The Fragrance Concierge Guide to Gifting
The sweet smell of a successful gift
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The best gifts are personal, and nothing is more personal than fragrance. Indulgent and sensorial, perfume is innately connected to emotion and memory, meaning that a fragrance gift is not just an object, but an experience. Nobody knows this better than the Fragrance Concierge, Liberty’s team of experts in the Fragrance Lounge, which you’ll find on the Lower Ground floor of the store. To help with your Christmas shopping, we asked Lucy Hunt from the Concierge to recommend a fragrance gift for everyone on your list.
Beauty Gurus
For the recipient who loves all things beauty, give them a fragrance which also comes as a full bath and body routine. “Matiere Premiere’s Parisian Musc is a beautiful woody musk,” says Lucy. Gift the Eau de Parfum alongside the hand and body wash, lotionand hair mist in the same scent.”
Fragrance Aficionados
Perhaps you’re buying a present for someone who already has a deep knowledge of fragrance, in which case, help them learn more about what they like. Lucy advises the Signature Scent service, “where you can discover all of the Fragrance Lounge’s incredible niche brands! For example, our Liberty exclusives - Bibbi Parfum and Infiniment Coty Paris.”
London Obsessives
If your recipient is a London lover, then try something from British fragrance house Perfumer H. Founder and master perfumer Lyn Harris is passionate about championing British fragrance - she’s even translated the weather into some of her scents. “I love Rain Cloud and Smoke for this time of year,” says Lucy. Alternatively, you could time travel back into the 70s with Vilhelm’s London Funk, a fragrance which evokes the rock’n’roll of that classic era.
Liberty Print Lovers
For Liberty lovers, there can only be one: Liberty’s own LBTY. fragrances, each of which is inspired by a different archival Liberty print. “My favourite Liberty LBTY. perfume is Ianthe Oud,” says Lucy, name checking the newest LBTY scent, a translation of the Ianthe print. “I also love a bit of Tudor - which has the same elegance as the building itself.”
Showstoppers & Jaw Droppers
“Blue Talisman from Ex Nihilo is a stand out! It’s got incredible strength - great projection and it lasts all day. There’s no smell like it from any other brand. It’s so classy and unique.”
Secret Santa Saviours
Not sure whether to go with a full size bottle? Fill their stocking with travel sized potions, so you can figure out which one to gift them next year. “Matiere Premiere offer 6ml bottles for £35, and you can also get a discover set of Liberty LBTY. 8ml bottles in four different scents. Bibbiand Creedalso have lovely discovery sets. L'Artisan Parfumeur offers 3 travel sized vials in a lovely leather pouch, which you can get embossed with your initials.”
How to Gift a Fragrance
What’s the best tip for choosing a fragrance for someone else?
Figuring out what they wear already gives a great starting point. Also figuring out where there's a gap in their fragrance wardrobe. Do they need a winter one? Something for everyday use? Or perhaps for a special occasion?
Which fragrances are trending at the moment and why?
Matiere Premiere due to their lasting power and projection (they contain 33% oil content, compared with 20% in a regular eau de parfum).
What’s a crowd-pleasing ingredient or smell to look out for?
Santal is really popular at the moment. Try Santal Austral by Matiere Premiere, or Santal A La Vida from Infiniments Coty Paris.
Which fragrance experience would you recommend as a gift?
Discover Your Signature Scent! One of our Fragrance Concierge team takes you through a fragrance profiling service, where you’ll be guided by olfactory family and also unlock the science behind different scents, all whilst enjoying some Charbonnel & Walker truffles, a glass of English sparkling wine, tea or coffee. You’ll then receive a shortlist of fragrances to choose from. Purchases will be beautifully gift wrapped in Liberty paper, and engraving is complimentary for purchases over £350.
Which fragrance is on your Christmas wishlist and why?
Latte di Cherry from New Notes. I can still smell it on me the next day - even after showering and sleeping! It's honestly incredible, and the price point is quite reasonable.
