom notes. While sensual and romantic, strangely, the scent seems to be more appropriate for moms, than their teen daughters (more likely to want to emulate the Kardashian sisters). Kim Kardashian (her signature fragance) smells lighter but very similar. The bottle is a cutie pie–retro shiny black with girly pink accents. Notes in this one are: Mandarin, Honey Suckle, Orange Blossom, Pink Jasmine, Tuberose, Sensual Spice, Lush Gardenia, Jacaranda Wood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla Orchid, Sexy Musk, Creamy Sandalwood. Clearly, this is a woman who likes tuberose and gardenia and other spicy white florals. You either tend to love (or not), but if you do, these are very pleasing for that fragrance classification. Finally there is Kim Kardashian GOLD, in a black and gold flacon which is the most elegant of the three. Apparently the tag line is: transcend ordinary.” Kim Kardashian Gold is the most distinctive of the trio, although it’s pretty much a fruity floral with a hint of musk. The actual notes are a top of bergamot, grapefruit and pink pepper. The heart has jasmine, tender rose and dewy violet. The bottom blends patchouli, sandalwood, amber and creamy benzoin, plus musk. At drydown, the sensual bottom notes take over from the warm-weather fruits, making this an interesting, easy to wear scent. It’s more universally pleasing than the other two. You” reach for it often, when you want something a little different from your usual favorites. The Kim Kardashian Trio is limited edition and collectors as well as fans are going to snarf these up fast. The boxed set makes a really lovely gift. Find it at Macy and macys.com.
The first fragrance I ever actually owned (as opposed to visiting my mom’s dressing table) was a Muguet (lily of the valley), and it holds a special place in my heart. The light, green scent is timeless, and delights young and old. The lily of the valley plant grows from a bulb, and when they bloom, I know Spring is truly here! The tiny white flowers from which the fragrance is created, on their slender, green stem, are reminiscent of tiny bells. When I smell lily of the valley, it’s instantly Springtime. A fabulous (and affordable) fragrance gift for Holiday 2011 is Crabtree & Evelyn Lily Eau de Toilette (1 oz. $25.00 – there are also other sizes and products in the collection). Crabtree & Evelyn’s version is a perfect single accord of lily of the valley blended with dewy greens, velvety woodland mosses, musk, and hints of hyacinth and ylang ylang. Spray it lightly (a little goes a long way) and bring Spring to life! The fragrance comes in a pristine, white box with a beautiful, lily of the valley blossom and butterfly decoration, and inside, there’s the prize: a chunky square of clear glass with a tapered, round, black plastic cap over the spray diffuser. The fragrance is also free of parabens, phthaletes, propylene glycol, and mineral oil. Visit the Crabtree & Evelyn Web Site to order, or go to your favorite, Crabtree & Evelyn boutique
If you are looking to celebrate the holidays on a budget, consider Celebrate Eau De Toilette Spray by MARK at just $25.00 for 1.7 fl. oz. The mix of citrus petals, star jasmine and gold woods starts lively and fruity and a bit tart, but quickly dries down so you can smell the more sensual, wood notes. MARK is meant for younger woman (although that has never stopped more mature fans from loving their products), and this fragrance is a nice “date night” scent for a younger woman, soft and powdery enough to wear in the daytime if you are 20+ . It is just a pleasant, if not terribly sophisticated fragrance, and it is the kind you’ll reach for often and spray with a free hand, because — you can! The bottle is a lovely, generous chunk of clear glass, colored deep purple at the bottom to reflect into the glass like an amethyst gem. The square bottle is rounded at the top and faceted on the sides, with a large, round, clear and shiny silver topper. It makes a lovely dressing table addition, and a great holiday gift. Get yours from your favorite MARK representative or at www.meetmark.com
