During the holidays, we often we hear “it’s the thought that counts,” usually in connection with a gift that was a disappointment. I am one of those people who thinks it is the thought that counts, whether you’re spending $60 or $6. I love to give gifts, and I spend more time than money finding things that I hope the recipient will not only like, but show how valuable that person is to me. Some of my best gift ideas came at times when I had very little money, but lots of ingenuity.
There are all sorts of fragrance options available at this time of year, from the wildly luxurious and expensive to the more affordable, but equally wonderful, choices. Fragrance really is one of the most affordable luxuries and often one of those things that fragrance lovers don’t buy for themselves while they’re shopping for the holidays. A bottle of a favorite fragrance paired with body lotion is a wonderful gift that will be remembered long after the latest fashion or newest electronic toy lies discarded in the back of a closet.
I had a glorious time browsing and sniffing my way through all sorts of products, from the budget-busting to the wallet-saving, and these are my favorites.
Perfume Sets
You can usually find sets in a variety of stores, but to keep things manageable, I’ve listed just one store for each item.
For Women:
Bvlgari au the Blanc Gift Set, $125 at Bloomingdales. Lovely and soothing.
Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia Set, $75 at Bloomingdales. Just fabulous.
Feerie Deluxe Gift Set, $170 at Neiman Marcus. A pretty fragrance.
White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor, $29.99 at Target. One of the first and best celebrity fragrances and a perennial bestseller.
Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Gift Set, $72.00 at Macy’s. Her first, and best, fragrance. A lovely rose and deservedly a bestseller.
For Men:
Dirty English Gift Set by Juicy Couture, $80 at Nordstrom. Excellent and fun.
Tom Ford for Men Gift Set, $75, at Saks Fifth Avenue. You might like this so much you’ll be sneaking sprays to wear on yourself.
Versace Pour Homme Deluxe Gift Set, $72 at Macy’s. Versace has a real winner here and I love the fragrance.
Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier, $75 at Nordstrom. I didn’t like the women’s fragrance at all, but the men’s is very nice.
Purse Sprays, Rollerballs, and Solid Perfume
I love rollerballs and purse sprays for their convenience and low cost. Solid perfume compacts are also easy to carry and often collectible. Estée Lauder in particular has a loyal following. Look for the limited edition compacts every year. I tried not to go overboard at one shop, but in this case, Sephora really has the widest selection of rollerball fragrances at great prices.
Juicy Couture, $50 at Neiman Marcus. Juicy Couture may look amazingly pink and tacky, but it’s actually an excellent tuberose.
Bvlgari Omnia Amethyste, $20 at Sephora. Lovely, with a hint of heliotrope.
Stella Eau de Parfum Roll-On, $16 at Sephora. A very nice, musky rose. Well worth a try.
Bond No. 9 New York Perfume Token, $85 at Sak’s in six refillable (yay!) fragrances; Chinatown and Nuits de Noho are my favorites. The token is beautiful and heavy, and comes in a cute white leather carrying case. This is on my wish list for 2008, or anytime.
Estée Lauder Sensuous solid perfume compact, $85. There are also a wide variety of collectible Estée Lauder perfume and powder compacts available at Neiman Marcus.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Solid Perfume Ring, $30 at Sephora. I love Daisy, and this is just a cute idea.
Michael Kors Rollerball with Lip Gloss Combo, $22 at Sephora. Great for a night out, and I love the perfume—a heavenly white floral.
