CHOOSING THE PERFECT FRAGRANCE GIFT

In our humble opinion, fragrance truly is the perfect gift. It's thoughtful, personal and will keep on giving time and time again, elevating an outfit, preparing for the day/night ahead or bringing back beautiful memories. But it can also seem a little intimidating, there's so much choice and it's so specific to each individual.

However, we don't think this should put you off, whether you're trying to match a fragrance to someones current scent and vibe or find something a little special and more unusual for them, there are ways to get it just right. Here are our top tips for finding the perfect fragrance gift this festive season.

1. Take your time. Don’t rush the process, browse the site and take in the different fragrance categories, consider their personality and what feels like a good match for this. Think about their lifestyle, what size would suit that too, are they an 'on-the-go10ml handy size' kinda gal or a 'luxury scents for fancy evening do’s' person? You want this scent to be a good match so take your time and have a good ol' browse.

2. Ask us. We are always here to help, jump on the chat, drop us an email or pop by for a fragrance consultation, we’re always happy to lend an ear and offer advice with a  knowledgeable, sympathetic and dispassionate voice.

3. Use your instinct. Perfume is all about emotion and feeling. Don't over-critique; beware of over-analysing. Trust your inner animal and instinct. Properly cultivated, instinct will never betray you.

4. Ask their nearest and dearest. Check in with their family and friends, what have they worn previously? Are they a fruity lover or do they lean more towards florals? Maybe they like to mix it up and a gift set would suit them perfectly. Any and all input could be helpful as you navigate this decision.

5. Search for clues! Ok you may have to be a bit subtle about this one but think back, have you ever noticed fragrance in their handbag or got a whiff of a new scent when you’ve spent time together? Maybe you've seen their fragrance collection in the bathroom that could give some helpful hints.

6. Think. Imagine. Analyse. Consider the personality. Can you honestly smell the recipient wearing this perfume – and loving it? Ponder on other sensory clues: what colours does the recipient like? What’s their hair colour, skin tone? What kind of clothes do they wear? What is their personal style? What kind of music do they listen to? What's their favourite food? Who's their favourite movie star – and why? Analyse. Make links. Think it out…

8. Empathise. What does the recipient love? Put yourself in their shoes: how old are they? What are they interested in? Are they shy or exuberant? Then match, match, match. Suit the scent to the recipient.

9. Don’t go off-plan. If someone has dropped hints for a gift and has named the scent they want, buy THAT scent and no other. Don't try to be clever and buy something else ‘for a surprise’. It will always be a disaster. However, we also have some lovely individual 10ml's, fragrance wardrobes with full scent collections and trio gift sets, so if you think its time they made a change, a new selection might help them start to think outside the box.

10. Final note…And, if you really lose your nerve – there's always a voucher, or a consultation you can offer up, in lieu. But go on: be adventurous. Accept the challenge.