What perfume would make a good Christmas present?

[Longestnight]

Is there a perfume that you can’t go wrong with as a present? Maybe a gift set with a body lotion. I would want to spend about £50 ish.

I am looking for a perfume for a friend who is early 50s, very young and modern in her ways and fashion sense so something current or new or universally liked.

I have occasionally been given a perfume that I didn’t like and couldn’t wear so I don’t want to make that mistake.

Thanks for any suggestions.

For me it would be Acqua di Parma - but that might not suit your friend. Lots on here saying Clinique happy but I wouldn't really like that. So I think it's risky unless you know what they like.

Perfumes are a bad gift idea. Unless you specifically know what perfume she likes, it will be wasted money. The number of perfumes that I have received but given away to charity are many. And I just think
that person has wasted so much money, on me, on something that I will never use and dislikes just because “it’s the thought that counts”. But those “thoughts” can be such a waste of money so what’s the point? Why don’t you just give a voucher so she can get what she actually likes?

I am super fussy about perfumes and to be honest the ones I like are more than £50 so I would never expect anyone other than dh to buy one for me. I think it is too risky to be honest.
I would prefer a really nice candle for that money. Hope you find something lovely for her!

Very high risk present option. Someone up thread said they like Gucci Floral. As a rule I wouldn't like any floral perfume and so you'd have wasted a lot of your money if you bought me that. If either ask for preferences or else look for a different idea.

missbattleaxe - those trial boxes looks good. i've ordered one for myself (so much for the not buying anything unless i really need it.....) I think this would be a decent present as it allows people to try lots of different perfumes.

Jo Malone Lime Basil Mandarin.

Unhelpful but IMO the only perfume that makes a good christmas present is one someone has asked for or you know that they love and use.

If I were set on fragrance as a gift and didn't know that I'd get a voucher for some or at a push one of the scent library type samplers but I'm very anti waste so don't feel particularly positively about them. They look nice as a gift but ultimately nobody is ever going to like more than one or two (and potentially none) and then is still not left with a full size at the end of it so much as a few mls for a lot of £.

Don't! It's too risky. But a set of samples is a good shout. I'd plump for Gallivant's which is likely to be new to most and there are some fab scents inspired by places. And some lovely soap.

I think unless you know her fairly well in terms of scents she likes it’s impossible…!

I love Britney Spears fantasy, Gucci bamboo and Jimmy Choo - any of them. No one would probably get me any of them!

I'd agree about not doing it.
Unless she's a true perfumista (waves to @MissBattleaxe ) I wouldn't even buy a discovery set.
You could buy her something from the range of a perfume you know she likes? Body stuff, or a diffuser?

4160 Tuesdays have a gift set with a book about perfume and some samples that could be a nice gift for someone who likes perfumes.

Don't buy one unless you know they want it, it's such a personal thing, I've had perfumes bought for me that I have never used as I didn't like the small. All perfectly likeable I'm sure to other people, but to me, too sweet and strong.

4160 Tuesdays perfumes are very particular and marmite. I've wanted to like so many from the description and haven't. They are never subtle and I wouldn't give anyone even a sample set as a gift!
If you're thinking of a book, Luca Turin is your man. (unless like me you're a vintage perfume collector, in which case Barbara Hermann)

What about the Maison Margiela gift set, it has all 10 perfumes in sample size. a nice box and its about 33.00. With a candle from somewhere or a hand cream?

The best book is The Perfume Companion. You can find it on Amazon. it's beautifully illustrated and all perfumes were still available at the time it was published last year. Luca Turin is not popular in the industry and his criticism has cost some perfumers dear. Whilst I agree with the PP above that 4160 Tuesdays are not subtle, they are definitely not all the same. For example The Orange Tree is a brilliant zingy citrus. Dandelion Musk is a stunning green floral musk and Over The Chocolate Shop is a mouthwatering gourmand. Full disclosure, I co wrote The Perfume Companion with Sarah McCartney. :-)

Agree it's too personal. Unless you know what she likes, I wouldn't buy perfume.

You could go with other toiletries maybe. I love getting fancy body scrubs and body lotions, hand cream etc. You wouldn't necessarily need to know her skin type for that as it's body stuff. But maybe that's presumptuous of me as I have very average skin on my body but very temperamental skin on my face

My little heart would sink if someone gave me perfume unless they knew exactly what perfumes I liked and gifted me one of them.
Don't do it or find out what they like @Longestnight

Get a Jo Malone voucher. They will package it really nicely for you in a box. Then she can chose one that she likes.

Never give perfume unless it’s been specifically asked for.

It’s a minefield, and an expensive one at that. I have never liked a perfume on me that someone else chose. I need to walk
around wearing a sample for a while to know if it suits me beyond the initial notes.

Never been given a perfume I like, unfortunately. It's just too personal.

As a pp said, The Perfume society tester boxes are fun and have some good size samples in. That's how I found out I love Lalique's Velvet Plum.

@MissBattleaxe I remember the interview with Luca Turin regarding the Guerlain debacle. Why shouldn't a scientist and critic criticise a perfume if he doesn't like it? (And looking at the sales of the Guerlains he doesn't like, it's not done them any harm)
I read perfume reviews and want to know real opinions, not vacuous " I was sent this freebie so I love it".

And I didn't say all 4160s are the same. I said they are marmite. I have full bottles of Ealing Green and London 1969 but find most of the others I've tried way too sweet and "busy". I'm the ex poster on the Perfumista threads who used to say that to me most of them smell like a 3 year old has mixed all her mum's scent into one bottle.

(Sorry for hijack OP)

@PAFMO I wasn't referring to Guerlain but a small indie perfumer who was really damaged by his words. Many of us bloggers have an unwritten code of conduct. I get sent a lot of free stuff but if I don't like it, I won't write about it. In my opinion there's no such thing as bad perfume, just perfume that you don't like. There's no point me saying a perfume is terrible if it smells great on someone else. For instance, I hate Black Opium on me, but complimented two complete strangers on smelling fabulous. IMO there are no bad perfumes. And yes, sorry for the hijack OP.

I'd definitely chose another gift as perfume isn't a good gift.

I'd like this too.