A Holiday Perfume has been created every year since 2000 by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. Her concept is to get people in the holiday spirit through scent. As she is in the US a lot of these scents speak to a White Christmas rather than the hot hot season we experience Down Under. These scents come in $US5 sizes making them perfect to add to Christmas crackers, as well as larger sizes and even as body creams with Shea butter as well as massage oil for an all over celebratory feeling.

Portia Turbo put me on to these but she could not remember the name of the one she liked. A tweet and a bit of a twitter revealed that it was Ma Folie de Noel (My Christmas Folly) which Natalie from Another Perfume Blog had introduced her to.

I have diligently been through the range and it has indeed made me feel skippardee-do and ready for December, the delights of which I have often avoided but now participate in on happy terms. I avoid all shopping malls for two months and then everything is fine.

I found two favorites in Dawn’s Holiday Perfumes but I have listed them all as our tastes may differ.

Marzipan – when I was a young boy I used to climb up a stool, stand on a bench and then climb up two cupboard shelves to where my Mum thought she had hidden the marzipan. Well, it was not hidden from my nose. This scent bespeaks Christmas to me and I almost ate my wrist while trialing this perfume. Which led me to make the family fruit cakes (to Mum’s relief) for the first time and ice them with a layer of apricot jam followed by a layer of marzipan then almond icing. Yum. I am looking forward to eating the corner slices.

Ma Folie de Noel contains the scents of the ingredients of what used to be Portia’s secret egg-nog recipe. This folly of star anise, whipped cream and incense also invokes the chilled air of snow. The method by which Portia blends incense into her nog is still a secret.

A sweet, edible gourmand with anise and spices, and a very little booziness. But my favorite thing about it is that the spices stick around throughout the drydown; it doesn’t just become a sort of generic sweet smell. When I woke up this morning, my pillow smelled like my favorite Christmas treats; pfeffernusse cookies.

Natalie
Another Perfume Blog

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is offering 20% discount off all items on her website from now until December 15 with this code: frosty13

Dawn’s Holiday scent for 2013 is Bois du Chocolat.

Holiday No. 1 – Festive – A conifer-resin based holiday delight with dominant notes of bergamot, frankincense, balsam fir, sandalwood and musk.

Holiday No. 2 – Twelfth Night – A dense and foresty oakmoss rich design that is also a mildly spiced, conifer-woody.

Holiday No. 3 – Cathedral – A true “churchy” incense with sweet and smoky nuances in the drydown.

Holiday No. 4 – Winter White – A soft white musk gourmand with a delicately fruity white rose heart as well as vanillic white chocolate and sandalwood pronounced in the drydown.

Holiday No. 5 – Marzipan – A deep and sweet almond confection scent.

Holiday No. 6 – Ma Folie de Noel – An anise perfume with a wonderful undertone of creamy sweetness and soft incense notes.

Holiday No. 7 – Lumiere – A spiced creamy coffee gourmand scent.

Holiday No. 8 – Silver Fir – A sparkling fruit-laced fir needle perfume that is refreshing and delicious. Great for men and women alike.

Holiday No. 9 – Hanukah Cannelle – A holiday cinnamon-apple-honey scent with sparkling green aldehydic accents in the top note.

Holiday No. 10 – December – A rich conifer (pine and balsam fir) and incense scent with warm spices and hints of citrus.

Holiday No. 11 – Caravan Spice – An Oriental fragrance for women and men. The fragrance features spicy notes and amber.

Holiday No. 12 – Cordial – Holiday decadence; a caramel gourmand with a vintage twist.

Holiday No. 13 – Bois du Chocolat – a delicious chocolate, musk and wood scent.

Holiday No. 14 – ha, that is next year. How about Christmas in Outer Space? Or Hanukkah in Heaven?

Further Reading
Another Perfume Blog – review
CaFleureBon – Hanukkah Canelle review

Now Smell This – Robin’s Gift Guides
Part 1: Scented Body Products
Part 2: Travel Sizes & Coffrets 
Part 3: Home Fragrance
Part 4: Gifts for Men
Part 5: Fragrant Teas and Sweets

The Fragrant Man
Christmas Gift Idea 1 – Scent Library $US22
Christmas Gift Idea 2 – Holiday Perfumes $US5 – $US70
Christmas Gift Idea 3 – Cire Trudon Candles $US95 ~ $US120
Christmas Gift Idea 4 – Tom Ford Mini-Flacons ~ $US325 – $US360

The Smelly Vagabond – Christmas Gift Guide 2013
Mr Vagabond is updating a List Index of ideas from my esteemed colleagues.