Jean Godfrey-June: Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup
Whoa! Did this book intrique me. I certainly would never plan an "acne breakfast" for a client as Jean Godrey-June describes in this book, but the notion really makes me want to do a reality check everytime a press release goes out our doors. Thanks Jean! (*****)
Napkins with a Twist: Fabulous Folds with Flair for Every Occasion
Event Planning is about working out thousands of details in a creative way. Here we have a look at clever ways to fold napkins... a very great resource for coming up with new ideas. (****)
Caroline Cox: The Handbag: An Illustrated History
This is a really lovely, well written and illustrated book about the purses through history. It's a great gift book for any fashionista. (*****)
Chandler Burr: The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York
The tale of the creation of 2 fragrances: Un Jardin sur de Nil from Hermes; and Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely from Coty. Written by Chandler Burr, the scent critic for T: The New York Times Style Magazine. (*****)
Dana Thomas: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
A really well researched and informative look at the luxury fashion and cosmetics business. Gives great forward looking analysis of marketing trends. (*****)
We were happy to see that the blog Dose of Design loves our client Illume's His and Her's candles as much as we do.
In a recent post they said: "[His and Hers Candles are] perfect for a couple, put one on each of your nightstands and let the fragrances merge! Or a perfect gift for any guy in your life. If he thinks candles are too feminine, he won't once he sees it's meant just for him!"
To see the entire post visit Dose of Design.
Our client Illume Candles recently rolled out a gorgeous new collection, Modern Naturals, which features a delightful fragrance called Earth Rose.
The editors at OK Magazine loved the essential oil blend as much as we did and featured it last week in a story called "The Love Doctor is In The House".
The candle is shown in a segment of the feature about natural aphrodisiacs as a way to set the mood with a delightful scent.
Be sure to check out this week's Star Magazine with the editor's hot Valentine's Day picks.
Our client Illume's 65 Hours of Love Candle is on page 69 under best products to Set the Mood. Other things they chose were champagne, music, and flowers.
The candle is also a hit on TeenVogue.com where bloggista Eva Chen touts the candle as being sweet and yummy!
If you happen to live in the Twin Cities, be sure to pick up the current copy of Metro Magazine.
In the Metro 5 Section of the February issue, our client Illume's 65 Hours of Love Candle reigns supreme.
The editors chose the famous candle for its all natural soy and beeswax blend. That combined with the candle's addictive musk and vanilla infusion fragrance makes it a winner.
Check for the image on page 24!
It's soft flame glows for 65 Hours and it's fragrance is the melding of the best of male and female sensuality.
Perhaps this is why People StyleWatch chose Illume's gorgeous Valentine's offering as one of their favorites yesterday.
Take a peek at the posting here.
Then be sure to head over to the Illume website to put your name in for their fantastic Valentine's giveaway ... a collection of some of the company's most romantic candles, a value of $160! Winning name will be announced on V-day next week.
It's clear that singer Stevie Nicks (shown here with Mick Jagger) really loves our client Illume Candles.
A few years back the singer wrote a song called Illume - the opening lyrics are below:
Illume
Says the candle that I burn
A reflection in the window
All the way to point Dune
Illume, like it dances
I am a cliff dweller from the old school-
And now we've come to find out that Stevie has a racehorse named Illume...a video from a recent race is below.
I think the only fair thing, since Stevie wrote a song
for the candles, is for a candle to be named after Stevie! Stay tuned...it just might happen. In the meantime Illume's new collection, Modern Naturals, has a scent called Earth Rose that would certainly do the singer justice.
What draws Stevie to the line? Obviously she loves the name. Also the essential oil blended scents are truly an inspiration. No one does home fragrance better. And the singer's favorite scents? Gardenia, Coconut Milk Mango, and Violet Rose (shown here).
Point a camera at a rose and you’ll almost always come away with something spectacular. Macro shots reveal symmetrical lines and seductive shadows combined with ebullient color.
From a distance a bud promises many things--while a garden rose in full bloom dappled with morning light is a metaphor for life itself.
It was this universal magnetism that drew the scent designers at Illume to create the Earth Rose Collection. They were inspired by the concept of the complete woman. One who exudes both luminosity and harmony; who is approachable...yet at close range, radiates a boundless mystique.
The Rose is a universal symbol of love, friendship, beauty and peace. In Aromatherapy it’s the Queen of Flowers. Many use its hypnotic fragrance to calm the mind, and create balance. Known as a relaxing scent, it’s also wonderful for insomnia, headaches, and as an aphrodisiac.
By blending feminine rose and earthy patchouli, Illume has created a complex yet delicate fragrance. Top notes of mystical Midnight Jasmine and Sparkling Mandarin make the Earth Rose blend entirely unique.
The Earth Rose Collection from Illume includes a Shea Butter Hand Lotion, Room Diffuser, assorted pillar candles, an oversized travel tin, filled boxed glass, frosted glass jar, and mini votives.
When New York Times Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni says he loves something it's a seminal moment.
Foodies throughout this country hang on every salacious vowel that he types out.
So when we read that he has a weakness for our client Illume Candle's Balsam & Cedar fragrance from the limited edition Winter Bliss Collection we were enthused to say the least.
As reported on Refinery 29 yesterday, and picked up by the Gothamist, Bruni says, "I've long been a sucker for overpriced candles, and I like Illume the best. This scent smells like the essence of Christmas. I bought it for the first time about a week ago and it hadn't been burning for an hour when I was back out the door to stock up on more. I'm always convinced that things I fall in love with will disappear when I least expect it. Better to stock up."
As soon as the "Hot For" story appeared, Bruni's loyal fans responded without delay. "A
food critic loving scented candles??" they exclaimed. Just goes with what we said in our post yesterday about the Winter Bliss Collection being the greatest for parties of all kinds. How could you not love something that gives out the gentle aroma of a Heavenly Valley ski lodge at Christmas?
Head over to Illumecandles.com to check out the storied candles before they disappear - as Bruni laments, they are a seasonal blend.
Bruni joins a well rounded list of celebs who are addicted to the essential oils blends of Illume Candles custom scents. Paris and Nicky Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, and even California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger love Illume!
There’s nothing like candlelight to put guests at ease and really make a room festive. By mingling great candle color and style with a rich, warm fragrance, party planners can create an atmosphere for their guests that would be very difficult to achieve with light bulbs alone.
Start by taking a page from top lighting designers and plan your candle scheme to illuminate each room on three levels…high, medium, and low.
High candlelight can come from candelabras and sconces. Be mindful that even a small candle flame can create heat and soot on surfaces that are just two or three feet directly above them – so make sure you hang these fixtures at least three feet below
ceilings or beams. Antique stores are a mecca for gorgeous metal candelabras and sconces that can be used year round. Lanterns are another unique pick, and can be easily hung for parties using an “O” hook screwed into the ceiling and a few feet of hardware chain or wire (again don’t use anything flammable).
Naturally fireplace mantles are a great place to set out a vignette of smaller candles with seasonal decorations. Here, we’ve arranged a plaster snowman from Nicole Sayer with a metal dime-store tree. Three votives from Illume in Vanilla Amberwood, Cranberry Kir, and Cedar & Balsam join our little snowman to create the perfect balance and provide a pop of warm light that will illuminate the room on mid-level.
For lowlight, try placing a lantern or hurricane glass on a small stool to balance the look of a
smaller tree or tabletop display. The lantern will cast a soft up-light which is flattering to everyone.
Fragrance can either be overwhelming or just the right accent. Illume Candles' Winter Bliss Collection, created with natural essential oils and a soy/beeswax blend, give off a natural, sophisticated bouquet. The Winter Bliss collection offers a subtle version of the classic holiday scents of evergreen, berries, and spices. Great party candles from the collection include frosted glass jars, votives, and pillars.
Choose fragrances that will compliment the foods and beverages you’ll be serving. For example, Vanilla Amberwood is an excellent compliment for sweets and eggnog. Set a few votives on a silver footed platter near your desserts to give a lasting impression of comfort.
In the bar area, where cranberry martinis and mixed drinks are on the agenda, choose Cranberry Kir Filled Glass Jars to spike the air with a warm berry scent. The upbeat theme of these candles will coax guests into a playful party mood.
In the main room, set out a trio of Balsam & Cedar pillars to ramp up the smell of evergreens. Set them on candleholders, or arrange them on a favorite platter with small glass ornaments and a small garnish of greenery. Christmas trees often lose their scent too early, and these gorgeous green candles will help to revive that fresh fragrance.
She's San Francisco Bay Area's House Doctor - dispensing tips for making homes gorgeous on ABC affiliate KGO (channel 7).
So when Lisa Quinn picked our client Illume Candles Winter Bliss Collection as one of her Favorite Things for the holidays we were very impressed.
Quinn loves the fragrance of Illume's Balsam & Cedar candles in particular because they imbue the house with that woodsie fragrance that everyone loves. She also loves the warm scent of Cranberry Kir Diffusers and Vanilla Amberwood for the table.
Watch a clip of the show by visiting the KGO Video Player and head over to IllumeCandles.com before Friday November 30th to pick up some pillars which are 20% off.
The Illume Winter Bliss Collection also scored big with the editors of St Louis Magazine. Part of this month's collection of products they love, the Winter Bliss Bubble Tins burn brightly on their pages. You can see the online version by visiting their website here. Their fav? Balsam & Cedar!
They're dramatic, yet affordable. That's why they're USA Today's pick as a gift guide best for Mom today.
Our client Illume Candle's Winter Bliss Reed Diffusers come packed in a choice of three retro boxes. The fragrances, Balsam & Cedar; Cranberry Kir; and Vanilla Amberwood are a gorgeous accent for the home throughout the winter.
The fragrance wicks up the delicate reeds, and lasts for about 120 days! At just $30 each they're a fantastic pick for gifting.
For more, head to Illumecandles.com, and pick up a few pillars (which are 20% of through the end of the week) or other selections from the Winter Bliss Collection.
A dramatic table top for holiday dinners is a sure fire way to impress guests and set the mood.
Giving the holiday table a custom look can be as easy as picking out a few color coordinated fruits and vegetables from the produce department and arranging them artfully around some gorgeous pillar candles.
Our client, Illume Candles, has a wonderful holiday collection available in stores and online. The collection, WinterBliss, features classic fragrances that enhance and compliment the aroma of holiday dishes.
The arrangement shown here features a simple reclaimed board that was scrubbed and placed in the center of the table. Gourds, red and green grape clusters, and a few handfuls of wheat are set around various sized pillars for a cornacopia style presentation. This is dramatic, yet doesn't interfere with the sight lines of guests as they dine across from one another.
Vanilla Amberwood from Winterbliss is an especially good pick for this - available in a variety of pillar sizes, the gentle fragrance and ivory colored natural wax warms the atmosphere. 
Another great selection from Illume's catalog of products is their SimplyFall Collection. Heirloom Pumpkin has a warm fragrance that will immediately put guests in a festive mood.
All Illume candles are made of a 100% natural soy and beeswax blend and optimized wicks.
