Diptyque – Bubbly Michelle

Gift Ideas – Hostess Gifts | Fragrance & Candles

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021by Bubbly MichelleLeave a Comment

Black Friday is the perfect time to stock up on holiday gifts & beautiful candles for the home. Today i’ve rounded up some gorgeous candles and fragrances that make the perfect hostess gifts and also for your home. Some which are on sale and ripe for the picking!

Number one on my list is Maison Margiela Replica candle trio – It’s currently ON SALE at Space NK and you save 15% off. This trio contains miniatures of their candles (By the Fireplace, Lazy Sunday Morning & Bubble Bath). If saving is your ultimate goal, a full size candle of By The Fireplace is still available on Cult for 25% off with their code CBBF25 here.

2. Diptyque Holiday Candles

Diptyques holiday favourite Sapin is back and this years candle is possibly the best one yet in terms of packaging. The candle is available in two sizes and is my top pick for a true pine scent. If you are looking for alternative that’s on sale, Jo Loves does a great fresh pine scent called Christmas Trees. The throw is exceptional and just as lovely as Diptyque and comes in a festive red and gold starburst print. You can grab this on SALE here.

3. Boy Smells Candle Wick Trimmer

A useful gift for any candle lover; and I adore the black version that Boy Smells makes. This one’s a good price too! ($18)

4. Diptyque Best Of Baies

Another perfect holiday gift is this beautiful Best of Baies set (£102) . It comes with a mini candle, room spray (which is one of my absolute favourites!) & a scented oval that’s perfect for hanging in the car or your linen cupboard to keep everything smelling nice. It comes in a beautiful gift box, ready for gifting to someone special.

5. Diptyque Reed Diffuser

If it’s a luxe home fragrance you are on the look out for, Diptyque also released this Reed Diffuser ($190) in three scents (Baies, Tuberose and Rose). It comes with a glass vase + the fragrance and reeds. I LOVE the minimal design of this but is pretty much sold out everywhere (that it’s on sale) but still available at Blue Mercury for their Cyber week sales. You can save money there.

For a budget alternative, NEST makes really great home scents, and this Birchwood & Pine reed diffuser will spruce up your spaces with fresh pine for just $50. If you are looking to buy from Europe, Nest is available at Cult Beauty.

6. Cire Trudon Limited Edition Holiday candles

This year they have the most incredible limited edition candle packaging. If you are into the ornate gold filigree vibe, you can choose from 5 candles in LE packaging. Ernesto is a divine mix of Bergamot, Patchouli, Clove with a base of smoky tobacco and leather. If you are looking for a twist on a traditional pine candle Bayonne sounds amazing. a mix of cocoa, chilli for spice and pine. I’ll be waiting for it to go on sale, so I can pick one up!

7. Nest Birchwoord & Pine three wick candle

Nest candles are a popular choice for the holidays. If you are looking for budget options, this is where you look! The three wick candle will last ages and make a substantial hostess gift. I love the glass packaging that’s accented with gold. It really does look expensive and is a tasteful design that’ll effortlessly match any decor style.

8. Diptyque Feu de Bois

Is a seasonal favourite of mine. The cosy smell of burning wood fills the room with warmth. This year Diptyque has the ceramic 600g LE candle in this scent and it’s beautiful. I love the grey vessel that can be used as a vase long after the candle burns out (which takes a while btw!). I have the pink Rose candle from last year and it’s still around! I especially like the three wick candles as they burn very evenly even if I trim the wick too short.

9. Diptyque Baies Scented Oval

Is a great way to gift something luxury but also keep it within the budget. I’m sure you’ve already guessed, Baies is my favourite Diptyque scent! .. find these at Space NK as well Net-a-Porter and directly from Diptyque.

10. Byredo Bibliothequé candle

Hands down my favourite by Byredo. If you are into smoky scents or plan on gifting one to someone who is into warm fragrances, this is my top pick. It’s also one of Byredo’s best-selling fragrances. Available at Net-a-Porter, Selfridges or Cult Beauty.

11. Do son Shower Gel

Another favourite for gifting is luxe shower gels. I’ve never tried the Do Son version, but the perfume is one of my favourites. If Jasmine scents and white flowers are your vice, this one’s perfection. I love LOVE LOVE this fragrance.

I feel this post is very Diptyque heavy, but they are my favourite fragrance brand soo…. >.<

For budget shower gels with great ‘giftable’ packaging, Aesop is my top pick. They do a whole host of curated boxes too. Find them at Cult or Space Nk during Cyber Week Sales.

12. Diptyque Accessories

For Diptyque fans out there, the holiday accessories are a must-have. I found several carrousels as well as lanterns that add a pretty sparkle to your lit candles. The best one in my opinion is this huge lantern accessory that sold alone without a candle; the Basile Lantern for Candle. If you already own plenty of their candles buying the accessory alone is a great idea & these last long with no tarnishing. I’ve had mine from a few years back and it still looks pristine.

Diptyque hardly goes on sale but you can find them at Blue Mercury that has discounts right now (20% when you spend over $250 | 15% when you spend over $175) It’s easy to fill up your cart at Blue Mercury since they carry LOADS of amazing brands including Atelier Cologne & Nest.

That rounds up my fragrance gifting guides. In addition you can also try some Atelier Cologne candles and gift sets. It’s my go-to for gifting perfumes and Space NK has most of them on sale 15% off right now. I love Orange Sanguine and Cédrat Enivrant (I have gifted both my husband and dad!) aaaaand i’ll be gifting more Atelier Cologne this year too! Here’s what I picked up. Don’t you love the celestial pattern on the leather?!

Lifestyle, Makeup, Skincare

Stocking Stuffers – Over $50

December 11, 2016November 10, 2018by Bubbly Michelle3 Comments

When you are truly out to spoil someone and delight with exceptional stocking stuffers, I have options for those too! Here’s a round up of some fantastic products that I would LOVE to receive myself (hint hint).

stocking-stuffers-over-50-final-final

1. Tweezerman Rose Gold Love Story Gift Set S$65 – Tweezerman make some of the best grooming tools. This LE holiday set comes with a tweezer, lash curler and a tussled pouch all in luxurious rose gold!

2. Sephora Favourites Glow For It Kit S$55 – Filled with plenty of options to illuminate this festive season, the Glow For It Kit carries some of the best/latest highlighters. Great value for money as well!

3. Stila Highlight Trio (around S$50) – The only link I could find online that ships worldwide was on BeautyBay. Sephora Singapore carries this too but in store.

By far one of the most beautiful highlighters i’ve seen this Christmas and the quality is AMAZING! The formula is a soft bouncy one, totally unexpected as I had mistaken it for a baked version (hard pressed as the Chanel eyeshadows) but then….. a quick swatch ….. and the rest was history.

4. Film Noir Nights Lipstick & Eyeliner Set £35 – This brand new lipstick shade Opium Noir is only available as a box set for now. Order directly from Charlotte Tilbury.

5. Diptyque Sapin 70g approx. S$75 – Each Christmas Diptyque comes out with a trio of holiday scents. The special edition packaging is just hard to resist and any candle lover (or anyone with a home really!!) would love to have the scent of pine wafting through their living room this season. Available at Escentials Paragon & Tangs. Also available at Space NK and major department stores worldwide.

6. Kikki K Candles S$49.50 – So it seems I missed one amazing gift that should have made it to the under $50 pile. No worries, i’m gonna sneak it in here! These candles in metal jars need to be on your shopping list! Available in three versions, gold, rose gold & silver.

7. Smythson Leather Note Books $62 – I picked out this beautiful leather note book in a festive cheery green! Possibly the most stylish book to keep ones grocery list in. Order from Net-a-Porter.

8. Jo Malone Holiday Bon Bon (approx. S$75) – Filled with useful Jo Malone minis, this little bon bon was one of the best gifts I received last year. This years contents are the same but in a different mix of scents. A gift you can be sure gets used up 😉

9. Bbrowbar Brow Kit $51 – Everyone needs a nifty little brow kit in a stylish case! And this one is just the perfect set. Comes with a tweezer, brow scissors, spooley and brow gel. I need one for myself too!

10. Slip Silk Eye Mask $42 – A luxury eye mask for that jet setting friend. These ones by Slip are soo soft and fit comfortably ensuring you get good nights rest. Also available in several other colours. I picked up the one in pink and I love it to bits!

11. Origins Mask Marvels S$68 – Origins masks are some of the best out there. And this year for the holidays they’ve put together a kit with their best sellers along with the newly released Maskimizer (mask primer). A great value set filled with essentials.

Available at Origins Boutiques.

12. Bobbi Brown Party to Go Eye & Lip Palette S$63 – One of my favourite sets from this years holiday gifting goodies! There’s 4 eyeshadows and a mini lipstick included here to create a quick party look in a matter of minutes. For more gifting options from Bobbi, check out this post.

Have you already started on your shopping or a last minute shopper? Let me know in the comments along with any great finds you’ve snagged this year.

Thank you for reading ❤

Lifestyle, Makeup, Skincare

Current favourites

July 27, 2014July 27, 2014by Bubbly Michelle8 Comments

Hi Hi!

Todays post is all about products i’ve been enjoying lately. Random lifestyle and travel necessities kinda mix with a few beauty essentials thrown in as well.

I usually save posts like this for Instagram, but this time around I wanted to add some quick reviews too, so what better place to do a detailed post than right here, my outlet, my blog!!!

Let’s start out with the edit.

First up, some things I use when I travel.

My Benefit eye mask- A little treat from my visit to the San Francisco Benefit store on Fillmore street. I love how soft and silky this feels and is my inflight essential. I need this to get some shut eye while I patiently (Or impatiently rather) wait till we land.

Sleep sniff box- It’s a soothing mix of essential oils (Lavender, Cammomile & Neroli) that calms the mind and gets you into a nice relaxed state. I love to keep this in my carry on so I can take a whiff of this and go right to sleep.

Next, some mode essentials

Lace slippers – This is by far my most loved pair of shoes right now. Since i’m a jeans and tee kinda gal, they are super easy to mix and match and I always love how it shows off my pedicure too! It’s a very budget friendly find from Bershka and I really can’t get enough. Plus, they are virtually weightless! I can walk miles in them… Glad I packed these for my holiday.

Red Valentino bag – Just big enough to hold my phone, mirror, lipstick and maybe a perfume. But is oh so light and I love how the bright red instantly lifts any outfit. Plus these shoulder bags are always great when going sightseeing cos you can be ‘hands free’ to have your camera ready while making memories! I am glad I am finally putting this to good use, it’s been neglected for far too long.

Some beauty!

Clarins samples – Always a favourite for when I travel. There are quite a few that I use on a daily basis so I am glad I have them in a convenient travel size as well. The products I enjoy the most are their Defining eye lift serum, Hydra Quench moisture mask, Hydra Quench cream gel and the Instant eye makeup remover.

So a quick review on these.

Defining eye lift –

I am someone who wakes up with majorly puffy eye lids. Although they slowly ‘depuff’ by the time I get around to doing my makeup. I still like to use this to tighten my eye area. It’s a serum that can be applied before your regular eye cream and just a tiny amount will do. I apply it on my eye lid and smooth it out towards the brow in a patting motion so that it stimulates circulation and drains any water retention that causes the puffiness. If you are looking to add one more step to your eye routine, this could be a worthy contender!

Hydra Quench cream mask –

This is a Clarins product that I LOVE. It’s not expensive and works just as effectively as some of the more pricier moisture masks i’ve tried. I also love the nice fresh scent of this particular line by Clarins. I use the gel moisturiser of this same line for morning hydration and have talked about it before.

Instant eye makeup remover –

Just a good speedy eye makeup remover with no irritation. I love how this dissolves mascara without having to ‘rub’ too much. And I am glad I have this in a travel size. Clarins really are soo generous with samples. Kinda addicting in a way..

Back to the post,

Hand creams – I’ve been loving two actually. I use the thicker, more nourishing La Mer one as a night time treatment and this Diptyque Eau Rose as a day time hand cream since it’s smaller and I find is very easy to take around in my bag. Personally I wish La Mer would do a more travel friendly size of their hand cream. Have you seen how heavy the cap is??? It’s insane. I feel like I need a separate bag to carry this in!

Now onto some makeup bag essentials..

Hakuhodo retractable brush – Fits perfectly in my little makeup bag and great to use with any powder I might be carrying. I love how it is encased in this holder so the bristles don’t mingle with the other contents of my bag. So hygienic.

VDL Blotting powder – I love this stuff. I remember how I tried this the very first day at the counter and all dewiness, GONE right in front of my eyes. It’s lightweight and doesn’t leave a white cast cos it’s translucent, so even if you have darker skin, this works perfect for you too.

Diptyque Do Son – This is my favourite Diptyque perfume. It’s a heady scent of Tuberose, something feminine and floral but is still a bit creamy and smooth. I’ve had this for over a year now and I still can’t stop using it. I like to keep a sample in my bag so I don’t have to carry my bottle around when I travel. Works out perfectly for me. But I think I may need to restock my samples next time I visit a Diptyque store..

O.P.I Avoplex cuticle oil to go – Something I can’t live without! You really REALLY need to try this. It’s a little tube with a brush tip applicator which instantly hydrates dry cuticles. Normally for me hand creams alone aren’t enough, and I always rely on this baby to keep my hands looking well groomed and hydrated.

Sensai Lip treatment sample – So I have never owned this in a full size and it is my second sample pot (I got three!). But I am completely in love with this conveniently packaged coin size pot of lip treatment. It’s my nightly lip balm and I also keep it in my makeup bag to use as and when needed. The texture of this is not waxy or oily like normal lip balms, but a lightweight formula that feels like a light moisturiser. It keeps my lips in good condition, so I like to have this around.

Armani Flash Lacquer 520 – This is my go-to lipgloss these days. It’s a medium pink with a slight warm tone. Perfect to mimic youthful healthy lips. I also love that this can be layered over lipstick to make them more pinky and flushed. I believe it’s a fail safe colour for most skin tones.

concluding with some lifestyle products…

Penhaligons Endymion candle – Where do I even begin…. It’s an addictive creamy scent with a very sexy warm profile. I keep this in my living area and light it whenever I need to feel pampered and relaxed. I love love love this!

Breath luxury phone portable charger by M.Craftsman – Can’t count how many times this has been my saviour when my phone died. This portable charger can store up to 2.5 times your iPhone battery and is great for when you are on vacay so you can charge on the go if you are out all day. I actually have two. And how sleek is the packaging with the leather and suede mix? VERY!!!

Last but not least –

Some Fashion/Art in the form of Manolo drawings. Who doesn’t like shoes? And I think Manolo makes some of the most creative and exotic ones. I love to brows through this little book and dream of all the gorgeous shoes that I would just love to try on some day. These are more like works of art. Truly admire Mr Manolo.

So there you have it, a ramble about my current loves. Hope I didn’t bore you too much 🙂

In any case I plan to do more lifestyle type posts like this in future to break up the monotony of just beauty and skincare reviews.

Wishing you a great weekend!

Michelle.

Makeup, Skincare

February Favourites

March 2, 2014by Bubbly Michelle8 Comments

So first week of February I packed my bags and headed to California taking with me, all my skincare essentials and makeup. I knew the weather wasn’t going to be hot and humid like Singapore. It was Winter over there, dry and slightly chilly; so obviously my current skincare and makeup routine needed to be tweaked to accommodate these changes. This post is all about the products that stood out this month helping me cope with all these changes…

…..my favourites for February.

La Mer hand cream – The most hydrating hand cream I’ve ever used. This was the first purchase I made the second I got to SF. My hands were dry and felt so parched after that long flight and I needed an SOS solution to take care of them and this was it. What I love the most is, even though it’s a thick cream, once you spread it on and massage it into you hands, it doesn’t feel horribly greasy, which is a good thing. It protects your hands from loosing moisture and keeps them feeling comfortable and supple; I carried this in my handbag everyday. In case you were wondering if there was any added SPF, no. This is just purely for hydrating purposes.

Tom Fords Spring 2014 lipsticks – If I had to pick one thing from all the Spring releases. This would be it. I adore the white packaging. Although I initially felt the need to rebel and whine that I prefer the mahogany casing, the white was a refreshing change for Spring 🙂 And I am happy I managed to snag a few of them before they go out of stock. To me, the colours that stood out the most were Summer Fling and Firecracker. I used Summer Fling almost everyday in Feb, and still not tired of it!

Giorgio Armani Flash Lacquer in 107 – This was my favourite gloss to layer over my TF Summer Fling lipstick. I love how light and moist it is without being sticky. Such a great colour for a polished look.

Lancôme Absolue foundation – There was a reason I packed this for my trip; back in Jan, I tried Absolue out and although I loved the texture and feel of this, I found it could get a little too dewy. So I thought since it’s deeply hydrating and has added skincare in it, why not test it out in dryer weather. It turned out to be the perfect companion! I shudder at the thought of how my skin would feel with Chanels Perfection Lumiere on. >.<

The Body Shop Shimmer cubes – These are the cutest things ever! Although they are meant for the eyes, there’s nothing stopping me from using these pretty much on any part of my face. You see, when I was packing, I deliberately didn’t pack a daytime highlighter since I was planning on getting the Armani Belladonna that was due to be released soon. So in the mean time, I was highlighterless! It was chaos basically, since highlighters are a must have for me. So I compromised, used the lightest shade in this quad as a highlighter one day and it was love at first swipe. I also love that it’s not gonna burn a hole in your wallet!

Clé de Peau concealer stick – This is by far the best concealer that I have ever come across. It’s the perfect balance between pigmentation and creaminess. I love how smooth this is without being overly emollient, and covered everything so effortlessly using just a teeny tiny amount of product. Of course it’s not a steal at $70! But given how little you need to use of this product, it would last you at least two years 🙂 Definitely a good investment.

Éclat de Corail blush by Lancôme – This along with another 3 Blush Subtil colours were packed in my pouch ready for review, and from the lot, this was my favourite. It was a very wearable, simple everyday shade which pretty much compliments any outfit or makeup look I wear. A warm peachy coral shade with a subtle gold shimmer to it. I just loved it so much!

Chanel Joues Contraste in the colour Rose Petale – Another one of my vacay purchases and I got to use it a lot throughout the month. Rose Petale is the perfect muted rose shade and I love the US formula of these blushes and was happy to pick it up. If you are used to the baked version, let me tell you the pressed one is very very different. I personally love how soft and pigmented this version is, and no longer will I ever buy another baked Chanel blush again!

Diptyque Rosa Mundi – I was just sooo excited to visit the SF Diptyque boutique just to get my hands on this, so I splurged and came home with the entire range, the Rosa Mundi Candle, Eau Rose body lotion and hand cream. The body lotion is my favourite so far. And I used it everyday. Since the Eau Rose perfume isn’t that long lasting, layering it with this helps with keeping the scent going for longer:-) Although the hand cream and the body lotion are permanent releases (thank god!) the candle isn’t. So if you want to get your hands on this, act fast!

That concludes my list of favourites for the past month, hope you enjoyed reading. What have been your favourites for February? I’d love to know!

Wishing you a fabulous March!

Michelle.