Words: Amber Ascroft
Struggling to shop for a loved one this season? Need some Christmas gift ideas? Here are four reasons to say it with scent…
1. YOU CAN GET IT ENGRAVED
Thought personalised gifts were reserved for mega-buck budgets? Thanks to The Perfume Shop’s engraving service, you can gift someone a truly bespoke pressie by popping a custom message onto a fragrance - from only £5.99.
Add up to 66 characters on over 350 different bottles from perfume to aftershave. Simply head online and enter your message in the added engraving box. The service is also available on selected products in certain stores including Belfast Victoria Square, Union Square Aberdeen, Bluewater, Bullring, Manchester Trafford Centre, Meadowhall Sheffield, Cheapside London or Wood Green. To avoid disappointment, just call ahead to ensure the product you want is stocked and available for engraving in store.
2. IT COMES IN PLANET-FRIENDLY CHOICES
The only thing better than knowing your empty beauty product’s been recycled and not flung into a landfill? When said empty saves you dosh, too! Bring your finished glass fragrance bottle into a The Perfume Shop store and they’ll recycle it where possible, while giving you 10% off a purchase on the same day.
Some of the labels that use 100% recyclable glass include Kierin NYC – a line-up of uber-cool genderless scents straight from New York City - and The Perfume Edit – The Perfume Shop’s very own range of affordable, unisex blends.
3. PERFUME CAN UPLIFT YOU
Gifting someone a special scent’s not just a sure-fire way to make them feel chicer – it’s been proven to have a positive impact on mood and mind, too. Studies have shown there’s a direct link between our sense of smell and the part of our brain that processes emotions and memories. One even discovered certain aromas – namely that of lavender extract - had an anti-anxiety effect on mice.
It’s the reason certain scents can whisk us straight back to another moment or re-ignite a certain feeling. Some of the most common smile-inducing notes? Vanilla – reminiscent of cookies, ice cream and childhood baking (smell it in Paco Rabanne Lady Million Empire) - or coconut that can fast-track you to sunnier climes (try coconut water in Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Sun Pour Homme).
4. IT HAS THE PERSONAL TOUCH
With so much choice in the scent-o-sphere, there really is something for every personality. Get it spot-on and you’re guaranteed to stay in their good books forever.
Shopping for the ultimate party princess? Someone that’s fun, fierce with a soft spot for a bit of glitz? Carolina Herrera Good Girl Glorious Gold Collection Eau de Parfum for Her (almond, vanilla and coffee) is a match made in scent heaven. For the guy that’s laidback yet still adventure-seeking – with a sensual side to boot? Hugo Boss Bottled Infinite Eau de Parfum for Him (apple, mandarin and cinnamon) has his name written all over it.
START YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING NOW
Perfume is the answer to your Christmas shopping woes...