The MakeMyBeauty’s guy x’mas wish list

Well… It’s that time of the year again where you have to think about your Xmas gifts list. When the girls from MMB asked me what I’d like to put on it I suddenly realized that I became a real normcore in terms of beauty… You know me (at least pretend you know me and that will do the trick) so I’d rather think about what I would give you, MMB readers, if I were invited to your Xmas dinner. Don’t get me wrong, I love Xmas dinners with my mum, sister & nephews so I’m not gonna crash your party but just I’ll just share some of my favorites products with and for you.

 Chanel once said that a woman without perfume has no future. She was a real punk to me & was also bloody right on this (works for guys too!). You already know since I keep writing about perfumes & scented products how important perfumes and odors are to me.

 So I’ll start sharing my two perfumes and I hope you’ll add them on your list or will give them to your lover. The cool thing is that a woman or a man can wear them. They also work for Gay, Lesbian, Transgender & Straights Xmas lists. Just a subtle reminder about equal rights for all ;-)

 Agarwoud par James Heeley. James is not only a friend with whom I always the best time in Greece during summer but also a guy (I should say a genius/gentleman) that I admire. I could listen to him for ours when he talks about his work, his creations and his perfumes.

Agarwooud combines Oud, Rose, Amber & Incense notes. I guess I already bothered you writing about me burning Rose & Myrrh candles at the same time at home so my addiction to Agarwoud is pretty logical The fist time I used his Extrait de Parfum I knew I found the perfect perfume. You know that smell that keeps changing all along the day. That smell that makes people say, “You smell so good” when kissing you hello (Yep... We kiss to say hello in France). That smell that stays on your sweater and that you smell when taking it off and reminds you how much you love that odor. Your perfume.

 Cuiron par Helmut Lang.A long time missed friend since HL decided to stop distributing his perfumes line years ago.

I was in NY a few weeks ago going from appointments to appointments in Soho. I passed by the HL store & I saw/recognize the brown bottle through the window. I immediately entered the store & sprayed Cuiron on my wrist. I was sad. Something was missing. My memory was not working. I left & went to my next meeting sad and without perfume. A few hours after as I was hailing a cab, I smelled my wrist by accident. Cuiron was back!

All the memories… Love memories (someone very very very important in my life used to wear Cuiron. He now wears it again as I brought him a bottle from this journey).

New York memories (Helmut Lang used to have the craziest perfume store in Soho) were back. I was hooked again. The Sales Associate was so right saying that this fragrance keeps evolving all day long.

But enough said, you don’t describe Cuiron. You wear it.

 And the moment you miss Agarwoud, you swap!

I don’t know what Coco would have said about a house without candles burning but I definitively think it is a house with no soul.

 Here are the candles that burn in my house. And don’t be a “Parisienne”. Don’t be “volage” with candles.

 -       Be loyal. Don’t change fragrances.

-       Burn them often.

-       Replace them as soon as the old one are finished

-       Take care of them (cut the wick after each use…)

 In the Living Room:

Hiver et Résine. Don’t be cheap either. Burn them together. You’ll see why (and if not read my previous post about them!)

 In the Bedroom:

Carmélite by Cire Trudon. Cire Trudon describes this candle in that way “The perfume of old stonewalls, in the shade of cloisters and convents, this scent of fresh and mossy stone tells us about the black and white silhouettes of sisters moving in the silence of ritual mass. Under the light of votives and psalmody, Carmélite refers to the peace of souls and eternity”.

I received my first Carmélite candle from someone who’s been really important in my life. On the day of my birthday I got the Cire Trudon bag delivered to my desk at work. I was deeply touched and couldn’t imagine that someone could know me that good. It pleased my obsession with incense (a bit mystic to satisfy my Italian roots and childhood spent in churches) but mixed with the freshness of clean sheets… Burn it 30 minutes before going to bed and you’ll understand that feeling.

 In the Dinning Room:

Bois des Anges par Ex Nihilo. Yep… I have a dining room. I love having my friends at home seating at the table for hours (for ever, I must rather say). Eating. Drinking. Talking about love/fashion/politics and thousand of other subjects that we have a very strong opinion on even though we may talk nonsense half of the time.

First of all (and again) two of the founders are friends of mine. I like their approach of perfume and candles. Very traditional, luxurious & rare products twisted with something very modern. The store reflects that perfectly. But I talk about them another time on MMB.

Second of all, the smell is amazing. Frankly speaking I smoke like a chimney. And I love the way the smell of this candle mixes with the smell of my cigarettes! A warm & refined creation that reminds me the smell of a Cognac next to a fireplace. The mingled scents of oak flooring weathered, old books, leather, the subdued atmosphere of a masculine cabinet.

 So: masculine + old library + tobacco = very sexy!

 And least but not last and just because I am (You know come on!) a very sensitive boy really adoring his mother… I love the blue glass that contains the candle with its very Art Deco leogo. It matches perfectly my Dutch china! <= Gayest sentence of the post!

 Ok… The next gift is not a real beauty product but I want to share it with you.

 How to be a Parisian wherever you are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret & Sophie Mas.I bought this book basically in New York four hours before getting on the plane to Paris.

I hate flying (Complicated since I spend a lot of time… in a plane!). I usually don’t read as I am secretly listening to all the noises (I called them “ting ting” by the way) of the plane and checking if flight attendants look stressed & are still alive (you should once fly with me as it’s really a lot of fun simply watching me!). But this time since the flight was a bit delayed & we were already seated (& strongly buckled up when it comes to me) and since the guy seated next to me happened to be the rudest guy ever I decided to simply ignore him & read.

And I read it from fist to last page!

I kept laughing (loud) thinking that I looked very cool (I may have simply looked stupid or drunk).

That book is not only very well written very but is also f*cking funny & f*cking true when it comes to perfectly describe the Parisian girls. A Parisian boys in a way as I have to confess that I sometimes consider my male friends & myself as “Parisiennes”.

It helped me to go through the flight & put a huge smile on my face.

So I guess this could be considered as the best ever beauty secret to fly transatlantic.

 And it also makes you immediately wanna call your girl friends in Paris & ask them to join you at your usual bar to drink one (or several) good glass(es) of Bordeaux!

 “Et voila” that's it. I am happy that I shared all those products with you as they are with me every day and as I really love them. I hope you’ll have as much pleasure as I do giving or receiving them. Don’t forget that the best gift you can do is a gift that you really adore and would like to keep for yourself.

 I wish you all a happy Xmas and a wonderful new year full of love, happiness and joy.

 Kisses

 E