More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.
From Nina Ricci, L'Air du Temps in the Cristal d’Or edition by Lalique (above left). 900 bottles made; 15 ml for 400€. (via fr.fashionmag)
From Estee Lauder, Pleasures in a "Glimmering Take Out Solid Perfume Compact" (above right) complete with chopsticks. $89 at Nordstrom.
From Annick Goutal, limited edition bottles of Mandragore. At left, the men's version, in 100 ml Eau de Toilette for 75€. At right, the women's butterfly bottle, in 100 ml Eau de Parfum for 180€. At Premiere Avenue in France.
From Calvin Klein, collector bottles of CK IN2U. At Debenhams in the UK, £34.26 each.
The Mandragore bottles are really attractive – I still like the men’s better, although I don’t know why. Wish I loved the juice more. The Pleasures compact is kitschy fab, isn’t it?
I think that the CK bottles, from the picture, look like bath products.
I like the men’s better too! And the CK look like shampoo. Or maybe bottled water.
Could be just me, but isn’t the men’s bottle the same as it was?
My same exact though, Boojum. I’m not at home so I can’t compare mine, but I don’t see a difference. I’ve still got to hunt down that Pourpre version too…
The design is different, but not radically so! See:
https://nstperfume.com/2005/04/06/perfume-review-annick-goutal-mandragore/
Ok, a tweak then. Can’t imagine chasing after it though! How odd.
Boo, I’m assuming they did it mainly so they’d have a man’s version to release at the same time as the new butterfly bottle.
I usually don’t pay much attention to the EL solid offerings, but that chinese takeaway box is beyond cute! I think Sensuous would have been a better scent for it though.
It’s darned cute. No idea which fragrance really fits it…although I like Sensuous a lot better than Pleasures.
LOVE that EL box! Wish I liked Pleasures, though. Too bad they don’t offer it w/a choice of scent.
I was thinking the same thing. I absolutely hate Pleasures–I think they got the name wrong. Geez, if it was just about anything else I would have coughed up the dough for that.
They’ve also done a great tiger (for Year of the Tiger) with Beautiful:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3063695/0~2377897~2377898~6001822?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6001822&P=1
Dang it! Ok, so I guess if it was anything besides Pleasures or Beautiful…
I like that tiger, but can’t help but wonder how you open it, and where the perfume solid is located in the tiger?
Yeah, I was wondering the same thing! No idea.
Oh, I ACHE for that EL box and its little chopsticks! If only it didn’t contain Pleasures, which I loathe. Now, if they’d only put ELPCTG in it….
Yes!
EL makes the prettiest sold perfume compacts. Too bad they’re priced so high.
They’re adorable. $90 isn’t cheap, but I didn’t think it was outrageous either.
I’m jonesing after that Chinese take-out box, but like everyone else I don’t like Pleasures. You’re right, Suzanne, they should offer more scents – just have little removable pots that could be put in the compact of your choice.
You know it, Fleur. How come I’m not in charge?
Oh well, just saved us $89…
Yeah, but I think every compact is so different they’d have to make too many different shapes & sizes.
All these are are something for someone to run around antique stores in an interesting search 25 years from now. While pretty, I’d rather smell pretty than look at something pretty when I pull open a drawer to pick today’s scent. Denise
Me too! I just like looking at the pictures.
Ohhh! Love the AG bottles–must restrain myself…..
Do you know I’ve searched high and low in Sf for the Mandragore Pourpre to no avail? Has anyone else had difficulty finding the juice?
Haven’t seen it yet either. I just keep checking the Nordstrom and Aedes websites to see if they have it in.
I don’t think it’s in the US yet.
Is there some kind of connection between Pleasures and Chinese take out that I’m missing? Or is it as random as it seems?
That’s what I was wondering… I think it’s just because it’s a travel compact. Or maybe cause takeout is a Pleasure? No, that’s stretching it!
And it’s a little confusing that they put the regular Mandragore in a purple bottle, right after releasing Mandragore Pourpre.
That’s the color the original Mandragore bottles were (in fact, I’d almost swear the men’s bottle hasn’t changed, just that they have a new butterfly bottle). The Pourpre bottles are a bluer/plummy purple.
I think it’s pretty random. If there’s a pattern, it’s over my head, anyway.
I think all of EL’s fragrance compacts are like that. (See tiger that Robin posted above for reference–I don’t know what tiger’s have to do with Beautiful, except maybe that tigers *are* beautiful…but so are a lot of other things.)
Perhaps they are suggesting (Chandler Burr-style) that Chinese take-out is what one ought to eat whilst wearing Pleasures?!!!
… and roast tiger to go with Beautiful…?
Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!
Am I the only one turned off by the Chinese takeout box? It makes me think of the smell of Chinese takeout.
HA…no, it didn’t look THAT real to me
I really like the CK collector bottles. I loved the mens version and am so sad its been discontinued. I bought the 5oz bottle thinking Id have it forever but theres hardly anything left! I have 2 find it on ebay or at marshells or tjmaxx. Sad that I havent tried POP or Heat.
They discontinued CK In2U for Men? I had not heard that!
I say that because I havent seen them around in so long? Maybe they havent and Im mistaken.
No, you could be right…I really don’t know. I don’t think they sold as well as CK hoped they would.
I was just doing an EL “sniff a thon” this weekend (educational field trip ya know), and I tried Pleasures. It’s a good thing I hadn’t seen the take-out box beforehand, it would have tainted my evaluation. Which was meh. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. I think I’d consider it for the box alone, if it came up on Ebay cheap enough in a year or so.
I think Pleasures is a really incredibly well done scent…but not the sort of thing to tempt most perfumistas. I’ve certainly never been tempted to buy it, but whenever I smell it again I’m reminded how well done it is.
the el is so cute~ love the chopstick idea~
but not really fan of solid perfume though!
I like solids, but it’s true that they don’t usually have the sillage of alcohol-based liquids.