With L’Occitane’s sets, it’s hard to go wrong. Even if you pick one with your eyes closed, chances are you’ll land on something good. Still, there’s nothing like trusting the wisdom of the crowd and going for the best-seller box: Full-size shea butter hand cream which is a modern classic, almond shower oil with a divine scent that lathers on contact with water, a yellow hair ribbon for days when you decide to invest in yourself, and petit remedy – a concentrated, multi-purpose balm in a pretty tin box that suits any trouble – from chapped lips, dry cuticles, and frizzy hair ends. And if you must, it’ll work well on door hinges too.
L’Occitane, Best Sellers Set
NIS 288.
In a world of generic perfumes, once in a while comes one that’s truly unique and like nothing else. It’s the perfect balance of spicy and oriental notes, vanilla and ginger, with a clean and very pleasant incense scent. All of this comes in a stunning gift box that includes a perfume and a small travel bottle.As expected from a super brand, behind Floraïku Paris is a whole story inspired by Japanese culture, and an explosive price tag that suits those with particularly deep pockets.
Floraïku Paris, Rise and Fall
50 ml + 10 ml for NIS 1,200. Available at Beyond Skin.
And still in the scent category for unlimited spenders, unisex lovers: From XERJOFF comes a very spring/summer fragrance – a delicious, super-fresh mix of citrus fruits, patchouli, bergamot, and a few other great things that make it especially fun and perfect for the hot days ahead.
XERJOFF, TORINO 24
NIS 850 for 50 ml. Available at Beyond Skin.
Ironically, Portrait of a Lady is totally a scent for both women and men. It starts off a bit heavy and mature, but if you just give it 30 minutes to open up, it becomes one of the most regal scents we’ve smelled lately. An elegant blend of spices, fruits, and roses – but not the familiar, controversial kind – these are roses from the king’s garden, spicy and oriental in just the right amount, and mainly – it has exceptional longevity. And look at that, we managed not to say a single word about its price, which is among the highest ever featured here.
Frederic Malle, Portrait of a Lady
NIS 1,030 for 50 ml. Available at Factory54 Beauty.
Two gift options from Jo Malone: The first is Beach Blossom Cologne – a larger-than-life scent of summer, freedom, pleasant sun, and tar-free beaches. Target audience: Divas or those who want to be. Alternatively, you can go with a completely opposite concept and choose the men’s set, which we personally highly recommend grabbing and not letting go. As always, the masculine scents are even better for our nose, and Cypress & Grapevine with its lightly spiced, warm, woody, and especially pleasant scent.
Jo Malone London, Beach Blossom Cologne – NIS 395 for 50 ml, NIS 565 for 100 ml
Cypress & Grapevine set – 100 ml perfume and 250 ml body and hand wash – NIS 760.
A worthy gift for anti-aging lovers, or even better – for self-use, we found at Clinique. The best-selling products from the excellent Smart series, our safe place when skin condition worsens, now at a lower price. In the set you’ll find a full-size rich and soothing moisturizer, as well as travel-size serum and eye cream. All three come in a beautifully illustrated purple makeup bag.
Clinique, Smart Set – NIS 418. Participates in 30% discount offer when buying 2 or more products.
Another great option for restocking: Origins’ Plantscription series in an expanded composition that will cover your skincare needs for several months at least. In the package you’ll find serum and eye cream with retinol, a cleanser that gets the job done without drying, and a great SPF25 moisturizer you won’t want to take off all summer.
Origins, Plantscription Set
NIS 600 for a set worth NIS 1,045.
Another deluxe restock – though relatively a bit less so – is a great serum and cream set from Hava Zingboim, packed with research, power, and respect, and our daily go-to.
Hava Zingboim, REMICRONIZED Set
NIS 1,084 instead of NIS 1,355.
“Perfume boutique from Provence.” A trio of words that makes us feel good, especially when it’s a distinguished brand that received an award from the President of France, and even more so when the brand says it was inspired by “childhood memories from the South of France” – an experience we’d be happy to embrace in our next life. At Rose et Marius, you can find matching products for body and home. The scent we tried – Un Vin Rosé Sous La Tonnelle – combines notes of pink berries, lemon, white musk, and cedarwood. It’s very elegant, from the feminine perfume to the luxurious diffuser.
Rose et Marius, Un Vin Rosé Sous La Tonnelle –
Perfume for NIS 670 (100 ml), diffuser for NIS 320.
And more in the home pampering luxury category – Nishane. The acclaimed niche perfume brand offers a candle and home fragrance spray, both beautiful and perfect to design your living room around. In a Provence lavender scent, far from the conventional lavender we’re used to – a thousand times more sophisticated, very refined, and smells like faraway places we want to escape to whenever you say the word.
NISHANE, Lavande Française –
Candle for NIS 275, home spray – NIS 253. Available at Beyond Skin and online.
Like every year, Laline takes care of affordable gifts, and if you build a smart set, you can get change from NIS 200 and with a bit of effort even from NIS 100 – plus a beautifully packed gift bag. The new premium series launched for the holiday is 100% vegan and based on skincare ingredients from the sea, with a very delicate scent and mature look in calm turquoise blue. The new series includes all the brand’s familiar products: Body scrub, mist, body and hand creams, SPF lotions, and also atmosphere products like candles and diffusers. A full set comes in a large, useful, and great toiletry bag.
Laline, Mineral Set – NIS 299.90.
Max Brenner, the chocolatier whose tins with lidless pens are a staple on every corporate desk, now offers body products that contain cocoa butter – an ingredient we love to eat and to slather on. The Beauty Box includes body cream, hand cream, and our favorite – a coarse, thick, and very effective scrub with brown sugar and rich in jojoba oil. It’ll scrape off any winter leftovers from every rough area. All the products have a cheerful cocoa scent – not babyish or overly sweet.
Max Brenner, Beauty Box – NIS 279.
Oh Glow, with its unique brands and products you can hardly find anywhere else, put together holiday sets with exaggeratedly tacky names like “Set for the Luxurious Woman” or “Set for the Renewed Woman.” As known, we’re women who like to spice things up, so we tried the set with that name, which includes an eclectic collection of skincare products from Swiss brand SWISS IMAGE, and body and home fragrances: Moisturizer, cleansing gel, firming body toner, a citrusy summer perfume, and a great room spray. For those who don’t appreciate the art of randomness and prefer to curate a set themselves, the website offers endless more coherent gifts for almost any budget.
Oh Glow, Holiday Set – NIS 299 instead of NIS 875, available on the online store.
A moment of Zionism: For those who like their gifts with respect for nature, no-logo, and a cherry blossom, check out the new products from Yaara, an Israeli brand founded by a veteran beekeeping family. As expected, it’s based on premium honey, essential fatty acids, and other good stuff. The set includes a face cream and eye cream – and gives change from NIS 200.
Yaara Set – NIS 175. Available in health food stores and on the brand’s website.