Aesop has, since its inception in Melbourne by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis in 1987, always been a clever body care brand for users who are well-read and those who know the works of eminent writers and philosophers.
More than 30 years later, it still carries the torch of literature-- perhaps the only one in this industry-- with Christmas box sets of their bestsellers as well as digital versions of select literary works.
Collectively entitled Sensory Chronicles, its 2020 Gift Kits pay tribute to the remarkable power of the imagination. Housed in a biodegradable case made from 100 percent recycled material, each kit offers a voyage of the mind and senses, celebrating mankind's ability to access other worlds without leaving home.
For hand and body care, The Lone Collector has The Dream of Akinosuke by Japanese writer of Greek-Irish descent, Lafcadio Hearn. Contained within the gift as an eBook and audio download, it tells of a Japanese farmer who falls asleep under a cedar tree. He is soon whisked to the king's court, where he marries the king's daughter and is made ruler of an island province. There is the lingering suggestion after he reawakens however, that the encounter may not have been a dream after all.
With box comes with Geranium Leaf body cleanser and body balm, and Resurrection Aromatique hand wash and hand balm.
The Seasoned Wayfarer (with hand wash, room spray and post-poo drops) comes with Rabindranath Tagore's The Kabuliwala, a richly atmospheric portrait of life in Calcutta, and an exploration of identity and self-discovery, about an Afghan merchant who befriends a Bengali girl.
Other boxes include The Ardent Nomad (with its Parsley Seed cleanser, toner and serum) that comes with Swiss author and traveller, Isabelle Eberhardt's diaries excerpts that tell of her travels through North Africa while disguised as a man.
The Chance Companion (with hand wash and body balm) presents Something Childish but Very Natural by celebrated New Zealander Katherine Mansfield. Finally, The Metaphysical Voyager (a duo for the face) comes with The Delirium by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, that tells the story of a fever dream in which the narrator, who may or may not be deceased, is carried by a flying hippo to the beginning of time.
The sets are available at its retail stores or online at Lazada.