We are less than two months out from my 50th birthday, so if you want to look into loans and shit, now is the time. This may be an evolving post, as tastes and whims shift so often around here, so bookmark it and revise for the most up-to-date wishes. To be honest, I don’t feel like punching up the typical fanfare and hoopla that something like a 50th birthday might typically inspire. My first idea was to ask my Mom and Andy for a single birthday night at the relatively-new Raffles hotel in Boston in one of their Emerald Suites – as an experience and a memory are priceless. (I spent my 40th birthday in the Judy Garland suite at the Lenox, and it remains one of the most magical birthdays I’ve had, and our stays for our wedding and 15th anniversary in Boston were equally enchanting.)
But then I realized I’d probably have to be the one to do all the planning and reserving and logistical maneuvering and it just exhausted me, so here’s a different set of asks. They’re a lot, and I’m a lot, and the world is a lot right now – in addition, a lot of people don’t say what they want and that’s why they don’t get what they want. Here’s wishing…
With my anniversary request to Andy already in (‘Pacific Chill’ by Louis Vuitton), I thought another LV option might be nice to round out my 50th, but on a recent cologne sampling at the Copley Place location, there was nothing worthy of that price point, despite going through an exhaustive trial. Instead, the number 50 would be whispered from a different house – the House of Amouage – esteemed fragrance house that has only barely skirted my periphery up until now. They have an exquisite fragrance in the form of their bottle of ‘Purpose’ here – a great name as I embark upon the second half of a century, still searching for some purpose in the world. When I sampled it, I found it challenging and scary, but this is the time to conquer my fears. More enchanting is their newest extrait version of it, named ‘Purpose 50’, which seems almost too perfect for a 50th birthday gift, and has the crazy-expensive price-tag to go with it. Either ‘Purpose’ will suit a gentleman about to turn 50.
My dear friend Alissa started our collection of Michael Aram pieces with a black orchid vase, and since then I’ve slowly added a few pieces to our home. The medium vase here would be a lovely addition to our set, as would this little tray to keep tiny things in some semblance of pretty order. There is also a gorgeous ring-holder currently on sale for a steal here.
Vibrato by Sospiro is a new fragrance to me, but it sounds like a more-lasting take on the beloved Tygar by Bulgari (which is, at $460, too much for me to request for a second fragrance after Purpose, even if it is a 50th birthday – see, I have reason!) The notes of Vibrato are grapefruit and ginger, two of my favorite notes ever, and it’s said to have some staying power – rare in a grapefruit fragrance. It’s also available at a markdown here from one of my favorite sites.
For a more reasonable sniff-see for the Le Labo collection, a line which I’ve neglected for no good reason, here’s a little sample box of their current offerings, and who doesn’t love a sample, especially when trying things out for the holiday season 2025. (If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.)
And when all else fails, there is always my Amazon wish list here, which offers more bang for the buck (and occasionally more buck for the bang).
Bonus wish on sale here of a delicious rose fragrance.
