ÇaFleureBon Holiday Fragrance Gift Guide 2022 illustration by the brilliant Massimo Alfaioli
Black Friday seems to be hanging on, we hope you #shopsmall at Fragrance Vault (giveaway still open) and tomorrow, November 28, 2022 is Cyber Monday, which for many of us is really 365 days a year. If you are a regular reader of CaFleureBon you know I don’t believe in blind buying perfumes as a Holiday gift unless it is a much-wanted bottle and I have reservations even then. 2022, is different. With brick-and-mortar stores now open after nearly two years, we still live in a time of uncertainty; economic, health and political issues persist. It has been increasingly expensive to ship internationally, find supplies and ingredients especially for indie perfumers, and small perfume boutiques. They need your support now more than ever, which why Part 1 and Part 2 of ÇaFleureBon Holiday Fragrance Guide 2022, will only feature natural, independent and artisan created scented presents.
Samples are a great way to test fragrances you have read about and yes, if it sounds like you will love it YES blind buy. Thankfully some of us will have the opportunity to reunite with family but many will not be able to get away, and will be staying home. That is why it was important that each provided a personal experience; smell great and make a great gift for friends, loved ones and family. Cost was a factor as well, prices range from $15-$125+. You don’t need to break the bank to give great gifts this season.-Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Best Holiday Fragrance 2022 Gifts That Aren’t Perfume
If you have visited my home there are diffusers by Prosody London composed by natural perfumer and Contributor Kershen Teo. It is tough to choose just one but I am recommending Fougere Fauve, especially if you are a fan of vintage perfumes that used real oakmoss, Fougère Fauve smells like a perfume, which is what Kershen Teo would have made but IFRA prohibits it. With notes of pine, petitgrain, cedarwood, galbanum, gurjun balsam and a hint of peach, you can smell that it is a nod to Mitsouko and a wonderful alternative to the pine scents usually associated with the holiday season. What differentiates the Prosody London diffusers are the thickness of the rattan sticks which hold more oils and allows scent to waft throughout the room without clogging, so you never have to flip the reeds, which last for over four months. All raw materials used are sourced globally, sustainably harvested and all-natural, botanical. 140 ml/$115
No one wants to kiss chapped dry lips no matter how much mistletoe you stand under. And Chapsticks© just doesn’t cut it; all that nasty paraffins and mineral oil YUCCHH! Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co’s new Healing Herb Balm contains blue tansy oil, an essential oil known for its skin repairing abilities. This colorless lip balm meets lip oil in this super hydrating 100 percent botanical lip butter housed in a frosted glass jar looks great when you pull it out of a jeans or jacket pocket. You can use it on your cuticles or to smooth callous skin. For men and for women. I plan on gifting this to nearly everyone, including myself (I am jonesing the Jasmine Apricot) $15/1/4 oz
Le Jardin Retrouve L’Oracle du Jardin: I grew up in a household where my grandmother read cards and told fortunes. Whether she was telling me what I wanted to hear or what she thought would be useful, I can’t be sure, but reach grandchild might get the same card and a different message (we only found this out when we were adults, mine usually was something to do with patience and imagination). Working closely with in-house artist Kaya Bagamaz, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Le Jardin Retrouve Clara Feder explains “The cards help you channel only positive energies. You can ask the cards anything, simply by picking one randomly. The answer you will get is yours to interpret, either as a metaphor, or as a very real and down to earth answer.” A joy to look at, each illustration emphasizes the beauty of nature and just holding them in my hands I feel a sense of wellbeing. Each card holds a meaningful message that only you can interpret. Clara recommends using the cards in the morning and again at night. Sure enough, I shuffled the cards this morning and “Patience” appeared.
Looking forward to tonight’s message…
You can discover advice and quotes for every card on the brand’s website 24 illustrated cards/ €22.00
Whether for someone just starting their perfume explorations or a long-time collector, the Sanae Intoxicants Perfume Making Kit is a high-quality and hands-on gift for hours of creative fun. The kit, contained within a wooden treasure box, includes fifteen (2ml) customizable dropper bottles of essential oils (natural or synthetic). Options range from top notes of bergamot, neroli and clary sage to gorgeous florals such as rose and jasmine and rich base notes of amber, vetiver and patchouli as well as some more unusual choices like fern or grass. Complete with all the necessary tools, a detailed instruction booklet and fractionated coconut oil (fixative), the options for creating your own personal blend are nearly endless. Purchase the Sanae Intoxicants Perfume Making Kit for the creative perfume lover in your life. (Prices start from $115 depending on options) – Rachel Watson, Sr. Contributor
Best Fragrance Holiday 2022 Gifts: Perfumes
I met with a VP at Google, and he told me that one of the most highly searched phrase for keyword perfume Is how do I make my Own Perfume? -Michelyn, who turns this over to Rachel
Whether for someone just starting their perfume explorations, has dreams of being a perfumer or a long-time collector, the Sanae Intoxicants Perfume Making Kit is a high-quality and hands-on gift for hours of creative fun. The kit, contained within a wooden treasure box, includes fifteen (2ml) customizable dropper bottles of essential oils (natural or synthetic). Options range from top notes of bergamot, neroli and clary sage to gorgeous florals such as rose and jasmine and rich base notes of amber, vetiver and patchouli as well as some more unusual choices like fern or grass. Complete with all the necessary tools, a detailed instruction booklet and fractionated coconut oil (fixative), the options for creating your own personal blend are nearly endless. Purchase the Sanae Intoxicants Perfume Making Kit for the creative perfume lover in your life, who could be you. (Prices start from $115 depending on options) – Rachel Watson, Sr. Contributor
Got oud? Chances are the answer is no and the “oud” you see listed in many fragrances is a “re-creation” or of poor quality. Real oud is unlike anything you have ever smelled before is truly “The Wood of The gods”. For the oud obsessed perfumista my recommendation is the Strangelove NYC Gift Set which includes five 2ml EDP bottles presented in a black gift box. deadofnight, meltmyheart, silencethesea, lostinflowers and fallintostars were composed and formulated for Strangelove NYC founder Elizabeth Gaynes by master perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, with creative direction by Helena Christensen. Strangelove NYC only sources their genuine ouds from farms that are 100% sustainable. 2ml/5 edps/$95
Disclosure: some of these products were sent to me for the gift guide, some are from my personal collection
–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
For our Holiday Fragrance Gift Guide 2022 Indie Draw Part 1
USA and UK: Prosody London Fougere Fauve Diffuser
USA, UK and EU: Strangelove EDP Discovery Set
USA: Providence Perfume Co. Herbal Lip Balm
USA, UK, EU: Two sets of 24 L’Oracle du Jardin cards in their own vintage fabric pouch. (1 for UK/Europe and 1 for North America)
USA Only: Sanae Intoxicants Perfume Making Kit
To be eligible for any scented presents in Best Holiday Fragrance Gift Guide 2022 Part 1 please leave a comment what about Michelyn’s picks, where you live and as many of these five that you are eligible for you would hope to win (please be sure to include at least one scented product that is not a perfume). You must be a registered reader. You can do so here, Draw closes December 1, 2022 and the winner will be announced within ten days later.
This year every one of the offerings in the ÇaFleureBon Best Perfume Holiday 2021 Guide will be for draw and all are sponsored are independently owned. Please support them by buying directly from each of their sites.
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