Award-winning bath and body products

Six companies were presented with Best New Product Awards at this month's Ex•Tracts show in New York. Tatine received “Best of Show” honors for its Foundry collection of scented candles. Ex•Tracts is one of 10 divisions of the New York International Gift Fair held twice a year at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The winter 2011 winners and finalists, selected from nearly 100 entries, are:

BEST OF SHOW
Tatine (Chicago) for Foundry, a collection of candles in five unique fragrances with packaging reminiscent of vintage-modern found objects from a motorcycle foundry. The handmade soy and bee wax blends in recycled glass and paper create an allure of industrial tones mixed with the romance of candle light.

Illume's ginger and sea salt lotion candle

BATH & BODY CATEGORY
Winner: ILLUME (Minneapolis) for Ginger & Sea Salt Lotion Candle. A luxurious blend of shea butter, olive oil and soy, the lighted candle provides ambiance and creates a rich lotion as it melts.
Finalist: Caswell-Massey (Edison, N.J.) for ONYX Natural Bath Soap
Finalist: FarmHouse Fresh, Inc. (Frisco, Texas) for Hello! Yellow body cream

Ecoya

BEAUTY ACCESSORY CATEGORY
Winner: Ecoya (Botany Bay, Australia) for Body Nourisher Vanilla Bean, a luxe, rich, hypo-allergenic body moisturizer, free from parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol, silicone and artificial colors.
Finalist: Baudelaire (Swanzey, N.H.) for Baudelaire Sponge Boxes
Finalist: UNII Cosmetics (Arcadia, Calif.) for UNII Cosmetics Coal palette

Royal Apothic

COSMETIC & FRAGRANCE CATEGORY
Winner: Royal Apothic (Los Angeles) for its Society of Scents, a collection of eight distinctive fragrances inspired by the social clubs of England’s Victorian Age.
Finalist: Sonoma Lavender (Santa Rosa, Calif.) for Ocean Air Sachet-By-The-Yard

Jao Ltd.

Finalist: Jao Ltd. (Hatfield, Pa.) for OUTSCENT perfume with insect repellant

Lotus Love Beauty

NATURAL/ORGANIC CATEGORY
Winner: Lotus Love Beauty (San Diego) for Soy Wax Travel Tin Candle, all natural, hand-blended and hand-poured soy wax candles featuring a hand-braided wick and packaged in a recyclable tin.
Finalist: Ton Savon (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) for Pure Provence Moroccan Organic Soap
Finalist: Bare Kiss Skincare (Santa Fe, N.M.) for Deep Sea Soap

PACKAGING CATEGORY

Xela Aroma

Winner: Simpatico-Home (St. Louis) Hobnail Glass Candle, noted for the textured glass that creates its unique knobbed design, the candles are available in a rich variety of jewel tones and include a wax seal from an antique letterpress machine.
Finalist: Xela Aroma (Dallas) for Celebrate LOVE Candles
Finalist: AQUIESSE (Simi Valley, Calif.) for Trump Collection






Award judges were: Mary Bemis, Organic Spa; Leah Genuario, Beauty Store Business; Patricia Norins, Gift Shop; and Meredith Schwartz, Gifts & Decorative Accessories.

Soapstone barware and votives

Teroforma's Ekke stacking votives are made of gray and black soapstone. The stone's polished surface gracefully amplifies a candlelight's flicker. The votives measure from 2 to 3.5 inches tall. Thea Mehl of Oslo designed the product, which is handfinished by Amit Stoneworks, Agra, India.

Mouthblown crystal tumblers and carafes are available in blue, green and charcoal. The non-lead crystal tumblers and carafes are individually mouthblown by master glassblowers at the centuries-old Kvetna Glassworks in Czech Republic. Three tumbler styles are availble: Avva (flares in or flares out), designed by Thea Mehl, Oslo. Ekke (straight up and down), designed by Roman Vrtiska, Prague. Issi (S-curved), designed by Peter Nolan, NYC.

The Ekke Shot Glass is produced from natural soapstone, so it won't absorb flavors or aromas. The sleek cylindrical shape can stack for easy storage. Freeze for four hours before using, and it will keep beverages cold without the need for ice. The 2-ounce shot glass is intended for frozen vodka and other spirits that benefit from the big chill. It was designed for Teroforma by Thea Mehl, Oslo, and handfinished by Amit Stoneworks, Agra, India.

Casa Cristina's 2011 holiday collection

 

Midwest-CBK is partnering with Emmy award-winning journalist Cristina Saralegui to develop her first designer holiday collection of inspirational ornaments, figures, nativity sets, votive candle holders, lanterns, stocking and tree skirt. The Casa Cristina Holiday Collection will feature more than 50 new designs debuting during the winter 2011 markets in Midwest-CBK showrooms across the country.

The collection  features spiritual icons such as angels, nativities, birds, stars, crosses and hearts. Textures and materials include  metal, capiz, wood and glass. The color palette includes gold, silver, cream, blue, green and plum.
Midwest-CBK is also expanding the Casa Cristina Home and Lighting collection with more than 30 new designs, including lamps, pottery with unique turquoise glaze and distressed white finish, antique wooden mirrors and nested table sets with embossed metal detailing, that reflect Cristina’s unique Mediterranean style and taste.

Home decor for 2011 Easter

The Chick and Bunny candle assortment from tag ltd. is  hand-painted. They come packed as an assortment of 12 (six each of two designs). The burn time is two hours.

The new Chick ceramic collection includes dip bowls, spreaders and salt and pepper shakers. The earthenware is hand-painted with embossed details.

Candles and room sprays

New candle fragrances from Lakeshore Candle Co. include Cranberry Clementine, Vanilla Lime, Spiced Granola, and Pomegranate. A CandlePot Votive has a 25-hour burn time. An 18-ounce Click Clack Tin burns for 90 hours.
New room sprays complement the candle. Available in a 2.5-ounce aluminum spray bottle, scents include Lavender Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Cucumber Apple, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Morning Rain, and Lilac. The company exhibits at gift markets in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Dallas, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Philadelphia.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Soy candles in stylish containers

Soy-based candles from Aglow Eco Candle are available in eight fragrances, including the company's signature scent White Cotton. Burn time is 60 to 90 hours. When the candle is depleted, the containers become stylish vases, drinking glasses or desk accessories..

Diffusers and notecards are also available. See more candles on the New York International Gift Fair website.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Yankee Candle Joins Online Marketing Program

Press release
 
Yankee Candle  Joins SnapRetail 
TrafficBuilder Marketing Program

Yankee Candle Wholesale Retailers to Drive

Store Traffic with New Media Tools 

 

May 10, 2010—Yankee Candle, the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles, announced it will participate in the SnapRetail TrafficBuilder program. TrafficBuilder will enable its gift channel wholesale customers to easily market Yankee Candle products using new marketing tools.
 
“Yankee Candle continues to work hard, investing in products and programs that deliver profitable results for our dedicated customers. One key growth strategy is to help our wholesale customers effectively drive traffic and market our products through new media and email marketing. SnapRetail will provide an easy way for our customers to do that,” said Mike Thorne, president of wholesale, Yankee Candle. 
“Retailers often face the challenge of slow traffic in their stores, as traditional marketing vehicles like newspaper, print or yellow pages become less effective,” said Ted Teele, CEO of SnapRetail.  “We think it is terrific that vendors like Yankee Candle are embracing TrafficBuilder to leverage new marketing tools to support the store traffic and sales with their retailers.” 
More than 75 leading vendors have signed up to participate in the TrafficBuilder program which launches in June. Vendors provide content in the form of product images, videos and product descriptions which are then used by retailers in their marketing communications.  
SnapRetail is offering a free three month, no-obligation trial of TrafficBuilder to retailers who sign up before June 15, 2010.  To learn more about TrafficBuilder and for a list of participating lines, please visit http://www.snapretail.com/trafficbuilder/retailers.asp. 
Yankee customers interested in signing up for the free trial should visit [HYPERLINK https://www.snapretail.com/trafficbuilder/signup.asp?} to sign up online. 
About SnapRetail:
SnapRetail is leading the way to solve the challenge of slowing wholesale and retail sales. With the largest online wholesale MarketPlace in the industry, we help vendors and sales agencies with the “sell to” of products to retailers. Plus, by leveraging the best of e-marketing and social media with the content of leading vendors, we offer the system called TrafficBuilder that retailers need to “sell through” products to consumers. SnapRetail is the complete solution for making retail a snap!  More information is available on www.snapretail.com and SnapRetail’s Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/snapretail.  
About Yankee Candle
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles, based on sales, in the giftware industry.  Yankee Candle has a 40-year history of offering distinctive products and marketing them as affordable luxuries and consumable gifts.  The Company sells its products through a North American wholesale customer network of approximately 20,800 store locations, a growing base of Company owned and operated retail stores (498 Yankee Candle Stores located in 43 states as of April 3, 2010), direct mail catalogs, and its Internet website (www.yankeecandle.com).  Outside of North America, the Company sells its products primarily through its subsidiary, Yankee Candle Company (Europe), Ltd., which has an international wholesale customer network of approximately 4,000 store locations and distributors covering a combined 46 countries.

Clock, cross and candles

The Peanuts 60th anniversary clock features Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and other charcters from the popular comic strip. From Mark Feldstein & Associates, the clock available in two diameters: 8 inches and 13 inches. The clock plays the “Linus and Lucy” song at the top of each hour.

The solar-powered LED Cross turns on automatically to illuminate the cross up to 8 hours when fully charged.

The company also offers the Flameless LED Vanilla candle (below)with melted top (set of 3). Each set includes a 4-, 5-, and 6-inch pillar Vanilla-scented candle. The auto on/off timer will turn on the candles every day at the same time for 6 hours.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Candle warmers are alternatives to traditional candles

Candle Warmers Etc. introduced new products at the Housewares Show in Chicago. The ceramic candle warmer lantern (top photo) uses a soft halogen light to warm the top of the candle so that it releases the fragrance. This eliminates the fire hazard and smoke damage from burning a candle indoors.
The fleur de lis candle warmer and dish line accommodates most 4- to 18-ounce jar candles. Plug-in styles are also available.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Vote in Homeworkshop.com's Imageglow Design Challenge

Homeworkshop.com invited its readers to submit original designs that could be used on a candle, made by Imageglow. It received 350+ entries from all over the world in its
"Imageglow Design Challenge."
A panel of judges (including me) narrowed the field to three. The winner receives a case of candles and royalties. That's a really good prize. Take a look at the finalists, then cast your vote. Voting ends Sunday, March 28.

Lamps, vases, decorative accessories

Lazy Susan USA is showing its new collections of decorative home accessories at gift markets in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York. The company also exhibits in High Point.

Porcelain sea shells, Marlina crystal frame and winged boxes, and the Clamrose jardiniere lamp

Krustallos hanging lamps, rush Bateau bowls, woven abaca cloth mirror and matte Smoke vase

Indigo cut-crystal bowl and carved-wood hurricanes

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Readers' Choice Of 2009

These were the most-viewed products of 2009. Click the company name for full descriptions, links to company websites and additional photographs. Thanks for reading Gift & Home Today in 2009.

Zicci Bea

Pennsylvania House

Linnea's Lights

McAlpine Home Collection

SpongeBob furniture from Lea Furniture

Licensed home decor from Julie Ueland

Midwest-CBK signed an exclusive license with artist Julie Ueland to create and sell her Tradewinds home décor collection to independent retailers. The new collection will debut during the 2010 winter markets.
The initial collection features 28 home décor and gift designs in glass, metal and ceramic including wall décor, tabletop and serveware, vases, candleholders, and table lamps.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

2010 dates for Ex-Tracts

from a press release:

Winter 2010 EX·TRACTS^® at the New York International Gift Fair
Sunday, January 31-Thursday, February 4, 2010
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City
1-800-272-SHOW (7469)

Summer 2010 EX·TRACTS at the New York International Gift Fair
Sunday, August 15-Thursday, August 19, 2010
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City
1-800-272-SHOW (7469)

EX·TRACTS^® features some 100 exhibitors of cosmetics, perfumes, skincare, bath and body care, beauty accessories, hair care, natural/organic products, well-being lines and home products such as aromatherapy, candles, and home spa items. EX·TRACTS is one of eight divisions of the New York International Gift Fair, located at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Visit www.extractsny.com for additional information and registration.

Accessories for entertaining

Mariposa's Jardin Perdu collection (below) was designed by sculptor Shelly Bradbury, the company's artist in residence. Gold and silver doves are new to the collection, which also includes a knife and cheese spreader, cocktail-napkin box and candle holder. Also shown are holiday items from the Brillante collection.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimums.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.

Top products from August

The following were the most-viewed gift, home and furniture products for the month of August. (Click on photos for a larger view: click on title below to read more.)

Plush sleep aids for children (cloud b)

First look at a new bedding line (Zicci Bea)

Colorful alarm clocks (HeadsUp Design)

Organic chocolates, candles (Vanishing Creatures)

Scandinavian-designed cake server (Urban Butik)

Decoupage candlesticks

New York gift show exhibitor Scott Potter Designs makes decoupage accessories and servingware. Sophisticated desk sets with letter openers, paperweights, desk trays and crystal clocks have been top sellers this year. Crystal bottle stoppers, napkin rings and small trays are special hostess gifts.

---

Retailers: Contact the manufacturer for prices and minimum orders.

Shoppers: Ask your favorite independent retailer to order this item for you.