How do you pick a perfume for someone else to wear *for* you?
February 13, 2012 7:48 PM Subscribe
I don't know how to pick a perfume out for someone if they're not with me to test it on. How do I pick what I like from just smelling it in the store?
My new sweetheart has asked me to give her a gift of perfume. She doesn't wear any on a regular basis. I only just recently started wearing cologne before we met, and she has always commented that I'm the best smelling man she's ever known (I won't let that go to my head!). So for Valentine's day she wants me to give her something that I'd enjoy smelling on her.
I remember learning that perfumes smell different on different people due to the way they combine with body chemistry, etc. So I don't know how to shop for scents without her there.
How do I pick a perfume for her without her arm there to test it on?
Maybe this will help, the scent I wear that she really likes is Polo double black. I don't like things that are too fruity or flowery, I like spicy and earthy but not too musky.
I have some ideas from this thread but again if I'm standing in the store, I would be evaluating them out of context.
Will testing them on myself give me any insight? What's my best course of action here?
My new sweetheart has asked me to give her a gift of perfume. She doesn't wear any on a regular basis. I only just recently started wearing cologne before we met, and she has always commented that I'm the best smelling man she's ever known (I won't let that go to my head!). So for Valentine's day she wants me to give her something that I'd enjoy smelling on her.
I remember learning that perfumes smell different on different people due to the way they combine with body chemistry, etc. So I don't know how to shop for scents without her there.
How do I pick a perfume for her without her arm there to test it on?
Maybe this will help, the scent I wear that she really likes is Polo double black. I don't like things that are too fruity or flowery, I like spicy and earthy but not too musky.
I have some ideas from this thread but again if I'm standing in the store, I would be evaluating them out of context.
Will testing them on myself give me any insight? What's my best course of action here?
Would it be an option to bring her to the store with you and try different scents out together? Might be kind of fun, and she'll still have the satisfaction of you choosing for her with the added bonus of being able to select something that goes well with her body chemistry!
posted by ohmy at 8:30 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ohmy at 8:30 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
You want this fragrance sampler from Sephora. It contains 8 different scents that she can try out, and then when she decides which one she likes best, she has a coupon to take to Sephora for a full-sized bottle of the one she chose.
posted by decathecting at 8:34 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by decathecting at 8:34 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I'd definitely go for some kind of assortment of imps/samples. Not only do things smell different on different people, you also run the risk of her having reactions to whatever you pick if she hasn't tried it before*.
From the thread you linked, it looks like Sephora has a couple of sample kits that have a voucher for a bottle of whichever one you pick, so that might be a good way to go.
If you had more time, I might recommend going for BPAL imps, and that would give you a bit more choice over selection (and one imp of essential oil perfume lasts forever), but you wouldn't be able to get those in time for Valentines.
*This is speaking as someone who loves wearing perfumes and essential oils and also allergies.
posted by kittenmarlowe at 8:38 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
From the thread you linked, it looks like Sephora has a couple of sample kits that have a voucher for a bottle of whichever one you pick, so that might be a good way to go.
If you had more time, I might recommend going for BPAL imps, and that would give you a bit more choice over selection (and one imp of essential oil perfume lasts forever), but you wouldn't be able to get those in time for Valentines.
*This is speaking as someone who loves wearing perfumes and essential oils and also allergies.
posted by kittenmarlowe at 8:38 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sephora and Nordstroms give out samples, but you have to ask. If you explain your situation I can guarantee they will be very generous with samples.
I do not recommend the Sephora samplers. A fun gift, especially for a teenage girl, but terrible selection, especially if you're looking for fragrances that lean towards unisex.
Here are some recommendations. You could try posting over at Basenotes because members there will have a better recollection of Polo Double Black, but be sure to be clear on your price range, deadline and location because that site favors niche, hard-to-find fragrances.
-Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil (has mango, so does Polo Double Black)
-The other Hermes "Un Jardin..." fragrances. All watery, slightly vegetal, not sweet, good for an infrequent perfume wearer.
-Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert. Green tea in a bottle.
-Hermes Terre d'Hermes. This you'll find in the men's section but many women like it. Very earthy.
-Guerlain Vetiver. The epitome of earthy and green, and at a great price. Not at Sephora or most department stores, but should be available at those slightly sketchy no-name perfume shops/kiosks. Barring that, ask for anything with Vetiver in the title.
-Dior Homme. Another men's fragrance that is super-popular with ladies. Iris and cocoa.
posted by acidic at 8:47 PM on February 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
I do not recommend the Sephora samplers. A fun gift, especially for a teenage girl, but terrible selection, especially if you're looking for fragrances that lean towards unisex.
Here are some recommendations. You could try posting over at Basenotes because members there will have a better recollection of Polo Double Black, but be sure to be clear on your price range, deadline and location because that site favors niche, hard-to-find fragrances.
-Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil (has mango, so does Polo Double Black)
-The other Hermes "Un Jardin..." fragrances. All watery, slightly vegetal, not sweet, good for an infrequent perfume wearer.
-Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert. Green tea in a bottle.
-Hermes Terre d'Hermes. This you'll find in the men's section but many women like it. Very earthy.
-Guerlain Vetiver. The epitome of earthy and green, and at a great price. Not at Sephora or most department stores, but should be available at those slightly sketchy no-name perfume shops/kiosks. Barring that, ask for anything with Vetiver in the title.
-Dior Homme. Another men's fragrance that is super-popular with ladies. Iris and cocoa.
posted by acidic at 8:47 PM on February 13, 2012 [4 favorites]
Don't shop for it without her there. Make the gift the process of finding one with her.
posted by rhizome at 9:35 PM on February 13, 2012
posted by rhizome at 9:35 PM on February 13, 2012
2nding the Sephora sample kits. I got one for my wife for Christmas and she loved it.
posted by COD at 9:59 PM on February 13, 2012
posted by COD at 9:59 PM on February 13, 2012
What acidic and rhizome said. The problem with Sephora samples (seen in the link) is that they lean towards new/celeb-branded stuff that's being heavily pushed and even if you like them, they might not be around in a couple of years. If this were last week, I'd send you off to the Perfumed Court, which does a really nice introductory woody-spicy sample set.
Take her shopping with you, and be prepared to spend time in the men's section. Do some prep and gather samples beforehand -- to avoid complete olfactory overload when you do the proper shop, and see if you can perhaps gather half a dozen that go from floral to oriental to fruity, all with that woodsy base.
(Luca Turin classifies Double Black as a "sweet fougère" -- and says some rude things about it -- though the Basenotes purists might disagree.)
posted by holgate at 10:23 PM on February 13, 2012
Take her shopping with you, and be prepared to spend time in the men's section. Do some prep and gather samples beforehand -- to avoid complete olfactory overload when you do the proper shop, and see if you can perhaps gather half a dozen that go from floral to oriental to fruity, all with that woodsy base.
(Luca Turin classifies Double Black as a "sweet fougère" -- and says some rude things about it -- though the Basenotes purists might disagree.)
posted by holgate at 10:23 PM on February 13, 2012
holgate, do you have a link for a Luca Turn site where he classifies perfumes?? I'd love that, please post!
posted by thinkpiece at 4:14 AM on February 14, 2012
posted by thinkpiece at 4:14 AM on February 14, 2012
Best answer: I'm a recovering perfume junkie, and I love samples. I also tend to prefer boutiquey fragrances to most of the stuff found at Sephora or department stores, which can lean toward syrupy florals. There are great scents there, too, but it can be easy to get overwhelmed if you're not sure what to look for.
Since this is a Valentine's Day gift and you don't have much time, I'd recommend a multi-stage gift: get a few samples from Sephora or Nordstrom to give now, and follow up with a sampler from The Perfumed Court or Luckyscent (which doesn't have as comprehensive a selection as The Perfumed Court, but still has some really good stuff). When you're out looking today, look for classic, upscale perfume houses: Chanel, Hermès, and Dior are good starting points.
When you give her samples instead of a perfume bottle today (maybe with another little gift if she's big on Valentine's Day so it doesn't look like you're cheaping out), you can spin it romantically: you want to find the perfect scent for her together, and you'd like to smell each of these on her, and once you both find the right fragrance you'll happily buy her a full bottle. But if none of these smell as awesome as she makes you feel, you will keep searching until you find the right one.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:35 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Since this is a Valentine's Day gift and you don't have much time, I'd recommend a multi-stage gift: get a few samples from Sephora or Nordstrom to give now, and follow up with a sampler from The Perfumed Court or Luckyscent (which doesn't have as comprehensive a selection as The Perfumed Court, but still has some really good stuff). When you're out looking today, look for classic, upscale perfume houses: Chanel, Hermès, and Dior are good starting points.
When you give her samples instead of a perfume bottle today (maybe with another little gift if she's big on Valentine's Day so it doesn't look like you're cheaping out), you can spin it romantically: you want to find the perfect scent for her together, and you'd like to smell each of these on her, and once you both find the right fragrance you'll happily buy her a full bottle. But if none of these smell as awesome as she makes you feel, you will keep searching until you find the right one.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:35 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
For a gift, you can get her an nice-but-empty atomizer.
posted by rhizome at 8:57 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 8:57 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
thinkpiece: no site, just the book, and the classification is loose, ranging from "woody amber" to "remedial candyfloss".
posted by holgate at 10:16 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by holgate at 10:16 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the tips! I went and smelled a few that I liked, got the little free bottles, a nice red satin robe to nestle them in in the box, and we'll go from there. I wound up with Jadore, Coco Madmoiselle and Chanel No 5.
posted by punocchio at 11:13 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by punocchio at 11:13 AM on February 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
« Older What could be causing these sudden stomach cramp... | Neigbors gave us a chair, do we give them the... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Failing that, buy perfume at a place that has a very good return policy. Sephora is great about this.
posted by corey flood at 8:00 PM on February 13, 2012 [1 favorite]