fragrance Archives - Page 4 of 9

Fragrance

Our Favourite New Fragrances from 2021

January 30, 2025December 30, 2021 by Etiket

Our favourite new arrivals reinvented the classics, and shared a versatile comforting warmth.

This year saw the arrival of some of the most memorable fragrances in recent memory. As we started compiling our favourites, we noticed many of our picks were united by a spirit of reinvention. Modern takes on chypres, fougères, and incense & rose, for example, mined old tropes for newly satisfying blends. In addition, most scents shared a sense of warmth, as if anticipating the extra comfort we’d need to stay grounded in our turbulent world.

Creamy dreamscapes, poetic forests, glowing auras of musk and smouldering incense helped us access serenity at Etiket HQ. But make no mistake: these scents are not just for winter! Instead, they prove that cozy, soothing or contemplative fragrances don’t have to be boring. Read on to discover our favourites, listed in no particular order.

Imaginary Authors
**FOX IN THE FLOWERBED**

*A joyful, soothing ode to jasmine, diffused through the sepia lens of an early summer sunset. Colourfully nostalgic, like the films of Wes Anderson.*

Escentric Molecules
**MOLECULE 01 + PATCHOULI**

*This reinvention of single-ingredient masterpiece Molecule 01 adds a moody, musky, spicy, sparkling patchouli layer to its skin-enhancing base.*

Arquiste
**PEAU**

*Like sensual bass notes for the skin, with cedar air and an almost indescribable musk accord. Layer under everything: wide-eyed compliments will ensue.*

Meleg Perfumes
**CIVET CAT CHYPRE**

*Meleg’s scents are unlike anything else on the market. Airy, buttery, and breathtakingly elegant; this is handmade perfumery at its best.*

Libertine Fragrance
**SWEET GRASS**

*A masterful recreation of the green tobacco pleasures of Canadian sweetgrass. A youthful fougère that’s equal parts prairie poetry and urban sex appeal.*

Zoologist
**MACAQUE YUZU EDITION**

*The tart-sweet bite of yuzu energizes the lemony facets of Hinoki wood, resulting in a dynamic and wearable composition with that trademark Zoologist twist.*

Maison Crivelli
**IRIS MALIKHÂN**

*A surprising reinvention of iris, with waves of vanilla pod crashing on an amber origami shore as a floral fog rolls in. This is fragrance as textural symphony.*

Hiram Green
**VETIVER**

*Two origins of vetiver lay rumbling at the heart of this all-natural ode to citrus and earth; so vivid it’s almost hallucinogenic. Perfectly balanced between wild and civilized.*

Indult
**MY JU-JU**

*Like the creamy-woody smell of someone familiar, this scent deliciously evades description. Dewy green notes dance on a base reminiscent of cashmere donut icing*.

Tauer
**SUNDOWNER**

*Vivid but relaxed, and with “hygge” to spare, citrus and cocoa crackle over a layer of warm wood like an impossibly sexy bonfire. For venturing outwards with your sense of home intact.*

L’Artisan Parfumeur
**CONTES DU LEVANT**

*Damask rose illuminates a suspended geometry of pepper, patchouli and incense. Polished, gleaming, romantic, and much more than the sum of its parts.*

Fragrance

Zoologist’s New Fragrance Takes Us Under the Sea

January 29, 2025December 7, 2021 by David

Zoologist's new fragrance has landed at Etiket. It's an inspired voyage below the ocean surface. Let's dive in...

If you’ve never encountered the fragrances of Toronto-based Zoologist, you’re in for a wild ride. Each extrait de parfum is inspired by a different animal, invoking its personality and even, in the case of Hyrax, actual (humanely harvested) aromatics from the titular creature. But no animal, humans included, exists in isolation. They’re but one part of the web of flora and fauna which collaborate on the unknowable art project that is their respective habitat. This is why, at least to me, Zoologist perfumes aren’t really about animals as much as the scent of wild landscapes. Panda evokes a misty bamboo forest; Chameleon a tropical island fantasy. Now, with their newest scent, Zoologist turns its attention to a world under the sea.

When Pixar was developing “Finding Nemo”, the production team took scuba lessons to learn more about the look and feel of being underwater. They soon realized that even the clearest, cleanest water is filled with textures; little floating organisms, plant matter, bits of coral and sand floating by, glittering in the shafts of wobbly sunlight. Hours of painstaking animation ensued to add multitudinous sea stuff to each shot. This proved to be the elusive ingredient in making the underwater world feel real.

Zoologist’s new fragrance Seahorse is filled to the brim with “Finding Nemo” textures. You can smell the colours of a richly animated oceanic ecosystem, pulsating like a garden of algae and alien wildflowers. Blue orange blossoms sway in the airless breeze, tides sluice around glossy grass, and all sound goes underwater quiet. In fact, in my opinion, this stillness is key to the uniqueness of this fragrance. Many aquatic scents take the constant churning motion of waves as inspiration, evoking sea spray on the shore where humans can greedily inhale its vapour. But there is something more serene and grounded about Seahorse — still playful but meditative, lapping instead of crashing, like touring the palatial gardens of an undersea empire. This scent doesn’t just take you to an oceanside view, it invites you to be fully submerged.

On the skin, the scent can feel like bioluminescence, the green notes waxing and waning, a foamy floral warmth anchoring all that freshness. Transparent tuberose adds touches of neon coral, and vetiver and ambergris conjure a sheer vegetal earthiness, evoking the sandy sea floor at the base of everything. Those for whom aquatic scents are solely for the heat of summer, take note: the lifelike nature photography in this scent gives it enough depth to wear all year round. If each Zoologist scent is conceived as a voyage into an unknown world of unspoiled nature, Seahorse might be one of their most fully realized. It’s a transportive fragrance, thrillingly foreign and, perhaps from the films of our childhoods, also strangely familiar.

Fragrance

Can Perfumes Have Textures?

January 29, 2025November 26, 2021 by David

When speaking about perfume, we often use words borrowed from other senses. To me, an important sense to invoke in our understanding of perfume is touch. Obviously, smells don’t have physical textures or temperatures. But thinking about the tactile qualities of a perfume can be a gateway to their emotional heart.

When speaking about perfume, we often use words borrowed from other senses. Ingredients become “notes”, like ones you might play on a piano (which is why a perfumer’s desk is referred to as an “organ”). A fragrance can be too “light” for us, and while it’s sometimes unclear whether we’re describing physical weight or colour, our noses can’t truly perceive either. Scent is steeped in sensory metaphor.

To me, an important sense to invoke in our understanding of perfume is touch. Obviously, smells don’t have physical textures or temperatures. But thinking about the tactile qualities of a perfume can be a gateway to their emotional heart.

Perfumers thinking texturally has led to breakthroughs in the world of fragrance. It often requires a metaphoric leap in the mind of each nose; if one forgets about what an ingredient actually is, what might it make you think of? Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena uses a signature green tea effect to create a luminous quality, like transparent flowing water, which made hits of fragrances like Bvlgari’s Thé Vert and Hermes’ Un Jardin en Méditerranée (you can sample his work at Etiket in Dia Woman and L’Eau D’Ambre Extrême). Similarly, Olivia Giacobetti pioneered the use of fig and other fresh effects to make fragrances that seem airy and subtly cool to the touch, as she does in Premier Figuier and Passage D’Enfer.

On the other side of the spectrum, perfumer Sophia Grojsman’s work often feels fuzzy and thick because of her trademark “hug me accord”: an abstract blend of synthetic jasmine, violet, musk and cedar molecules which makes her fragrances seem cozy and warm (like in Lancome’s classic Tresor). And Andy Tauer has created a rabid cult following with his unapologetic waves of hot spice, which add a dry crackling heat to scents like L’Air du Désert Marocain and Cologne du Maghreb. Composed with care, a perfume can imply closeness or distance; glass, cloth, paper, powder or liquid; warm or cool; movement or stillness.

The fragrances of Maison Crivelli make brilliant use of texture, and they do so in a modern way. Many of them have what I call a “holographic” texture: lifelike, shimmery, and light-reflecting. Creating fragrances with this effect allows the rich amber notes of Lys Sølaberg to feel approachable and relaxed. It allows bold ingredients like woods and spices to seem almost weightless in Santal Volcanique and Bois Datchaï. And it gives rose, which can smell surprisingly thick, even jammy in isolation, a new, breezy lifein Rose Saltifolia, as if the scent were dancing across your perception on a seaside summer wind.

Maison Crivelli fragrances also use textural elements to evoke extremes of temperature, which form surprising contrasts with classic ingredients. A sparkling, icy freshness makes the lavender, juniper and musk in Absinthe Boréale seem enrobed in a delicate frost. The juicy heat of chili and the earthy depth of vetiver makes the orange and bergamot inside Citrus Batikanga sizzle in the bustling heat of a tropical market.

If all this sounds a bit far-fetched, like those sommeliers who tell you you must be able to taste butter in your chardonnay, don’t worry. The ultimate truism of fragrance is that all scent is subjective. But asking yourself which textures, colours or temperatures you sense when you smell a perfume, regardless of what you come up with, can help make sense of a fragrance’s energy, which will, in turn, hint at what it might feel like to wear it. For example, while everybody’s skin is different, a cool, airy or watery fragrance might leave a more casual impression on your skin than something dark, syrupy, sandy or hot.

Finally, looking for textures is a way to rediscover ingredients or scent families you thought you knew. If you love earthy and smoky notes, but you can’t imagine wearing them to the office, you could step away from the hottest, driest Tauer scents, for example, and towards a more liquid and transparent scent like Smoke Show. If light floral perfumes often feel aggressive and headache-inducing, but you love the scent of real flowers, you could try finding scents that are less cool, bright and sharp and more velvety and warm. And if you thought you hated powdery fragrances because they always feel too “classic”, meet Crivelli’s Papyrus Moléculaire or Iris Malikhan, which both take the concept of powder in richer, darker, edgier, and more contemporary directions.

– David, Director of Fragrance at Etiket

Fragrance

Is Fragrance Really Giftable?

January 29, 2025November 11, 2021 by Etiket

As the holiday season rolls around, we’re often asked about the best way to select a fragrance as a gift. Here are some steps to help you achieve a fragrance gifting triumph.

As the holiday season rolls around, we’re often asked about the best way to select a fragrance as a gift. Many people like the idea of gifting fragrance, especially for a loved one who’s often within smelling distance. But the wide variety of fragrances available and the personal nature of scent make it a particular challenge, especially if you’re not a diehard fragrance lover yourself. However, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to get them a fragrance they’ll love! In a perfect world, you could just buy them another bottle of their favourite, in which case, you’ll be done before you know it. Assuming that’s not an option, here are some steps to help you achieve a fragrance gifting triumph.

1. Don’t think so much about ”notes” or ingredients; think about personality

Perfumes are often described by what fragrance “families” they belong to. Are they sweet? Floral? Woody? Animalic? And while knowing your recipient’s taste in ingredients can help, often fragrances can vary just as much within families as between them. Instead, we suggest thinking first about the personality or style of the person you’re buying for. Are they bold? Reserved? Dramatic? Fun? Distinctions like fancy or casual, and for work or for play, can often help narrow the field better than deciding between cedar and vanilla.

To this end, we’ve compiled a Fragrance Gift Guide with nine categories of fragrance lovers (or the fragrance curious). Look for ones that feel like they describe your recipient’s disposition, taste in clothes, or the way they greet the world.

2. Stick to the safe bets (and beware some tricky ingredients)

There are two reasons that ingredients do matter a little for gift giving: skin chemistry and scent associations. Scent is closely tied to memory, which can make the exact same smell feel different to different people. Additionally, perfume changes subtly once it hits skin, making it harder to estimate how certain perfumes will smell on any particular person. To maximize your chances of success, we recommend sticking to more versatile scents with crowd-pleasing ingredients and styles.

Try: Escentric Molecules

This brand is a hit for a reason. Without getting too technical, many of their most-loved perfumes aren’t really “perfumes” in the sense that vanilla isn’t really a cake. Instead, their line of “Molecule” scents (numbered 01-05) are suspensions of a single versatile base note in alcohol. Translation? They’re the frame, not the painting. This means that they adapt to anyone’s skin and amplify the best qualities of their natural scent. The result is a wear-it-anywhere automatic jaw dropper that can also layer beautifully with any other scents in their collection.

Try: Malin + Goetz

These fun, modern fragrances are a nice bridge between “nice smell” and “proper perfume” (and we mean that in the best way possible). They’re inspired by easily-identifiable smells, and evoke them in an accessible way. They’re already well loved for their addictive body products, and their packaging is effortlessly chic. And worst comes to worst, buying someone a fragrance named “Cannabis” is sure to at least make them smile (but it would also smell great on almost anyone anyway).

Be careful with: buying something ”fresh”

“Fresh” is a concept in perfume that’s become such a cliché it hardly means anything. If they’ve told you they like “fresh” fragrances, or you have a memory of them smelling “clean”, this could be helpful, or could be a trap. Because of the way scent is tied to memory, “fresh” could mean anything from citrus to mint, light flowers to aquatic, and even white musk. Try to narrow your search by thinking of their personality, or if “fresh” is all you have to go on, consider any Heeley fragrance with a white label.

Be careful with: Floral for the sake of floral

Flowers are foundational to the history of perfume. They also could be the most polarizing ingredient of them all. Not only can people have strong reactions to heavily floral scents, but the way that flowers show up in a composition ranges from “shrieking” to “invisible”. This doesn’t mean you should stay away from any fragrance which lists flowers among the notes; most will have some somewhere. However, if a fragrance is described as both rich/intense and predominantly floral, you might want to get them to try a sample first (unless you or they are experienced fragrance buyers).

One exception to this rule is if you know they have a favourite flower. If so, find a fragrance that doesn’t just include it, but is overwhelmingly and exclusively inspired by it. Lilac lovers will likely love A Lilac a Day, orange blossom enthusiasts will likely swoon over Histoire d’Orangers, and if they grow real roses in their garden, Lustre should remind them of home.

3. Smell for yourself, and even get a second opinion

It will not surprise you to hear that smells cannot be fully experienced through the internet (at least not yet). While many of our clients have learned enough about their personal taste to shop our fragrance selection online, buying a fragrance gift can put many of us back at square one. An excellent way to complete your holiday shopping would be to visit our Montréal boutique and sniff a shortlist of options. If this is a possibility for you, the same advice from #1 applies; when smelling each fragrance, try to think of the person’s energy, personality and style more than decide whether they’d like the actual ingredients.

For those who aren’t lucky enough to live nearby, we also offer the option to purchase samples online of almost any fragrance we sell. If you plan ahead, investing a small amount in an assortment of samples can help you seal the deal, or even sneak an option onto the skin of the actual person you’re buying for. And if the element of surprise is too important to give up, bring the samples around to someone who knows your recipient just as well (or even better) than you do. When seeking a second opinion, the question we’d recommend asking isn’t “would they like this?” as much as “do you think this smells like them?” Lastly, if you’re their significant other, remember to consider what scents you’d enjoy smelling on them as well!

4. Don’t forget the home!

If you’re still not ready to make a judgement call on a fragrance for skin, try a fragrance for space! Any room is enlivened by the invisible colour of a home fraIf you’re still too scared to make a judgement call about a fragrance for skin, try a fragrance for space! Any room is enlivened by the invisible colour of a home fragrance, and we carry a beautiful array of scents in various formats. Home scents are the perfect gifting sweet spot: something almost everybody loves, but many people often don’t buy for themselves.

The range of diffusers from Culti Milano have been extremely popular, as well as their car sachets – a unique gift for anybody who drives to work. Local Montréal brands Les Citadines and T. Lees create artisanal, elevated scents for every taste, and Arquiste’s candles are vibrant, transportive and unique. Finally, for the ultimate luxury experience, the world-renowned house of Fornasetti makes candles which rise to the level of art objects – taking home scent from invisible accent to dazzling decor.

Finally, gifting fragrance with Etiket has one distinct advantage – free samples! Like most retailers, we can’t accept returns of used fragrance, even if it’s only been sprayed once. However, Etiket offers complimentary fragrance samples with every purchase. Simply request a sample of the scents you’re buying and we’ll happily include them so your recipient can try the sample on before they open the full-sized bottle. If it turns out it’s not for them, they can easily return the unused fragrance and get something for themselves. This also means that every bottle of fragrance you buy for someone else lets you try some free samples for yourself, and if that isn’t a reason to be generous, I don’t know what is!

Image source: @penhaligons_london

Fragrance

Niche. Unapologetic. Canadian-Made. Discover Meleg Perfumes.

January 30, 2025September 1, 2021 by Etiket

We just launched a new fragrance brand called Meleg Perfumes! Learn more about this exciting new niche brand and why Simon decided to launch Meleg Perfumes at Etiket.

Meleg Perfumes was founded by Matthew Meleg, a self-trained perfume enthusiast, in 2020.

It’s impossible to consider Meleg Perfumes without taking into account Matthew Meleg himself. “There is no separation between myself and the perfumes. Each one has a story behind it, and they’re kind of like diary entries,” the Vancouver-based self-taught perfumer says.

Every component from the ingredients to the packaging is deliberate and conscientiously crafted. The box that holds each perfume is inspired by apple bins of the Meleg Orchard in Ontario.

The goal? ”Thick, nuanced and layered with facets, I’m playing jazz here. Meleg Perfumes express liveliness and are recognized by their hedonistic character. Sometimes baroque and once in a while I’ll even throw a little Pop-Art as well – ode to fellow Slovak, Andy Warhol. And because I’m self taught, stubborn and unwilling to compromise with their compositions you’ll either love or hate my perfumes. My goal isn’t to please everyone. My goal is to make art, to celebrate being alive.” Matthew Meleg

As he suggests, his perfumes are mostly diary entries, they would detail a fascination with culture, history and sexuality. They also tell the story of a wayward journey – from growing up on a farm to a difficult family life to dropping out of Emily Carr University, to his decade of living in Japan. His scents are unapologetic, nuanced and complex, much like Meleg himself.

What drew us to the brand?

We pride ourselves on being a beauty destination that features curated brands from around the world. Simon, Etiket’s founder, carefully selects beauty, fragrance and lifestyle brands that are well-established, or up-and-coming like Meleg Perfumes.

We asked Simon what prompted him to add to add Meleg Perfumes to our fragrance lineup. This was his answer:

”I am always looking for new brands, especially Canadian brands to add to our assortment. I was excited when I had a call from Matthew to talk about his new fragrance collection because we don’t have that many Canadian perfumers. We already carry three Canadian perfume brands: Monsillage, Zoologist and Libertine Fragrance and Meleg Perfumes made a perfect addition. Matthew’s approach to fragrance comes not only from his personal experience and travels but from being a self-taught perfumer who has pushed himself to make innovative and beautiful fragrances often rooted in a Canadian heritage with inspiration from his travels around the world.”

We currently carry 12 of the Meleg Perfumes in our store and on our website. If you’d like to test some of the fragrances, you can always purchase samples through our sample program, or stop by the store!

Discover Juliette from Juliette & Chocolat

In Conversation With

In Conversation with Juliette from Juliette & Chocolat

February 17, 2025February 12, 2021 by Etiket

Our story with Juliette begins a few years ago, when we discovered her chocolate shop on Sainte-Catherine. We wanted to learn more about how Juliette & Chocolat came about and how Juliette juggles life as a successful business owner, mother, wife and friend.

Our story with Juliette begins a few years ago, when we discovered her chocolate shop on Sainte-Catherine, just a few blocks from Etiket boutique (we’re practically neighbours!). Our love for Juliette & Chocolat grew when we learned more about the woman behind the brand.

In fact, Juliette & Chocolat was founded by a beautiful woman named… you guessed it, Juliette! All you need to do is follow her Instagram page to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how she runs her successful business with her husband and her 5 adorable kids. We wanted to learn more about how Juliette & Chocolat came about and how Juliette juggles life as a successful business owner, mother, wife and friend.

How did the idea of creating Juliette & Chocolat come to you?

I’m a foodie. Always have been, and I love to cook. Eating has always been one of my life’s greatest pleasures. I’ve always had a weakness for sweets. I can’t imagine ending a meal without a dessert, that just doesn’t make sense to me! When I go out to restaurants, I always start by asking for the dessert menu. Choosing my dessert first allows me to then choose my main course.

I got the idea of creating Juliette & Chocolat when I was at the end of my studies in Finance. At the time, I was looking for start-up ideas. Because I have such a sweet tooth, and because I wasn’t able to find any hot chocolate in Montreal like my grandmother used to make (!) the idea came to me to open a chocolate bar, similar to a coffee shop, but where one could sit and drink a hot chocolate. This idea then led to a menu filled with chocolate recipes, from hot chocolates and pastries to fondues and candies. I wanted Juliette & Chocolat to be a paradise for chocolate lovers. Finally, wanting there to be a French flare to the business, I added salty and sweet crepes to the menu.

With your own business and a family of five, how do you juggle it all and have time for yourself?

Hahahaha! I’m often asked this question. Honestly, it all comes down to being organized, while also being laid-back and taking life as it comes. Every hour of my week is organized, and I have “to-do lists” for every part of my life. I have a day planner that allows me to stay on top of everything. However, if at the end of the day, the house is a mess, the dirty dishes are still on the counter and the kids go to bed a little past their bedtime, I don’t lose sleep over it. I’d say that I also have an amazing support system in my personal and professional lives (even though the two overlap). I have friends and colleagues that are as invested in my business as I am and who want to see me succeed. I’m very blessed in that respect.

How do you start the day? What is your morning routine?

My mornings are always chaotic: imagine a house of 7 people who all went to bed late the night before! I help the kids get ready for school, make sure I have my eye makeup on … it’s a little like a race against the clock, though we do manage to eat breakfast all together. No coffee for me, I have enough energy as it is! Instead, I make a healthy, vitamin-filled smoothie for us all to drink before heading out the door!

I then drop the kids off at school. Making sure everyone gets to school on time, with their schoolbooks, lunch and PE clothes is a challenge… it’s like a little victory every morning.

What does your everyday beauty routine look like?

Morning: My routine is remarkably simple. I hydrate my skin with a cream I have on hand (I’m lucky enough to receive beauty products as gifts, so I switch them up a lot).

Night: My nighttime routine is also simple. I wash my face with cold water and a gentle cleanser. Right now I’m using the Peoni Cleanser from JB Skin Savvi. After that, I hydrate my skin with the Peoni Oil from JB Skin Savvi.

Do you do something special to take care of your skin?

Once or twice a week I will deep clean my skin with a Clarisonic brush. Besides that, I hydrate my face and body every night.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received?

Happy people are beautiful, be happy!

Who is your beauty inspiration?

Audrey Hepburn

What does your makeup routine look like?

I apply makeup everyday but I keep it simple. I apply a kohl liner that I bought at a souk in Damas when I lived there. It’s a black liner that stays put all day. I love it! After that, I apply a few layers of mascara. From time to time, I add a neutral eyeshadow and a pop of blush to the cheeks.

**ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara** / **Glo Skin Beauty Eye Shadow Quad** / **RMS BEAUTY LIP2CHEEK Lost Angel**

What beauty products can we always find in your handbag?

Hahahaha, I have more toys in my purse to keep my kids entertained than I do beauty products. I always have a lip balm (does that count?). Sometimes, I’ll have a lipstick in my purse for touch ups throughout the day.

**Glo Skin Beauty Eye Pencil** / **Huna Organic Lip Balm** / **ILIA Lipstick**

What’s your signature fragrance?

I’m a huge fan of Angel by Thierry Mugler. It’s a sweet, candy scent and so enticing to me. I have no idea how I found it, but I can recognize it anywhere!

**Histoires de parfums 1969** / **Ex-Idolo Love & Crime** / **Indult Tihota**

What do you do to unwind at the end of a busy day?

I play with my kids, I read, I cook, I watch movies with my family, I never run out of ways to unwind at the end of the day. I always find time to relax and to ground myself. It’s the key to not burning out!

Finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?

A good meal with a delicious dessert at the end.

Follow Juliette on Instagram at @juliettechoco or her business, Juliette & Chocolat @juliette_chocolat

Skin Care

The Best Products of 2020: Skincare, Hair Care and Fragrance Essentials

April 2, 2025January 5, 2021 by Etiket

As we enter a new year, we're looking back on the products that stole our hearts in 2020. From hair care essentials, to skincare and fragrance cult-favourites, 2020 was a good year for the beauty industry. Let's discover the products!

As we enter a new year, we’re looking back on the products that stole our hearts in 2020. From hair care essentials, to skincare and fragrance cult-favourites, 2020 was a good year for the beauty industry. The current pandemic has forced many of us to curate our beauty shelves and to embrace a less-is-more approach with quality over quantity. Now, let’s discover the products!

SKINCARE

For most of us, spending more time at home meant we had more time to indulge in luxurious self-care nights and lengthy skincare routines. At-home treatment devices and targeted face masks became must-haves, while serums and creams designed to promote the skin’s overall health and wellness were flying off the shelves. The name of the game last year was skin health. Antioxidants, Sunscreen, Hyaluronic Acid we’re all integral components of achieving it.

Some of last year’s favourites are Vintner’s Daughter’s Active Botanical Serum, for example. Formulated with 22 active botanicals, this serum delivers the most optimal concentrations of nourishing Phytonutrients, balancing Minerals, Age-Defying Antioxidants, strengthening Phytoceramides and Amino Acids, replenishing Fatty Acids, and brightening Vitamins to deliver powerful skin nutrition in one step. The ZIIP device was another popular item last year. The at-home treatment uses nanocurrents and microcurrents to encourage cells to create more collagen and elastin.

Vitamin C got a big boost in 2020, with products like Melanie Simon’s Vitamin C serum and Kat Burki’s cold-pressed Vitamin C face cream, while sunscreens like Elta MD’s UV Clear SPF 46, stayed top-of-mind with beauty consumers. Discover the full list of skincare best-sellers!

FRAGRANCE

You may be surprised, but 2020 was an amazing year for fragrances. Perhaps it’s because we could finally test different scents from the comfort of our home before taking them out for a spin, or maybe because spraying a fragrance on in the morning helped us feel more put together. In any case, 2020 was good to fragrances. Some of last year’s bestsellers were new, while others have been around for some time, but had us coming back for more.

Gallivant, for example, came out with a new scent called Bukhara. A woody, floral orris perfume, composed with start perfumer Ralf Schwieger. Musk Deer from Zoologist was another new player on the scene, with notes of synthetic musks, natural oud and florals.

Some established fragrances also made our 2020 best-sellers list, like Misfit from Arquiste and Verticaloud from Hermetica. Misft is an elegant Patchouli fragrance designed to be worn by everyone, whereas Verticaloud is characterized by woody and oriental notes, such as rose oil, saffron and agarwood. Discover the full list of best-selling fragrances for 2020!

BEAUTY

This past year was all about great skin, bold eyes and thick brows. In fact, our entire makeup routines became centered around our face masks and zoom meetings. Most of the time, our lips are hidden, so forget lipstick. Our eyes, skin and brows, however, became the main focus. Tools that help you de-puff and attain a natural glow, like Gua Shas and Jade Rollers, we’re also popular.

To help you achieve the perfect brows, we brought in a Canadian brand called Plume Science. They’re all about creating full, natural brows and lashes. Their Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum has quickly become a cult favourite, as has their Nourish & Define Brow Pomade. For the perfect base, might we suggest RMS Beauty’s Master Radiance Base? This flattering cream highlighter works to blur out imperfections and create the ultimate glow! Don’t forget the eye! Dot on some of ILIA’s Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tints and their Limitless Lash Mascara and you’re ready to take on the world… from home! Discover the full list of best-selling beauty products from 2020!

HAIR CARE

In the same way the pandemic has forced us to look at how we take care of our skin, it’s also forced us to look at how we treat our hair and scalp. In fact, 2020 shook us up in many ways including how we looked after our hair. Many of us made the decision to go natural, gray made a big comeback as did curls. Many of us also turned to touch-up products to hide the re-growth before our salons re-opened. Hair masks and scalp treatments and dry shampoos also became popular as we discovered that hair care was really all about looking after our hair!

Products like Rahua’s Leave-In Treatment grew in popularity for their ability to protect, heal and hydrate our hair overnight. Other products like R+CO’s Crown Scalp Scrub reminded us of the importance of scalp health. Touch-up products like R+CO’s Root Touch-Up Spray and Death Valley Dry Shampoo allowed our hair to look fresh and bouncy while we impatiently awaited for hair salons to reopen. Discover the full list of hair care best-sellers from 2020.

Fragrance

GALLIVANT Perfumes: Where are you going next?

April 11, 2025May 2, 2017 by Etiket

Meet GALLIVANT, the modern indie fragrance house founded by Nick Steward, former Creative Director of ...

Meet GALLIVANT, the modern indie fragrance house founded by Nick Steward, former Creative Director of L’ Artisan Parfumeur. GALLIVANT is all about the belief in getting out into the world and discovering more. In feet-on-the-ground exploration. The freedom to wander and travel. These unique fragrances capture the vibe of the brand’s favourite destinations. Cool, creative cities. Unisex eau de parfums for urban explorers who like to travel light.

Always easy, always streamlined, these scents also come packaged in 30ml ‘nomad’ bottles to help you on your journey. Designed in London, handmade by artisans in France and England.

Where are you going next?

London
London, is a floral leather fragrance. With a watery green head, of cucumber and violet leaves. A floral heart, with Rose de Mai Absolute, rose oil and orris root. And basenotes of leather, sandalwood, patchouli and cedarwood.

Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is a bright, sunny, floral fruity fragrance. A fresh, fruity head, and notes of clementine, bergamot, and blackcurrant bud. A floral heart with jasmine sambac absolute, Comoros’ ylang ylang, rose oil and freesia. And a warm, musky base with sandalwood, musks, Deer’s Tongue absolute (liatrix) and benzoin.

Istanbul
Istanbul is an ambery, woody, spicy fragrance. A fresh aromatic head, with notes of bergamot, cardamom, red thyme. A woody, aromatic heart, with lavender absolute, Egyptian geranium essence, patchouli heart and sweet myrrh (opoponax) essence. And basenotes of sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musks.

Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a musky citrus fragrance. A fresh, spicy, fizzy head, with notes of bergamot, squeezed lemon and orange juice. Incense, cardamom, ozonic notes. A floral heart, with magnolia and orris root. And a base of white woods, benzoin, amber and musks.

Shop GALLIVANT here

Perfume Review: Olfactive Studio Selfie Eau de Parfum

February 18, 2025March 4, 2016 by Etiket

Me, myselfie and I! A fragrant play on the self-portrait – version 2.0, Olfactive Studio’s Selfie ...

Me, myselfie and I! A fragrant play on the self-portrait – version 2.0, Olfactive Studio’s Selfie is an ode to today’s egotistical desire to leave one’s trace, be it olfactory or visual.

Modern, urban and unusual with notes of ginger, anise, incense, angelica and elemi all fighting for the spotlight in the top notes. As the confusion settles, an accord of Maple Syrup, cinnamon, lilly, and Cabreuva merge causing a slightly sticky sweet-nutty-green odour which settles oh so nicely into its final phase: an ultra suede-like chypre. See, or smell I should say? Very unusual and difficult to describe really.
Longevity: 5-10 hours.
Sillage: Excellent

Natalie Cola,
The Etiket Insider Beauty Editor

Olfactive Family: Oriental Spicy

Availability: In-store and online.

If you likeOlfactive Studio’s Selfie, you may also like Amouage Epic Woman and Atelier Cologne Blanch Immortelle Cologne Absolue.

CLICK HERE for more details about our Fragrance Sample Program!

Mona di Orio: Perfume to be worn

January 20, 2025January 21, 2016 by Etiket

I am often asked how I choose which perfume brands I bring into Etiket. I ...

Mona di Orio at Etiket: Perfume to be worn — Mona di Orio at Etiket

I am often asked how I choose which perfume brands I bring into Etiket. I wish I could say there was a formula or a science or it was even a well-studied business decision, but it is never any of those. Very simply I fall in love with the fragrances and the story that is part of those fragrances. Mona di Orio perhaps exemplifies this better than any other collection of perfumes that we have in the store.

Mona di Orio Perfume at Pitti Fragranze 2014 — Mona di Orio Pitti Fragranze 2014 (Photo: Petit Parfum Blog)

I am sure I had heard of Mona di Orio before I went to Pitti Fragranze (the niche perfume show in Florence) in September of 2014, but I had never smelled it. It was not even on my radar as one of the brands I wanted to look at when I was there. I remember so clearly how it happened that I met Jeroen Oude Sogtoen (designer and co-founder of Mona di Orio) and when he walked me through the collection.

The collection was being shown in a booth with other brands and I was looking at another brand from New York when the Mona di Orio bottles caught my eye. I finished sniffing where I was and made my way over to see what the gold bottles with their oval shapes were all about. As I stood there looking at the collection Jeroen came up to me quietly and asked if I had any questions. I introduced myself and asked him to take me through the scents.

A perfume show is a very noisy and animated place. But when Jeroen started to tell me the story of who Mona di Orio was, it seemed as if there was no one there but he and I as he took me on a journey.

The story of Mona di Orio is not a happy one, but it is a beautiful one, in the true sense of how romance in literature is defined. It is like a prose narrative of heroic deeds in an imaginary setting that is not imaginary at all. It is the story of Mona, a woman who by chance falls into perfumery and is trained by a master perfumer, Monsieur Edmond Roudnitska. She finds her true calling and begins her journey into the world of perfume. Through coincidence (or was it?) she meets Jeroen and with his vision for design and her nose they create the fragrance house of Mona di Orio in 2004 and launch their first three fragrances: Lux, Carnation and Nuit Noire.
As Jeroen told me the story and took me through each of the fragrances I was simply moved to tears. The passion of their partnership for what they did together was so strong and so beautiful that it had to come out in the scents that Mona created. Mona’s ability to take experience, emotions and moments from our lives and pour them into a bottle, and Jeroen’s vision of design meld everything into one perfect collection.

Mona passed away in 2011, and Jeroen has continued on the legacy that they had created together. It seems to me pointless to describe these fragrances, words never do justice to anything we smell, you need to experience them yourselves to truly feel and sense the complexity of light and dark and shadow that is the signature of Mona di Orio.

My favourites are Myrh Casati and Nuit Noire but there is not one that I would not wear or suggest depending on my mood or simply the way the light is falling that day. These are fragrances to be worn and enjoyed for their pure and utter ability to make us dream, remember, or make us smile

Simon Tooley
Owner of Etiket

Perfume Review: Mona di Orio Musc Eau de Parfum

April 10, 2016January 10, 2016 by Etiket

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me “What fragrance are you ...

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me “What fragrance are you wearing?!”, I would be a millionaire… or very close to it. I am pretty loyal and quite selective when it comes to the scents I wear and I’m a creature of habit. If I love it, I will wear it for weeks, months and even years – if it fits the season of course.

So, what am I dressing my skin in at the moment? A new love – Mona di Orio Musc. I enjoy ‘clean skin’ musk scents, but those that are a little less on the powdery side. For me, wearing a musk in the winter is heavenly as they tend to be beautifully warm and comforting.

When Mona di Orio arrived at Etiket, I was immediately taken by Tubereuse for its gorgeous green, fresh scent. However, once I took myself through the entire line, one gorgeous flask in particular stood out from the rest – Musc.

The opening is very floral with notes of heliotrope and rose, but these notes dissipate quite quickly and settles into a delicate sweet musk. For me, it smells like lightly scented clean, soapy skin. It’s an understated scent with surprisingly excellent sillage and average longevity. And the compliments keep pouring in!

Natalie Cola,
The Etiket Insider Beauty Editor

Olfactive Family: Oriental Floral

Availability: In-store and online.

If you like Mona di Orio Musc, you may also like ETRO Musk EDT and Tauer Perfumes PHI-une rose de Kandahar

CLICK HERE for more details about our Fragrance Sample Program!

The Best Fragrance Gifts To Give And Receive This Holiday Season

November 25, 2015November 17, 2015 by Etiket

The gift of fragrance is timeless, luxurious and intimate. We usually buy perfume for someone ...

The gift of fragrance is timeless, luxurious and intimate. We usually buy perfume for someone we feel very close to like family members and very close friends. What makes fragrance such a cherished gift is its ability to defines us by our individual style and influence our mood. For most people, fragrance is not an everyday purchase, so giving the perfect perfume gift can be a very lavish gesture. From our go-to perfumes and gift sets to solid perfumes and discovery sets, you are sure to find something special for any and everyone on your list!

Here are the fragrance gifts that are topping our list this holiday season:

Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet Gift Set: Created in 1902 and taking its name from Blenheim Palace the seat of one of England’s most respected bloodlines, Blenheim Bouquet is a bracing mix of citrus oils, spices and woods. Set includes: Eau de Toilette 50ml, Shave Cream 50ml, Aftershave Balm 50ml.

L’Artisan Parfumeur Discovery Gift Set: Let him or her discover their next signature scent among these six fragrances from an iconic Parisian perfume house.

The discovery set (6x 5ml) includes:

Caligna: luminous and aromatic, this perfume evokes the fragrant landscapes of Grasse, the spiritual home of French perfumery, in the south of France.

La Chasse aux Papillons: imagine chasing butterflies in the French country side, surrounded by white flowers. A floral fragrance reminiscent of childhood memories, perfect for sunny days.

L’Eau d’Ambre Extrême: a mysterious oriental elixir. This rich and velvety fragrance, has delicate wafts of golden amber and spices.

Mûre et Musc Extrême: red fruit notes enfold themselves around the iconic blackberry and musk accord. Elegant and sophisticated, this fragrance embodies Parisian chic.

Rose Privée: sparkling and sophisticated, Rose Privée is a floral fragrance of unusual beauty. It captures the rare and iconic May Rose in a contemporary way.

Timbuktu: this fragrance is inspired by master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour’s trip to Mali, where he witnessed a Wusulan ritual used by generations of West African women to scent their hair and skin. A mysterious fragrance that embodies the Sahara combined with French savoir faire.

Atelier Cologne Ecrin Voyage Jasmin Angelique (30ml + Soap + Leather Case): Genuine pure perfume, the Cologne Absolue is a cologne of character celebrating the magical freshness and elegance of citruses. Very high concentration of natural essential oils ensures an exceptional lasting power. With Collection “Matières”, Atelier Cologne reinvents the mythical essences of perfumery. Following vanilla, amber, rose, vetiver and patchouli, a new facet of jasmine from Egypt is revealed with the unexpected use of hesperides. Jasmin Angélique tells a new story, the one of a mysterious path to a secret garden where two lovers meet again surrounded by fresh, airy and sensual jasmine in bloom. Set includes: Handcrafted leather cap, refillable Cologne Absolue 30 ml (1 fl.oz) travel spray and vegetable-based hard-milled soap.

Amouage Memoir Body Cream: Containing active ingredients such as algae, glycerin, aloe vera, shea butter and cacao butter, this luxurious body cream is an intensive treatment for the skin, promoting immediate firming. The Body Cream tones and hydrates the entire body and restores lost suppleness, leaving the skin soft , velvety and beautifully scented with the notes of Memoir.
Top notes: Mandarin, Cardamom, Absinth, Pink Pepper
Heart notes: Pepper, Clove Bud, Opulent White Blossoms, Rose, Jasmine, Precious Dark Wood, Frankincense
Base notes: Styrax, Oakmoss, Castoreum, Leather, Labdanum, Fenugreek, Musk

ARQUISTE Parfumeur Caroline’s Four Hundred Candle: Inspired by one of the most splendid balls held by Caroline Astor, the matriarch of the hotel’s founding family and doyenne of New York’s Gilded Age society, Caroline’s Four Hundred takes its name from the 400 notable guests that represented the highest echelons of New York society. The scent captures at once the actual flowers used around her residence, the exotic woods of the ballroom, the potted palms and apple blossoms that lined the hallways, and the light crisp essence of champagne wafting through the crowds. With notes of rich American Beauty roses – her favorite flower – green stems, white lilies and the delicate sweetness of quince, apple and cherry blossom, Caroline’s Four Hundred, embraces all of the blooms that actually adorned her ballroom on that unforgettable evening in 1900.

Caroline’s Four Hundred, the St. Regis fragrance, is featured at all St. Regis hotels and resorts around the world.

Notes include: American Beauty rosses, hyacinth, white lilies, green stems and delicate quince, apple and cherry blossom.

L’Artisan Parfumeur La Boule de Provence: La Boule de Provence is a unique design object and is entirely handcrafted by artisans near to Paris. Fresh and aromatic, and inspired by the nature of Provence, this scent is carried by currents of air and magnified by heat in the room.

Antica Farmacista Black Label Champagne Home Diffuser: The Home Ambiance Fragrances utilize antique inspired apothecary bottles, filled with fragrance, to permeate the air through the bottles’ open neck and white birch reeds that are inserted to further diffuse the scent.

Fragrance: A crisp, citrus infused fragrance evoking sparkle and complexity. Top notes of Satsuma citrus balance with subtle floral notes of muguet. Apricot and passionfruit complement the sweetness of sugared black currant.

SHOP OUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE