December 18, 2009 | BeautyStat.com
 

December 2009

There's nothing like perfume that elicits a mood and warms up the spirit. Fragrance is sometimes intangible - you don't realize you've entered a "perfume mood" until it's there and envelopes you.  And these are some of the products we're crazy about for the holiday season (and why we love them). Burberry Brit Gift Set ($84) Burberry Brit Fragrance Gift Guide We love the fruity and lightness of this perfume (we recommend it for the teenager). This set includes a 3.3.oz Eau de Toilette Spray, a Body Lotion and a Shower Gel. Hanae Mori Butterfly Perfume Gift Set ($60) Hanae Mori Butterfly Perfume Gift Set We love this (ahem) Butterfly themed perfume gift set for several reasons. First, the fragrance, which is a blend of berries and flowers that doesn't smell like a Magnolia Bakery cupcake. It has notes of strawberries and almond. The bottle is absolutely stunning, almost like Lalique, and naturally the top of the bottle represents the ethereal-looking butterfly wings. This set includes a 1 oz Eau de Toilette Spray, a Roll On  AND a scarf. Sephora Favorites Collector's Edition Fragrance Sampler for Her ($75) Sephora Fragrance Sampler If your recipient is undecided, has many moods or loves the entire gamut of perfume notes, then you'll want to get her this. It includes seven samples from top-selling fragrances including Juicy Couture's Eau de Parfum, Ralph Lauren Romance, Marc Jacobs Daisy, DKNY Be Delicious, Dior Addict, Givenchy Very Irresistible Givenchy, and Stella McCartney. It's like giving her a chocolate sampler box. Marc Jacobs' Lola ($45-$85) Marc Jacobs Lola This is one of the blockbuster 2009 perfumes and we love it because it embodies a very spirited, playful yet sexy girl who loves to take risks. And the notes of peppercorn, pear, ruby red grapefruit create a sparkling cocktail that will aim to dazzle. There are warm notes in this fragrance too: those of vanilla and warm tonka beans. For a Limited Time, enter the code LOLA on checkout and get a free cosmetics case, mini rollerball and lotion if you buy the 3.4 oz perfume. Oh, and we love the Lola Limited Edition Perfume Ring! D&G Le Bateleur Gift Set ($69) D&G Le Bateleur Gift Set Dolce & Gabbana's Le Bateleur perfume set has so many notable fragrances that it's a shame to gift only one.This is a seven piece set and includes a case and sampler of all five fragrances including a full-size $65 value 3.3 oz Eau de Toilette Spray of Le Bateleur (#1), which I think is the most romantic of the D&G new fragrances. It has a blend of aromatics and vetiver. The set also includes L'Imperatrice (#3), L'Amoureux (#6), La Roue de la Fortume (#10) and La Lune (#18). Banana Republic Republic of Men Gift Set ($49) Banana Republic Republic of Men Gift Set We love this gift set from Banana Republic for the man in your life -- and it's so attractively priced at $49, how could you pass this up? It's masculine with dewy sage and basil and it has a sexy hint of sandalwood. We're crazy about it. Victoria's Secret Velvet Amber Blackberry Fragrance Gift Bag ($19) Victoria\'s Secret Amber Blackberry Fragrance Gift Bag Some astute critic once said that if brown velvet could talk, it would speak with Alan Rickman's voice. An attractive thougth, yes? No one objects to hearing velvet. Victoria's Secret goes even further in the velvet sensory experience by attempting to capture the smell of the fabric with their latest addition to their Parfums Intimes, Velvet Amber Blackberry. The sweet, dark scent of blackberries take center stage, with amber and Turkish rose playing supporting roles. And how can you pass up this beautifully priced gift bag?