A Husband’s Guide to Buying Your Wife Perfume

One thing I learned early on in my marriage to my wife is perfume is one of those gifts that can be given just about any time; whether it's a gift for a holiday or special occasion or as a "just because" present to put a smile on her face (I recently bought my wife a new perfume to go with her new hairstyle).

Of course, not all women wear perfume. But, if you wife (or girlfriend) does and you've never purchased it for her before; it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to get one that is perfect for her. That's why I would like to offer some guidelines I follow when making a purchase.

The first thing to remember is the most expensive perfume isn't always the best. Just because you see some expensive brand in a commercial on TV, you shouldn't automatically expect that it will perfect for your wife. I have actually found perfumes for less than $10 that were just as good and, many times, better than the very expensive brands. In other words, when shopping, keep the price tag (and what you saw in ads) out of the equation.

Make sure you know your wife's personality. This should already be a done deal if you married her but, if it isn't take the time to reflect a bit. Is she a person who likes to flirt? Does she love flowers? If she has candles (like my wife) what kind of scents does she like? This does make it a lot easier when you are out shopping for her.

Before shopping, check out her inventory. When your wife isn't looking, take the time to look at the perfumes she already has and make notes (mental or written) about what they smell like (the bottle will usually tell you). There are two ways to use this information. If she has mostly flowery perfumes, for example, you can either look for a flowery perfume or, if you're like me, you can look for something different; to give her the option to change things up a bit.

Take the time to smell the perfume before you buy it. This is something I know a lot of men are uncomfortable doing and I'm not saying you should spray it on your wrist or anything. But, you should not trust what is on the bottle. I've seen plenty that were supposed to smell like roses, for example, but smelled like alcohol. It's also important to know if it is a scent you will enjoy smelling too since, if she wears it, she's probably wearing it for you.

As I said before, buying your wife perfume is a great way to put a smile on her face; especially if you take the time to do it right.