How to know what perfumes to give as gifts this Christmas

Christmas gift sets abound right now but which new scents will be best received? Rachel Marie Walsh reports

Fragrance is the gift that let's you keep on reliving fond memories. Image by Sisley Paris.

Fragrance is my favourite Christmas gift — one that may just last till next December and makes someone think fondly of you whenever they spray it. I walk a perilous road though, as it is a subjective and personal present that some people don’t want in their air. Further, I would not recommend risking one as a Secret Santa gift — and giving something fragranced to anyone you work with may be badly received. A scent some would call 'classic' may make the recipient think you perceive them as older than they feel. Celebrity fragrances are always a ‘don’t’ unless specifically requested. Even excluding them, there’s a ridiculous breadth of choice, an olfactory ocean widening — much like the Atlantic — every year. There is often overlap between new and established scents but it’s still easy to go wrong. My bemoaning the choice won’t do much, but it may help you to learn which of this season’s launches I think are likely to raise a smile of gratitude.

Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum, from €72 for 15ml at Brown Thomas