GIFTING PERFUMES
Gone should be the days where gifting perfumes is a taboo. When we gift fragrance, we want you to feel confident and expressive, and not make you feel like you need to cover up a bad smell. With these being said, however, it is quite difficult for people to choose what fragrances to purchase as gifts. In this week’s column, let’s look over some factors to consider when buying a safe scent to gift to a loved one.
The first and most obvious consideration is to gift a person’s signature scent. If your giftee loves a certain scent and is mostly associated with a particular perfume, then purchasing that fragrance is the safest option.
Age and sophistication also play a role. More mature giftees might appreciate more sophisticated scents. Some perfumes, you should note, have some sort of perceived age limit. Body sprays and mists are safe purchases for younger people. More sophisticated people might prefer more high-end perfumes. Speak to the friendly sales staff about the age appropriateness of your fragrance purchase. As an illustration, teenage boys might like Axe but a small increase in age might make Old Spice more appropriate. Drakkar Noir is a popular “dad smell” that is not often gifted to younger folk. For the ladies, more mature women might not enjoy Victoria’s Secret. Take a sniff of the fragrance and imagine what kind of person would wear that scent.
Another thing to consider is personality. For example, I personally work as a scientist in a lab, so wearing an athletic perfume is way off from my personality. Is your perfume choice sporty, clean, flirty or mysterious? Can you imagine the giftee appropriately wearing the scent? Is the scent marketed towards your giftee’s sex? Many discussions among this domain lie on how the original perfumer imagined the perfume, as he or she chose the most appropriate ingredients to conjure that emotion. If you are not too familiar with the connotations of perfume notes, it might be a good idea to do some research on the perfume. Watch their advertisments. Who do you think the perfume is marketed towards? Does your giftee fit that mold?
It is usually much easier then to purchase gift sets containing multiple perfumes. That way, your giftee can choose for themselves which scent is most appropriate. They could also mix and match depending on their mood. Some gift sets contain only one type of perfume in various different formulations (say body washes or aftershaves) and you should stay away from these if you are not sure.
Overall, I think perfume gifting is such an intimate process because you get to evaluate your giftee’s likes and personality. For me, it deepens your appreciation of the person. Blindly purchasing perfumes for gifts is fine, but unless done properly it will not deliver the most positive effect possible. Imagine receiving a perfume from someone you love, considering many factors involved? I would definitely feel very grateful.