Perfume can make a wonderful holiday gift, who wouldn’t love a beautiful bottle of delicious smelling fragrance under the tree on Christmas morning? But selecting just the right one is nerve-wrackingly tricky, or at least it is if you don’t have WWP to help. We’ve inhaled, so you don’t have to, more perfumes in 2016 than is probably good for a person, and we’ve pulled out the very best of our favourites for the women in your life. You can Buy Now with our links below. You’re welcome!
The Classically Elegant Gentlewoman
For those confident, elegant women who have style and an enviable sense of self, then Annick Goutal’s newish Les Absolus range is perfect. We’ve picked the ambery and warmly spiced Ambre Sauvage, since everyone we sprayed it on adores it and we are fighting over the one sample bottle. It’s richly fragrant, but subtle too, so delivers an understated and very chic scented hit.
Must de Cartier Gold is another properly grown up scent, an elegant green oriental fragrance with depth and staying power, it feels as if it should be accompanied by a beautiful leather handbag and an early evening cocktail. The bottle design is quietly glamourous too.
The Urban Arty Woman
For the creative woman who is always on the look out for anything under-the-radar with a cultural edge, then Michael Boadi’s Bohdidharma range of Black Tea inspired fragrances are ideal. Michael’s quality smells have something of a cult following, we love the delicious, honey-drenched Black Nectar, a bold seducer of a scent that combines big sweetness with a dash of fresh bright tea. Unusual and very addictive.
Perfumer H by Lyn Harris is sure to appeal to the most discerning of creative critics (watch out for our interview with her coming soon) . Her quality fragrances are creatively well ahead of the field, with a strong emphasis on naturals and botanicals. We’ve selected Velvet as our favourite, a smooth, sensual scent that smells like the feel of plush piled velvet, but Rose and Heliotrope are also exceptional.
Boho-Girl
if your woman-to-buy-for is something of a free thinking dreamer, with a longing for a simpler, more creative life then can we direct you to Bella Freud’s Signature, a quality hippy-patchouli that has a gentle amber base with mildly floral overtones. it’s a delight and makes for a beautiful day scent.
No quality list is complete with out at least one Diptyque pick, the newest additions to the Collection 34 range includes Eau Benjoin Boheme, a sandalwood and patchouli based scent that feels modern and glamourous, with a fresh herby kick to brighten the woody fug.
The Fragrant Fashionista
For a woman with Net-A-Porter booked marked under ‘favourites’ and a clear understanding of which designer’s running what fashion house (no small feat currently), you can’t do better than the very first fragrance from 80s fashion favourite Mr Azzadine Alaia. It’s hard to imagine Alaia is his very first fragrance, but anyone who knows his high standards and uncompromising attention to craft-over-commerce will love this gentle mineral scent. Think (stylish) pavements after a rain shower.
For the well travelled style-guru, then look to the uber-cool, New York designer brand Odin, whose range of fragrances perfectly capture the dark, sexy essence of NYC. The recently launched Lacha from the Black Line, is a peppery saffron delight, but we also love the fresh botanical hit of Vert Reseda from the lighter White Line. Its herby leafiness is unusual, elegant and a great day scent for any serious sartorialist
The Fail-Safe Feminine Floral
It has to be a rose.`For your mum, your best friend, your sister, your girlfriend, for everywoman really, a good rose is a safe bet winner. But pick carefully, minding the thorns, for there are some horrors out there. Red Roses by Jo Malone is a modern classic; bright, clear and absolutely rosy, it is our go-to rose for every occasion, also beautiful layered with other amber/patchouli based fragrances for a more personalised smell. A winner.
For a bigger rose hit, then look to star perfumer-du-jour Frances Kurkdjian’s A La Rose, a dewy-fresh mash up of every rose in your (perhaps imaginary) rose garden, with a very slight hint of citrus wafting towards you on the morning wind. Poetic eh? It’s fabulous.
