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Perfumes That Make Great Mother's Day Gifts by Joanna McLaughlin

If you're not a denizen of the perfume counter of your local department store and have no idea how to buy perfume online, either, you are probably going to be horrified if this Mother's Day forces you to go perfume shopping. Most women love perfume and perfume is one of those delightful extravagances that can make a great Mother's Day gift. But if you're new to buying perfume, here's a word of warning. You're going to be overwhelmed. That's because there are literally hundreds of perfumes on the market, all vying for your attention. What's more, some of them have similar names. And after you have sniffed at five or six of them, you won't even be able to tell them apart my name.

However, you can navigate the perfume counter and wind up with a great gift that will delight your mom.

First, you need to get over certain preconceived notions you have going in. You're not going to get a bargain. Perfume is one of those luxury items, like Manolo Blahnik shoes and Rolex watches, that just does not go on sale. At best, you may find some gift set offerings at special prices in fancy boxes or totes.

Perfume is as complex as fine wine and about as difficult to make. At times, perfume experts may speak to you about things you don't understand. That's why you need this guide.

If you know your mother's favorite fragrances or if she has specifically hinted about wanting a certain product, you're halfway home. But you may be asked if you want perfume (sometimes pronounced the French way, parfum or par-fam) or an eau-de-parfum (always pronounced in French) or a cologne. Those are three different products and you'll notice they differ in size, possibly packaging, and price. Perfume is by far the most expensive and it contains the most scent. Pure fragrance is too harsh on the skin and disagreeable on the nose to wear, so it is blended with other fragrances and then put in a vehicle to help stabilize it. Perfume has the most scent, cologne the least, and eau-de-parfum is in the middle.

However, there is no official percentage of scent set forth that defines perfume; it tends to be a range. Here's your first insider's tip. Estee Lauder fragrances are known as being strong stuff, that is, having more scent than most other similar products. Thus, an Estee Lauder eau-de-parfum may be close to what another manufacturer labels as perfume.

Is strong better? A woman uses less perfume and eau-de-parfum with each application and the scent lasts longer. If your mom likes to re-apply fragrance frequently during the day or if her activities are such that she frequently works out or showers during the day, a lighter spray-on fragrance is best. If you're not sure, go with an eau-de-parfum.

Sometimes you won't have a clue about what perfume your mom would prefer, so we are going to list some scents that are classics because they are so universally popular. The fragrance world, like fashion, is prone to fads but every now and then something stands the test of time. These are fragrances that have been around a while but are still very popular. They're good choices for Mother's Day because most people like them (so the laws of probability hold that your mom will, too):

Tresor by Lancome, floral, sparkling, sophisticated

Eternity by Calvin Klein, floral, youthful

Obsession by Calvin Klein, floral, feminine

Happy by Clinique, light, floral, fun

Those are fragrances that most people would like. But maybe your mom (or grandmother) remembers certain perfumes from "way back." Perfumes often get discontinued so it can be hard to find a nostalgic scent. Some oldies but goodies on the market that are highly recommended:

Chanel No. 5 by Chanel, a "sparkling" floral fragrance that has been around since the 1920s

Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, a spicy Oriental fragrance that dates back to the 1950s; there's also a "re-make" of it called Youth Dew Amber Nude

Miss Dior by Christian Dior from the 1970s, another spicy fragrance

Y by Yves St. Laurent, also from the 1970s, a sparkling fragrance

But maybe your mom would like to try something new. If she's fashion-forward, sporty, or just likes the latest stuff, here are some relatively new things to hit the perfume counter:

Sunset Heat by Escada, a youthful very tropical scent

Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder, a rich floral with strong honeysuckle notes

Very Irresistible by Givenchy, like a great big bouquet of roses, I never met anyone who did not like this scent

V by Valentino, light, clean but still sophisticated

One by Calvin Klein, a fresh scent that could worn by men or women

If you prefer to shop online, you should be careful about perfume warehouse websites that are actually selling knockoffs or counterfeit fragrances. If the prices are very low or the website looks shady, stay away. This is your mother, for pity's sake. Don't buy her sham products. There are lots of good websites and one I recommend is http://www.sephora.com. It does not list every perfume in the world, of course, but you will find a more comprehensive selection here than at your local department store's perfume counter. If you think your mom might enjoy something more obscure and unusual, look for these:

Stella by Stella McCartney, very trendy packaging, nice fragrance, and, yes, that's Paul McCartney's daughter

Green Tea by Bvlgari, an unusual but light fragrance which reminds me of a luxury spa

Goddess by Baby Phat, a pretty pink floral in a girly container

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker, a "celebrity" fragrance that's actually quite charming

Lemon Sugar by Fresh, which is what they call a "fruity floral." it's definitely going to remind you of food, but it's a very fun summery scent

If you're an Internet denizen and don't mind going to a niche perfumery website, the best one from my perfumista's little black book is this: http://www.bondno9.com. The company, Bond No. 9, is a New York perfume house that names its fragrances after New York neighborhoods. If your mom is a fragrance maniac, get her one of the multi-scent gift packages that Bond No. 9 offers. But if you're looking for one scent, I don't think you can pick a dud in the entire Bond No. 9 line-up. This stuff is exquisite. Nevertheless, let me share a couple of my personal Bond No. 9 favorites (and I have not tried them all yet).

Chinatown, one of the most unique fragrances I've ever used; The first thing you'll smell are the top notes, which are mainly citrus, but you'll probably also pick up the patchouli notes.

Gramercy Park, both light and sophisticated, a sort of summery fragrance that has some oomph to it

Chelsea Flowers, a very robust floral

Little Italy, possibly the very finest citrus scent available anywhere

One good thing about buying perfume: most places will provide gift wrapping and since perfume is generally nicely packaged anyway, the gift will look gorgeous.

If you can't make up your mind, buy several. If the bank allows, buy your mother a few different scents. Very few women are truly devoted to one scent exclusively. Most of us like some variety in our fragrance life. If you do buy a few different fragrances, try to mix up fragrance types. For instance, if you pick out one floral (such as Calvin Klein's Eternity) then go for a spicy or fruity scent as your next choice.

One last note before you venture into fragrance shopping. Perfumes all have names (Eternity, Chinatown, Pure White Linen) but it is common to name the manufacturer right after the name (Eternity by Calvin Klein). When you get to the perfume counter, you'll find perfumes grouped by manufacturer. Also, if you shop online, many large fragrance sites also group scents by manufacturers, although you can usually search by name.

Copyright (c) 2007 Joanna McLaughlin

Joanna McLaughlin is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to the fragrance website Perfume-Reporter (http://www.theperfume-reporter.com).

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Perfumes-That-Make-Great-Mother-s-Day-Gifts/154008

Tags: estee lauder perfume, lauder parfums, lauder perfume, parfum estee lauder

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 18th, 2008 at 1:04 am and is filed under Designer Fragrances. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.