The Journal
Honest guides to choosing, wearing and gifting perfume.
A luxury perfume gift works best when you choose a house the recipient will recognise and a scent style you are fairly sure they enjoy. Below are eight luxury bottles we stock, seven from niche houses and one from Tom Ford, grouped by who they tend to suit, with each one's notes and a side-by-side table at the end. If you are still working out the basics, start with our guide to choosing perfume as a gift.
The best cologne gift sets for him arrive boxed and ready to give, which makes a set one of the easier fragrance gifts to get right. You don't need to know his exact taste, only whether he leans fresh or warm, and that one question decides the best cologne gift set for men on this list. For a man who likes clean, easy scents, pick Versace Dylan Blue or Paco Rabanne Invictus. For someone who likes warmth and spice, go for Hugo Boss The Scent, or Afnan 9PM on a smaller budget. For a bigger gesture, YSL MYSLF.
The best perfume gift sets for her are the ones built around a scent she will actually wear, boxed and ready to give. Below are eight women's sets from our shelves, sorted into three budgets: one under $50, four between $50 and $80, and three over $80. Each comes with its notes, who it suits and a link to the full-size bottle, so you can choose on the scent inside, not just the box.
Bestsellers
Two of our best-selling men's fragrances side by side: how they smell, when they work best and which one suits you.
Bestsellers
Samsara is a warm, creamy blend of sandalwood and jasmine. If it's your favorite, these four from our shelves share its heart, each with its own twist.
Bestsellers
Our best-selling men's fragrance, note by note: how it opens, how it settles, when to wear it and four more bottles in the same style.
Scent families
Most people love one or two families of scent. Learn the six we use across our shop and you'll choose faster, and better.
Gifting
Buying perfume for someone else feels like a gamble. A few clues from their everyday life, and the right gift set, take out most of the guesswork.
Guides
Where you spray, when you spray and how you store the bottle matter more than most people think. The habits that help any perfume last longer.
Guides
The letters after a perfume's name tell you how much fragrance oil is inside. Here's what that means for how long it lasts, how it wears and what you pay.
