Gift, I Bought This, Affiliate Links
A while back, I started collecting limited edition compacts from Estée Lauder. In fact, I wrote about one of them that I bought in 2016 during the Mad Men era (here).
It’s a powder blush with a mirror. I put it in my dresser drawer, and I have mostly forgotten to use it. But I think I will leave it out and start using it and carrying it with me.
I have another Estée Lauder mini-compact with translucent pressed powder with Swarovski Crystals on the top. I don’t think I wrote about that limited edition, but I’ve used it as a prop in some of my Valentine’s Day posts. I know I took that one out of my drawer recently, but now I can’t find it. Boo. So cute, right?
My Rabbit Obsession
On a different but related topic, I have been obsessed with rabbits. Rabbits have taken over our neighborhood, and they love my gardens. In fact, they love to eat the flowers and plants in my gardens. But in spite of my being annoyed at them, they are so darn cute. I love them. For a long time, there was a big male rabbit that used to hang out in my yard for several years. That’s him in the photo below just lazing in the grass minding his own business.
I think he may have passed on (that photo was taken 3 years ago), but he was replaced by other rabbits. In fact, this spring while cleaning my front garden, I unearthed a nest of baby bunnies. Sometime after that, I noticed a mother and a juvenile rabbit or two living in my front garden. Throughout most of this summer, a large rabbit used to appear on my side yard where the rabbit above was resting or in my back yard every day around 4pm, and he would eat my grass. Eating grass was fine with me.
But a couple of weeks ago, I was driving out of my driveway. Just as I turned onto my street, I noticed to my horror that a small rabbit had been run over by some kind of vehicle and was quite flat and very dead in the middle of the road. I managed to avoid it with my car. When I returned home the next day, the dead rabbit was gone. Nevertheless, I felt bad about it, and I assumed it was either the mother or the juvenile who hung out in my yard. The rabbit must have run out into the road in order to cross the street when he was hit. That evening while I was on the phone with my friend M, I mentioned how bad I felt about the poor little rabbit.
One evening recently when I stopped at her house to say hello, she said she had something for me. It wasn’t my birthday, so I didn’t know what it was about. I opened the gift, and this cutie was inside it:
The most adorable, bejeweled rabbit! M gave it to me so I would feel less sad about the rabbit’s accident. M loves auctions, and she found this beautiful rabbit at an auction. I just love it! To my additional surprise, she told me that it is a vintage, limited edition, purse or decorative rabbit from Estée Lauder. And then she showed me how it opens to reveal solid perfume! What an incredible gift! Check this out.
And the reasons I told you about my other Estée Lauder limited edition items is that they are so meaningful to me. I had no idea that Estée Lauder made perfume holders. What a terrific addition to my little collection!
I have researched my cute little golden rabbit online and discovered it is from 1992. She’s wearing a green crystal or rhinestone necklace with a pink crystal necklace “jewel” and pink crystal eyes.
She is about 2 inches long by 1 3/4 inches high. And her right side opens to reveal the solid perfume. I’ve been trying to figure out which perfume is inside. It’s smells floral to me, but I saw somewhere on line it was Cinnabar but it doesn’t smell like Cinnabar. At any rate, I’ve been wearing the perfume, though I think it may have faded a bit over the decades.
My special golden bunny has pride of place on top of my vanity so that I can look at it and use it whenever I like. Plus, it doesn’t eat my flowers!
If you’re interested, I have seen three or four Estée Lauder golden rabbits for sale on eBay and Etsy with prices varying from $36+ – $68.
What a lovely post! Your compacts are stunning but I adore the rabbit. We also have rabbits in our neighborhood, and one used to rest and nap under the shrub outside our bedroom window. We called him our sentry bunny and joked he was sleeping on the job. Thank you for sharing your charming bunny with us.
I love that “sentry bunny” who is “sleeping on the job”!!! So clever, Cynthia! Does he eat your plants too? 😉
Hi, Allison – Sweet! I am helping cats survive in my neighborhood. Two are black and there was a black cutie that isn’t here anymore. I miss him. 🙁 Recently, a brown bunny ran in front of my car as I was driving so that I had to stop and wait for it. I need to look up what the rabbit’s message was for me in my Animal Speak book. That’s a beautiful collection you have. I have gotten hooked on Estee Lauder Overnight Repair products since my daughter gave me a set for Christmas. Thanks for sharing your beautiful collection and rabbit stories too! – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Black cats are my faves. I can understand that you would miss him. I hope someone adopted him. Thank you for stopping in time to spare that rabbit xoxo Estée Lauder is a long time excellent line.
I love the Estee Lauder solid perfume compacts! I have bought them when I could over the decades and have about 10 of them. I have a piano, a fish, a slice of cake and an old fashioned telephone one to name a few.
OMG, that’s wonderful, Tracy! I had no idea that EL made these adorable perfume holders. I will have to search for photos of the ones that you have. I would love to see the piano especially! Do you know if EL still sells them during holidays?
I’m so sorry about the bunny. I have bunnies in my yard too so I feel for you. But oh that EL rabbit is FABULOUS! True story: My love for makeup began with Estee Lauder. When I was 12, my grandmother gave me an Estee Lauder makeup kit as a holiday gift and I was hooked!
Oh, thank you for understanding about the rabbits! And yes, EL still rocks. My first brand was Clinique, but Estée Lauder was next!
Clinique was my first skincare brand. I actually got my Mom and grandmother more interested in skincare and we all started using Clinique.
<3<3<3 Skincare warriors!!