“Free perfume ?! It's trite! And then, how to guess? What if you don't like it? What if …”I left all these doubts overboard - in the same place where my past has sunk, in which in my beauty arsenal there were no more than one or two fragrances at a time. Because a woman, like bags, should have a lot of perfume. And the larger your arsenal, the more olfactory experiments you become capable of. And this variability gives such freedom for self-expression that it would not even occur to you to say that you are an adherent of any one perfume ingredient. What you are not ready to put on your wrist, at least occasionally, just in the mood, something completely different from the smell of currants and Grasse rose. I bet if you are still in love with patchouli or dreaming of tuberose, you still have a lot of free space on the perfume shelf. And this means that you can and even need to give fragrances because you can never buy so much for yourself (although, of course, there are exceptions).
So how do you make a perfume a custom gift?
Least of all, be afraid of “not guessing” with the gift, because the person who is presented with the perfume must already have it. And if not, then he will buy them for himself and without you. Of course, it will not work to completely ignore the preferences of the "recipient". If he turns up his nose at your perfume with oud, and incense, according to his confession, is associated only with the funeral service of his beloved grandfather, then, of course, these notes should not be categorically in a gift bottle. Working with early childhood memories through fragrances is not your path, let psychologists and aromatherapists do it.
Many times I have seen an amazing transformation in people's attitudes towards fragrances and notes. This happened as we got acquainted with the world of luxury and niche perfumery, which, in principle, is richer and juicier than commercial, designed for mass demand (and therefore uses obviously popular, often not too expensive ingredients). Even my mother, who has kept no more than two bottles of perfume on her dressing table all her life (read: Mother's scent: scents of the Oedipus complex), has now acquired a dozen fragrances, most of which she literally tasted step by step like a small child - new dish. To ask her now what notes she prefers, the answer will be - according to the mood. Of course, she still has her favorites, but now she herself “changes clothes” with interest, and does not wear the same thing to a feast and to the world.
If you are thoroughly afraid not to guess and not to please - start with the safest option - with miniatures. Considering what segment of perfumery we are talking about, no one would call such a gift cheap.
Here, of course, there is one "but": most of these sets are sold only on the eve of holidays such as Christmas and New Years. The rest of the time you will have to look for them in duty free. That is, if a gift is needed not under the Christmas tree, then it is better to buy it between times - during a business trip or vacation. Or during the New Year's holiday sales - now perfume brands are increasingly launching sets of their bestsellers around Christmas, putting one or two less commercially successful fragrances in them for review. Duty Free regulars ─ Lancome, DKNY, Estee Lauder, Chanel, Versace, Dior. Sets of travel versions of these brands are always a good and relatively budgetary gift, in contrast to the sets of niche and luxury lines. It's a win-win ─ to give such collections to those whose perfumery taste you know very much.
For a long time and successfully, gift sets have been produced by Jo Malone. The brand is actively promoting the so-called layering - the use of several fragrances at the same time. And this idea is embodied in their gift sets: perfumes from one set go well with each other, which, however, does not oblige you to put them together (but the experiment is worth it). Such sets from Jo Malone are collectibles and even speculation (you didn’t have time, ─ then you will catch them on ebay). They are, of course, more expensive than one full bottle of perfume. But on the other hand, this box contains a whole perfumery designer, thanks to which you can create your own fragrances on the skin. It is with this idea that they should be presented as a gift.
Another niche brand that loves Christmas is Rouge Bunny Rouge. Do not be confused by the name - this brand, like Jo Malone, has a truly British origin. To get acquainted with the collection of fragrances of this brand in miniatures is ideal. Fortunately, they can be found even in Moscow. The brand has two collections - "white" and "black". But both are not about currants. In my personal rating of fragrances-impressions, this brand is in the top ten. At the end of 2017, miniature sets were released based on both collections. I advise you to catch - another opportunity to get 6 incredibly complex and interesting fragrances for the price of two will not be presented for a long time. The convenience of the travel format, I think, is obvious: you can taste the perfume with a little blood, fits in a bag, is allowed to be carried in hand luggage, does not have time to get bored to the point of grinding teeth,and if love happens ─ you can always buy a full bottle.
Some selective perfume brands go the farthest, releasing super-sets of fragrances. The leader in this business is the American brand Bond No. 9, based in New York and drawing inspiration from the city. The limited edition trunks of The Perfumista's Perfect Ten with 10 mini-bottles, exactly replicating the standard versions of the perfume, are something special. To receive such a set as a gift is priceless, because this is a guaranteed adventure into the world of fragrances, and with stops along the way, because you definitely won't be able to try all 10 perfumes in one sitting. (Read: Magic Bottles: What New Years Smells About In Different Countries)
In perfumery boutiques and chain stores like Rive Gauche, you can walk past the shelf of the Maison Margiel brand - it is too minimalistic in its outer shell. At the same time, these are the fragrances that you definitely need to pay attention to when looking for something special. We are talking about perfumes from the collection of "memories", that is, Replica. A very beautiful idea - to create scents of memory - a replication of smells that would remind of something pleasant from a past life. Even if those memories aren't really yours. By the way, the brand, in addition to perfumes, also has a perfume base - a slightly oily fragrant substance that can be applied to the skin as a base, and only after that - layered aromas. You can start with just such a gift: a base plus a trio of miniatures. Although the miniatures themselves are a great theme for a presentation that will definitely be used as intended,but at the same time it differs from all that perfumery experience that was before.
Ideal, of course, is to get to America or Europe at Christmas, in one of the Sephora stores. That's who makes a bet (and cashier) on gift sets. Many perfume brands, including niche ones, make special limited edition sets for sale in this network (as well as for the same Harrods). And, as a rule, these are very interesting "limits".
By the way, you can try to catch Christmas "limits" of sets in branded corners in large stores such as TsUM, Atrium and others.
If you still prefer the classic version of the gift, that is, one bottle, but “full”, for 50-100 ml, “to last for a long time”, then here I also recommend trying to get off the beaten path. Fortunately, both in this and in previous years, there are even more incredibly interesting, non-trivial aromas. Below are some of my personal impressions, which I hope will be useful to you too. At the very least, pay attention to these scents when you visit the respective perfume shops and stores.
Fragrance Red Tobacco, Mancera. At the end of 2017, Amelie and Pierre Mansera released an interesting collection of fragrances. "Red tobacco" is one of them. It is a very rich, complex aroma with over 15 notes, including Cuban tobacco and all sorts of Caribbean spices. It opens up on the skin, gradually shedding from itself layer by layer, it sounds expensive, but without obsession and aggression. Cost - 12 600 rubles. (120 ml), on molecule.su and in the corners of the brand in Ile de Bot and TSUM.
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Photo: Getty Images, press archives
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