Skincare and makeup gifts are always fun, but nothing is as personal as a perfume. Just think of the many times you’ve smelled something and thought of a particular point in your life, a person or a memory shared with them.
So if you’re looking for an extra special gift for a loved one or yourself – because why not – maybe it’s time to head perfume shopping.
Here are three perfumes that make the best personal gifts all year round:
#1 Byredo perfumes
prices unavailable, available at Escentials
We’ll be honest, we’ve been waiting for this Swedish niche perfume brand to be available in Singapore for the longest time and it has finally hit stores this November. Founder Ben Gorham, a former pro-basketball player with no formal training in perfumery, launched the brand in 2006 with the goal of transforming his memories into scents. Now, it has gained legions of fans from the cool crowd which include actress Kate Bosworth and jewellery designer Yazbukey.
Most of the scents carry clear cultural influences from Ben’s diverse heritage and travels; he’s a native Swede born to an Indian mother and Canadian father. For the perfect gift, we suggest the musky floral Blanche, which is airy, clean and inspired by the colour white. If you’re shopping for a fragrance lover, then you may want to check out one of the pure perfumes – the highest concentration of fragrance you can buy – from The Night Veils collection, too.
#2 Chanel No. 5
$108 for a limited edition 35ml-sized Eau de Parfum, available at all Chanel Fragrance and Beauty stores and counters
Coco Chanel went against fragrance trends in the 1920s to create a perfume that would “smell like a woman” – complex, elegant and powerful. The iconic Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume to use a generous amount of aldehydes – a synthetic component that provides the sparkly, frizzy property to a fragrance – in a complex blend of 80 ingredients. With 90 years of continued popularity, it remains a symbol of luxury, good taste and timelessness.
For all that it represents, reserve this option for the superwomen in your life, the wise and daring ones that have impacted you in so many ways you’re thankful for. We say pick this one up for mum, your best friend, a well respected mentor, or even yourself.
#3 Maison Francis Kurkdjian Fragrance Wardrobe for Her
$235, available at Escentials stores
If you’ve ever owned one of these perfumes – Elie Saab Le Parfum, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, My Burberry or Narciso Rodriguez For Her – you’ve already been exposed to the work of perfumer Francis Kurkdjian.
The French-Armenian perfumer launched his own brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, in 2009 as a tribute to Paris, with each fragrance tied to his experience, a type of person or a story of the city. We think this set of eight fragrances is perfect for the globetrotter to bring along on their travels, or to evoke fond memories of a specific trip and place.
Standout scents out of the eight include the rose- and patchouli-smelling Lumiere Noire, a tribute to French actress Catherine Deneuve; and the aromatic woody Amyris, inspired by the effortless elegance of Parisian woman and men.
