Dita Von Teese to appear at perfume event in Los Angeles

Dita Von Teese photo by Ali Mahdavi

Dita Von Teese will appear at an in-store perfume event in Los Angeles this Saturday, Dec. 15. The event runs from 2-6 p.m. at Fred Segal, 8118 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 90046, 323-651-1800. This will be the launch of the second DVT fragrance, Rouge. As Dita puts it: “Perfume sets the mood and I’m in the mood to seduce.”

Dita Von Teese perfume is available online in most countries from RonRobinson.

On Sunday, Dec. 16, makeup artist Julie Hewett, who created Scarlett Johansson’s Janet Leigh look in “Hitchcock” and draws from film noir in her product line, is scheduled to give 30-minute private consultations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Blushington, a makeup studio at 8591 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 90069. Call 310-652-5874 to make an appointment. You’ll be charged a $50 deposit at the time of booking, which can be used toward product purchases.

FNB holiday gift guide 2012: Part One

The sharing and caring of the season is swell, but some of us get joy from coveting stuff. With that in mind, we present part one of our holiday gift guide, highlighting vanity-table delights as well as snacks and sips. Tomorrow: Books and DVDs.

Henri Bendel New York Minute silk scarf, $68. The pattern comes in three colors. Also cute is the NYM Iphone 5 phone cover, $38.

Brian Atwood gloves for Target + Neiman Marcus, $50.

Marc Jacobs/Dita Von Teese cotton T-shirt, $35. All proceeds from the sale of this shirt will be donated to NYU Skin Cancer Institute.

Nest body cream, $50, in Amazon Lily. Also comes in Midnight Fleur and Passiflora. The fragrance line was inspired by the botanical artworks of 18th Century artist Mary Delany.

Lady Gaga Fame soap, $15.

Kilian’s Good Girl Gone Bad perfume, 1.7 ounces, $245. Each bottle includes a white clutch embellished with a goldtone snake detail.

The latest from Chanel: 1.7 ounces, $98 and 3.4 ounces, $130. Available at department stores and online.

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara is formulated to improve shine, suppleness and strength, $32.

Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color in Crimson Noir, $48.

Bobbi Brown Rich Caviar Eye Palette, $47.50.

Lalique pétillante ring in silver/black crystal cabochon, $925.

Gifts for him from Tiffany: Original design by Paloma Picasso. Cuff links in stainless steel and midnight titanium, $425.

Dom Pérignon by David Lynch limited edition champagne: Dom Pérignon Vintage 2003 and Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2000. Starting at $175; prices vary depending on vendor.

Vosges Haut-Chocolat by Katrina Markoff is sure to please. Try the Caramel Marshmallows, four pieces, $13. The hot cocoa sold in Vosges boutiques (Chicago, NYC, LA and Vegas) boosts energy while shopping.

McConnell’s peppermint stick ice cream, $7 per pint. The company was founded in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1949 by a World War II veteran who was inspired by the ice cream he tried while stationed in Europe.

On the shopping radar: Fragrances, the Jetsetter Collection, lip tar, SW1 and Chanel celebrates little black jackets

In between watching TCM’s Flashbacks in Noir tonight (“Possessed,” “They Won’t Believe Me,” “Dead Reckoning,” “Killer’s Kiss” and more), I’m adding to my summer shopping wish-list. If I go to Anne Fontaine one morning for a bit of browsing (the summer sale runs through Wednesday, June 20), this should be sufficient for a dreamy afternoon. ; )

Gucci Glamorous Magnolia eau de toilette, $70 for 1.7 ounces. The Flora Garden Collection is inspired by an iconic pattern from the Gucci archives.

White Gardenia Petals, from Illuminum Perfumes, $150 for 100 ml (15% concentration of essential oil). Worn by Kate Middleton on her wedding day, the feminine fragrance is available in the U.S. exclusively at Henri Bendel.

Also from Henri Bendel: Jetsetter large hanging weekender, $168. Very cute collection.

Another tie for Dad … or not: BOIS 1920 Classic 1920, $195 for 100ml. Another idea: Gendarme cologne for men, $75 for 4 ounces. Both available at Barneys New York.

Lip Tar in Stalker by NYC-based Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, $14. Says OCC: Goes on slick and moist, and dries to a satin finish. Meant to be mixed, Lip Tar comes in 36 colors.

“The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited” (Steidl, $98). This photo-book by Karl Lagerfeld and former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld comes out Aug. 15. And, in New York, “The Little Black Jacket” photo exhibit runs through Friday, June 15, from 12-7 p.m., at 18 Wooster St.

Alvaro Gonzalez (formerly with Jimmy Choo) is the creative director of Stuart Weitzman’s new accessories line called SW1. Shoes are $675-$775; www.neimanmarcus.com. Photo from Harper’s Bazaar

Leap into spring with London Blooms from Jo Malone

Jo Malone White Lilac & Rhubarb cologne

Need a fresh fragrance for spring? Jo Malone recently launched London Blooms, three new colognes, inspired by the British garden: Iris & Lady Moore, White Lilac & Rhubarb, and Peony & Moss.

I’ve always loved the wild beauty of gardens across the pond and these scents capture that sense of daring and disdain for convention. Each one is an interesting pairing, but my favorite is White Lilac & Rhubarb, which also features rose and heliotrope. Iris & Lady Moore is spicy and powdery. Peony & Moss contrasts the “dainty and the dirty.”

London Blooms cologne is $110 for 100 ml.

Note: I did not receive product or compensation from Jo Malone for this post.

Femme fatale fragrances: 10 bad-ass bottles to die for

Even if you’re a makeup minimalist, every femme fatale worth her revolver needs a signature scent to call her own. The holidays are always a great time to see if your perfume collection could use a few new pretty bottles. And of course fragrances make wonderful gifts for fellow vamps and virile fellows when you have an idea of the recipient’s taste. Dig in!

 

My bottle of Norell with pulp accompanient.

Norell eau de toilette This retro scent reminds me of an old friend of my mother’s who ran her own business, liked to eat Haagen-Dazs Swiss almond vanilla in the middle of the afternoon and always had her nails done in Jungle Red. Norell was one of her favorites in the late ’70s. Notes of musk, vanilla, moss and myrrh meet sassy florals jasmine, rose and ginger lily.

As long as we’re on memory lane, Norell also reminds me of a handsome senior financial editor I used to know who always complimented me when I wore a little Norell behind my ears. It’s a formidable fragrance for a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. $25.49 for 3.3 ounces at Target

Victoria’s Secret Sexy Little Things Noir eau de parfum Winner of the 2009 FiFi fragrance of the year award, this fruity floral blends nectarine, amber and cattleya orchid, according to the company. Put a little of this on and then try not to flirt. It will put you in the mood, period. The black bottle and retro pump with tassel (what a cute gift!) would do Lana Turner proud. $29 for .85 ounces; $39 for 1.7 ounces; $49 for 3.4 ounces

Michael Kors Very Hollywood eau de parfum True, this fragrance is more starlet than Stanwyck, what with its soft feminine notes (mandarin, gardenia and vetiver) and clean, dare I say wholesome, finish. But even tough ladies are tender sometimes and when you feel the need for a light and luscious confection, Very Hollywood should do the job nicely. $45 for 1 ounce eau de parfum; $65 for 1.7 ounces; $85 for 3.4 ounces

A Jo Malone box with English stained glass

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir cologne Fruity with a smoky edge, this cologne, inspired by a red silk dress and that jewel of the desert, the pomegranate, is sure to bring out your wily side. And Jo Malone’s light singular scents are designed to be used in “the art of fragrance combining.” I like to mix Pomegranate Noir with French Lime Blossom or Vintage Gardenia. I’m also partial to the woody Wild Fig & Cassis, on its own. The black and white packaging is so clean, simple and elegant, Jo Malone is a must on any girl’s vanity table. $55 for 30 ml cologne; $100 for 100 ml cologne

Gucci Guilty eau de toilette “She’s got something on her conscience,” says Raymond Massey in “Woman in the Window” from 1944. “But what woman hasn’t?” Just ask Gucci, maker of this oriental floral fragrance with top notes of pink pepper, a heart note of lilac and base notes of patchouli and amber. Playing on neo-noir appeal, Evan Rachel Wood and Chris Evans heat up the screen in Gucci Guilty’s commercial, directed by Frank Miller. Mmmm, bring it on! $55 for 30 ml; $75 for 50 ml; $95 for 75 ml

D&G L’Imperatrice eau de toilette Fresh and clean, yet sophisticated, you could wear this just about anywhere. Dolce & Gabbana says the inspiration for this fragrance collection came from personality types. L’Imperatrice stems from The Star: “Flamboyant and energetic, for L’Imperatrice life is a movie and she is its heroine.” Notes are watermelon, kiwi and pink cyclamen with a musky base. $65 for 3.4 ounces

Guerlain L’Heure Bleue (The Blue Hour) eau de toilette, et al “Why do they still make perfumes like Bouquet des Fleurs as if things still happened in flower gardens?” Van Heflin asks Joan Crawford in “Possessed” from 1947. Seductions might not take place in rose gardens any more, but flower power hasn’t diminished one iota.

When Guerlain, another perfumer with a kick-ass pedigree, created this scent in 1912, it was all about flowers. Says Guerlain’s site: “Jacques Guerlain … pictured this bouquet of roses softened with iris, violet and vanilla, which evoke his favorite moment of the day when, as he put it, ‘the night has not yet found its star.’ ”

L’Heure Bleue may be a bit intense for some, but I love its distinctive character. Guerlain L’Heure Bleue eau de toilette, $70 for 1.7 ounces; $97 for 3.1 ounces 

And if, as a little girl, you saw a bottle of Shalimar at your grandmother’s house, used a drop and thought, “I’m so glad I’m a girl,” you have Guerlain to thank for that happy moment. Shalimar eau de parfum, $72 for 1 ounce; $95 for 1.7 ounces

Also, ideal for holiday parties: Guerlain’s Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder Face & Body – violet-scented iridescent bronzing powder – housed in Guerlain’s Eau de Cologne Impériale bottle, $85. Ooh la la …

Tom Ford Private Blend Noir de Noir Eau de Parfum Tom Ford is so brilliant, just wearing something he created makes you feel inspired. Take on the world? Sure, I can do it with my eyes closed. Maybe it’s the sleek clean lines of the brown glass bottle that seem to whisper at dawn, “shoulder pads, darling, and stand up straight!”

And then there’s the delight of inhaling and dabbing the provocative but dignified Noir de Noir on your skin. Designed for the fragrance connoisseur, it’s an oriental with notes of saffron, black rose, black truffle, vanilla, patchouli, oud wood and tree moss.

He had me at black rose. 😉 $190 for 1.7 ounces; $260 for 3.4 ounces; $465 for 8.3 ounces

Bond No. 9 Madison Soiree The company puts it this way: “Ultra-feminine elegance and unmistakable posh meet unabashed sultriness in this day-into-late-night-blooming floral bouquet.” Notes of gardenia, jasmine, oakmoss. Madison Soiree is one of many unforgettable Bond No. 9 fragrances with New York namesakes and each stunning bottle nearly bursts with the city’s inimitable energy. $215 for 100 ml eau de parfum

Creed Royal English Leather eau de toilette Creed has been crafting amazing fragrances for centuries and this example is uncommonly sexy. Oh and did I mention it’s from the men’s line? Maybe that’s why I like it so much. Top notes are mandarin and bergamot; middle note is ambergris; base notes are leather and sandalwood.

Not so sure re: leather? It’s definitely, pleasantly, different. According to Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of “The Secret of Chanel No. 5,” Coco Chanel liked that her English lover Arthur “Boy” Capel smelled of “leather, horses, forest, and saddle soap.”

You can share Royal English with the guys in your life or if you think you’ll spar over the jar, get him some Green Irish Tweed (sandalwood, ambergris, violet leaves, verbena and iris) which, the company says, was “created … for a film industry client who personified masculine style and elegance on the silver screen.”

Royal English Leather $150 for 2.5 oz/ 75 ml

Green Irish Tweed $130 for 1 oz/30 ml travel size; $270 for 4 oz/ 120 ml flask

Chanel No. 5 OK, I cheated, there are 11 top scents. So sue me. But surely you didn’t think I was going to bring up Coco Chanel’s name and then not mention the world’s best-selling perfume, Chanel No. 5. As author Tilar J. Mazzeo writes: “Reverently known among industry insiders as le monstre – the monster – it is arguably the most coveted consumer luxury product of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”

Chanel No. 5 parfum $95 for .25 ounces; $155 for .5 ounces

Chanel No. 5 eau de parfum $80 for 1.7 ounces; $115 for 3.4 ounces

And two more runners-up, both new this year: Estee Lauder’s Sensuous Noir and Guess Seductive.

Product Source: From my own collection and store samples; I did not receive products or compensation from companies named.

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