Is Perfume A Good Gift?

Perfume is a very personal gift.

So before you even consider what kind of perfume to get, make sure it is the right gift for the person.

It’s best reserved for someone close and special to you like a girlfriend who has everything, your small/big sister, your partner or your mum.

But picking the right scent is tricky.

People’s opinions when it comes to perfume are very subjective. You may love a bergamot-scented perfume but for someone else it might as well be cat poop.

Finding something that the recipient will love takes careful consideration and a bit of risk-taking.

But don’t tense up too much. You don’t have to pick an exact match for them. There are plenty of safe picks that they are likely to love.

And even if they don’t like it, the action of buying them perfume will be much appreciated.

Here are some few tips to keep in mind when buying a perfume as a gift.

Know Your Fragrances: Perfume vs. Eau de Perfume vs. Eau de Toilette vs. Eau de Cologne

The main difference among these four types of perfumes is how much pure perfume/essence they contain. The higher the essence concentration the stronger the scent.

Perfume is the strongest and most expensive. It’s perfect if you are looking for a luxury perfume gift.

Eu de Perfume is lighter because it contains more water and alcohol. This is the best choice for most people.

You can get something that smells really nice but is not too expensive.

Eau de Toilette is even lighter and a great choice if you are looking for an everyday perfume. Because of light scent, it’s a great choice if you are not sure what the recipient likes.

Eau de Cologne is the most dilute type of fragrance. If the perfume is for your small sister, get this one for them. It’s not too strong and you can find a good one at a great price.

To learn more about the different types of perfumes, see the top answer to this question on Quora.

If you are Not Sure, Pick Light

The biggest risk when buying a perfume as a gift is getting someone something that is too intense for their liking.

So if you are not sure what someone likes, always pick a light airy scent. Go for flowery scents like orange, jasmine and rose.

Get Ideas from Instagram and Celebs

If you the gift is for your teenage sibling or just someone young, they are more likely to appreciate a trendy perfume.

The best place to find one is Instagram. Look up which brands and scents are currently trending and pick one.

Even better, find a perfume that has been endorsed or is made by a celebrity.

Some ideas include Ariana Grande Sweet Like Candy Eau de Parfum and Katy Perry Meow EDP Spray.

Consider Their Favourite Scent

I don’t just mean their favourite perfume scent.

It can be a certain flower whose scent they love, perhaps a specific essential oil they keep around or maybe they can’t get enough of the earthy smell of pine.

Perfumes contain almost any scent you can think off.

So if she likes a certain scent, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll find a perfume that has a similar scent either as the main fragrance or a complement to other fragrances.

For instance if she loves the smell of gardenia, get her a gardenia perfume.

Consider Their Personality

I’m not saying you do a stealthy personality test on them. You can just rely on their basic temperament and quirks to choose something that is in line with their personality.

For instance, extroverts often love stronger scents that attract more attention and put them at the head of the pack. Introverts on the other hand may prefer a softer scent that’s barely detectible beyond them.

Check out this list of science-backed Scent and Personality matches by Reader’s digest for ideas.

Try Something New

If the scent is for your best quirky friend or partner, you have some freedom to experiment with new scents. They won’t mind trying something new as long as it’s from you.

Find a scent they’ve never tried and get it for them.

If that sounds too risky, another option is to buy a sample set. Many stores sell miniature perfumes to help customers find the one they like.

Once they find their favourite pick, buy it for them. Some sets come with a gift card so that the recipient can buy her favourite pick herself.