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Perfume Gift Guide: A Scent for Every Occasion
19
items My guide to gifting fragrance — fresh everyday scents, warm date-night ones, and the splurge bottles worth every penny.
Sections
3
Fresh & Everyday
Warm & Date Night
Splurge Worthy
Fresh & Everyday
This is the first "real" perfume I ever owned back in NYC, and it still feels like summer mornings to me — lemon, apple, and sea air. I spray it before early long runs because it's light enough not to choke me out. Fair warning: it's an eau de toilet...
Light Blue Eau de Toilette with Lemon & Apple - Dolce&Gabbana
My go-to when I want to smell like a happy person — wild berries, violets, and a little jasmine that doesn't get stuffy. I've worn it to Saturday farmer's markets in Tucson and it never feels too heavy in the heat. Caveat: it's a soft, close-to-the-s...
Daisy - Marc Jacobs Fragrances
This one melts into my skin and just smells like the best version of me — pink pepper and iris with a warm musk underneath. It's the scent I grab when I'm running late to class and don't want to think about it. It's deliberately subtle, so if you lik...
Glossier You Eau de Parfum - Glossier
Grapefruit and bergamot with soft florals — this is my "good mood in a bottle" for exam weeks. I keep the rollerball in my tote and swipe it on before study sessions. One caveat: the citrus sparkle burns off fast, and the floral dry-down is pretty si...
1.7 oz Clinique Happy Eau de Parfum Spray - Clinique | Ulta Beauty
Peppery basil over lime and mandarin — it smells like a really good cocktail, and it layers beautifully if you ever want to get fancy with it. I wear this on brunch days when I'm baking citrus tarts and want to smell like the kitchen in the best way....
London™ Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne
The budget hero of my rotation — green tea, mint, and citrus that smells like a deep breath after a workout. I reach for this after marathon training when I want to feel clean and sharp. At this price the lasting power is what it is — expect a couple...
Green Tea Eau de Toilette Spray - Elizabeth Arden | Ulta Beauty
Powdery peony and rose with a little honey — this is my "polished but not trying too hard" scent for grad school presentations and dinners with my boyfriend's family. It feels elegant without being loud. The powdery note can read a bit soapy on some ...
Chlo� Eau de Parfum - Chloe
Warm & Date Night
Lavender, orange blossom, and musk — this is my confidence scent, the one I spray when I want to feel like the main character on date night. My boyfriend always notices it and lingers a little longer when I wear it. Heads-up: it's strong, so two spra...
Libre Eau De Parfum - Yves Saint Laurent
Iris, patchouli, and spun sugar — this one lasts from a dinner reservation all the way home and is still on my jacket the next morning. I wear it on cool desert nights when I want something cozy and feminine. It's quite sweet, so if heavy gourmands a...
La Vie Est Belle - Lancôme
Blackcurrant nectar melting into warm vanilla — elegant and quietly seductive, the scent I reach for when we do a nice dinner out in downtown Tucson. It feels grown-up without feeling old. Projection is moderate, which I actually like for close-quart...
Sì Eau de Parfum - Armani Beauty
An explosion of jasmine, rose, and patchouli — this is the perfume I wear when I want to make an entrance, and that diamond grenade bottle looks gorgeous on my dresser. It genuinely lasts all evening on me. Warning: it's a big, powerful scent that ca...
Flowerbomb - Viktor&Rolf
Jasmine and cocoa wrapped in tonka bean — sweet, sultry, and unapologetically bold, plus the stiletto bottle is basically decor. I wore this to a rooftop date and got compliments from the table next to us, no joke. The sweetness is intense, so if you...
Good Girl Eau de Parfum - Carolina Herrera
The original gourmand — praline, patchouli, and red berries — and it's a love-it-or-hate-it legend, but I love it. It smells like a chocolate bakery on date night, which, as a baker, feels very on-brand for me. Caveat: this is one of the strongest pe...
Angel Eau de Parfum - Mugler
Blackcurrant, jasmine, and bourbon vanilla — warm and a little edgy, and the rockstud bottle is stunning on a vanity. I wore this through our last anniversary dinner and it held up beautifully into the night. It leans sweet, so if you're sensitive to...
Donna Born In Roma Eau de Parfum - Valentino
Splurge Worthy
Ylang-ylang, jasmine, and Damascus rose — this is the most luxurious-smelling thing I own, and wearing it genuinely makes me stand a little taller. It's the one I'd pick for a wedding or a big milestone. The price stings, and honestly the scent doesn...
Floral Eau de Parfum: J'adore, the Iconic Women's Fragrance
Sparkling orange and patchouli over jasmine and May rose — chic, confident, and impossibly French. I got this as a gift and it's become my "big presentation, big night" fragrance. It's worth noting a few reviewers (myself included) think the reformul...
Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4-oz
Black cherry liqueur, bitter almond, and Turkish rose — dark, juicy, and absolutely magnetic. My boyfriend stole a spritz once and honestly it smells incredible on him too, so this one we share. The price is brutal and the bottle is small, but a litt...
Lost Cherry - TOM FORD
Saffron, jasmine, and that famous amberwood glow — it smells like money and candlelight and I am not ashamed of how much I love it. This is my ultimate wish-list splurge and the scent people ask me about most. Caveat: the price is painful, and becaus...
Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum - Fragrance
Smoky sandalwood, cardamom, and leather — this smells like a desert bonfire in the best possible way, which feels very Tucson to me. I wear it on cool nights and it gets better every hour. It's polarizing though: that leathery smokiness can read hars...
Santal 33 Eau de Parfum - Le Labo