Viktor & Rolf have launched Flowerbomb Rose Explosion, a new flanker to 2005’s Flowerbomb…
Father’s Day 2013 ~ scented gift suggestions
My father is deceased. My partner and I wouldn’t dream of calling each other “Dad” or “Pa” (nor do either of us qualify as “sugar daddy” to the other). My two cats are treated like children, but neither is smart enough to buy me a present. Father’s Day is pretty meaningless at my house! How’s that for a kick-off to this article? Personal life aside, I hear people all around me complaining about Father’s Day: fathers are often disappointed in the gifts they receive, suspecting the gift is more for the giver, than the receiver (tickets to shows and games, fancy dinners at restaurants); children struggle to buy something original that will still be enjoyed. Since my “beat” is perfume, here are some scented suggestions if you’re still searching for a gift.
Let’s start with the head; the locus of male drudgery — shaving. Classic Shaving offers some cool gift options: its retro, and colorful, Pinaud-Clubman set includes five, 12.5 oz bottles of Lime Sec and Citrus Musk Eaux de Cologne, Lilac Vegetal, Bay Rum and Clubman “Original” aftershave lotions, $50 (or the same set in 6 oz bottles for $30); the Thiers Issard Super Badger 26mm Shaving Brush is beautiful (the bristles are set into a desert ironwood base), $230; present the brush with a tin of Pré de Provence Shaving Cream, 150 g, sage scent, $15. Have a dad with whiskers? Give him some beard soap and beard tonic from Ireland…
Holiday fragrance gifts 2012, part 7
Our second-to-last holiday gift post focuses on budget options and stocking stuffers. Next up: luxury.
If you missed them, check out part 1 (scented body products), part 2 (travel sizes & coffrets), part 3 (home fragrance), part 4 (gifts for men), part 5 (solid perfumes) and part 6: (more travel sizes & coffrets).
From Nordstrom, empty travel atomizers in black, gold, purple, red, silver and pink. $5 each…
Bunch o’ limited edition collector bottles 2012, part 18
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 Hermès, 24 Faubourg in the Quadridge edition…
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb ~ fragrance review
Viktor & Rolf just released Spicebomb, its second men’s fragrance (remember Antidote?) Viktor Horsting said: “We were jealous of all the women who had Flowerbomb, and we wanted to have our own bomb.”* In the same interview, Rolf Snoeren added: “We felt that if flowers were a very typical feminine scent, spices were the masculine opposite.” (Translation: Viktor & Rolf wanted to fill a grenade-shaped bottle with a men’s scent that they hope will match Flowerbomb’s great commercial success.)
I was amused that the press release for Spicebomb mentioned licensee L’Oréal didn’t do any market testing for the fragrance (they’ve been burned in many perfume reviews for the ‘market-tested’ — generic — nature of many of their offerings). Since when did giant companies make a point of denying market testing?
Perfumer Olivier Polge chimed in, “Viktor and Rolf wanted an extroverted, outspoken fragrance.”* Spicebomb’s scent is not outrageous or “new,” but the strength of the perfume (excellent lasting power and sillage) qualifies it as a “bomb” of sorts…