5 Secrets Of How To Choose A Fragrance For Someone Else

5 December 2019

How To

With so many fragrances to choose from, how do you know which one to pick? Choosing a perfume for someone else can be tricky, but it’s not impossible.

Here are our 5 top tips to help you on your way.

1. FIND OUT WHAT THEY WEAR

 

Either hunt through their perfume collection or just simply ask (if you’re feeling like they won’t guess what you’re up to)… but look out for the ‘family’ that the fragrance falls into. It might be citrus, woody, floral for example and chances are that the person you want to gift has a preferred type of fragrance.
Just knowing two or three of their favourites is enough to get an idea of their scent profile. You can then put these into Google or perfume referencing websites such as Fragrantica or WikiParfum to find out if there are common structures or ingredients, and what perfumes might suit.

Photo by Laura Chouette

2. MATCH THEIR PERSONALITY

 

Be logical when matching a scent with someone’s personality. That may be an obvious one, but don’t give an overpowering “look at me” scent to someone who usually doesn’t wear much perfume or has a discreet personality. Big personalities can rock orientals, heavy white flowers, spicy notes and woody gourmand fragrances. Otherwise, go for lighter florals, soft orientals, musky and fresh citrus fragrances.

3. CHOOSE WITH YOUR NOSE, NOT THE BRAND

 

While the big brand names may be a sure sign of a great fragrance (Chanel being and obvious one, for example), what your partner is the most interested in is how they smell when they wear it. So trust your nose! Explain your journey in finding it, why you chose it and why you liked it – it might be that it reminded you of a place you visited together or there’s a special ingredient in there that is dear to you – the personal touch and storytelling is also as important.

Photo by Brandon Anderson

4. LOOK BEYOND PERFUME

 

If you’re worried about getting the wrong perfume, then look outside the traditional spray format and into other scented gifts. Candles are a good example, soaps, room sprays (you can spray your bed linen), or there’s even scented jewellery such as bracelets. Don’t forget you also have a wide variety of choice when it comes to hand creams, shower gels and bath oils that will beat your normal Nivea products hands down.

Photo by Johanne Kristensen

5. GIFT A PERFUME EXPERIENCE

 

Last but not least, here at the Experimental Perfume Club we give you the unique opportunity to gift a bespoke fragrance for that special someone to learn what type of fragrances they love by themselves!

Choose from a full experience at one of our perfume making workshops at our London perfume laboratory where you’ll learn and create your own fragrance, or prefer a visit to our Blending Lab in Selfridges to get a 1-2-1 consultation and get a bespoke fragrance of your choice blended for you.

Explore our Perfumer’s Atelier and play perfumer at home!

Alternatively, you can also gift one of our Creation Sets which enables you to blend your very own fragrance!

So many options, but any one you choose, we guarantee you’ll smell wonderful and you’ll gain a better sense of what you like and don’t like while wearing a fragrance no one else will wear!

Experience perfume

Perfumery Workshop London at the EPC

Apprentice Workshop

£175

Creation Sets Full Collection + Complimentary Live Online Consultation

£300

Perfumer's Atelier

£450

Related articles

Perfumers Atelier Experimental Perfume Club
Fragrance Families, which one are you?
Read more
What Are Top, Middle and Base Notes in Perfume? A Pyramid From Fresh to Deep scents
Read more