Gifting Made Easy: Gafencu’s 2020 Christmas Gift Guide

With Christmas just around the corner and the requisite gift-giving season soon to be upon us, have you ticked off all the items on your shopping list? If not, don’t worry, because the Gafencu team has curated an expansive Christmas gift guide with fantastic gift ideas for your loved ones. Read on to discover more…

For the sophisticated writer

Meisterstück Le Petit Prince & The Planet and Marilyn Monroe by Montblanc

For the writer in your life, Montblanc has added its third and final Meisterstück Le Petit Prince writing instrument to its collection, a three-part series inspired by one of the most read works of literature beloved by adults and children alike, Le Petit Prince. The German luxury goods manufacturer also has introduced a new Montblanc Muses Edition inspired by the forever iconic cultural icon, Marilyn Monroe.

For the watch lover

Rolex Sea-dweller

One of this year’s must-have item to include onto every watch aficionado’s Christmas shopping list is the Rolex Sea-Dweller. An ultra-resistant divers’ watches engineered for deep-sea exploration, the 60-minute graduated, unidirectional rotatable bezel enables divers to precisely and safely monitor their dive and decompression times. Designed to endure depths of up to 4,000 feet, this impressive for self-winding timepiece is a legend among dive watches and reflects the Swiss watchmaker’s decades of collaboration with diving professionals.

For the jewellery lover

Cartier’s [Sur] Naturel collection

For high-end jewellery maison Cartier, the creation of exceptional savoir-fair is in the connection between creativity and technique, as evidenced in its latest [Sur] Naturel Collection. Taking inspiration from nature and the supernatural, the Hemis necklace – one of the highlights of this new line – is the French luxury brand’s reinterpretation of panther fur around a lattice in kunzite, opals and diamonds. An alluring mastery of gem-setting and jewellery making indeed.

For the massage aficionado

uDream massage chair from OSIM

Spoil a loved one with some much-needed relaxation right in the comforts of their own home with the uDream massage chair by OSIM. With the design inspired by the metamorphosis of a butterfly, users will come out of this ‘cocoon’ with revitalised and rejuvenated. With its 5-sense stress relief programmes aim to relieve the tired body and mind, the massage chair monitors body tension through biosensors and a tracking feature accessible via uDream App records the long-term trend of body tension. The chair also features a light installation that emulates the colours of the northern lights. Built-in with speakers and an aromatherapy device, this chair will truly bring cheer this festive season.

For the oenophile

Orchidée decanter by Lalique

Raise the Christmas spirits of that special wine lover in your life with the Orchidée decanter by Lalique. Designed with wine collectors and connoisseurs in mind, its form is designed to enhance the flavours of the finest vintages. Made from French handcrafted crystal, a set of crystal orchid flowers bloom atop the stopper of the satin-finished carafe add a touch of luxury for the discerning vino lover.

For the music enthusiast

Beosound A1 2nd Gen speakers by Bang & Olfsen

A compact music box for any music enthusiast is the upgraded Beosound A1 2nd Gen by luxury audio technology company, Bang & Olfsen. The CNY special-edition item comes with a darker, more polished maroon exterior than its predecessors, replete with and leather straps. The portable speakers plays up to 18 hours on a full charge, and is truly one for the audiophile on the go. If that weren’t enough, it also boasts speakerphone functionality and a fully waterproof design that is also dust- and sand-resistant.

For the budding interior decorator

Bombom Sofas by Roche Bobois

For ample comfort and a touch of art, the Bombom Collection from French furniture brand, Roche Bobois in collaboration with Portugese designer Joana Vasconcelos, known for her large-scale quirky and flamboyant art installations, offers a flagship collection of sofas in vividly contrasting shapes and colours to decorate your living space. Designed to be part of a modular system, each piece is available in small, medium and large sizes, and can be merged with other pieces and flexibly rearranged in various forms to suit your comfort.

The Macallan 72 Years Old Set for Spirited Hong Kong Debut

The Macallan 72 Years Old, one of the finest scotches on offer from The Macallan, that most renowned of single malt whisky brands, is soon to land in Hong Kong as the distiller celebrates its epic legacy and enduring impact.

Limited to a release of just 600 bottles on a global basis, each one comes housed in an exquisite Genesis decanter, specially designed by Lalique, that most classic of French crystal creative houses. With a design said to embody the ultimate fusion of contemporary chic and time-honoured tradition, each glass repository is a clear testimony to the brand’s commitment to flawless craftsmanship.

Assessing the import of their singular partnership, Geoff Kirk, the Macallan’s Head of Brand Development, said: “Lalique has a deep and true understanding of our brand, one imbued over more than a decade of joint endeavours.”

Commenting on the significance of this particular launch, meanwhile, Nick Savage, The Macallan’s Master Distiller said, “The Macallan 72 Years Old is an incredibly rare single malt and one defined by years of dedication and craftsmanship. The oldest whisky we have ever bottled, this is a truly momentous occasion and a fitting celebration of our remarkable new distillery.”

To find out more about The Macallan 72 Years Old and its underlying flavour tones of lemons, apples, raisins and vanilla, click here.

Scentsory Pleasures: Four spring perfumes for scentsational ladies

From Bulgari to Esteé Lauder, our favourite brands have unveiled an array of scintillating spring perfumes for ladies just ahead of the SS19 season.

The fine folks at Bulgari remain committed to dispelling the winter blues with the new Rose Goldea limited edition. While its freshly redesigned bottle is supposed to depict the mythical gardens of the Roman gods, the fragrance within is said to unleash your inner Aphrodite, with apt hints of pomegranate and damask rose.

Not to be outdone, international fragrance house Carolina Herrera has unveiled its deceptively titled Good Girl – a fragrance that’s supposedly so sensational that it is sure to set your inner femme fatale free. With its unapologetic motto – “It’s good to be bad” – and a heady mix of jasmine and tonka beans, it may just be your one-way ticket from dowdy to diva.

For its part, New York-headquartered Esteé Lauder is looking to channel girl-next-door sweetness with its golden vial of Aerin Éclat de Vert, a timeless combination of citrus, magnolia and jasmine that’s at once classic and contemporary. In a world of ever-changing haute couture trends, it’s good to know that this is one fragrance that won’t go out of style any time soon.

Sneaking up on some, meanwhile, is renowned glassware brand Lalique with its latest foray into the fragrance field – three all-new scents in it Les Compositions Parfumées collection, a playful and girlish trio that evokes the beach and all things warm and sunny. From the woody notes of its Pink Paradise through the musky essence of its Electric Purple, to the vanilla-esque vibes of its Sweet Amber, this is a perfumed parade that welcomes one and all.

Far From Free Port: Niepoort in Lalique 1863 sells for stellar prices

Distiller devotees got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a portentous piece of port history recently when the first of five Niepoort in Lalique 1863 decanters went under the gavel in Hong Kong, courtesy of Acker Merrall & Condit, the New York-headquartered wine merchants and auctioneer group.

After several rounds of fierce bidding, the 1863 bottle went for a world-record breaking US$128,000, six times its presale estimate.

What made the crystal demijohn decanters so special are that they are the latest fruits of the long-term partnership between Niepoort, one of Portugal’s most-admired port producers, and Lalique, the legendary French crystal glassmaker, with each numbered item bearing both the glassmaker’s own imprimatur and an engraved acknowledgement of ‘Francisco Marius van der Niepoort’, one of the port-making pioneers who founded Niepoort.

However, the true allure of this illustrious lot is down to what lies within – an exceptionally rare 155-year-old vintage port distilled way back in 1863, the same year Abraham Lincoln signed the slavery-abolishing Emancipation Proclamation, but they may only be coincidence. While its vintage may cause some concern as to whether this particular port is way past its prime, fear not – last year, renowned wine critic James Suckling gave it an unambiguous 100 points without so much as slurring a word.

One for the Road

Following the triumphant launch of the four preceding instalments, last month saw the Macallan and Lalique uniting once more – to present the fifth and final masterpiece in the prestigious The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection. With Nan Fung Place in Central as a suitably prestigious venue, the two companies unveiled the Peerless Spirit decanter, the concluding part of a series that seeks to celebrate the many elements that define the character of this extraordinary single malt whisky.

Click here for more on video

One for the Road

Last month saw the Macallan and Lalique uniting once more – to present the fifth and final masterpiece in the prestigious The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection.