by Nikki Gotianse Tan
AS the holidays loom nearer, our minds are always aflutter with viable gift options. The idea to treat our loved ones with aroma-filled presents should have been a clever one if not for the stain of us reaching for perfume bottles every time we encounter rough patches in our holiday shopping. At one point or another, we’ve all been guilty of this. If you’re in the mood to redeem yourself this year, you’ll be happy to know that there are now plenty of choices that will waft the ones you gift in just the right direction of careful contemplation, attention to quality and most important of all, fragrance. Do scroll down to see an array of gifts will make scents to you this holiday season.
Alice Blue Candle
Once included in the consumer guide “50 Must-Buys in Manila” by tastemakers Janina Hoschka and Michael Salientes, this company has been making wonderfully scented candles entirely from hand-poured soy wax since May 2005. Unlike others that make use of paraffin wax which is a by-product of crude oil, the candles they have created which are longer-lasting, purer and cleaner-burning are favorites of the expatriate and local community here and abroad. Just as their name alludes to being something different (they chose to name themselves after a pale shade of blue dedicated to U.S. presidential daughter Alice Roosevelt-Longworth), the scents they offer are likewise unique. Especially noteworthy are those from their Café collection – Berry Crumble, Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Mint and Cinnamon Sticks – which all seem like fitting mood-setters for festive evenings together with a roomful of friends and family. Sold in 2 and 6 ounce glass containers (priced at P175 and P415 respectively), these well-made candles encased in pretty packaging are ready answers for those looking to leave a distinctive and lingering impression.
Their complete line of products: candles, room sprays and candle holders are available for order online at http://www.alicebluecandle.com
Mount Sapola Spa
Unlike the intense and sometimes confusing sensory overload of the holidays, the scents that most people respond to are those that are universally pleasing, leaning more on the delicate side yet still lasting in aroma. This is true for me at least. This is particularly true for the products we are given for the care and pampering of our skin. As gift-bearers then, this is what we must be mindful of and a line of products that might be able to help us heed the call has just been made available locally. Hailing from Singapore, Mount Sapola Spa’s reputation for quality natural-made soaps has now burgeoned into a worldwide enterprise centered on their naturopathic skincare line that attends to all contours of the body. The scents that the products sport actually ring familiar notes and aren’t as fancy as others. This, however, is no cause to brush them off. I believe that this choice to walk the path of basic scents is caused by their commitment to stick to what works especially for those who seek to recharge and invigorate themselves. This includes the naturally perfumed essences of peppermint for tired feet, bergamot and aloe for the hair and scalp, cucumber for the face and their wellness cocktails aptly themed with names like Invigoration, Passion and Harmony. Their lotions and oils are worth the indulgent lather as they are just the right combination of good fragrance and being soothing to the touch. Touting the slogan to “bring the spa home,” this is a brand built from the essence of things and is after our simple pleasure of being revitalized.
Mount Sapola products are now available in Chimes Davao, Gov. Sales Street, Davao City.
