With Mother’s Day around the corner, the first thought that comes to mind is a token of love for the woman who introduced you to the world. One idea? A gift of luxury fragrance!
NEST Fragrances was founded in 2005 by Laura Slatkin. The company originated as a manufacturer and distributor of private label and licenced home fragrances for top luxury brands counting Christian Dior and Ralph Lauren amongst the dozens of well-known brands.
The collection has rapidly grown over the past 11 years to include a varied range of fragrances available in eau de parfum, body cream, spray and easy-to-port roller ball formats.
From a large assortment of beautifully scented and packaged products, I chose several NEST fragrances, a body cream, liquid soap and scented votive candle to highlight in this Mother’s Day fragrant gift guide.
White Sandalwood Eau de Parfum
An indulgence for the senses! NEST’s White Sandalwood eau de parfum contains notes of white Indian sandalwood, creamy almond and white musk. My nose detects a slightly sweet, slightly musky scent with a hint of almond with each spray.
Sold in a rounded square glass bottle with a background of a single hummingbird amongst the flowers, I would classify this as an elegant, refined scent. It comes in a matching gift box too. 50 ml (1.7 oz); USD $68
Rollerball Eau de Parfum
Not only are these eau de parfums packaged in colourful floral designs but they’re very practical! The 8 ml (0.27 oz.) glass tubes are carry-on friendly and won’t spill inside your toiletry bag. I chose three out of the collection: Passiflora, Midnight Fleur and Amazon Lily. USD $25 each.
Passiflora / Contains notes of Passion Flower, Water Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley and Lush Green Accord. Of all the scents I’ve been sent, I find Passiflora the softest and most feminine of the bunch.
Midnight Fleur / Imagine Exotic Woods, Black Amber, Patchouli, Night-Blooming Jasmine and Vanilla Orchid all rolled into one rollerball!. If your Mom loves jasmine and vanilla, this one will win her over.
Amazon Lily / With notes containing Brazilian Lime, Tangerine, Amazon Lily, Driftwood and Musk, I find Amazon Lily “morning-fresh” and well combined to produce a clean scent.
Blue Garden Scented Votive Candle
Oh my goodness! When I opened the box containing this 2 oz (57 g) votive, I was overjoyed to discover what an amazing job the NEST team have done to capture spring in a single scent.
Scents of Hyacinths, Forget-Me-Nots and Hydrangeas are immediately diffused in our bathroom upon lighting this lovely little candle in a striped jar with frosted glass and striped accents (USD $16).
I imagine my next bath session will leave me in a deep state of bliss after lighting it. A larger version, the Classic Candle (8.1 oz/203 g), retails for USD $40.
Blue Garden Liquid Soap
Together with the other Blue Garden products, this hand soap contains that gorgeous, modern blend of Hyacinths, Forget-Me-Nots and Hydrangeas with fresh green notes. The soap comes in a clear plastic 300 ml (10 oz.) bottle with a blue patterned design showing through. USD $22
In recognition of April’s Autism Awareness Month, the company’s newly-expanded Blue Garden Home Fragrance Collection benefits Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization.
What began in 2010 as one scented candle designed to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Autism Speaks and to raise awareness and funds for autism research, Blue Garden has since blossomed into a complete collection of six home fragrance products available year-round.
NEST Fragrances is donating 10% of proceeds from the purchase of every Blue Garden product sold to this worthy cause.
Cedar Leaf & Lavender Hand Lotion
What I smell when applying this lovely lotion is a woodsy/lavender combination. This pretty-patterned bottle of hand lotion (300 ml/10 oz.) has a similar design to that of the liquid soap and contains natural botanicals along with plant extracts for conditioning your hands.
The scent also contains hints of sage, rosemary and eucalyptus. If your Mom is a fan of lavender, she’ll love having a bottle of this in the bathroom or on the kitchen counter. Cedarleaf & Lavender is but one out of eight other fragrances to choose from. USD $24
You can find NEST Fragrances in North America at speciality department stores, beauty product stores, boutiques and spas as well as via their online boutique.