As always, we have saved the luxury edition for last, and once again the items are listed in order from what-a-bargain to holy-cow-you’ve-got-to-be-kidding.
L'Artisan Parfumeur's ever popular Mûre et Musc Extrême in a limited edition 100 ml bottle made in collaboration with Éric de Meyer of the Château de Versailles. 30 bottles were made, €195 (about $215) at Printemps Haussman in Paris.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Le Beau Parfum fragrance in a limited edition bottle: "In celebration of the Holiday season, Le Beau Parfum is available in a limited edition bottle hand engraved in gold with a floral pattern designed by Yui Tanaguchi. For this exceptional edition, the external case is signed by Francis Kurkdjian." €300 (about $325) at Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
From Diptyque, L’ombre dans L'Eau in a limited edition 75 ml hand engraved bottle. 450 bottles were made, £280 (about $421) at Diptyque in the UK.
An absolute bargain compared to what they did in 2013: Lancôme's La Vie est Belle in Extrait, celebrating the brand's 80th anniversary. 80 bottles were made; 10 ml for $950 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Penhaligon's does Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with four costumed bottles designed by Clément Robert from the Palais Garnier National Opera House in Paris. Shown are the Soldier (Blenheim Bouquet) and the Ballerina (Iris Prima). Also available: Clara (Empressa) and the Prince (Endymion). €950 each (about $1040) at the Penhaligon's boutique in Paris.
Yet another collector bottle of Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb. Same Swarovski crystals, but this one will run you $2500: "Each crystal is placed on the bottle one by one in an intricate pattern." Reportedly there are nine bottles for sale in the US. It is already sold out at Neiman Marcus; you'll have to shop around.
By Kilian's scented earrings by Paige Novick, with 18k yellow gold chain, vermeil charms with white diamonds (1,5 carats) and white Akoya pearls. Available in any of the brand's fragrances, $4200 at By Kilian.
Armani's Sì Eau de Parfum Intense in a Murano Edition, made by Atelier Salvati, with crystal stopper and a layer of 24-karat gold leaf on the bottom. 75 bottles were made, 30 ml for €3,900 (about $4250).
From Nina Ricci, an updated version of the brand's classic L'Air du Temps, in a hand carved bottle from Lalique and Lognon Workshop. 74 bottles were made, price unknown but it's probably not a bargain.
Guerlain's crystal turtle, the Flacon Tortue: "The turtle-shaped bottle – created by Jacques Guerlain in 1913 in honour of the opening of his “new temple of Beauty” at 68, avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris – is a playful nod to the unhurried pace of the construction work that delayed its inauguration. Now, more than a century later, Guerlain is partnering with Baccarat to produce a new limited crystal edition of this iconic bottle in a 60 ml format. With more than 80 facets carved into the crystal, the turtle-shaped bottle is entirely handmade with painstaking attention to detail. This unparalleled treasure of craftsmanship is a testament to the unique ancestral expertise of Baccarat. Only 47 numbered pieces are available worldwide. This Exceptional Creation contains a woody spicy floral Extrait created by Thierry Wasser. Everlasting flower is at the centre of the warm, spicy base note, while osmanthus lends the fragrance a fruity heart note that is energized by a refreshing mandarin top note. Tonka bean, benzoin and vanilla give the scent a sweet and sensuous fragrant trail." Reportedly €9,500 (about $10,300).
And Guerlain's Shalimar celebrates its 90th birthday with a pair of lovebirds: "The famous Guerlain Shalimar bottle has soared to even greater heights in a deep midnight blue edition crafted by French master glassmaker Waltersperger: a specialist in exceptional formats for almost a century. A genuine feat uniquely combining fine workmanship and state-of-the-art technology. Preciously wrapped around the neck and shoulder of the bottle is a delicate branch, gilded with 22.5-carat gold, on which two lovebirds sit. A poetic allegory of the eternal love between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, this masterpiece of craftsmanship displays the know-how and talent of Desrues the French costume jewellery maker which has been supplying couturiers since 1929. Only 17 numbered pieces are available worldwide." Reportedly €10,500 (about $11,500) for 1.5 liters.
Love the Diptyque Swans and the L’Artisan Gold Bottle…..but these are all in Holy-Cow, you have got to be kidding territory for me!
Yeah, I know what you mean!
Oh, that Shalimar bottle… I’m just imagining pouring a healthy shot of it straight into my tub. If I can afford a bottle like that, I’m sure pouring it in the bath would be a regular occurance.
But still, want even if it is a ridiculous thing. It is nice to dream…
LOL…it is sick that I immediately envisioned it dropping out of my hands while pouring in the tub, isn’t it?
Not at all! I immediately imagined snapping the birds off the first time I tried to open it.
This year I had the chance to see many of the very exclusive Guerlain bottles in my home town. I asked the rep how the actual juices are utilized by the purchaser and the answer was that they are not. What a waste of expensive juice!
I am not at all surprised!
Just think of it as “saving for future generations”.
That turtle is really cute, so far out of my price range it might as well be Mars, but cute. And I love all the dark blue Shalimar bottles.
The turtle is gorgeous. But small! You “only” get 60 ml instead of the vat of Shalimar.
I’m not even sure what would happen if I got my hands on 1.5 liters of Shalimar…*anoints the husband, anoints the dogs…*
You’d have the best smelling pups ever.
Anybody know if these special beauties will be deeply discounted on FragranceNet anytime soon? HA HA HA HA HA HA
Beautiful….but not in my price range, alas!
Yeah, when the turtle drops to $99.99 I’m in
Lol! Please put my name on the “Wants to be alerted when….” list!
If only the Guerlain turtle were filled with Djedi. Still way out of my price range, but…
It’s odd that they did not put one of the more historic fragrances in that bottle.
Actually, you’d think they would offer an option to put any of their fragrances in the turtle bottle, for a price. I know there would be a couple I would think long and hard about if that was available….
Oh that Shalimar bottle , please Santa please
Good luck
1,5 l of Shalimar. That’s what I want.
A lot of the time I don’t care much about special bottles, but I’m digging that Diptyque bottle.. and I really like L’Ombre dans L’Eau… so it’s almost tempting as long as I don’t think too hard about the price. Not happening, obviously.
And even more ridiculous, I love that turtle. Really really not happening.
Same here…in some ways, that’s what I want most from this list. You might want to call a Diptyque boutique and see what they’re charging — it often does not turn out to be a direct conversion from pounds / euros to dollars, so maybe it will be less expensive here.
I also really like the Armani Si bottle — I’m a big fan of Murano glass and that looks so lovely to me. But don’t adore Si.
Same here. Would like some wonderful indie perfumer to have those bottles.
That turtle bottle is gorgeous and I am very curious about the juice inside. And why only 47 bottles? I think there should 68 and I can just daydream about owning the last one!
There should be 68!
So far, I’m the only one digging on the Penhaligon’s bottles? OOH, that Soldier. Love it.
Quite a number of these are really pretty. I don’t love L’Ombre dans l’Eau, but that bottle is gorgeous.
I like them too, although I do like the Soldier the best of the 4, and did not like the Clara bottle. It’s a great idea though…surprised we don’t see more bottle costumes.
I love L’Ombre dans l’Eau; I actually find the new bottle shape attractive (in person); and that engraved bottle is stunning. If I had money to burn, that’s the one I’d choose.
Oddly, I don’t care so much about the Guerlain bottles with new juice in them. I’d rather spend those imaginary dollars on hunting down Djedi and other vintage treasures.
With that much imaginary money, Djedi should not be so hard to come by