PERFECT PERFUMES FOR CHRISTMAS

We’ve taken the liberty of sniffing out the best fragrances to give for Christmas this year. They don’t just look amazing under the tree, they also look perfect decorating the Christmas tree!

VIKTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB LIMITED EDITION £76

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb has had a makeover for Christmas 2011. The Limited Edition metallic fuchsia bottle is so festive, and doubles up perfectly as a Christmas tree decoration with it’s array of ribbons! From the very first smell, Flowerbomb EdP diffuses its bewitching notes: sambac jasmine, centifolia rose and catleya orchid, warmed by sensual patchouli and benzoin.

KIM KARDASHIAN £29.50, PERFUME SHOP

This fragrance is the perfect fragrance for the powerful woman that knows what she wants. A beautiful blend of feminine and sensual notes, featuring Pink Jasmine, Tuberose, and Gardenia. The debut fragrance captures the many sides of Kim’s personality and glamorous style.

YVES SAINT LAURENT, RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME £52.50; OPIUM £79.50

The perfect scent for a woman to give to her beau this Christmas. Everything a man can dream of being, everything a woman wants from a man. The fragrance is classical, yet has a spirit of independence. The woody fern notes have an unbridled sensuality, with a blend of: cloves, vetiver, patchouli and rosemary.

A classic fragrance from the seventies, it captured the mood of the time. A warm oriental fragrance, the overtly sensual side of the Yves Saint Laurent perfume masterpiece is less assertive in the Eau de Toilette, but only a little. With a swoon of mandarin and bergamot notes, deepened by myrrh, jasmin, carnation and amber.

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA (UNTITLED) £87

Another makeover for Christmas 2011, Maison Martin Margiela (untitled) Limited Edition retains its minimalistic look but dipped in silver is kicked up a notch. Although described as a perfume, the fragrance is intended to be unisex, and is based on green floral notes with scents of albanum, boxwood, mastic, incense and bitter orange.

BOSS BOTTLED £37 BOSS ORANGE MAN £35

Boss Bottled, the original HUGO BOSS fragrance for men. Fresh, sharp and very masculine, it still hasn’t lost it’s appeal. With notes of apple, geranium, cinnamon, and sensual woody notes.

I defy anyone to dislike this fragrance, BOSS Orange Man is the newest fragrance for men from Hugo Boss and is full of energy and character. With notes of frankincense, Szechuan pepper, apple, coriander and vanilla bean.

SEX AND THE CITY FRAGRANCES £15

Wilkinson has an exclusive launch of two SATC fragrances that capture NYC’s energy. Developed by the top perfumers behind Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Bobbi Brown,’Sex and the City’ perfume is feminine and soft with a subtle touch of passion fruit. ‘Sex and the City by Night’ is the equivalent of your LBD, a captivating, luxurious and powdery essence that has been developed by jasmine, sandalwood and tonka beans.

RITUALS NO.06 GREEN VETIVER + BERGAMOT; SANDAL WOOD + WILD ROSE £34.90 EA

Fresh earthy tones of a mountain forest inspired the perfumer Vincent Schaller to create perfume No. 06. The citrusy fresh top notes of Bergamot meet with the deep mysterious woody aromas of Green Vetiver.

A flirtatious blend to inspire passion with floral notes of Wild Rose and the rich, creamy, earthy notes of Sandal Wood evoking sensuality and romance. Woody, spicy and elegant at the same time.

VERSACE YELLOW DIAMOND £39.99, PERFUME SHOP

The fragrance unveils like a burst of light, gleaming and glistening. The crystalline luminosity of citron from Diamante the generous freshness of a pear sorbet fused amongst sparkling notes of bergamot and dynamic accents of neroli. The rare elegance of orange blossom shines through the light of freesia and mimosa and the natural transparency of nymphea. The sensuality of ambery woods the sunny and vibrant character of palo santo wood the refined presence of musk.

CHANEL LES EXCLUSIFS – JERSEY

Chanel Jersey is a wonderfully clean fragrance, every woman would love to open something  Chanel on Christmas day and this is the perfect addition to any perfume wardrobe. With hints of lavender, wrapped in white musk and set off with a touch of vanilla, it gives form to a new olfactory design. Comfortable and sensual on the skin, like beautiful Jersey by CHANEL.

GHOST £32.50

This understated and feminine fragrance was launched in 1999 from the British design house of Tanya Sarne. Light and fresh, Ghost is an avalanche of white flowers accented with the warm peachiness of ambrette seeds. A soft powdery fragrance that’s perfect all year round.

The tree used in shoot and all decorations are from one stop family store Wilkinson.

What would you like to open up on Christmas day?

COMBAT THAT WINTER SKIN!

As winter approaches, many of us find our skin dry and irritated due to the harsh cold weather outside and dry heat inside.

You can combat these symptoms and protect your skin from further environmental damage by tweaking your skincare regime during the cold months.

Go for gentler cleansers and richer moisturisers. If you suffer from redness and irritation go for products with calming properties, tailored to sensitive or environmentally sensitized skin. For dry skin seek out emollient and rehydrating moisturisers. Look out for ingredients like Vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, panthenol and urea (for body lotions) and stay away from products containing alcohol, mineral oils and perfumes.

Even hair can feel drier than usual or you might find it frizzy and static. Use a nourishing hair mask twice a week, make sure you protect your hair properly when heat styling it and add some serum to lock in moisture and protect hair from environmental factors.

WRITTEN BY: PHILIPP UEBERFELLNER

Here are some products that ticked all of our boxes for top to toe nourishment:

FOR HAIR

MOROCCANOIL: REPAIR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER; INTENSIVE HYDRATING MASK; MORROCANOIL TREATMENT.
OJON: DAMAGE REVERSE INSTANT RESTORATIVE HAIR SERUM; DRY RECOVERY INTENSIVE HYDRATING 2-MINUTE HAIR MASK

FOR FACE

DHC DEEP CLEANSING OIL
CLARINS HYDRAQUENCH: CREAM MASK; INTENSIVE SERUM BI-PHASE; RICH CREAM
DERMALOGICA: CLIMATE CONTROL LIP TREATMENT; AGE SMART SUPER RICH REPAIR; ULTRACALMING CLEANSER
LIZ EARLE: SUPERSKIN CONCENTRATE
LUSH: BUCHE DE NOEL CLEANSER
NUXE RÊVE DE MIEL: LIP MOISTURISING STICK; ULTRA COMFORTABLE FACE CREAM
ORIGINS: YOUTHTOPIA SKIN FIRMING CREAM
ELIZABETH ARDEN: EIGHT HOUR CREAM SKIN PROTECTANT

FOR BODY

NEOM ORGANICS: MOROCCAN ROSE BODY OIL AND BODY LOTION
LUSH: BUFFY BODY SCRUB
GOOD THINGS: ULTRA RICH CREAMY SCRUB; ULTRA RICH BODY BUTTER

NEWNESS FROM ST TROPEZ

When it comes to fashion shows etc., the focus has always been on hair, make up and the clothes obviously. Arms, legs and other exposed parts of the body have been somewhat neglected so far.

St. Tropez (best known for their range of fake tans) have recognised that niche and developed a range of new products in collaboration with various designers. The St. Tropez team was at hand at London Fashion week at shows of designers Roksanda Ilincic, David Koma, Issa, Erdem and House of Holland to give the models’ skin a finish that would tie in with and complement the collections.

Erdem went for a polished, elegant Riviera inspired look, while at Roksanda Ilincic we saw a retro blue tan (think 90s, grunge…).

Specifically designed for those shows, the new St. Tropez range is now available to the general public. Here are our 3 favourites:

 

Instant Glow Mousse

This mousse will give you an immediate and natural-looking golden glow and washes off whenever you choose. Perfect if you don’t have the time to let your tan develop for 8 hours!

Shimmer Stick

Just run along the front and back of your arms and legs to give a healthy glow and optically elongate your limbs!

Illuminators

The Illuminators are probably our all time favourite. They come in gold, rose, violet and limited edition silver rose. Choose a colour according to your skin tone or mood and apply to face and/or body; use all over or concentrate on areas you want to highlight (like cheek or collarbones etc.).

Written by: Philipp Ueberfellner

TRUTH OR DARE BY MADONNA – A NEW FRAGRANCE

If you’re an avid reader of Freak Deluxe you’ll know we love a fragrance launch, and this is no exception. Global icon Madonna is set to launch her first fragrance Truth or Dare by Madonna with Coty Prestige. The fragrance will debut exclusively at Macy’s in April 2012 in the United States, with global distribution beginning in May.

Madonna stated to Women’s Wear Daily, “I have always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create something personal that was an expression of me but that other people could relate to as well.  Something honest, and yet daring, hence the name Truth or Dare.”

Truth or Dare by Madonna will be a signature floral fragrance.  Its unique blend of narcotic florals, balanced with addictive woods and vanilla, creates a scent that is timeless, yet contemporary, simultaneously dark and light.  The bottle plays up the Truth or Dare duality – a classic and sophisticated shape, with modern and edgy detailing.

The scent will be available in a 75ml EDP ($68 / €62), 50ml EDP ($55 / €46), 30ml EDP ($39 / €35), Body Lotion ($28 / €22), and Shower Gel ($24 / €21).

GET A GOSSIP GIRL MANICURE!

Leading nail brand Nails Inc have developed a nail polish range especially for the Gossip Girl fans. If you fancy being adored like Serena, powerful like Blair or respected like Lily, Nails Inc are bringing you one step closer to becoming part of Manhattan’s elite!

Clockwise from top centre: Lily Collection, Serena Collection, Blair Collection.

I coincidentally got the ‘Serena’ mani at the press day during the summer, which I fell in love with! It wasn’t called Serena at the time though, maybe they spelled it wrong and it should be Cyrena? Hmmm…

Anyway, the overglaze polishes have hand cut particles to give your nails a futuristic, dramatic show stopping finish.

Blair Collection: Teal Black ‘Blair’ nail polish teamed with ‘Privileged’ blue/green overglaze top coat.

Serena Collection: Patent Black ‘Serena’ nail polish teamed with ‘It Girl’ electric blue overglaze top coat.

Lily Collection: Plum Black ‘Lily’ nail polish teamed with ‘High Society’ red/green overglaze top coat.

Why not get all 3 and mix and match. What do you think of the Gossip Girl collection?