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 Know
Their Style
It’s one of those big events: a birthday, the anniversary
of your first date, or a holiday like Christmas or Valentine’s
Day. It might just be that you want to surprise someone special,
cheer them up after a hard week at work, or show her how much you
love her. The pressure is on to find a romantic gift.
Have no fear. Women love romantic gifts, and among the items at
the top of her wish list is probably fragrance. If shopping for
fragrance fills you with trepidation, read on. Here are some pointers
to help you pick the perfect fragrance gift.
Know the basics.
Although it isn’t essential to fragrance shopping, knowing
some of the basic information about perfumes and products can help
you make an informed decision. So here’s a quick overview.
What is it?
Those pretty (and usually expensive) little bottles are filled with
a combination of a little perfume or fragrance oil, and a lot of
alcohol. When perfume is applied to the skin, especially to a warm
spot on the body like the neck, the warmth of the skin causes the
alcohol to evaporate, leaving the subtle trace of perfume oil on
the skin.
Types of Fragrance:
Perfume is the most concentrated version of a scent sold
(except for actual perfume oils, which aren’t generally available
in the commonly sold scents).
Cologne is a more diluted form of scent (it contains
a higher ratio of alcohol), usually about half as strong as perfume.
Other liquid forms of fragrance, such as eau de toilette
or after-bath splash, are usually 1/4 the strength
of perfume. More diluted doesn’t necessarily mean not as good.
It just depends on her preference: some women want their fragrance
in its most concentrated form, and will apply only a drop or two;
other women actually prefer the cologne form so they can apply it
liberally and not worry about overdoing it.
Other products:
Most popular fragrance lines offer other products, such as body
lotion, body wash, and bath powder
scented with the fragrance. Eager salespeople at some stores will
try to convince you that all the elements are required in order
to correctly “layer” the scent.
If it sounds suspiciously like a plot to separate you from you dollars,
it probably is. All half-dozen elements of the fragrance line aren’t
required to make a lovely gift that she can really use and enjoy.
So buy the whole collection if you are so inclined (she’s
sure to love it), but know that it’s not essential. Most fragrances
are also available in smaller “purse” sizes
-- particularly popular with busy women who go directly from the
office to dinner or other evening engagements, or whose job requires
frequent travel. The purse size is a great inclusion in a collection
of items, but isn’t recommended as a stand-alone gift.
Kinds of scents:
Fragrances usually fall into one of several scent categories:
Green or Fruit scents combine fruit aromas with
grassy scents; the result is a clean, fresh smell. This scent category
has become increasingly popular in the last decade.
Floral scents are any combination of flower essences,
resulting in a classically soft, sweet scent. Most perfumes fall
into this category.
Chypre scents combine a floral scent with earthier
aromas like bergamot or oak moss; the result is a warm, woodsy yet
delicate scent.
Oriental scents combine the warm smells of vanilla
and spices, resulting in rich and exotic scents.
What’s his or her personal
style?
Consider the personal style when you make a selection.
Are they still finishing up their education? Yet to decide on a
career? Just back from a year of travel or volunteer work overseas?
Or on a second career already? Do they follow fashion trends, eat
at the newest restaurant in town, catch that up-and-coming band
when they’re still touring small clubs? If so, they’d
probably love something new and unusual. So consider selecting something
different than what they already have, even a newly launched scent.
On the other hand, if she’s a more established in her life,
if she’s developed her own personal style and isn’t
a slave to fashion, she may not want a trendy new scent. It’s
not that she isn’t adventurous; it’s just that she knows
who she is. It’s reflected not only in her attire, but in
her home décor, the books she reads, the music she listens
to. In particular, if her personal style is classic, you might want
to steer clear of new scents in favor of some of the legendary fragrances,
like those from Chanel.
Is she somewhere in-between? Don’t worry, there are many suitable
scents. Make note of her passions (other than you!). Does she love
the outdoors? There are scents likely to appeal to her rustic side,
in the chypre category described above. Is her house filled with
leopard print pillows, candles and chinoiserie? You’ll want
to consider a more exotic scent from the Oriental category.
Find out her perfume habits.
Her personal style alone isn’t enough to go on.
You need more facts. Many women have a favorite scent that they
wear all the time. Others tend to keep two or three, each unofficially
sanctioned for a particular type of wear: one for every day, one
for evenings out, maybe a third scent just for special, romantic
occasions. Some like to try new scents each season and might wear
anything, any time.
Snoop a bit around her bureau or in her bathroom, and find
out which kind of perfume-wearer she is.
• If she owns perfume and/or cologne, body powder, and lotion
all in the same scent, it’s probably a favorite of hers (unless
the containers are full and stowed in the back of a cabinet -- it
may have been a gift that she doesn’t really care for). She
would probably most appreciate an item in that scent line, or a
replacement for her most-used item, if she’s running low.
• If she has dozens of perfumes, you probably can’t
go wrong getting her one more.
• If you’re not finding anything resembling perfume,
investigate a bit further. No bath powder or shower gel? Is her
soap and deodorant unscented? It may be that she’s allergic
to perfume and scented items -- or just doesn’t like them.
If in doubt, find a subtle way to ask. If she doesn’t wear
perfume or use scented products and has no interested in starting,
it’s time to shops for something else. Our suggestion: jewelry,
or a classic accessory, like a great scarf, or leather gloves.
Be sure to scribble down the names on the bottles you find among
her things. Having trouble finding the important information? Check
the bottom of the bottle, which may display a label with the maker
and scent name. Note also whether what you’re looking at is
perfume, cologne, eau de toilette, body spray, body powder, scented
body lotion or shower gel, or other. For your own reference, you
might also want to note the volume of the bottle (scent products
are usually measured in ounces).
When you’re shopping…
Ask a knowledgeable salesperson to review the list you’ve
made, and explain the items to you. If your gal’s fragrance
collection all falls into one scent category, you probably should
buy from that group as well. If a range of categories is revealed,
consider purchasing something in one of the less represented categories.
If you’re buying a new fragrance for her, or she doesn’t
own a scent at all, your best bet is probably cologne. Cologne is
generally less pricey than perfume, and if she doesn’t love
the scent, you haven’t spent a fortune on something she won’t
wear. If you feel relatively confident that she’ll like the
scent, go ahead and get a bottle of the perfume -- even if your
budget means it’s just a small bottle. If she has the perfume
or cologne already, round out her collection by getting one of the
other items -- the bath powder, the body lotion or body wash.
Don’t over-shop.
If you plan to just head to the perfume counter at Macy’s,
smell a dozen or so perfumes, and decide from there, think again.
Experts say that once you’ve smelled three or four perfumes
in succession, you lose your ability to fully evaluate the fragrances.
With perfume, it doesn’t necessarily work to follow your nose.
Don’t blow the moment.
She may be so pleased that you selected something she loves that
she’ll want to know, “how did you know what to pick?”
While we don’t want to recommend lying, we do strongly advise
that you avoid telling her that the cute salesclerk let you smell
her neck, and it was great, so you bought the scent. That’ll
kill the romantic moment instantly. Instead, when she asks, you
can launch into an astute discussion of the fragrance’s top,
middle and base notes, and your bride-to-be will think you’re
as brilliant as you are thoughtful.
Fran Loudas is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified in the
Design and Production of Aromatherapy Skin Care Products, Certified
in Custom Blending of Essential Oils, an Oriental Diagnostics Specialist
and Herbal Remedy Maker. She has taught many workshops on Perfume
Blending, Aromatherapy 101, Your Home Spa, Herbal Dream Pillows,
Aromababy and Aromatherapy Before, During & After Your Pregnancy.
Fran also teaches at the Barnes & Noble University. She owns
her company, www.infusionbath.com,
using her extensive background knowledge to make these products
- something she very much enjoys doing as it allows her to be creative
while at the same time making natural body and skin care products.
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