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Gift Guide Men's Grooming Skincare

Father’s Day Gift Guide

June 18, 2021

Best Men's Skincare and Grooming Gift Ideas | The Beauty Lookbook

Happy Friday! I have a last-minute Father’s Day Gift guide in case you’re looking for ideas to gift this year. I have a roundup of some new things from Chanel that I’m completely obsessed with and I’ve also included a lot of Andrew’s favorite things.

Chanel Gift Ideas Fathers Day

Father's Day Gift Ideas from Chanel

Chanel has some classic timeless gift ideas for Father’s Day. They recently launched the Bleu de Chanel Shaving Kit ($350) and I am so impressed. The shaving brush (made of synthetic fibers) has a hefty magnetic stand that is so well made. It comes with a soft zip pouch and Bleu de Chanel Shaving Cream. Quite a splurge but this is such a beautiful gift idea. The Bleu de Chanel was one of Andrew’s favorites many years ago. He still wears the Eau de Parfum ($98 – $165). Also now available in a new All-Over Spray ($80), Twist and Spray Set ($130) and other product variations here.

The latest Les Eaux de Chanel is Paris-Edimbourg ($80 – $130) and they kindly sent a bottle for review. I’ve been a huge fan of the Les Eaux de Chanel line and this new one is unisex but pulls more masculine. A few readers raved about this as a lovely masculine scent that can still be worn by women. I know fragrance is so personal, but I feel this almost ties with Creed Aventus in a universally pleasing scent for men. It’s clean, smoky, warm with bergamot, cypress and juniper.

For Chanel skincare, I really love the new Hydra Beauty Micro Eye Gel ($68) for a refreshing smoothing eye product. I might end up keeping this for myself or order another one. Hand cream is an overlooked product for men and I think the La Creme Main ($50) has a really interesting unique packaging fun to catch any eye regardless of gender.

Best Skincare for Men Jack Black and Kiehls

If you’re looking for good skincare sets I highly recommend Jack Black and Kiehl’s. Both lines have skincare that actually works. I find myself using a lot of his products as well. The top must-haves from Jack Black for Andrew:

Kiehl’s also makes great products and sets. He recommends any of the men’s line or regular line, especially the Facial Fuel Cleanser or the Blue Herbal Spot Treatment.

Best Creed Colognes, Aventus, Silver Mountain Water, Viking Cologne

The best of the best in fragrance is from Creed. The colognes are quite the splurge and much to my wallet’s disappointment, my husband mainly want to wear or try Creed when it comes to cologne, but I do think they are so unique and high in quality it makes them worth the splurge if in your budget.

Aventus is a universal classic I think every guy should try. I know it sounds odd to think there is such a thing as a universally appealing fragrance, but I think this it! I cannot count how many times people have stopped him to ask what he is wearing when he wears this one (both men and women). The latest addition to the Creed lineup is the Viking Cologne. It pulls more masculine but still fresh with bergamot, pink pepper, patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver to name a few of the notes. He also really loves Silver Mountain Water for a more clean fresh scent.

Whether you’re shopping for someone else or yourself if you haven’t tried the line before or can’t get near a counter I highly recommend checking out their Sampler Sets. They sell quickly but often get restocked. They usually come with a voucher you can use towards the purchase of a full size bottle too.

A few more ideas:

Best Father's Day Gift Ideas

1 Shaving Kit / 2 Theragun Elite (we gifted one to our trainer and he loves it) / 3 Lululemon Hat / 4 APL Slides (Andrew loves these, my bestie’s husband loves these too!) / 5 Manscapped Lawn Mower 3.0 (one of the best and most practical grooming tools he owns) / 6 Kiehl’s Set / 7 Portable Speakers / 8 Eye Gel / 9 Water Bottle / 10 Body Wash / 11 Hand Cream / 12 Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel / 13 Creed Viking Cologne / 14 Matte Sunglasses / 15 Theragun Mini / 16 Jack Black Set

SHOP THE POST:

 

 

Viking Cologne and Chanel products provided for review.

Beauty Favorites Gift Guide

Cute Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

February 3, 2021

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I’ve put together a fun Gift Guide with ideas to treat yourself!

1 Mini Roses / 2 Roses Candle / 3 Eyeshadow Quad / 4 Highlighter / 5 Lipstick / 6 Lip Crayon Set / 7 Instant Print Camera / 8 Short T-Bar Jewelry Stand / 9 Tall T-Bar Jewelry Stand / 10 Makeup Bag / 11 Dior Lip Duo / 12 Candy Sampler / 13 La Mer / 14 Nail Polish / 15 Hand Cream / 15 Lip Balm / 17 Pink Flowers / 18 Tom Ford Lipstick / 19 Lip Matte / 20 Water Bottle

Flowers

Venus Et Fleur Beauty Look Book

above, Venus Et Fleur roses over several months

Best treat to me are flowers whether you’re looking for something simple or something a little extra! Some of you may remember Andrew bought me a box from Venus Et Fleur when we were still in San Diego and they truly last at least a full year. They have a special preserving process that keeps them looking fresh and beautiful for a long time. I love the single Le Mini Round Rose and the Le Mini Square too.

I recently ordered a few bouquets from Urban Stems and really liked them! They come nicely packaged in a delivery box and you can add on extras like candies or vases.

 

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Favorite lip products

I think the best thing to treat yourself with is a new lip product. The best long-wear mattes are from Pat McGrath Labs and she just launched her new Divine Rose II Collection with some new colors! (Review coming soon.) Anytime someone wants a recommendation for the best matte lip I always recommend the Pat McGrath MatteTrance.

The Bite Beauty Millennial Pinks Mini Power Move Creamy Matte set is still available and I highly recommend the formula and colors.

If you’re not into a lot of color and are more of a balm person, splurge-worthy picks include the Dior Addict Lip Glow Lip Balm & Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss Set, Hourglass Lip Oil, La Mer Lip Volumizer and Too Faced Hangover Rx Pillow Balm.

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Nail polishes + Hand Care

For the person who doesn’t wear makeup you can always pick out a fun nail polish or hand cream. OPI and Essie are my friends’ favorites. I’m personally team OPI and they just launched their Hollywood Collection for spring and I’m in love with all the colors! Hand creams from Molton Brown and L’Occitane are a few of my favorites to gift away. If you want to splurge extra Chanel makes the most chic hand creams (and the formulas are really good!).

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Things for the Home + Fun Gifts

A few useful and functional things I use everyday are my makeup bags from The Daily Edited, Lululemon Water Bottle and Yeti Tumblers and Diptyque candles. To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Diptyque they’ve launched their Hypnotic Graphic Collection with their best sellers in limited-edition jars. Roses is the prettiest one! Available in the standard size and also a cute Trio Set with the small candles.

To store bracelets and necklaces I have two T-Bar stands from Kendra Scott (often seen on stories, you can see them in action on my HOME highlights @beautylookbook) For something more fun or unique the Fujifilm Instax 11 Instant Print is really fun (comes in a wide range of colors) and there’s a super cute bundle here. As a candy lover I love all things from Sugarfina – the Love Letters Tasting Box looks fun (I ordered one for myself).

 

 

Hope this give you some fun ideas!

Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas to Treat Yourself

February 11, 2020

Valentine's Beauty Gift Ideas to Treat Yourself

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven

I have a mini roundup today with a few last minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas to treat yourself! I will have reviews and swatches of all the makeup items in upcoming blog posts!

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs are still among my favorite gloss formula and I’m beyond thrilled they added three new shades to the full size lineup in Glass Slipper, $weetmouth and Hot Chocolit! The mini Glossy Posse set from holiday is still available (swatches here).

I’ve been thrilled with all the Chanel launches this year! The new Rouge Allure Camelias are all stunning and they’ve also revamped their Longwear Lip Pencil in 19 new shades. The Le Blanc collection just launched online and it’s stunning! There is a new product called the Rosy Light Drops that comes with a pump dispenser. The new Le Vernis in Petale and Fleur de Pecher are both must-haves! (Review, swatches and dedicated posts coming soon.)

For perfume lovers the Chanel Chanel Crayons set has four scented crayons each with a different variation of the Chanel perfume! They’re super cute to keep in the purse for touch ups or to split up and gift away to friends.

So many of you have asked for a review of the latest Diptyque Paris en Fleur Candle. Of course I had to buy it! I’m still undecided about the rose scent – it’s very powdery and I have yet to burn it. I caved mainly for the beautiful packaging.

For new lip oils this season I’d say the best ones for me have been the Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Glosses. They are sheer but I love they way they look and feel! New Romantic is my favorite soft mauve shade.

For the ultimate glow the Natasha Denona Love Glow Cheek Palette is super glowy and shimmery. The diamond powder is the only color that has full on glitter while the other three are more glowy. If you want more of an everyday palette I still think the NARS Overlust Cheek Palette is the best one I’ve seen in quite some time.

The Venus Et Fleur roses are 100% worth the splurge! If you remember from a few years ago Andrew bought me one of the boxes and it lasted well over 12 months! The mini ones are super cute for your desk or vanity. Here’s a snapshot of how they lasted over a year and at the full one-year mark in this post.

Venus Et Fleur Beauty Look Book

There is so much I’ve been wanting to share that’s new in the beauty world – but it’s all been put on hold. I’ve been extremely sick and stuck in bed the past week. Thank goodness I’m finally starting to recover and on my way back to feeling myself. A few more ideas below!

 

 

More as soon as I can get back to posting!

Chanel Gift Guide

Luxury Beauty Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

April 29, 2019

Mother's Day Gift Guide Luxury Beauty Edit Chanel

Mother’s Day is coming up soon and the weeks are flying by so quickly this spring! I still cannot believe it’s the end of April. We have a little over a week before Mother’s Day is here on May 12th so if you’re shopping early I have a gift guide rounding up some luxurious splurges! Chanel Beauty has been one of my favorite go-to lines over the years and I’m so excited to share a selection of their Mother’s Day Gift Guide for every kind of beauty lover. I’ve personally gifted Chanel beauty products to a number of women in my life all different age ranges and it’s one line that never fails to impress. Their nail polishes or their lip glosses always spark a lot of joy!

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Makeup Gifts for Her

If you have a mom, mother-in-law, friend who’s a mom who has everything you can’t go wrong stocking her up on classic staples.

  • Chanel Rouge Coco Flash is still a relatively new lip formula and the classic go-to red is Amour. The formula is shiny and the deeper colors pack in quite a bit of pigment.
  • For nails it doesn’t get more classic than Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate. I’ve had this since the original formula many years ago. The newer one is just as good! To make the manicure last I really like the Le Gel Top Coat and it prevents chipping for around a week for me.
  • Everyone can use a restock of their favorite mascara, the Le Volume Revolution de Chanel is their newest one and makes a great one for ultimate volume or you can always opt for their classic Le Volume formula too.
  • For the mom who’s a minimalist with makeup and wants a very natural matte liquid lip, Rouge Lip Ink in Serenity is a very easy to wear muted rose neutral.

Luxury Makeup Gift Guide Mother's Day Rouge Coco Flash Amour, Le Vernis Pirate, Mascara

If you have a mom in your life who already has everything the Les Beiges collection for 2019 just launched! I will have a review for you very soon but am still waiting on a few items to review the full collection. The pieces I’ve tested so far are gorgeous and I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t absolutely love it.

  • Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder has been a staple for years as a lovely setting powder that looks natural.
  • Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint is the latest all over sheer glow. I know many women don’t want any coverage and barely wear foundation. This is a great option for that all over glow with just a very slight tint of color.
  • For those who want to know what I think the best Chanel foundation is, splurge on the Sublimage Le Teint for yourself. I did and have no regrets splurging. It is better suited for normal to dry skin but I can wear it just fine with normal combination skin.
  • The Les Beiges Natural Eyeshadow Collection has literally every neutral shade you can think of for the perfect everyday natural eye.

Chanel Les Beiges 2019

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Luxury Fragrance & Skin Treats

There are so many beautiful fragrances from Chanel. I know it’s very personal so buying for someone could be a bit tricky. If the mom in your life has a go-to stock her up on her favorite!

  • I owned Les Exclusifs de Chanel in Beige many years ago before they reformulated it into parfum form. It’s been a while since I spritzed this but it’s every bit as beautiful as I remember. It’s one of my favorite perfumes for spring.
  • Les Eaux de Chanel offer three gorgeous lightweight fresh smelling perfumes. Paris-Venise is a sweet neroli with a little bit of vanilla and tonka and soft powdery notes.
  • If you feel fragrance is too tricky and risky to splurge on you can always opt for the classic La Creme Main in Texture Riche (I really adore this!) or the Hydra Beauty Nourishing Lip Care. I feel like the hand cream and lip balm combo is a no-fail super safe option for anyone, even the pickiest of women!

Luxury Chanel Beauty Treats

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Skincare to Splurge On

For skincare there are a lot of gorgeous options to pick from. Some of the most luxurious skincare I’ve tried is from Chanel!

  • L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil is a really nice silky smooth non-drying cleansing oil. It leaves the skin feeling clean without that stripped feeling. I have this from last year and still use it weekly. A little goes a long way and the bottle will last a long time.
  • The Sublimage line is hands down the most luxurious line I’ve ever tried. I splurged on a couple pieces for myself over the years and loved them so so much! For Mother’s Day they recommend Sublimage L’Essence Lumiere Concentrate to illuminate the skin combined with the L’Extrait de Creme to restore, regenerate and protect.
    • If you’re unsure about splurging on these individual pieces you might want to consider the Sublimage Le Voyage Set which has minis.
  • The Hydra Beauty Line has one of my favorite Face Mists. They add pieces to the line every year and the latest is the Hydra Beauty Camelia Water Cream. I put this to the test this past week and think it’s really really lovely. It’s one of the best lightweight creams I’ve tried!
  • For those who want firming Le Lift is a great line to look into. I’ve had this Le Lift Creme put on my face during a number of beauty events and it’s a really nice cream. My mother-in-law has been recently talking about issues with sagging skin so I think this is going to be perfect for her to try.

Best Luxury Skincare Chanel Beauty

Lots of beautiful ideas to pick from!

Mother's Day Beauty Gift Guide Luxury Beauty Chanel

Mother's Day Beauty Gift Guide Luxury Beauty Chanel

Wearing in this post: Chanel Sublimage Le Teint in 40, Les Beiges Powder 20 to set, Les Tissages Tweed Beige Blush, Rouge Coco Gloss in 172 Tendresse (my favorite color), Le Vernis in Pirate, Powder Brow Duo in Brun, Le Volume Revolution Mascara, Woven Lilac Ribbed Top from Reformation

I’m bringing a bag of all the makeup items over to my mother-in-law’s for Mother’s Day for her to try out. For skincare and fragrance I’m going to let her pick and choose which items she thinks will best suit her. I love that she’s so easy going she will literally like anything!

For those who are looking for luxury gift ideas for the moms in your life or if you want to treat yourself I hope this gives you some good ideas at multiple price points! Gifting doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top. I’ve found sometimes picking one or two small things and adding a pretty bouquet of flowers or box of baked goods is super easy and fun 🙂 More ideas and inspiration on their online gift guide.

Skincare Gifts for Her
Makeup Gifts for Her
Fragrance Gifts for Her

You can find the Chanel Mother’s Day Gift Guide selects available on Chanel.com now.

Chanel beauty products gifted by Chanel. 

Gift Guide

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Her

February 7, 2018

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas | The Beauty Look Book

Valentine’s Day is just a week away! I’ve put together a little gift guide whether you’re looking for a little inspiration, hint ideas or something to treat yourself! A year ago this time I was still in San Diego busy packing up our loft and recovering from wisdom teeth removal. Not a fun time! As a surprise Andrew bought me the most beautiful boxed roses from Venus Et Fleur (you can see them here). They’re real roses that come in boxes that are preserved to last an entire year. I did not think it was possible but here we are a year later and they still look amazing! So many of you asked for a full year review. I did a February through August month by month snapshot. In August we started living the nomadic life and they went into a climate controlled storage unit until January. You can read all about them on their website – they stay inside the boxes and you don’t need to water them!

Venus Et Fleur Roses month by month

Venus Et Fleur Beauty Look Book

Today, one year later they are still in nearly perfect condition. The edges have started to become a little ragged looking but there has been zero browning and the colors have remained the same. We were a little rough with them because quite frankly we had a challenging year last year. These went through a 3,000 mile 5-day drive in the back of a moving truck (with no AC) from San Diego, California all the way to Tampa, Florida. They also survived a few more truck moves and stayed in a storage unit for several months. Both Andrew and I are truly impressed!

At the 1 Year Mark

Venus Et Fleur Roses at 1 Year Mark

Venus Et Fleur Roses at 1 Year Mark

Venus Et Fleur Roses at 1 Year Mark

Byredo for Valentine’s Day

Byredo has a few fun offerings for Valentine’s Day this year including a Limited-Edition I Love You Travel Case ($120). They have a few assorted travel spray trios this season, La Selection Florale ($110) has 3 x 0.4 oz./ 12 mL in Blanche, La Tulipe and Rose of No Man’s Land. There are a few other variations including the La Selection Boisee, La Sélection Best-Sellers and a six piece set La Selection Byredo ($220) as well. Trio and travel case shown above next to a 50 mL perfume and hair perfume for scale. I’ve bought the minis before and it’s highly recommended that you purchase a case for them. I’ve had a few break in my purse without it.

Byredo Valentine's Day I love you travel case

Byredo Valentine's Day I love you travel case

Pink Treats

Three super cute pink beauty things include the Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Hair Mist, Nuvola Rosa Nail Polish and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask mini. There are a lot of perfume brands out there that have hair perfumes to match their regular scents. I just recently tried hair mists last year and I think they’re a fun way to wear scent. Chanel Eau Tendre is a youthful bright spring scent with a mix of Grapefruit, Jasmine and White Musk. They have the perfume and other body products at a number of places but the Hair Mist is a Chanel.com exclusive.

Nuvola Rosa Le Vernis is one of the prettiest baby pinks I’ve ever tried! In case you missed it review here. And yes! I’ll be reviewing a lot of the newer launches very soon.

Glow Recipe launched two new things recently. Their Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask has been super popular and for good reason! It has the most delicious smelling watermelon scent. I’m still in the early stages of testing this. I’ve tried it 3 nights so far and it has a nice lightweight bouncy texture that doesn’t feel super thick. When I wake up skin feels noticeably softer! The two new things include a Mini Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (shown below) and also a moisturizer version called Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer (not shown). I’ll have a more detailed review soon, but I think the Mini Watermelon Mask would make for the cutest Galentine’s Day Gift for girlfriends!

Valentine's Day Pink Chanel Nuvola Rosa Nail Polish, Chance Tendre Hair Mist, Glow Recipe Watermelon Mask Mini

Sweet Treats

When in doubt, I don’t think you can go wrong with candy or a luxury candle. I’m the biggest junk food junkie and can never resist anything Sugarfina. They have some cute sets out for Valentine’s Day with some fun labels on the tops. The XOXO 2-Piece Candy Bento Box is $18. There’s also a 3-Piece Box for $26 and a 4-Piece Box for $34.

The best candle you can give as a gift this season (in my opinion) is the Diptyque Rose Delight which I reviewed a few weeks ago! It’s just so so pretty!

Sugarfina Valentine's Day Duo and Diptyque Rose Delight Candle | The Beauty Look Book

New YSL and Chanel Lip Preview

There are usually a lot of new lip products launched during this time of year. I’ve already reviewed the new Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Glosses on the blog. Two other new launches include the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms and Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush. I’ll have a more detailed review in the next few days. In the meantime here’s a sneak peek of swatches in case you want to see what they look like and can’t wait.

First impressions are the YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balm are decently pigmented for a balm! They are super cushiony but have less slip than the twist up stick balms. There is the same fruity scent. On my lips they seem to have a slight plumping effect but without any tingle, but then a lot of balms make my already full lips look fuller. #1 is supposed to be a night mask which is interesting. I haven’t tried that one yet but will report back once I do.

The Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush is a hydrating lip and cheek color. Colors are bold but once you blend it the color sheers out quite a bit for more of a stain. They feel weightless but a bit dewy. I’ll have to do more testing to do a proper review. They come with a sponge tip applicator. A more detailed review to follow as soon as I can!

YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms and Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Swatched from left to right:

  • YSL Volupte Night Rehab Lip Mask #1 Night Rehab
  • YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms
    • #2 Expose Me Rose
    • #3 Show Me Peach
    • #4 Spy on Me Nude
    • #5 Watch Me Orange
    • #10 Devour Me Plum
    • #12 Chase Me Nude
  • Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush
    • #414 Tender Rose
    • #410 Corail Naturel
    • #416 Teasing Pink
    • #418 Rouge Captivant
    • #412 Orange Explosif
    • #420 Burning Berry

YSL Volupte Liquid Colour Balms and Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush Swatches | The Beauty Look Book

Valentine's Day Gift Guide | The Beauty Look Book

That wraps up my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide! Do you have any fun Valentine’s Day traditions? Anything you do with your significant other or a group of girl friends? Stay tuned for another giveaway this week. Details will be posted on my Weekly Giveaway Page later this afternoon.

Press samples include the Byredo Travel Case, Byredo Trio, Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre.

Gift Guide

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

May 7, 2017

Mother's Day Gift Guide | The Beauty Look Book

Mother’s Day is approaching and if you’re looking for a gift I have a roundup of some fun ideas! I think any mom would be happy with something simple like flowers or a nice brunch date, but just in case here are some ideas.

  • Makeup gifting can be a tricky thing unless you specifically know what makeup and colors one likes. Edward Bess’s line is one exception as I truly feel he’s made a lot of universally flattering options. You can’t go wrong with his Deep Shine Lip Gloss (reviewed here) or All Over Seduction Afterglow Highlighter (swatched here).
  • Accessories like small leather accessories or cute makeup bag are always fun. I don’t know anyone who would object to receiving a new Tory Burch cosmetic case or Gucci Marmont Card Case.
  • Scent is another tricky one because it’s so personal. I think Chanel has a number of classic options like the Chance Eau Vive. If you’re a Les Exclusifs fan the Les Exclusifs de Chanel Discovery Set with 15 miniatures is back in stock! I am so tempted to order this as the minis are just to die for adorable. My personal favorite right now is Creed Spring Flower – until the 10th there is a special Creed x High Camp Gardenias gift set (reviewed here).
  • Some safer scent options include bath and body products or scented hand creams. You really can’t go wrong with the Fresh Sugar Lychee Bath Cubes or the Fresh Sake Bath. I’ve loved both and there’s a GWP going on at Nordstrom (I think it ends today May 7th for their triple points).
  • Molton Brown makes some of my favorite shower gels and hand washes. Their latest is The Perfect Picnic Bathing and Hand Gift Trio. They always have good GWP promos on their site. I planned on gifting this to my mother-in-law and I really want to keep it for myself.
  • Byredo came out with a Hand Cream Duo for Mother’s Day – I picked this up for myself in New York at the Soho boutique a couple weeks ago and think the aqua green tint is just SO pretty. You can also buy it at Neiman Marcus. I believe it is limited-edition.
  • Skincare is another tricky one as it’s also very personal but you can’t go wrong with sheet masks. Also while in NYC I picked up the Peach and Lily Sheet Mask Trio from Barneys New York at their Mask Bar which has 3 to try. It’s super cute and really affordable. Just pair it with a box of Godiva Chocolates or flowers and it will make a nice gift. (You can also find it at Macy’s or Peach and Lily)
  • If you have a mother or mother-in-law that literally has everything, you can always stock her up on beauty staples, like if you know what her favorite perfume is or mascara is, there’s no need to be super creative. Tried and true staples are always a safe bet. Chanel Le Volume is a classic you can’t go wrong with. I’m putting this in a gift set for my mother-in-law.

I hope you found this gift guide roundup helpful! Do you have any fun traditions with mothers, grandmothers or mother-in-laws?

Press samples include items from Creed, Edward Bess, Molton Brown, and Chanel.

Diptyque Fragrance Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Diptyque Advent Calendar – Holiday 2015

December 8, 2015
Diptyque Advent Calendar 2015 Christmas

Beauty Advent Calendars have been around for years in Europe, the ones launched in the UK have been on my radar for many holidays and much to my dismay the good ones have never been available in the US. This year, Diptyque launched an Advent Calendar which sold out at lightening speed. By the time I called my local store they had sold through all the ones they received, but they put my name on a waitlist. I was thrilled to find they were able to find one for me and will be doing a reveal of the contents each week.

 

The Diptyque Advent Calendar this year is priced at a jaw-dropping $390, but the set is quite impressive. It contains a mix of 25 mini-sized Diptyque items including candles, fragrance and body products. A huge part of me cannot believe that I splurged so much on a single beauty set, but another part is giddy with excitement. The Advent Calendar comes in a beautiful large box and black bow. It’s taken a lot of self control for me to not open all the little doors at once time. They did list all the contents online, it contains:
  • 15 (1.2 oz) mini candles in Ambre, Feu de Bois, Santal, Genevrier, Opoponax, Vanille, Cypres, Noiseter, 34, Oud, Geranium Rosa, Pomander, Figuier, Rose, Benjoin
  • 1 (2.4 oz) small candle in Baies
  • 6 (0.34 fl oz) perfumes in Oud, Florabellio, Do Son, Tam Dao, Philosykos, 34
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Precious Oil
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Rich Body Butter
Here’s a look at the box with two items for scale:

Diptyque Advent Calendar 2015 Holiday
A look inside the box, each day has a little perforated door to open:

Holiday 2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar

Contents of Days 1 through 7:

Breaking down the price of the set versus individual items is a bit of a challenge since the minis aren’t usually sold separately. At $390 this Advent Calendar is the ultimate splurge. This is for the person who is a Diptyque lover, or for someone who wants to try a little bit of everything in mini-sizes. For a few reference points:
  • The 5 Piece Set is $75 and 10 Piece Set is $130. Both contain the baby candles that are also in the Advent Calendar, so the price per candle is either $13 or $15
  • The Eau de Parfume Set is $115 for 5 mini fragrances, although the size of each is 0.25 oz while the ones in the Advent Calendar are 0.34 oz
  • The 2.4 oz Baies is priced individually at $32
2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar

If you find this confusing, don’t worry, I did too, but bottom line is there doesn’t appear to be any price break by purchasing the calendar. Since it’s sold out and probably very difficult to find at this point, I would recommend the 10 Piece Candle Set as the next best alternative for someone who wants to experience as much Diptyque as possible for the best price.

Even though this Advent Calendar cost an arm and a leg (and then some) I do think it’s extra special. It has minis of candles and scents that you can’t usually buy separately at such a small trial size. I’m anxious to try them all over the next few months. I think it’s fun that they included so many different fragrances to try as well.

For fun, I’m going to be doing a few giveaways in the next few weeks. I’ll have a new giveaway with each weekly reveal. Ideally I wanted to giveaway a gift card to Diptyque so the winner could pick their own items, but their website doesn’t appear to sell them, so the next best thing is one to Nordstrom. For this one, I’m giving away 1 $100 e-gift card to Nordstrom. It’s open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older to enter. If you’re a selected winner via the Rafflecopter widget and are located outside of the US, you can opt to receive $100 via Paypal. Entries will be collected through the widget – you can comment below in the blogger comments, but note valid entries are through the widget only.

Terms and conditions are listed in the widget below – selected winner will be chosen randomly via the Rafflecopter widget and announced below. I will e-mail the winner directly. Entries will be collected through 12/12/2015 11:59 PM PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Good luck!