Perfume suggestions for 82yr old?

[TmiEdward]

My grandmother would like some perfume for Christmas. she doesn't wear any perfume at the moment, but would like a bottle to have for special occasions.

I was thinking something like Chanel No 5, but not sure if it's a bit powerful?

I'll probably be buying it online, which is why I'm not loitering around the Perfume Shop or Boots counter with intent!

My MIL wears Fendi day-to-day and last year splashed out on some Ralph Lauren "Notorious", which she loves as it's not too powerful, but strong enough to get compliments from people! It's not too young, but not too "Granny"-ish, as she described it (LOL). She's 72, if that helps

It's very hard to buy perfume for other people because you really have to try it to see how it smells on you. Chanel No 5 on me smells just like WD40, for example!

So I would suggest getting her one of those sample-size collections - this is one example but most of the big perfume houses do similar things so she can try several. If she ends up with a favourite you could get her a big bottle next year!

Oh, I just had a thought - I think one company, maybe the Perfume shop(?), do a thing where you buy a selection of tiny bottles that comes with a voucher that they take in and exchange for a big bottle of the one they like the best?

I found that a really attractive idea, LionessLady, but their website doesn't seem to offer anything like that :(

OP, as she's not a regular user and hasn't got a favourite (how do you get to 82 without a favourite perfume??!), No. 5 seems like a fairly safe bet - she'll know what it is and feel secure with it. I ought to say, though, it smells like orange peel on me; I turn most scents to orange peel! (beats WD40, eh) But she might not be too bothered about that.

If she has a favourite flower, I'd probably go for a pure floral. I've loved tea rose scent since I was a teenager and still love it - hard to find, now, but I think Jo Malone does a pure floral range.

Best idea is to ask her! She must have worn scent at some time in her life ... mustn't she??

Grace - I'm sure SIL mentioned something like that last year, I bet it was a different shop (curse my memory) - I'll make sure and ask her when I see her tomorrow :)

My gran is similar age and I have just bought her the minatures set with Stella sheer, Armani code and 2 others in it. (£22 from boots)

she chose it herself btw

I bought Marc Jacobs Violet for an elderly relative the other year. My 96-year-old nan likes Flower by Kenzo - this is also my Mum's favourite!

my MIL used to like L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci

Thanks for all the advice.

I know what you mean about No.5, it is terrible on me!
Hadn't thought about the mixed sets. I think I'm going to have to face the town centre and have a sniff myself, aren't I?

You can sometimes get sets of Jo Malone samples on ebay (just tiny little bottles filled by sellers from their own big stash) but it does give you an idea of what you like and can live with over a long period of time. I think (probably totally stereotyping here) that JM florals would go down really well with an older person - something like Vintage Gardenia, or the orange blossom one, and you could always package it up prettily with a voucher for a big bottle when she's chosen.

For a blast of nostalgia from her youth though it would probably have to be Je Reviens, Joy or anything by Coty, but to modern tastes they're all pretty heavy. (Had to be smelled over all that tobacco smoke and nicotine in those days!)