The Scented Salamander Perfume Holiday Shopping Guide 2008 - Part 5: Have a Taste of Champagne {Shopping Tips}

Can perfume help you get into a more festive mood on New Year's Eve? Yes, it can! Champagne is the it-scent to celebrate the New Year in style. Scent yourselves or bring a gift for your hostess or host which will be much appreciated.

1 - Yvresse by Yves Saint Laurent (1993)

Initially called Champagne it had to change its name due to trademark reasons to Yvresse meaning "intoxication" (normal spelling is ivresse; Y was added for branding reasons as the initial of Yves). The flacon, one of the best-quality ones to be had, is inspired by a bottle of Champagne and the scent is fruity and fizzy, more like pineapple than bubbly per se, but the spirit is there, joyous and optimistic. The composition by Sophia Grojsman is one of the best fruity chypres out there. It develops a very seductive sillage.

Notes: nectarine, mint, aniseed, cumin, violet,  blue rose, rose, lychee, vetiver, oakmoss, patchouli.

Available at discounters

2 - My Champomy Box

Champomy, "the festive drink for children" is a brand of non-alcoholic Champagne-inspired drink based on fruit juices that was created especially for children in 1989. This year they offer a special limited-edition coffret containing a bottle of kids' bubbly together with 2 crumpled golden porcelain gobelets. 20 € at the Grande Epicerie. Only 100 copies are available....

3 - Royal Bain de Caron (1923)

Feel fortunate that this perfume from the Jazz Age is still alive and well! Who would say no to a bath of violets, lilacs and champagne? The second miracle is that it can be found at dirt cheap prices online. Smell like a millionaire bathing in bubbly while feeling like you are reliving the Great Depression.

See my review of Royal Bain de Caron

4 - Golden Goddess by Baby Phat

Sweet Champagne and smoky incense. Very affordable or better still recession-proof as the new by-word goes. It is now on sale for $19 at babyphat.com. Can be found at Target and elsewhere.

5 - Botrytis by Ginestet

Another festive composition mimicking a liquorishy white wine like Sauternes or Gewurstraminer dernières vendanges. 100 ml for $110 at Luckyscent.

Notes: honey, candied fruits, quince, pain d'epice, white flowers.

6 - Congratulations Bubbly by Philosophy

A champagne inspired shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. $20, available at Sephora and Philosophy.

7 - Vanilla Champagne (+ Warm Vanilla)

Vanilla Champagne has notes of sparkling champagne, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, essence of rose petals and sandalwood.

"The Susanne Lang Vanilla Collection includes 9 different 4ml perfumes that can be used to create an alluring personal fragrance that's sure to enchant.

Favorite combinations include the sweet and bubbly scent of Vanilla Champagne layered with cherry blossom and cognac notes in Warm Vanilla. Set includes: Vanilla Coconut Midnight Orchid Warm Vanilla Vanilla Wood Vanilla Champagne White Chocolate Vanilla Sugar Sugarcane Vanilla Musk". Set retails for $95. Available at susannelang.com; Luxe Beautique. Vanilla Champagne on its own retails 30 ml for $50 and is available at luckyscent.com.


8 - Mimosa Holiday Candle by Tocca

Let the scent of champagne burn slowly away on the eve of a new year with this boozy and floral candle. $46 at Sephora.

See my review of Mimosa Candle by Tocca


9 - Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois

• When making Champagne de Bois, I started with an accord I'd created that I loved and wanted to flesh out into a full perfume. It was woodsy and a little sweet and spicy. I found that blending it with several aldehydes really made it sparkle and thus the idea for Champagne de Bois was born. My initial version had cedar, but I eliminated the cedar and reduced one of the aldehydes to create this later version; I think it's smoother and prettier this way. $30 for 17 ml or $47 for 34 ml.
 

Available at Sonomascentstudio.com


10 - Voluspa Crisp Champagne Candle

"Voluspa Crisp Champagne candle is a mix of sparkling dry champagne with a hint of fruity ginger. Tonka bean and tabac add soft vanilla notes creating a sublte warm finish."

 
$7 to $44. Model shown is $20.

• Large Candle: 85 hours burn time, 10 ounces.
• 3-Wick Candle: 120 hours burn time, 20 ounces.
• Votive Candle: 25 hours burn time, 3 ounces.
• Diffuser: 9.5 ounces.

Available at candledelirium.com and luckyscent.com

Also see our guides to some of the cheapest online perfume stores as well as our Holiday Perfume Shopping Guide 2008 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Happy Shopping!