Have you ever bought a perfume just for the name or the bottle? I’ve made a few purchases inspired primarily by beautiful packaging, even when I wasn’t crazy about the fragrance inside — L de Lolita de Lempicka and Bond no. 9 Union Square come to mind — although I’ve managed to avoid that temptation in recent years. However, when I saw the visuals for Memo Tiger’s Nest last spring, I smiled and sighed…
From Rituals' limited edition Holiday 2018 collection, The Ritual of Yalda, a burning papers set. "Celebrate the longer nights in good company and create your own wishing ceremony with this wishing box. 1. Tear out a sheet of perfumed paper. 2. Write down your wish & fold it. 3. Light it, blow it out & place it in the tray. 4. Watch it glow as it sends your wish into the universe. 5. Enjoy the mesmerising scent of pomegranate & watermelon." The set comes with 36 perfumed wishing papers, the bowl and a box of matches. €17.50 at Rituals in the Netherlands (it is also available elsewhere, but at the moment I cannot find it in the US although parts of this collection are here.)
Illume's Balsam & Cedar Incense Set: "Balsam and oak moss mingle with aromatic cedar wood, cinnamon and eucalyptus in our quintessential holiday fragrance." 20 sticks + holder, $12.
Chocolate and coffee, anyone? At left, Coffee and Chocolate Incense from Scentscape's limited edition Fall & Winter 2018 collection (and there is also a Tea and Hot Milk incense, if you prefer). The tube's lid functions as a ceramic incense burner. 40 sticks, $12. At right, Paris Cafe (chocolate, coffee and cinnamon) from Fragrance Memories' City & Style collection. 20 sticks + mini ceramic holder, $7.50. Both at Nippon Kodo.
Independent fragrance brand Gallivant recently launched Tokyo, a “zingy, spicy, woody fragrance” that’s a tribute to kōdō, the Japanese “way of incense.” Tokyo’s notes include yuzu, bergamot, black pepper, cardamom and wasabi; hinoki, cedarwood, incense, iris, rose and nutmeg; and amber, sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli. It was developed for Gallivant by perfumer Nicholas Bonneville.
I’ve had luck trying Gallivant’s fragrances in the past, with Brooklyn and Amsterdam becoming my personal favorites from the line. Even when something from Gallivant doesn’t match my personal taste, I can appreciate its smart sensibility. Tokyo fits the Gallivant house style: it’s gender-neutral, appropriate for a variety of occasions, and accented with an intriguing blend of spices…