Temple of Glam

We all have our pre-requisites for potential romantic partners. For some, height is super important. For others, socio-political views can be a total deal breaker. But c'mon, for just about everyone (excluding, I'm assuming, fetishists) B.O. is a no-no. Am I lying?

Feast your nose on Egyptian Jasmine, Patchouli, Sandalwood, and Sensual Suede. All of those notes are found in the slinky Fredrick's of Hollywood Signature Scent ($35) bottle. Yup, you read that correctly. True, when I thought about Fredrick's of Hollywood, I certainly didn't think "fragrance", but I knew I had to give it a whiff when I heard about it.

So this year, whether you're hanging with your beau or the girls, hook yourself up with a nice scent. Or at the very least, just don't stink. You heard it here, folks.

1. The Glamazon: Thierry Mugler Womanity Solid Perfume Ring

This fragrant ring will remind you to stay camera ready: striking and complex, and oozes glamour and femininity with the sweetness of fig and the depth of the ocean and woods.

2. The Badass: Kat Von D Solid Perfume Ring

This eponymous gothic ring is like the famed tattoo artist herself--gorgeous and rocker chic. Plus, it comes complete with two scents, innocent floral "Saint" and ultra-sultry "Sinner".

3. The Flirt: Juicy Couture Solid Perfume Ring

This fragrance will turn any wallflower into a party starter with sparkling mandarin and flirtatious honeysuckle.

4. The Playful Sophisticate: Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume Ring

Violet, vanilla, and musk crown this fragrance and make it unforgettable--almost as unforgettable as the woman wearing it.

5. The Modernista: Sarah Jessica Parker NYC Solid Perfume Bracelet

This scent is quintessentially modern--bold (wild strawberry and mandarin), elegant (gardenia and mimosa), and sultry (sandalwood and creamy musks).

Posted by Shanna Sabio

I had almost forgotten that it's the holiday season.  Until I went to the mall....and I walked through the legs of a Christmas elf on stilts. I was instantly reminded (in the most bizarre way I can remember) that it was, in fact, the holidays.

I love to give scented candles as gifts. I chose these because they capture the essence of the holidays in fragrant and beautifully packaged ways:

Diptyque's Oliban candle fits many holidays celebrated at this time of year.  It contains a fantastic combination of myrrh, incense, and lemon. The gold-stamped blue glass also makes a striking presentation when taken out of the box.

Even if you have  a non-traditional (or no) tree, you can recreate the smell of a freshly cut tree with The Thymes Frasier Fir Candle.  The limited edition version comes in a red glass with a bronze cover, all neatly tied in a ribbon.

Nest Fragrances' Holiday Candle captures the tree, plus the aroma of a hot toddy and the ingredients of a spice cake.  It's truly complex and lovely, and perfectly captures the entire season on a beautiful red velvet box.  Plus, the candle glass has gold stripes which goes with any decor.

For th e more mischievous, there's the Cire Trudon Stink Bomb.  It takes me back to my high school chemistry days when inevitably, a budding chemist tried to get out of class early by deploying a bomb with a rotten egg stench that made eyes water.  Fortunately, Cire Trudon's Nazareth smells like orange, cloves and incense. Whew.

All of these fragrance gifts can be ordered online so you can avoid freakish displays of holiday cheer...unlike my aforementioned mall experience.

Posted by Shanna Sabio

We all have our means of relaxing and feeling good - if it works, to each her own.  Usually a glass of wine while watching reality TV does it for me.

Research from the Journal of Biological Chemistry has found that the scent of jasmine is as calming and soothing, even more so than Valium.

The fragrance Candide by Aftelier has a base of jasmine and myrrh, which is brightened by pink grapefruit and blood orange. I got to meet Mandy Aftel, the natural perfumer behind Aftelier as she hosted an event at Henri Bendel last month.  

As she described her process for blending perfumes, it seemed like magic. She takes essential oils and melds them together to smell like something else. She crafts a fig perfume from oils like lavender and fir from Canada.  For me that's like taking chocolate and rum, and making it taste like steak.

The result is a complex symphony of fragrance that reacts with your body chemistry in ways that synthetics just can't mimic!

-Posted by: Shanna Sabio

Image Courtesy of makingmakers.posterous.com

Rumors of a Gaga fragrance have been around since earlier this year.  Finally, Coty has announced they have signed a partnership with Lady Gaga to create a perfume that will "pave the way for an extraordinary fragrance experience for consumers".

Umm, ok.  I'm definitely intrigued.

According to Coty, Haus of Gaga will be very involved in the development and marketing of the fragrance. I can only imagine the potential list of ingredients - essence of disco stick anyone?

It will probably be a study in contradictions, much like Gaga herself:

- dirty, but fresh

- pure, but slutty

- sweet, but commanding

- modern, but retro

The launch is scheduled for sometime in 2012. This is a celebrity fragrance I am actually anticipating.

-Posted by: Shanna S.

Navigating the NYC subway on a weekday afternoon reminds me of being on safari.

First there are the throngs of Homo Sapien Afterskoolis. Their chatter and flirting distract them from their monstrous backpacks. I almost got tossed on to the third rail after getting bumped by one.

Then you have Homo Sapien Touristas. Recognize them by their vacant eyes and shopping bags draped on every appendage. They stop suddenly, sending you careening into their backs, and on to the third rail. Yes, I have a fear of falling on to the third rail.

Thankfully I discovered the Royal Apothic collection of fragrances and candles at Anthropologie. All of the scents have a powdery finish that made me feel civilized again. In fact, the Imperial Fig scent had me feeling,...regal. It soothed my irritation and calmed my nerves in preparation for braving the concrete jungle again.

-Posted by: Shanna S.