Beautiful bottles with intriguing backstories.
Top notes Penhaligon’s weaves tales of fantasy with its Portraits series of fragrances, featuring a story line tied to a fictitious British family bursting with intrigue. Joining Lord George, Lady Blanche and four other aristocrats already in the mix are four new characters: Monsieur Beauregard, a French house guest with a lingering gaze (Oriental, woody and spicy); the Uncompromising Sohan, who made his wealth in the gem and silk trades (a woody chypre); the Ruthless Countess Dorothea, a fierce and witty matriarch with an eye for young lads (spicy fresh Oriental); and the Bewitching Yasmine, quietly on the hunt for the right man (Oriental with vanilla and amber). Just the stuff to inspire your own scandal, or at least dream about it. $240 and up for each 2.5 oz bottle with sculptured stopper, at Penhaligon’s boutiques and www.penhaligons.com.
High street Lovers of lip gloss will swoon for the new Street Gloss Deluxe line from Noe Valley’s Elizabeth Street Cosmetics. Pocket-size and shea butter based with coconut and grape seed oil, they’re also 90 percent certified organic, gluten free and vegan. Available in three flattering shades, Montgomery’s rich cranberry is perfect for holiday parties and those January days that beg for a pop of color. Find Kearny, Sansome and Montgomery for $26 at Yonder SF, Briar Shop in Burlingame, and at www.elizabethstreetcosmetics.com.