Christmas Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
December '08 Christmas
History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

History: No era in history has influenced the way in which we celebrate Christmas, quite as much as the Victorians. Before Victoria's reign started in 1837 nobody in Britain had heard of Santa Claus or Christmas Crackers. No Christmas cards were sent and most people did not have holidays from work. The wealth and technologies generated by the industrial revolution of the Victorian era changed the face of Christmas forever. Charles Dickens wrote books like "Christmas Carol", published in 1843, which actually encouraged rich Victorian's to redistribute their wealth by giving money and gifts to the poor! These radical middle class ideals eventually spread to the not-quite-so-poor as well. The wealth generated by the new factories and industries of the Victorian age allowed middle class families in England and Wales to take time off work and celebrate over two days, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Boxing Day, December 26th, earned its name as the day servants and working people opened the boxes in which they had collected gifts of money from the "rich folk".

Now we can all be rich in the traditions of Christmas passed down from the Victorian era!

Specials:
Our lowest price ever on full size Victorian Laurels Fragrance!

For one day only you save $16 or 33% off our everyday low price on Victorian Laurels 2 oz Perfume Spray! This is our Victorian Laurels Signature Perfume in our exclusive Diamond shape bottle with a handy spray top. Order here, Monday December 1st only! Maximum order is one per customer!

Discount Winner: Catherine Franc receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

November Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
November '08
Happy Thanksgiving

“Something to eat, something to read, something to play with, and something they need.” Victorian Poem

Victorian Laurels is celebrating the theme of a "Victorian Christmas" by filling our Velveteen

Gift Bags the "old-fashioned way". See below for a detailed inventory of our "Stocking Stuffers" bag.

$30 Value, now only $19.01 signifying the end of the Victorian era.

Order by December 15th to receive in time for Christmas!
Order "Victorian Stocking Stuffers" Filled Gift Bag below:
Only $19.01 + $5.99 S/H
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To eat: Brand new Victorian Laurels mint tins! Filled with Koppers French Mints.

To read: Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States, 44-page pamphlet.

To play with: Victorian Style Door Hanger. Play Jingle Bells with this 12" door hanger.

They need: Victorian Laurels Purse-Size Spray 10 ml bottle of perfume. ($18 sold separately)

Printable Order Form:
Mail to: Victorian Laurels
2500 Cimino Rd NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107

SHIP TO: Name: _______________________
Address: _______________________
City St Zip: _______________________
Phone #: _______________________

Please send me _______ bags at $19.01 each!

I am including $5.99 for shipping and handling!


Discount Winner: John Peter Exley receives a $5 bonus discount on his next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

Halloween Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
October '08

History: In Colonial and Victorian America, October 31st was, more than anything else, a night of romance; where corn husking parties and games with apples were eagerly anticipated as one of the rare nights in the year when being flirtatious was acceptable. On this night, divination rituals predicted marriages. If for example, a young lady stood perfectly still before a mirror at midnight on Halloween, the ghostly image of her future husband's face was said to appear floating over her shoulder. In 1895, Harper's Weekly printed a verse that still stands true today.

No end of schemes were there of old
By which love's tender charms were told;
And still may fairies intervene
To bless the fates of Halloween.

Specials: Check out our Autumn Sale on Vanity Perfume Bottles!
Vanity Perfume Bottles
With any $30 or more purchase and the mention of "Halloween Newsletter Special" in the special instructions area of your order, we will refund your $7.50 for shipping!

Discount Winner: Debra Kelley receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $30 or more.

"September Morn" Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
September '08

"September morn
We danced until the night became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes from some romantic play
September morning still can make me feel this way"

Written by: Neil Diamond and Gilbert Becaud

History: A display of affection entitled "Gathering Honey" is captured in print by the beloved illustrator of beautiful women in the early 1900's. Short handle or detachable chain option. Acetate Satin. (Image on both sides with beadwork). Signed and dated Harrison Fisher, 1913. Fisher has made a name for himself due to his ability to paint beautiful women. The artwork of Harrison Fisher appeared on over 80 covers of the Saturday Evening Post and from 1913 until his death in 1934, Fisher created almost every cover for Cosmopolitan magazine. (10" x 13")


$39.95 Value
Only $30

Specials: Harrison Fisher Handbag: Mention 'Victorian Laurels Shopper Newsletter Special' in the special instructions section of your order and we will refund the $7.50 shipping on this item only:
Harrison Fisher Handbag

Discount Winner: Carla Manchego receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

Order Form

August Newsletter - Dog Days of Summer

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
August '08

History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

History: The phrase Dog Days or "the dog days of summer", refers to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. They are a phenomenon of the northern hemisphere that usually falls between early July and early September but the actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. (See image above.)

Specials: We are sponsoring a "Dog Days of Summer 72-hour Sale". From Sunday, July 27th through Tuesday, July 29th any order from Victorian Laurels website (excluding our Teatime Friends page) with a product total of $30 or more will receive free shipping. That's right, we will refund your shipping amount for any order placed in that 72-hour period with a product total of $30 or more. (Refund will be in the form of an adjustment to your order and will be through our secure online server. Just mention "Dog Days Sale" in the special instructions section.)

Discount Winner: Tamatha Burrus receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

July Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
July '08

History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

Left is the 1876 flag flown on July 4th over our nation's Capitol to celebrate our 100th Birthday!
Image from foundersofamerica.com


History: July 4, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die.

From the beginning of the century, when Abigail Adams, the wife of one President and the mother of another, said, "we will not hold ourselves bound to obey laws in which we have no voice or representation," women began fighting for equal rights.

On July 4th, 1876, the National Woman Suffrage Association drafted the "Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States".
It wasn't until 1920, that our 19th Amendment would pass granting women the right to vote.

Specials: Our Victorian Laurels Eyeglass Chains are perfect for sunglasses, too! Order any one of our chains by using the code "newsletter special" and writing in the item number from our website in the blank field on this order form:
Mail Order Form

For a total of $20 (including shipping) you can order any one chain, with a savings of up to $7.50.

Discount Winner: Beth Guest receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

June Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
June '08

History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

History: The Victorian seaside visitor was clothes conscious. Huge trunks were packed with clothes slightly less formal than those worn for town. Ladies wore their crinolines and round hats, an impractical costume for blustery coasts and damp sands. As long as the clothes were fashionable they wore them. For general holiday wear and travelling to destinations women wore shorter skirts minus trains. Large ribbon streamer straw hats were a great seaside favourite in the mid 1850s. Many paintings of the seaside illustrate the straw hat fashion alongside bonnets with brims with projecting frames of cane covered in silk. They were called 'uglies' and were used to shield a woman's face from the sun. In the 1870s crinolines were exchanged for tight corsets and bustles.


Specials: We wouldn't think of going to the beach without our Victorian Laurels Hand & Body Lotion. Check out our "free" Summer Tote Bag offer, with your order of Victorian Laurels Body Lotion Trio:
In fact, we will give our newsletter subscribers a "free" tote with any order of $30 or more just by mentioning, "free tote", in the special instructions area of your order!
Victorian Laurels Summer Tote Giveaway

Discount Winner: Renee Phillips receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

May Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
May '08

History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

Image: 1854 Wedding Dress from Victoriana Magazine

The Wedding Day has arrived, the most important event in a Victorian girl's life. It is the day her mother has prepared her for from the moment she was born. The Victorian girl knew no other ambition. She would marry, and she would marry well.
The wedding itself and the events leading up to the ceremony are steeped in ancient traditions still evident in Victorian customs. One of the first to influence a young girl is choosing the month and day of her wedding. June has always been the most popular month, for it is named after Juno, Roman goddess of marriage. She would bring prosperity and happiness to all who wed in her month. Practicality played a part in this logic also. If married in June, the bride was likely to birth her first child in Spring, allowing her enough time to recover before the fall harvest.
June also signified the end of Lent and the arrival of warmer weather. That meant it was time to remove winter clothing and partake in one's annual bath. April, November and December were favored also, so as not to conflict with peak farm work months. October was an auspicious month, signifying a bountiful harvest.

Have you seen our new Wedding page at Victorian Laurels?
Wedding Page

Specials: Introductory Offer at 35% savings!
Save on our brand new Bridal Gift sets and our Bridesmaids favor packs. Visit our wedding link above.

Discount Winner: Renee Phillips receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

New 'Angel Gift Set'

Visit our Heirloom page and see our brand new angel gift set featuring our new hand & body lotion and other favorite Victorian Laurels fragrance products!

Victoriana Magazine - March 2008

We were thrilled to be published in the March issue of Victoriana's online magazine.
Read Article
Look for Victorian Laurels Fragrances featured inside the article.

March Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
March '08

History:
Specials:
Discount Winner:

Image: Princess Louise from www.bermuda-online.org

History:
1503: Spanish captain Juan de Bermudez sights the uninhabited island. It's eventually named after him.
1883: Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, comes to Bermuda. Her visit helps to promote the island as a tourist destination. It was because of her husband's Royal Appointment as Governor General of Canada - and may also have been because of his philandering - that she was able to visit Bermuda, not just once in 1883 but several times later. She made no secret of the fact that she much preferred the much warmer winter climate of Bermuda to that of Canada. She was Bermuda's first official tourist in 1883. The two big local Princess Hotels are named after her. The first was the Hamilton (or Pembroke) Princess built originally in the late 1880's but modernized since. The real Princess consented to the name because it was built from the publicity she brought Bermuda. In fact, she was present for the grand opening and formally named the hotel. Bermuda also owed her a great debt because more than anyone else she put Bermuda on the map of tourism with her fame and stature. She referred to Bermuda as the "Shangri La" of holiday destinations.

Specials: Please visit the link below to access our "Bermuda Sale" offer from the internet. This product is not even available on our website yet, but we are taking orders from our Preferred Customers at this remarkable discounted rate!

March Newsletter Link

You may print out the order form and mail it with your check to:

Victorian Laurels * 2500 Cimino Rd NW * Albuquerque, NM 87107
*Please specify which of the offers you would like by circling your choice of hand & body lotion or shower gel.

Discount Winner: Pam Cassel receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

Hand & Body Lotion

We have a new logo for our "heirloom collection" from Victorian Laurels. We also have a brand new fragrance product that will be available very soon, hand & body lotion. Our new hand & body lotion has the same Victorian Laurels fragrance you have grown to love. It comes in a pretty pink lotion in frosted bottles with old fashioned Victorian labels. Stop by and check out our incredible "Introductory offer".

Victorian Laurels Bridal Collection

We just love our new logo for the upcoming Victorian Laurels Bridal Collection. Be sure and check back often because it will be here soon and include fragrance items, party favors, custom wine charms, and more gifts for your Victorian wedding.

Regards,
Victoria

February Newsletter

Victorian Laurels Newsletter
February '08 Valentine's Day
History: The Victorian Era

Valentine's Day reached its height of celebration in the Victorian Era.

Valentine cards were more cherished that Christmas cards (which weren't printed commercially until 1846), perhaps because of the sentimentality attached to them. Due to this popularity, designing cards became a highly competitive market, with a vast array of motifs and verses. Suddenly, cards were being produced in tens of thousands, from whimsy and slightly vulgar, to truly sentimental, their designs included lace paper, embossed envelopes, glass or metal mirrors, ribbons, dried ferns and fake advertisements, bank notes and marriage licenses.

The lyrics in these cards were as effusive as the decorations. Whether sent by a steady beau or a secret admirer, these cards were unabashedly sentimental, pleading for affection and pledging undying devotion happily ever after. Even men kept these tokens of affection hidden in their bureau drawers.


Specials: Free PERFUME with our "Marie Perfume Bottle" http://www.victorianlaurels.com/bottles.html
Simply order item #3064 and we will fill it with our exclusive Victorian Laurels Perfume absolutely free! Please mention the "Newsletter Special" in the special instructions part of your order.

Discount Winner: Tammy Sneddon receives a $5 bonus discount on her next mail order purchase of $20 or more.

Wishing all of our Victorian Laurels customers a romantic and Happy Valentine's Day!

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A visit to Victorian Laurels may not change your life,
but it will most certainly change your day!
www.victorianlaurels.com

Crown Perfumery

History: Crown Perfumery was once one of Britain's foremost perfume houses. Crown Perfumery was founded in 1872 by William Sparks Thomson, a maker of crinolines and corsets. Catering to the high society in London and Europe, he launched a collection of floral fragrances called Flower Fairies. Queen Victoria granted the Crown Perfumery her own crown's image to top the fragrance bottles. By the end of the century, Crown Perfumery was exporting nearly 50 different perfumes and accompanying products to countries all over the world. Mrs. Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, was the inspiration for the creation of 'Crown Bouquet'. Other current perfumes include 'Marechale 90', a perfume whose original version dates back to 1669, 'Crown Stephanotis' and 'Malabar'. At present "Victorian Laurels" is not affiliated with Crown Perfumery, but we do have a new charm on our bottle sporting a crown on the top.

Tips for Wearing Perfume

When you apply perfumes apply them to pulse points such as the folds in the crook of your elbow (this really lasts) and back of knees, wrist, neck and cleavage. Make sure you do not rub wrists together as this crushes the smell. Spraying a little into the air is also good if you walk straight into the perfume. This helps to diffuse it over your body. Do not simply apply to the neck always work up the body as the scent rises. Also consider wearing in your bra a small ball of perfume impregnated cotton wool and spraying the hems of your garments.

Consider layering perfumes. Use all the same perfume in various products. Begin with shower or bath gel and then rub in body creme or spray with a matching after bath spray. Finally apply the scent preferably as perfume or parfum. I find that the use of body creme makes you feel really scented and it is probably to do with starting at the feet and applying the scent all over allowing the scent to rise. It also makes you feel extra special and very pampered.

Keep bottles tightly stopped, away from direct heat and out of sunlight. You will certainly know when they have gone off as you'll notice that you do not get that lovely boost of heavenly scent when you spray or dab and the fragrance will look darker in the bottle. Some perfumes come in blue or opaque bottles and these store perfume well.

Welcome!

Victorian Laurels is proud to present their new blog entitled, "Fragrance Lines". We will be giving you some perfume history and current affairs at Victorian Laurels.