“Exceptional…because you are…” We love the sound of that, and what a great name for a fragrance too. Sometimes we tend to overlook all the good deeds, time and patience put in by the men in our lives. But ladies, a man’s ego needs for you to let them know how special they are—it’s a fact.

The point of this giveaway is twofold: One, we want to send 2 of you this sexy men’s fragrance to douse your beau in, and two, we want to help you in your quest for finding that perfect holiday gift for him. Either he’s too simple, too picky, too tall… it’s impossible! So, chime in for a chance to win, and also to help your fellow readers out. Browse through the answers for some good men’s gift ideas you can implement of your own.

THE PRIZE

The fragrance launched by the design house of Exceptional Parfums in 2008, EXCEPTIONAL ….BECAUSE YOU ARE is a men’s fragrance that possesses a blend of stimulating, cool, and sensual aromas. Key notes include Bergamot, cardamom, violet, juniper berry, ozone, plum, vetiver, sandalwood, and musk. The fragrance retails for $80.00.

HOW TO ENTER

Tell us, either in the comments below or on our Facebook page on this thread:

Women: What’s the best gift you’ve ever given a man?

Men: What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

DETAILS

Contest ends Monday December 13, at 11:59 pm EST. Winners will be listed here, and must respond within a week from announcing to claim your prize. Please link to a valid email address or contactable Facebook account, or be sure to check back here.

Thanks for entering our giveaway. Congratulations to Siilentii27 and Jill for giving the best gifts ever. Please send an email to candace (at) spaweekmedia (dot) com to claim your prize.

**Winners**

Siilentii27
The best gift I ever gave a man was a hand painted replica of an art piece he really liked :)

Jill
He has a million baseball collectible cards so I put them in a beautiful scrapbook and gave it to him.

Official Rules

Guest Post by Candy Silvasy, Spa Expert and CEO of Art of the Spa

Last week in our quest to help you create a spa home, we showed you how to detox your oxygen – we got the muck out.  Now it’s time to adorn your lair’s air.

Imagine lounging by a garden of jasmine, walking in a dense forest or having a massage by a beach.  Fragrance can take you on these escapes instantly.  I know what you’re thinking:  “I’ve got a candle for that!”

Blow out that match.  The stress- (and almost) maintenance-free way to aroma up your abode is a fragrance plan.  Otherwise it’ll end up smelling like the perfume counter at Nordie’s – sickly.

One very strong candle is like one superbright light – too much and not enough.  For a superspa nosefest, follow these steps:

1.  Emulate Euphoria

What would your ideal home smell like? Because spa homes are healthy & relaxed focus on that.  What makes you happy?  Dream vacation?  Your disses?  For instance, I can’t stand patchouli – so any fragrance with that is banned from my bungalow.  Some examples to get you started are:

Love the beach? -  go for aqua fragrances with citrus notes.

More of a skiing or hiking hottie? – woodsy tones will be your choice.

Trying to lose weight? – keep away from sweet foodie fragrances, while mint can help keep you from snacking

2.   Choose Your Base Fragrance

Shopping! Yay! Find a home fragrance that matches your pick.   Anthropologie, Bath and Body Works, TJ Maxx, are fun fragrant field trips.  Remember your base is the background the under note upon which you will layer other fragrances like candles.

Best way to waft?  Reed diffusers are low maintenance. Flip the reeds occasionally & change when the oil is gone. My favorite base: Agraria Golden Pomegranate it’s fruity for energy and earthy for a nature vibe.

Place one diffuser for each 900 square feet of house.

Another option is the Hush Air Diffuser System.  It lets you control the intensity and program the time of fragrance release.

3.  Take Your Nose up a Notch

With your base in place, you should feel happy whenever you arrive home.  But sometimes we need more.  This is where aromatherapy comes into play.    For example, in my office I burn Slatkin’s grapefruit candle to revive my brain.  Or at Christmas I burn the Thymes Christmas Tree to harken holiday cheer.

For more aromatherapy ideas check out The Little Book of Aromatherapy – it’s simple & you can take it shopping with you.

In addition to candles, consider room sprays, scented stones, like Esteban Paris’ Teak and Tonka (woodsy) below sachets and oil burners.  Most important, get creative and have fun.  That’s common scents!

Live, love and lounge, Candy

Candy Silvasy is CEO of Art of the Spa (www.spaaroundtheworld.com), a spacentric brand that delivers home decor, beauty, cooking, style and living advice.  An internationally recognized spa expert, her latest book SpaHome: Makeover Your Maison from Blah to Ahhhhh will be released in February 2011.  Is your pad more stress than sanctuary?  Pick her spa brain at candace at artofthespa dot com.

Today we’ve invited Alexis Wolfer, founder of The Beauty Bean to tell us about one of her all-time favorite little luxuries.
The Little Luxury: Jo Malone: The Art of Fragrance Combining

Relationship status: Jo and I have been casually dating for a long time, exclusively for about a year. Well, “exclusively” is a slight exaggeration. We’re in a relationship, a serious one, but I do occasionally have casual flings here and there with Stella McCartney, Chloe, and Bond No. 9. (Shhh, don’t tell Jo, she’d be offended – and at the end of the day, she is my true love.)

How it works: Unlike many perfumes that are designed to be worn on their own, Jo Malone’s colognes are complex enough to be worn by themselves, yet also uniquely afford you the opportunity to create your own bespoke signature scent. Don’t worry – no technical training required. Just spray on one cologne (or lather on one of their lusciously scented bath and body products), let it dry, and then spray a different fragrance on top.

Advice for the novice: Ok, so not all of the fragrances pair well together. And while a dab of rubbing alcohol will help dissipate the cacophonous combos that could be, my advice for first timers is to stick with Jo Malone’s Fragrance Combining Menu – at least at first. (Although I have to say that my current go-to combo is not on their menu: Orange Blossom and Pomegranate Noir.)

Why it’s worth the splurge: While the 30 mL bottles are $55 at JoMalone.com – and you do need at least 2 in order to appreciate the marvels of mixing – if my math skills serve me right, buying 3 fragrances that all blend well together actually gives you 7 possible cologne combinations, making it quite the deal.

Biggest bonus: For every additional bottle you buy, you add exponentially to your collection of possible scents.

The only downside (because no relationship is perfect): You’ll want them all. I do.

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6 (because 10 was not an option)

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Alexis Wolfer, The Beauty Bean