>Aftelier, the natural perfumery of Mandy Aftel, has rapidly expanded from offering just a few scents to a large line that includes solid perfume compacts, perfume-filled necklaces, and a variety of essences including sweet scents like rose, jasmine, tuberose; strong spicy scents such as coriander, spearmint, black pepper, cardamom, juniper, basil, tarragon; and citruses such as lime, blood orange, tangerine and pink grapefruit.

Their latest offering, Parfum Privé is said to smell like the night air in Hawaii: sultry and warm. It contains costly essences such as osmanthus, orange flower absolute, ambrette seed (a botanical musk) and the legendary ambergris. The limited edition 2.2 ml bottle sells for $125. If you want to test it out first, a sample bottle that contains four applications sells for $25.

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If you are anything like me, you may have found yourself completely burned out on perfume. Lately I’ve found that many fragrances have seemed to be too synthetic and sweet, bubblegum scents that hit the skin and quickly dissipate. It turns out that I am not alone, the Wall Street Journal has a great piece on the changing fragrance world. Many high-end brands who have, in the past few years, been catering to the masstige market by creating fragrances at the lower price point are now taking a different approach because the sales of the perfumes have been dropping off. Instead, companies like Chanel and Prada have launched ultra-exclusive scents that use pricey ingredients and have richer, more evocative fragrance profiles.

A quick sampling:

–Tom Ford created his Private Blend, a line of 12 fragrances that run from the frankly floral to more masculine smells like tobacco and cedar.

–Chanel created their Les Exclusifs line of six signature scents that had perfume lovers raving.

–Hermès has a new line of unique perfumes called Hermessence, like the other designer lines, this one moves into new ground with scents like the lavender-and-licorice-smelling Brin de Réglisse.

–Giorgio Armani’s Privé line costs $185 a bottle and lures purchasers not just with ingredients bergamot, neroli and vetiver but with those sexy bottles made of African kotibe wood and caps that look jade, moonstone, amethyst and other gemstones.

These scents aren’t exactly making big profits yet but the companies are hopeful that they will have more staying power with consumers than some of the cheaper, more forgettable designer brands. One thing that the WSJ article doesn’t mention but which I would guess is also a factor is that each of these lines isn’t just one signature fragrance, but a set. And the idea of owning a complete set, especially that looks as pretty as the Armani line shone above, may lure scent lovers to collect the whole line rather than just one bottle.

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Makeup master Bobbi Brown’s 24-Carat Gold Luxe Brush Collection could be construed as a monument to your own vanity if bought for yourself. Bought by someone else, however, it implies that your face is a masterpiece deserving to be painted on by only the finest of tools. The collection includes 10 brushes hand-crafted with 24-karat gold accents and ebony handles. The set comes in collector’s edition box crafted in genuine leather and includes a portable leather case for travel. It sells for $650.

[via Times Online]

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If you live in Southern California and have channel surfed on a weekend morning, you’ve probably run across the infomericals for the Epione Clinic in Beverly Hills. Dr. Ourian’s Epione Medical Center uses lasers and injectables such as Botox and Restylane to create the before and after transformations shown on the informerical. Now Dr. Ourian has created a skin care line. The most expensive item in the line is the Restoration Firm and Fade. It is a skin brightener and lightener that contains an active blend of 2% Hydroquinone, Kojic Acid, Azelaic Acid and High Potency Vitamin C. It promises to improve uneven skin tone, lighten age spots and tighten and firm. The cream, which is meant to be applied nightly, sells for $350.

>The 38-year old McConaughey has long been a heart throb for many women but now he will be helping Dolce & Gabbana appeal to the senses of men… their sense of smell that is. Although the new cologne will not be released until next year, and its details are under tight wraps, their new face of D&G has been spotted shooting for the ad campaign in Paris already. I think they’ve made a great choice… bronzed skin, ruggedly handsome and still a bachelor, Matthew McConaughey should serve them well.