Is it presumptuous to buy perfume as a gift without knowing the recipient will like it? Scent is such a personal choice, we are told, ad infinitum. But those in close confines with a person drenched in fragrance will experience it as much as (if not more than) the wearer. Purchasing an eau de toilette is high-stakes stuff for all.
Every fragrance smells different to (and on) everyone; a single spritz at the perfume counter could convince gift-givers that they have found the most charming scent in existence, only to learn it induces abject nausea in their chosen recipient. I know this to be true: a whiff of Angel by Mugler is like a high-pitched siren through my head, but its curious chocolatey concoction remains one of the most popular. So, a perfume’s commercial success won’t always guarantee victory. Already we are in troubled waters. Eau de dommage.
But before abandoning the perfume counter completely, just imagine if we could bottle the sensation of unwrapping the most glorious fragrance at Christmas. Finding a beautiful, pitch-perfect perfume feels like meeting a friend for the first time. A fantastic perfume makes a promise that cannot be broken. It is something we all need.
So, where to begin looking for a scent as a present? If you are used to witnessing the ritual of Chanel No. 5 being unwrapped but want your gift to be a surprise this year, try switching to Chanel’s No. 5 Eau Premiere. It’s much like the original but slightly sweeter, greener; as though No.5 has just visited the spring. Similarly, Prada’s Infusion D’Iris offers a sensible deviation: lighter and woodier while holding on to that crucial iris note.
By dividing each bottle into notes – top, middle and base – online descriptions read more like a piece of choral music than a scent to sniff and enjoy
Another safe option is to haul in the easy-to-wear – but by no means insipid – scents. Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue Eau Intense ticks every box: lightly floral with a refreshing citrussy yet warming heart, I cannot imagine anyone objecting to it. What’s more, you can buy the pour femme version in a petite 25ml travel-friendly bottle that’s non-committal but still big enough to raise a smile. Marc Jacobs’s Daisy will surely never offend either, and Clinique’s Happy carries an instant feel-good factor through a certain citrussy magic. The safest option of all, however, can be found encased in a desirable shade of blue: Tiffany & Co’s Eau de Parfum sparkles on pulse points without fuss.
Floral fans will rejoice when they discover Liz Earle’s Botanical Essence No. 100 Eau de Parfum, a scent inspired by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For devoted followers of single-flower varieties, Acqua di Parma’s Magnolia Infinita, the newbie from the Italian powerhouse, is sublime.
Shopping online often makes selecting fragrance into a minefield it needn’t be. By dividing each bottle into notes – top, middle and base – online descriptions read more like a piece of choral music than a scent to sniff and enjoy. In a helpful bid to demystify the process, John Lewis has added the year of creation within the perfume’s description, recognising that each decade has a fragrance trend. Overall, the 1970-80s were defined by bold perfume. Hedonism had headiness: YSL’s Opium was born, as was Dior’s Poison. The 1990-2000s offered a complete contrast, a symphony in fresh, clean scents. Calvin Klein’s CK One came about in 1994; Chanel’s Cristalle (an elegantly well-balanced joy, crisp with full-bodied oomph) arrived the year before. The pleasingly cool Ralph by Ralph Lauren emerged in 2000, and Jennifer Lopez’s Glow started to waft down the high street in 2002.
Going back a little further in time, pick Floris’s White Roses for the recipient who’d love the chance to wear a dash of British history. Created in 1800, it was the scent Florence Nightingale loved, and Lord Admiral Nelson reportedly chose for his mistress Lady Hamilton. Jo Malone’s Red Roses, meanwhile, packs a powerful, velvety punch. Jo Malone herself launched a new company called Jo Loves, whose Golden Gardenia is something to behold, a joint favourite with the ode to a grapefruit Pomelo, available in both perfume and candle form.
Whatever your feelings on candles sharing your scent, they are big business – and a good alternative gift if you’re still not feeling brave enough to buy perfume. They won’t necessarily save you any money, though – an enormous Jo Malone candle clocks in at a whopping £350 (although I can’t help but feel that part of the pleasure of gifting such a thing stems from the recipient knowing how much it costs). Diptyque’s Baies candle smells like crushed blackberries (£54 for a large size, or for extra Christmas sentiment, it can arrive with a gold carousel that spins over the heat for a cool £99 in total). Diptyque’s Figuier candle may lead to another perfume discovery – Diptyque’s Philosykos – a fugue in fig. (A side note here: if fruit fragrances are your favourites, Versace’s Dylan Blue smells so much like apple and blackberry crumble it’s quite uncanny.) This year, Marks and Spencer’s cheerful scented candles can be described as miniature objet d’art. When each is lit, the famed skylines of either Paris, New York or London come alive in LED for a tenner.
Oh, and for a truly sweet gift, try Tartine et Chocolat’s Ptisenbon Eau de Toilette. Ostensibly for children and exclusively stocked at Harrods, it is chocolate-scented and unutterably idyllic.
Buying perfume as a present is not for Only the Brave (which, by the way, is a great scent for men, by Diesel). A little scent can bring great joy, and that is what Christmas is all about.
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