5 Tips For Gifting The Perfect Perfume

As the holiday season draws closer, it’s time to start trawling the internet for gifts and beauty deals. If you’ve tasked yourself with buying your loved one a new fragrance, there are a few things you need to consider! While buying someone a new perfume sounds like a great idea, finding a new scent is a very personal and sometimes, unpredictable process. That said, if you find a perfume they fall in love with, it’ll be a scent they never forget!

To guide you on the path to perfume happiness, we’ve put together five helpful tips so you can find ‘the one.’ From finding out their signature scent to some cheeky hacks, here are some things you need to know when buying a fragrance for someone else.

1. Find Out Their Signature Scent

When buying someone a new fragrance, it’s helpful to find out what perfume they already love. For example, if your bestie is obsessed with Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum For Her, $108, which has a prominent white floral scent, chances are they’ll also like KAYALI Déjà Vu White Flower | 57, $85, which has a similar base note and is one of those classics that everyone loves. Alternatively, you may discover that their go-to scent has a sister perfume with similar notes that they’ll also like. For example, if they love Marc Jacobs Daisy, $108, you could invest in the Marc Jacobs Daisy Love, $108, which is just as floral but with a slightly creamier, warmer vibe.

2. Find Out their Favorite Foods

Another helpful thing to consider is their favorite foods, as somewhat surprisingly, many of your favorite foody smells also feature in popular perfumes. For example, the base note of the cult fave Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau De Parfum, $78, is coffee. Similarly, if your friend loves the smell of ocean air, freshly cut grass, or fresh oranges, these scents all translate into perfumes; look for citrus notes and fragrances that have pale packaging, as this often represents a lighter juice.

3. Do your Research

Whenever you’re investing in a new beauty product, it’s always a good idea to research the product first. First and foremost, find out if the scent is exactly what it describes on the packaging as sometimes they don’t list all of the fragrance notes on the box. This is why it’s so important to read the reviews. Fragrantica.com has thousands of reviews that’ll tell you everything about the fragrance from the scent to the staying power.

And as we’ve mentioned, if you know what someone likes, search through the directory of notes on Fragrantica.com for suggestions in that category. This is particularly helpful when you’re shopping online and are not able to smell the fragrance.

4. Look For A High Concentration

Your skin type, hormones, and pH balance will all determine how a scent wears on your skin. This will not only affect how a scent actually smells but how long the fragrance will last. Therefore, when gifting a fragrance, choose one that has a high perfume concentration. Keep in mind that Eau de Parfums can have as much as 20% fragrance while an Eau de toilette is about half of that; this means Eau da Parfum typically lasts the longest and is the best quality.

5. Buy a Gift Set

If you can’t decide on one perfume, buying a gift set is always a good option as your special someone will have multiple options. Plus, as we feel different every day, they’ll be able to play around with different fragrances to match their mood.

The KAYALI Miniature Set, $95, is ideal, as it includes four delicious fragrances that can be used alone or layered together so that you can create your own signature scent.

Top Tip: Play It Safe!

There are certain fragrances that everybody loves… Lancome La Vie En Rose, $100, Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue, $108, Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette, $74. When you take a closer look at these perfumes, you’ll notice they all have similar scents like vanilla, light florals, and musks. Look for these scents or play it safe and buy a cult classic. On the contrary, stay clear of heavy florals and woody accords as these can be very divisive scents.

For more inspo, check out these five affordable fragrances that smell SO luxurious.

Disclaimer: Every product we review has been independently selected and tested without bias by our editorial team. We never take payment to review products, however, some brands allow affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you purchase a product by clicking on one of our links.