Jo Malone

Her baby's having a baby and she's having a ball. A grandma-to-be bursts with excitement while she awaits her first grandchild and can't stop herself from going on countless shopping sprees at Babies R Us. Turn the tables and shower her with a few gifts for the holidays.

• It's true, "When a child is born, so is a grandmother." Fill this quotable frame with an ultrasound picture to melt her heart.
• Grandmama is consumed with buying gifts for the new baby, but a Jo Malone candle will warm her up. The limited-edition scent creates a festive house as she prepares for family gatherings.
• Grammy's going to want photographs of the lil one all over her house, and the Polaroid PoGo Portable Photo Printer allows her to print pictures from her phone or camera at the touch of a button.

Do you like Thai food? I love it so much that I'd have to say that it's one of those "more than a once a week" staples for me and Mr. Bella. It's flavorful, healthy, and just about a three- minute walk from my doorstep. Convenience: I'm all for it.

So, when I heard that Jo Malone's new Sweet Lime and Cedar Cologne ($55 to $100) was based on the fine flavors of Thai cuisine, I almost choked on my green papaya salad.

Just as Thai cooking relies on delicately blending ingredients while incorporating the five flavors, Jo Malone's latest fragrance relies on delicately blending aromas to do the same. Sweet, salty, bitter, spicy, and sour — this fragrance has it all. It's got a very distinctively lime, slightly coconutty quality upon first whiff. Then, a spiciness follows. A hint of cardamom gives it some heat, and tonka bean (vanilla-ish) mellows it out. The slightest touch of floral notes makes it smell so pretty. Then — pow! Cedar and tamarind lend a lingering, lofty quality.

All in all, Jo Malone's Sweet Lime and Cedar Cologne is a definite keeper. It's different, exotic, and would work nicely for both men and women. Mr. Bella even requested seconds. "Pad Thai or Beef Pho?" I asked. "No, the perfume!" he said. A man after my own heart.

If you're already brainstorming Mother's Day gift ideas, you'll be delighted to hear that Jo Malone is launching a limited-edition double collection next week called Kohdo Wood. The fragrances were inspired by Kohdo, a Japanese incense ceremony.

The first fragrance, Lotus Blossom & Water Lily, is intended for daytime and contains a stimulating and energizing blend of grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin, bamboo, lotus blossom, freesia, honeysuckle, water lily, jasmine, aloeswood, musk, amber, guaiac wood and sandalwood. The second scent, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily, is a calming, sexy fragrance that is intended more for evening wear. It contains black cardamom, pink pepper, ginger, jasmine, lily, rose, orchid, amber, pepperwood, leather, patchouli, sandalwood and kyara incense accord.

In true Jo Malone blending form, the fragrances can be worn alone or layered on top of each other (which makes a great day to night transition). The product range includes two colognes ($50-$95), bath oil ($100) and a candle ($65). I've yet to try them, but I am particularly interested in the daytime fragrance, as grapefruit is a weakness of mine. As for the naughty night scent, I know that leather is a big trend in the perfume world right now, but I'm just not a fan. How about you — which scent (if either) are you more eager to smell?

Cacao is a deep liquid that is extracted from the nut of the cacao tree. It is grown in tropical jungles and contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than Vitamin C and about 20 times the amount in green tea. It is also known for its natural anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and cell regeneration qualities. Cacao is really starting to catch on in the beauty world, so here are three products where it is featured as the main ingredient.

Jo Malone Blue Agava and Cacao Cologne ($95) is a fragrance that was inspired by flamenco dancing. It contains notes of blue agava, cardamom, sea salt, grapefruit, lime oil, red berry, orchid, geranium, white lily, vetiver, cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao.

For two more beauty products that use cacao as their main ingredients, read more

This October, Jo Malone is releasing a new scent, White Jasmine & Mint. I don't know how they keep coming up with innovative and amazing fragrances, but this one was inspired by sunrise in an English garden when the dew lifts and the scent of flowers fill the air. The cologne has a very earthy, floral and crisp effervescence to it that makes it really refreshing.

It is made with notes of white jasmine, bergamot, chamomile, mint accord, cardamom, mace, cassis, crushed peppermint leaves, rose, mate absolute, ylang ylang, muguet, orange flower, coriander, guaiac wood, cedar wood, vetiver and musk.

Since Jo Malone loves the idea of layering scents, this particular fragrance combines well with Pomegranate Noir (for a sensual, woodsy scent) or Orange Blossom (for an ultra-floral aroma). White Jasmine & Mint colognes will be available in two sizes: 3.4 ounces ($95) and one ounce ($50).

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Jo Malone has just introduced a brand new concept in fragrances called Scent Surround Spray. These versatile scents, which come in Lino nel Vento and Acqua di Limone, are intended for your body, your linens and your home.

You can spray them virtually anywhere that needs a little freshening up and they won't harm delicate fabrics (I always spritz a little in my lingerie, hose, bathing suit and sock drawers).

Now you can have "your scent" that follows you everywhere and will leave people wondering if you are oozing lavender and lime. Each of the fragrances has their own unique lingering and crisp aroma that adds something special to make your house feel more like a home.

Both come in a 3.4 oz bottle and sell for $55. To read more about the specifics of Lino nel Vento and Acqua di Limone, read more

New from Jo Malone is a divinely sweet and fruity Summer launch called Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne. Malone (who is a woman, by the way) drew inspiration for this unisex fragrance from her fondness for succulent and juicy Summer fruits. It just sounds mouth-watering, doesn't it?

The cologne is made from essences of peach, plum and blackcurrant nectars, as well as acacia honey, clementine, cedrat leaf, nectarine, and vetiver. In keeping with Malone's signature concept of "fragrance combining," this scent can be worn alone or layered with Nutmeg & Ginger Cologne for a spicy combo.

Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne is available in a 100-milliliter bottle ($90) and in a 30-ml bottle ($50). The rest of the Nectarine Blossom & Honey collection includes a Home Candle ($65), Body Creme ($75), Bath Oil ($60), Shower Gel ($50), and a trio of bath soaps ($50).