At Holiday Time, the Beauty of Giving is Easy

by Sharon Shervington

Getting started early to bring holiday smiles to our loved ones (and
ourselves) is never time wasted. But it can save time when you have a
guide in terms of the huge range of beauty, bath, skincare, color, and
fragrance that represent so much of what our relatives, our honeys,
friends, and liked ones want to find in their Christmas parcels.

Herewith,
then, part one of a truly delicious, deluxe selection of the best of
pre-holiday beauty today. Some of the names simply speak for themselves,
like Bliss, Carol’s Daughter, Armani, and Ralph Lauren. But there are
many other delightful, even one-of-a-kind treats that you may never have
heard of, such as Lolita Lempica, of the gorgeous French perfume
products; Thymes candles and body products; La Prairie, the amazing
Swiss skin-care luxury line; Caudelie (based on the rejuvenating
properties of grapes and vines); and the namesake line (and my personal
favorite) of one of the women who started it all, June Jacobs.

And now to get down to the nitty-gritty: Bliss, the eponymous New York spa, offers several luxe body lines from Vanilla Bergamot to Lemon Sage, with scrubs, bubble and shower gels, and body butters. They also offer delicious masks and cleansers and something called the Triple Oxygen Collection that adds radiance to all kinds of skin, especially around the eyes.

Caudelie offers a delicately fragranced shower gel (it can also be used in the bath), with a matching body butter called Gourmand and smells so good you’ll be tempted to have a taste. The gel and butter work with two oils that tighten and tone various parts of the body. Very French! They also have a “flash” product that imparts shimmer and clarity to skin in just 10 minutes and can be followed up with their special Vinoserum. The serum category is big and is something that can prove a fine addition to any skin-care regimen. One stand-out is Truth Serum by Ole Henricksen, who is also a pamperer-in-chief to many of L.A.’s stars.

Carol’s Daughter has been branching out into hair care, but her body soufflés and trio of bath gels make really excellent, and affordable, gifts. The scrubs are non-irritating, and the soufflés have a unique texture—something between a body butter and a balm or soufflé. Her Almond Cookie Sea Salt Scrub is one of the best on the market.

Origins, meanwhile, of the ubiquitous Estée Lauder family of companies, is known for its Ginger bath line, which is available in gift sets for the holidays. But its real focus right now is upscale, yet moderately priced, skin care from head to toe. A perfect example is its Perfect World line, which includes a wonderful serum with an unusual texture, a cream, sunscreen product, cleanser, and a range of bath products such as body cleanser and a perfectly textured and scented body cream, also in the Perfect World line.

The company has worked closely with the noted doctor Andrew Weil on a line of mega-mushroom and other products, and these, which also include body products, are a good bet for the health-conscious. They come in a great gift set, and one can add on things like the mega-mushroom skin-release body cream and nighttime bath oil. But their newest offering is the Plantscription duo, which includes an eye gel and a facial serum with a star ingredient that comes from the African Anogeissus tree and includes other effective ingredients such as rosemary extract and potent antioxidants.

But my favorite line of all may be the one that belongs to June Jacobs . Her products can be found in top spas around the globe, but they are also available to ordinary people like you and me, who probably need them the most. You’ll find extraordinary fragrances of body balms and cleansers such as Green Tea and Cucumber, Citrus, Cranberry, and most luscious of all, Papaya, which, like the cranberry, has a matching mask.

These combinations come in bath and shower gels, facial cleansers, and sometimes toners, and the line includes an additional array of masks that really refine skin texture and, in the case of the Perfecting Pumpkin Mask, even act as a light peel. Her anti-aging skin care lines are extraordinary, using copper to address the underlying issues of aging skin in the form of a serum and a cream that leaves a perfect finish that lasts all day and night.

A romantic gift to a significant other might include products from the Vanda Orchid line, which has bath gel, body balm, and body-oil spray. Also delicious is La Prairie’s Cellular Energizing Body Line, which includes a lightly fragranced bath and shower gelée, lotion, body spray, and hand cream. The bath gel leaves the water with a milky hue; the scent is uplifting but also light enough to be paired with other fragranced products.

A company that concerns itself with the very basics of bath and body combined in simple yet effective combinations is Archipelago, based in Los Angeles. They have a Milk line with milk baths in several forms; a Grapefruit line; a Pomegranate line, and their newest Lavender 5, which is based on the popular comforts of lavender but updated for the 21st century with added ingredients like bergamot. The bath crystals and body lotion make a fine gift. Another of their newest lines is Boticario de Havana, with the sensibility of a Cuba of another era and a delicious unisex fragrance. Its range of cream, bath oil, shaving cream, and more, is sheer Heaven.

For those who cannot decide whether to spend a little or a lot, I recommend Armani Beauty . You can get the pricey Crema Nera and matching serum, which has obsidian-based healing elements or the equally luxurious lipsticks, blushes, and foundations that so perfectly affect the master atelier’s color sensibilities. And the Crema Nera eye cream is in a class of its own because it is effective but does not irritate the delicate skin around the eye at all.

The Crema Nera line also offers another formulation with a slightly lighter texture and SPF 15. It’s called Obsidian Mineral Restoring Crème, and has its own anti-wrinkle serum as well. All of the skin care products derive much of their effectiveness from obsidian and potent antioxidants.

There are many new perfumes and fragrance presentations that are sure to win kudos from recipients, such as Coach Poppy, a sophisticated yet light floral that has a matching body lotion. The perennial favorite Cashmere Mist, by Donna Karan, is now available in a luscious and completely new presentation called whipped perfume or parfum soufflé. Presented in a silver cylinder it is like a light silken cream.

Meanwhile Kate Walsh of Private Practice fame enters the beauty arena with Boyfriend. Simply put, it references the scents your man leaves behind when he has to leave early. Through the magic of talented noses, this is accomplished blending notes of dark plum, jasmine, vanilla and amber. Go figure! It comes in a wonderful body cream and body-oil spray. I’d call it comfort perfume, meaning you’ll reach for it when you need something uplifting, but preferably not chocolate or pasta.

There are just a few more fragrances I want to mention, and they are in a class by themselves. Lolita Lempicka’s Eau de Minuit (Midnight Fragrance) is based on licorice notes (although it smells like something else entirely here—maybe absinthe?)

While the juice itself is great, the packaging is the thing here. It comes in a deep black apple-shaped bottle adorned with black leathery ivy leaves laced with gold, and the fragrance is released through the apple’s stem.

It shares the whimsy of other extraordinary products that demand to be touched, such as Thierry Mugler’s classic Angel Star , part of a line that was unavailable in Asheville until fairly recently and truly smells good enough to eat. In keeping with the sustainability ethic, it is refillable. And there is now a whole body collection.

Another gift that falls into the precious and unique category that is always in vogue is La Prairie’s Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold (with price tag to match). But a gift that is carefully chosen and given with affection will always be received with joy and gratitude, whatever the cost. We’ll have many more ideas next month. Happy Holidays!