Selecting a Gift of Perfume for Her

Perfume is a wonderful gift, especially for your significant other. It's a sensual pleasure you can share every time it's worn and selecting the right fragrance is a great way to show that special someone you put some thought into a very personal kind of gift. How do you go about selecting the perfect perfume is tricky since people's sense of smell is highly specific to them, but if you do a little homework you stand a good chance at finding a scent that might just become a favorite for both of you.

The first thing you should do is look at what fragrances she already has- and likes. I've had a few perfumes given as to me as gifts that I didn't care for so I didn't wear them. Make sure none of hers are in this category or you're gift could end up a stinker. Make a list. Take note when she's wearing a perfume you particularly like and ask what it is, because the perfect fragrance gift ideally would be one you both like. Also try to steer the conversation toward the subject of allergies to see if she has any. (for example: My mom-sister-ex is allergic to lavender in perfume. Ever heard of anything like that?) When you're armed with a list of her perfume wardrobe, possible problem ingredients, and with ratings on your own likes and dislikes its time to head for the perfume counter.

One thing that is helpful to understand is the idea of fragrance families. The main families are: Fougre, Floral, Oriental, Chyphre, Marine and Citrus. There are some different sub-categories of these families as well, but that gets a little more complicated. The Fougre family is mainly a classification of masculine fragrances, but some women wear fragrances primarily formulated for men. The Chyphre family (pronounced sheep-r) is woody, mossy and floral. Common notes are: Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Patchouli Bergamot and Vetiver. The family of Orientals is warm, with spicy and sweet notes. Often scents like vanilla and sandalwood are utilized. The others are pretty self-explanatory. Floral, citrus, and marine are what they sound like.

The person at the perfume counter should be able to help you identify what families your beloved's favorites tend to be and then point you toward some fragrances of the same general family. Then you need to determine what you actually like. It might actually be useful if it isn't tipping your hand too much to get a couple of samples of things you are seriously considering buying. A good cover story might be that you were at the mall with your mom/sister, or whatever and they were handing out perfume samples and you wanted to see what she thought of them.

It helps to actually experience the scent on the person for whom you want to buy it because perfumes smell differently on different people and perfumes change over a few hours of wear. If you narrow down to just one or two you might be able to pull off a test wear without her getting suspicious. Another partial solution would be taking someone else shopping with you. A sister, friend, or whomever might be able to test perfumes with you in an advisory role.

Before you actually buy anything find out what the return policy is. You might be able to buy the bottle and get a sample with it so she can try it before she opens the bottle. Whatever solution you come up with, though, make sure that it can be exchanged if it turns out to be not to her liking. Perfume is a highly subjective experience.