Building on the success of our House and Home candles, we are pleased to introduce our new candle collection: Avenue. After more than 15 years traversing the globe to nd extraordinary fragrance products, we decided to use our travels as the source of inspiration for this new collection. Each Avenue candle is poured into a beautiful hand blown glass vessel trimmed in gold or platinum. The fragrances are blended to invoke the mood and unique characteristics of each famous street. After every trip we take, to a new destination or returning to one of our favorite cities, we always want to take a little bit of our favorite experience with us. Our Avenue candles are our way of bringing these experiences back home.
Lafco New York
Highlights of LAFCO New York
By Mark David Boberick
Always on the cusp of fabulousness – LAFCO New York has a reputation
for bringing us a wonderful trove of imported scented luxury products.
This includes,but is not limited to, the exceptional products of Santa
Maria Novella from Florence. This Pharmacy has been in business since
1612 and offers a staggering collection of colognes and products ranging
from Iris toothpaste to Almond foot cream and Potpourri to amazing,
rose infused liqueurs.
One of the best-selling products from the line, and certainly one of
my favorites, is the Melograno Colonia. This fragrance mixes the tart
taste of the pomegranate with an insistent, powdery floral undertone
and is perfect for day or night, and for men or women. It is elegantly comforting and also manages to be comfortingly elegant. The Melograno line is one of the largest in the Santa Maria Novella collection which also includes Men’s after shave balm, bath oil and salts, shampoo for dry hair, powder, and candles as well as one of the most glorious soaps one could ever use. Their soaps, which are made from all natural whole milk and are aged for 2 months are by no means a best-kept secret of the line – in fact they are one of the most praised products in the collection and can be found in a vast array of scents including Iris and Musk.
SMN Potpourri Candle Candela Al Pot Pourri
Real Men Wear Roses
Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose from LAFCO
Fragrance review
by Michael W. Davis
Real men define masculinity on their own personal
terms with little or no outside influence. They do not
need media personalities nor anyone else telling them
what is masculine. I consider myself to be a real man
in that I define my self-identity as a masculine male in
my own terms.
My self-identity as a man is partially related to some
of my interests and personal taste. Real guy stuff;
restoring vintage cars, weight training, contact sports, motorcycles, grilling red meat, drinking single malt
scotch whisky, watching action flicks...and wearing rose - based fragrances. Yes, you read correctly, rose - based fragrances. I'm not referring to those that have a hint of rose buried by woody and spicy notes either. I also include rose soliflores and other fragrances in which the rose note plays a dominant or featured role. Dominance is a so called 'masculine' trait!
Assigning gender to specific notes or fragrances is based on culture and personal taste. In western culture, there are many men and women who consider rose fragrances for women only. A common stereotype is that rose scents are 'old lady', 'pretty' or otherwise 'too feminine' for men. This is not true of other cultures and groups. Rose fragrances have always been popular among men in the Middle East. Many of my friends who are perfume aficionados have been wearing masculine and feminine rose fragrances for years.
Fortunately, for those of us who are open-minded about fragrances, there are some exceptional choices en niche. Paestum Rose from Eau d'Italie is a spectacular rose fragrance that defies gender stereotypes and wears beautifully on both men and women. It is a fragrant experience of sun-warmed stone, wood and earth infused with incense, flowers, and spices.
Paestum Rose was created by master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour who is noted for his exceptional use of layering accords, rather than adding note atop of notes in his creations. Subtle spicy blend of pepper and coriander awaken the senses; a light touch providing a warm introduction rather than a heavy hand and a bracing bite. Incense, tea and myrrh lend a resonance of timeless wisdom. Elemi oil provides a sense of calm and peace. The floral notes in Paestum Rose are the highlight, exuding a lyrical, realistic hint of sweetness avoiding the false pretense of artificiality that has been the ruin of many floral fragrances. Turkish rose which is a key material, is voluptuous, luscious and succulent. This fragrance is a holy grail for those men and women searching for a perfectly rendered rose with a kick. There is a base accord that is quite woody and at the very foundation are the aqueous and earthy accords, evoking the damp, fertile earth that allows for this uncommon rose to flourish; damp earth grounds the fragrance.
Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour masterfully blended the accords in Paestum Rose using notes of davana, cinnamon, pink and rose pepper, black pepper, coriander, black currant buds, osmanthus, peony, Turkish rose, tea, elemi, incense, myrrh, opopanax, cedarwood, papyrus, patchouli, Wenge wood, vetiver, musk, and benzoin. However, describing Paestum Rose in terms of notes only is facile and belies its complexity and the many levels on which it stirs the senses. It is a fragrance that one must wear, experience and feel to develop his or her own personal understanding of this tremendous accomplishment of perfume art.
Available at Lafco New York
Michael W. Davis is a writer and management consultant in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael has been collecting and testing fragrances for fifteen years, and is an active contributing member of Basenotes. Michael holds a B.S. in psychology, an M.S. in organizational behavior and focuses on behavior modification in corporate environments. Michael also studies the effects of fragrance from a social psychology perspective.
SMN Terra Cotta Pomegranate
LAFCO New York
Lafco New York is just one of my favorite places to visit in New York City. They have some of my favorite items in the world...including Lorenzo Villoresi and the famous Santa Maria Novella products. The Melograno Soaps (pictured below) are my favorite soaps in the world, that is how fine they are and they have become my secret addiction.
Here we feature a new product coming soon to Lafco NY; Avenue candles.
Lafco NY carries many classic favorites as well.
We also include an article By Mark David Boberick and a review by Michael Davis featuring the fragrance Paestum Rose from Eau d'Italie that is available at Lafco NY.
Meet Segan Scot and Jon Breslow at the Sniffapalooza Ball Ball!
Every city has its own vibe; the architecture, climate and history inuence the people who live, work and play in each city. The colors and scents we chose for these candles reflect our impressions of our favorite places. Enjoy!
Rome: Sandalwood and incense, two of the oldest and rarest fragrances known to us, are blended with patchouli leaf and white teak in a uniquely calming scent reminiscent of a city that has roots in ancient times.
Toronto: Fresh r and juniper compliment the sweet scent of maple sugar in this unusual blend. Like the iconic red maple leaf, this fragrance is comfortingly familiar. Representative of a city that is modern yet steeped in tradition, this fragrance welcomes and envelops you in its warmth.
Paris: The light and powdery notes of chestnut bloom and mandarin mix with a subtle layer of pink iris and just a touch of vetiver in this sophisticated fragrance. Like the City of Lights, this scent epitomizes all things sublime; beauty, fashion, art and of course . . . love.
Hong Kong: The sweet and pungent nature of apricot and lychee are blended with sparkling grapefruit and white tea for a vibrant fragrance that reects the bustling characteristics of this exciting and rapidly growing city.
London: Bergamot and tea leaves are layered on top of fresh violet and a hint of neroli and honey in a deeply rich aroma that will warm one's soul during those foggy days and rainy nights in a city that is steeped in centuries of history and tradition.
New York: A sprightly high note of lemon is added to the modern scent of thyme and owering dogwood in this energetic and uplifting fragrance. This bright combination is like the city that never sleeps, scents from around the globe blend here in refreshing harmony.
Zurich: Apple blossom, edelweiss and notes of camellia and water lily evoke the freshness of clean air, snowcapped mountains and crisp blue sky in this city by a clear, shining lake.
Moscow: White mint, fresh basil and coriander come together in this icy fragrance. Like the city it reec
Madrigal - Water Lily
The gentle scent of water lilies is accented with freesia, calla lilies and just a hint of star anise in this intoxicating watery floral
BATH SALTS - Only natural salts from the Dead Sea are used in this therapeutic formula enriched with extract of althea, essential amino acids that restore minerals to the skins surface. 2 packets per envelope.
CANDLE - These clean burning 10.5 oz. soy blend candles, created by LAFCO NY exclusively for Claus Porto, give you up to 70 hours of the nest French fragrance while slowly revealing their own unique Art Deco inspired etched-glass design.
ALOE VERA LIQUID SOAP - This unique liquid soap softens and protects as you wash with its wheat protein and aloe vera formula. 100% vegetable base is easily biodegradable. 13.5 oz.
SHEA BUTTER BATH SOAP - 100% natural, vegetable based and concentrated shea butter formula softens and protects your skin as you wash. The “soap bar that lasts forever” is milled 7 times so that there is no cracking or splitting and the fragrance lasts until the very end of the bar. 12.34 oz.
SHEA BUTTER HAND SOAP - 100% natural, vegetable based and concentrated shea butter formula softens and protects your skin as you wash. The “soap bar that lasts forever” is milled 7 times so that there is no cracking or splitting and the fragrance lasts until the very end of the bar. 5.28 oz. bar.
BOX OF THREE SHEA BUTTER HAND SOAPS - Three 5.28 oz. bars in a gold tray with acetate sleeve.
Royal - Iris Lavender
Wild Tuscan irises are blended with
fresh cut lavender, jasmin and heliotrope
for a refreshing garden scent.
Madrigal - Water Lily
The gentle scent of water
FLORAL SOAP COLLECTION
1. Carnation
2. Orchid
3. Spring Rose
4. Wild Flower
5. Jasmine
LAFCO also features the Le Sirenuse Eau d’Italie range which first began as products the Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano offered to their guests. Eventually, the products became so popular that they decided to sell them in their hotel and fortunately for us, at LAFCO as well. Their signature scent, Eau d’Italie was recently named one of the best unisex fragrances by Allure magazine and continues to be one of LAFCO’s best sellers. Perfect for fall from the range is the scent Bois d’Ombrie which is a smoky warm wood fragrance that really radiates and produces some amazing, subtle sillage.
Recent Prix Coty award winning perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi’s line of stunning fragrances is also featured at LAFCO. The latest Villoresi scent, Alamut is a warm and sensual journey right out of 1001 Arabian Nights. The exquisite floral top notes of rose and jasmine meld into even more glorious florals in the heart such as Narcissus and Tuberose and eventually come to rest on a warm amber and musk base with exotic woods. There is a slight powdery feel to this fragrance from start to finish, but I urge powder-haters to try it anyway – you may be pleasantly surprised.
LAFCO is a fabulous destination teeming with luxuries for everyone. For a list of products in the Santa Maria Novella, Eau d’Italie, and Lorenzo Villoresi ranges, as well as a complete listing of their other lines including their superior home fragrance collections, be sure to visit their website at www.lafcony.com
They have MANY NEW products as well!
