Perfume gift ideas: how to choose a scent they will actually wear

Most perfume gift ideas fail for one reason: the scent is chosen for the person buying it, not the person wearing it. It gets a polite thank you, one spray on Christmas Day, and a permanent spot at the back of the bathroom cabinet.

Buying scent for somebody else is not a gamble if you do a little homework first. Here is how to get it right, followed by a few picks for different people on your list.

Perfume gift ideas that get worn: how to choose

Start with what they wear now

This is the most useful thing you can find out. Look at the bottle on their dresser, ask their partner or sister, or smell the jacket hanging behind the door. If they have worn the same scent for years, they are not looking for a change, they are looking for more of it.

The inspired-by route is the safe bet

Each of our 63 scents is inspired by a well-known designer fragrance, and we say which one. So if you know they wear something, find the dlt number inspired by it and you are giving them a scent in a family they already like. Check the bottle on his shelf against our list: dlt/02, for example, is inspired by Dior Sauvage, and dlt/12 is inspired by Lancôme La Vie Est Belle.

No idea what they wear? Go by family

Think about what they like in other things. Someone who drinks their coffee sweet and orders dessert first will probably enjoy a Sweet scent. Someone who lives in shorts and is always at the beach leans Fresh. The scent finder lets you filter all 63 by Fresh, Sweet, Dark, Floral and Amber.

50ml or 100ml?

50ml when you are introducing them to something new. It is enough to find out if they love it without a big bottle going unused. 100ml when you know it is their scent, or it is inspired by the designer fragrance they already wear.

Buy two and mix

Two bottles make a better gift than one when you are unsure: one for the day and one for evenings, or one safe choice and one a little braver. It also works for buying for two people at once. The price per bottle drops when you buy more bottles of the same size.

Perfume gift ideas by person

All eau de parfum at 20% fragrance oil, in 50ml and 100ml.

For him

• dlt/03, inspired by Bleu de Chanel. Grapefruit and mint over smoky cedar and incense. Works at nine in the morning and nine at night, which makes it a hard gift to get wrong.
• dlt/16, inspired by Hugo Boss Bottled. Apple, plum and cinnamon over sandalwood. For the man who goes to the office every day and Sunday lunch every week.
• dlt/20, inspired by Tom Ford Oud Wood. Cardamom, smooth oud and sandalwood. For the man who has everything and only goes to the good evenings.

For her

• dlt/28, inspired by Parfums de Marly Delina. Lychee, rhubarb, rose and peony. For the friend who organised the kitchen tea, the bachelorette and the group chat.
• dlt/22, inspired by Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. Bergamot and lychee, rose and jasmine, patchouli and vanilla. For the woman who walks into the boardroom first.
• dlt/39, inspired by Narciso Rodriguez For Her. Soft musk, orange blossom and warm amber. Made for close up, so a good anniversary present.

For someone who likes it sweet

• dlt/29, inspired by Ariana Grande Cloud. Lavender, coconut, praline and vanilla. Easy to wear and hard to get wrong, which is what you want in a gift.
• dlt/06, inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. Mint and lavender warming into vanilla and tonka. Sweet, familiar, and it does not care what you think.

For someone who likes it fresh

• dlt/40, inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Lemon and green apple, made for hot weather. Right for a December birthday at the coast.
• dlt/01, inspired by Armani Acqua di Gio. Lime, bergamot, salt air and clean musk. The one to buy when you know nothing except that he likes the outdoors.

For someone you cannot pin down

dlt/13, inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540. Saffron, jasmine, amberwood and burnt sugar. Bought for a woman, stolen by a man, worn by both.

Delivery: order perfume gifts early for Christmas

We courier from Cape Town to anywhere in South Africa, and orders arrive in 2 to 4 working days. Delivery is free from R500. Couriers get busy in December and working days get fewer around the public holidays, so whichever of these perfume gift ideas you go with, the safe plan is to order in November or early December rather than the week before Christmas.

Frequently asked questions

Do you sell perfume gift sets for him or for her?

You can make your own. Choose two or more bottles, for example a day scent and an evening scent, and the price per bottle drops as you add more of the same size.

What if they do not like the scent?

Reduce the risk before you buy: find out what they wear now and choose the dlt number inspired by it, or go for 50ml if you are trying something new.

Is a 50ml bottle a good enough gift?

Yes. It is the sensible size for a scent they have not worn before. Save 100ml for a scent you know they love.

How long does delivery take before Christmas?

Our standard delivery time is 2 to 4 working days from Cape Town. December is busy for every courier, so order early to be safe.