In Q4 of 2023, collaborations, collections, and limited editions were all categories filled with innovative launches. Food-and-beverage–inspired beauty and wellness products were popular. Beekman 1802 provided a Nestlé Toll House collection that smelt as though it could be eaten, and Joya collaborated with Dominique Ansel to create a hyperrealistic Cronut wax candle that looked good enough to eat. Flamingo Estate focused on tomatoes, and Absolut partnered with Kahlúa and Imaginary Authors to turn the espresso martini into a fragrance. Recognizing the best of Q4, BeautyMatter highlights the collaborations, limited editions, and collections that broke through the noise:
Sophie Pitt, Editorial Associate:
“In Q4 as winter began to creep in, launches that gave a sense of comfort and warmth captured my interest. I enjoyed Beekman 1802 x Nestlé Toll House for several reasons. The scent of the products brought back nostalgic memories of baking as a child, which was well complemented by the apron included in the set, and the SKUs themselves did wonders for protecting my skin from the winter weather. Staying on the theme of food, Joya x Dominique Ansel’s Cronut Molded Candle was love at first sight for me. I was drawn to the intricate details of the product and could not comprehend how realistic the creation looked. It was nice to see a candle designed in such a creative way. Kiki World x Winny.eth was another favorite of mine. The collaboration stood out to me as it is not only very practical, eliminating the need to carry around a business card, but it was also fun—NFC business cards would surely get some good conversations going at an industry event. Last but not least, Market x Axe. I like that scent is now evolving to more than just classic spray fragrances, finding new ways to be integrated across different industries to engage a wider audience. The Stealie perfectly fit my Q4 criteria, providing comfort and warmth in more ways than one.”
Beekman 1802 x Nestlé Toll House: The body care brand has collaborated with Nestlé Toll House to create a limited-edition collection of products scented to smell like a freshly baked Nestlé Toll House cookie. The assortment of SKUs was formulated using Givaudan's Z-biome fragrance technology, which ensures every product is clinically proven to maintain a healthy skin barrier, does not irritate, and is gentle on the microbiome. The range includes Bar Soap ($16), Set of 3 Bar Soaps ($18) Hand Cream ($15), Hand & Body Wash ($22), Whipped Body Cream ($38), Set of 3 Cookie Lip Balms ($39), and Body Care Gift Set ($69). Each product contains notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and cocoa, completed with toasted brown sugar.
Joya x Dominique Ansel: The imaginative scent brand has collaborated with chef Dominique Ansel to create a range of products that evoke freshness, youth, imagination, and innovation. Joya worked closely with Ansel for 18 months in his workshop to create a hyper-realistic wax candle representative of his bakery's famous Cronut (a doughnut-shaped pastry made from croissant-like dough filled with flavored cream). The Cronut Molded Candle ($32) is scented to recall the first-ever Cronut flavor profile of rosewater and vanilla bean. The collection also includes Scented Birthday Candles ($16) fragranced with honeysuckle sugar, strawberry milk, and salted butterscotch, hand dipped and formulated with beeswax and natural scent materials to ensure the cake is still edible once the candles burn. Poured "Secret Recipe" Candle ($28) is housed in a measuring jug that can be used for baking. The candle smells of raw baking dough when unlit, which then turns to the scent of baking pastries when burning. Its scent profile contains notes of ambrette seed, vanilla, tonka bean, and nutmeg.
Kiki World x Winny.eth: Blockchain consultant and loyal Kiki World customer Winny.eth has teamed up with the brand to create Chipped, a press-on nail set equipped with a thumb NFC (Near Field Communication wireless technology) that acts as a virtual business card. Powered by Kiki World’s proprietary co-creation and blockchain technology, the chip, when scanned, sends potential business partners to the wearer's social profiles in a nonintrusive manner. Now until January 31, Kiki World customers can vote to decide the color of the first Chipped nail set, which is expected to be made a reality shortly.
Market x Axe: Streetwear brand Market, known for its humorous graphics, has partnered with fragrance brand Axe to create the limited-edition Stealie, a hoodie scented with the smell of Axe's latest fragrance, Blue Lavender. The collaboration takes inspiration from the nostalgia of a childhood crush and the comfort of a significant other's scent, often some form of the brand’s fragrances. The hoodie was named Stealie to play on the common practice of partners taking their romantic interest’s clothing as a token of sentimentality, often bringing comfort through scent when couples are apart. The hoodie looks simple from the front, embellished with the Market logo. However, the back presents a much busier scene, reading, "What does your smell say about you?" Images of various common fragrance notes are printed, each with an associated personality trait placed underneath—for example, tonka bean, said to represent sensuality.
Carla Seipp, Editor:
“Perhaps predictably so, it’s a fragrance-heavy selection for me this quarter, although I make no excuses for my olfactive obsessions. I am burning candles around the year, but during the colder months even more so to brighten up a dreary winter day. Paul Smith’s newest candle launch is a beautiful design statement piece with a woody scent perfect for the winter months and a lifespan beyond the product thanks to the substantial glass vessel that holds it. The Absolut x Kahlúa x Imaginary Authors collaboration made me smile as a longtime follower of the fragrance house and the espresso martini–inspired fragrance is the perfect meeting of creative minds. Flamingo Estate’s heirloom tomato collection brings a vegetal twist to the home fragrance category, while Dedcool and Ouai broach what is, in my mind, an underserved frontier of scent experiences: laundry care. While scent is also a feature on Youth to the People’s new body care range and the Vacation x Arizona Beverages USA collaboration, for me it’s the heavy-duty skincare ingredients in the former and the nostalgia kick of the latter (the Green Tea with Ginseng & Honey was a thirtt-quenching favorite as a tween in Miami) that especially grabbed my attention.”
Paul Smith: Continuing to expand its home fragrance collection, Paul Smith has a new scent on its roster, Storyteller. The fragrance is inspired by Smith's fond memories of the cozy Nottinghamshire countryside in the UK during the wintertime. Storyteller has notes of Madagascar clove bud, intense wood, patchouli, and birch. The collection offers a 240g candle, a 1kg candle, and a reed diffuser, all of which are housed in two-tone vessels purposely designed to be reused.
Youth to the People: Expanding its body care offerings, Youth to the People has launched a new collection of three SKUs focusing on the three-step routine of wash, exfoliate, and moisturize. Superfood + Niacinamide Body Cleanser ($39) protects the moisture barrier while providing superfood antioxidants and nourishing vitamins to uncover healthier-looking skin. The product is fragranced with neurosensorial technology to uplift the senses with notes of fresh greens, cedarwood, and black pepper, making up the brand's signature scent, Elevated Self. 10% AHA + Yerba Mate Body Scrub ($42) unclogs pores and smoothes rough textures and bumps through physical and chemical exfoliants. The product harnesses the power of upcycled olive seed powder, which builds up to the skin's surface and buffs it away. The product's fragrance, Energy Shift, includes notes of black pepper, ginger, and velvet wood. Hydrate + Glow Dream Body Butter ($48) leaves the skin deeply moisturized and smooth through a 15% moisture complex of jojoba, shea, cupuaçu, and hyaluronic acid. The product is scented with aromatic notes of yuzu, green tea, and blonde woods.
DedCool x Ouai: Due to popular demand, the brands are expanding the Melrose Place collection, adding Melrose Place Dryer Sheets ($12) to freshen up clothes when tumble drying. The Melrose Place scent features notes of champagne, peppercorn, berry, amber, and white musk.
Absolut x Kahlúa x Imaginary Authors: To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Espresso Martini, beverage brand Absolut, coffee liquor business Kahlúa, and perfumers Imaginary Authors came together to create Blend No.83 ($105), an Espresso Martini–inspired eau de parfum. The scent has notes of dark chocolate, sugarcane rum, arabica coffee, velvety foam, and night musk. A complimentary flask is also available with pre-orders of the limited-edition fragrance.
Flamingo Estate: After the success of the Roma Heirloom Tomato Candle, Flamingo Estate has launched the Roma Heirloom Tomato Collection. Roma Heirloom Tomato Room Spray ($58) has notes of wild-harvested tarragon and Madagascan black pepper and was crafted to encapsulate the smell of a summer garden in a bottle. Roma Heirloom Tomato Hand Soap ($44) is infused with avocado oil and olive oil to provide a hydrating base, resulting in a fresh finish that leaves the skin feeling supple. Roma Heirloom Tomato Lotion ($70) gives off the scent of crushed tomato leaves and contains organic jojoba and avocado oil to hydrate and quench the skin. The collection is set to expand with soap and cleanser launching in due course.
Vacation x Arizona Beverages USA: The brand known for its innovative SPF products has paired with popular tea brand Arizona Beverages USA to launch lip balms with a classic iced tea flavor. The lip balms all contain the SPF 30 protection of Vacation sunscreen and are available in three classic Arizona flavors: Mucho Mango, Green Tea with Ginseng & Honey, and Iced Tea with Lemon—available in a set for $11.99.
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