LBH Weekly Roundup: Acqua Di Parma Holiday Gift Sets

The great thing about Autumnal birthdays is that one can take advantage of holiday gift sets that only appear in the shops at this time of year.  Monsieur had a birthday recently and I took the opportunity to pick up this gorgeous showstopper.

Monsieur does love his smellies and his number one favourite is Acqua di Parma Colonia Essenza which strikes that magical balance between crisp citrus top notes and heady woody base notes.  Acqua di Parma don't release holiday sets of all their fragrances and, sadly, Acqua di Parma has not offered the gift set in Colonia Essenza for a couple of years now.  If Acqua di Parma is reading this, please bring that back next Christmas!   I had to settle for giving him the Colonia gift set instead (pictured above) which he deemed a close second with its notes of lavender, damask rose mingling with the citrus over a base of vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli.  I got it at Saks Fifth Avenue but it is also available at Holt Renfrew.  It is a great deal as the cologne bottle is the large 100 ml one and it comes with travel sizes of body creme and shower gel.  On its own, there is no doubt  that even the smallest 50 ml bottle will set you back a big chunk of coin so getting a large size and a couple of extras in a handsome presentation box helps ease the pain. 

Another Acqua di Parma holiday gift set is their Blu Mediterraneo.  This one has of orange, mandarin, and lemon essential oils over notes of petit grain, cardamon, caramel and musk.  This isn't one of Monsieur's 

favourites but fragrance is such a personal preference, you or someone you know might fall head over heels for it.

And we mustn't forget the ladies!  

They already had me with the packaging which is just so pretty.  This fragrance has Sicilian mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, and pepper, middle notes of peony, violet, lily of the valley, Italian centifolia rose, and finishes of cedar wood, ambergris and musk.

If like me, you have family members whose birthdays fall smartly right after Christmas, then you probably experience brain fry at the very thought of having to do more shopping.  And let's not forget that the dreaded Valentine's Day is just two months after Christmas.  Over the years, I have learnt to double up with my shopping especially if the gifts are unique items that disappear like snowflakes once the holidays are over.  And yes, of course, they make glorious Christmas gifts as well!

This is not a sponsored post.