I always wanted to do a post about winter holidays gifts (for my family and close friends it’s more about the New Year gifts than those for Christmas). But usually I was doing my shopping in B&M stores, so whichever interesting items I would find there I usually couldn’t recommend to my readers. This year in general and November-December in particular were so hectic for me that most of my holiday shopping was and still is happening online. So I decided to share with you my scented gift ideas.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post in any form and it doesn’t contain affiliate links.
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While choosing perfume for somebody else is a very tricky task, some brands make it easier for both the giver and the recipient. So I’ll start with the brand that had changed my attitude towards gifting people with perfumes.
Ineke offers two discovery sets – Scent Library and Deluxe Sample Collection – both are beautifully presented and, at the price of $25 including S&H and $15 coupon towards the full bottle purchase, are perfect stocking stuffers. And if you’ve previously bought one of these and are thinking about a bottle, now is great time to go for it to take advantage of the free shipping until December 25th.
Atelier Cologne, the brand that I really appreciate, offers a good variety of stocking stuffers and gifts, starting from $18 (I’m still contemplating trying one of their soaps) plus free US & Hong Kong delivery until December 25th and free personalization for travel sprays. And if you’re serious about giving somebody special a gift of perfume, I think that their latest offering – a gift card (minimum $70) that includes 12 samples – is a great idea.
Concluding the perfume-giving part of this post, I want to mention that Dame Perfumery‘s 5 ml trial size of Black Flower Mexican Vanilla for $10 including S&H is an absolute steal! Other perfumes are also available from that link.
For those who would still rather not venture into gifting perfumes, there are other options:
Perfumed Lace Garden bracelet or Alahine scented ceramic tile from Teo Cabanel. None of them will break the bank. And for those who’s looking for something more indulgent, there’s always By Killian with his scented jewelry collections (these are new ones) and Frederic Malle’s rubber incense.
I’ve recently discovered Beautyspin online store and I want to share it with you. You’ll have to overlook the percentage they promise you’re saving or the referenced “retail price” – those are pure fictional numbers. But their prices are very good (and sometimes you can find an additional discount code).
Check out these perfect stocking stuffers: Myrrhe Ardente, Encens Flamboyant and Musc Nomade shower gels ($3.35–$5.19) by Annick Goutal or Bottega Veneta Pour Homme shower gel ($29).
After Rusty showed to me what I should do with the beautiful Amouage Dia soap, I decided that it would be a great holiday gift and bought Memoir and Epic perfumed soaps from Beautyspin ($24 each). Now I’m trying to persuade myself that those are great holiday gifts for somebody else since I still haven’t opened my Dia soap.
The person for whom you’re shopping for gifts is not into perfume-y scents? How about a fresh cut pine or coffee smell? Try these firestarters ($10 each):
And finally, if you want to steer clear of imposing any scent choice on your giftees, you might consider Blue Q You Smell Delicious socks ($9.99).
Will you be giving any scented gifts this year?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Hi, Undina! Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this post and in particular the photos of the gorgeous Rusty. Annick Goutal’s Incense Flamboyant is absolutely perfect for this time of year, and at that price would make an excellent stocking filler! Happy Christmas.
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Thank you, jillie (from Rusty as well – he got a treat for your compliment).
I’m thinking about keeping at least one of the shower gels for myself or all three? ;) )
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Great info, thanks Undina! I’m going to have a look at Ineke and Beauty Spin. I’ve also ordered sample sets from Andy Tauer and Maison Francis Kurkdjian before which were good value, but the MFK samples page seems to have changed, not sure if that still works.
At the moment I’m attempting to buy some Serge Lutens samples from the bell jar exclusives collection, but there’s communication trouble and they think I’m asking for 4 full bottles (which would amount to about 600 euros – eek!) This is a surprise for my boyfriend who likes my Feminite du Bois so I thought I’d order some similarly woody samples, such as Chene, Bois Oriental and maybe Cuir Mauresque. I’ll probably phone the shop in France tomorrow.
I haven’t sent my samples to your friend’s address yet as I’ve just been busy with an exhibition, I’ll sort that out this week :)
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I’ve purchased both the Scent Library and Deluxe Sample Collection from Ineke for myself and have given Deluxe Sample collection as gifts as well. Both sets work well for gift giving. I still have my code from when I purchased the Scent Library and going to take advantage of the free shipping that Undina mentioned to purchase a full size bottle.
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No hurry with the samples: it’s not like I have absolutely nothing to test ;)
SL just had a great promotion where you could get 5 mini bottles with the purchase. I used that promotion last year but didn’t have anything I wanted to buy thisyear. If it makes you feel better, in the U.S. four bell jars would be $1,200 + tax ;) I hope you’ll get your samples.
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I love Atelier Colognes. Their fragrances are fun to try and express the great variety in the cologne realm. I think it is safe to say they have one or more fragrances that will appeal to everyone. I like more than half of the Atelier scents I’ve tried. And the packaging for their samples is always beautiful.
Love the socks, too. :)
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I like many of Atelier’s colognes too and I’m glad they have so many different sizes – so more people can try (and like) them. And I’m eyeing those socks…
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Great choice, Undina. I still haven’t finished my Christmas shopping yet, or Christmas cards… It’s been hectic and didn’t have time. I ordered a few from Atelier Cologne as stocking fillers. They are really handy.
What is Rusty getting for Christmas??
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Rusty got his early Christmas present: do you see that comforter on the picture with Amouage soaps? We gave him our old down duvet to use while it’s cold. Now we need to figure out what to give him for his birthday, which we celebrate around Christmas as well :)
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What a great gift for Rusty, I bet he enjoys it a lot!
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Thanks for the recommendations, especially for including non-perfume related suggestions. I may get some of the fire starters. I haven’t purchased any perfume related gifts this year yet but I may gift a friend one of Ineke’s sets for her birthday on Dec. 27.
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Any time, Juli! :) I’m looking at those firestartes as well.
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I love this list! Forget the gifts, though, I think I might just need to get both Ineke sample kits for myself….
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If you haven’t tried those, you should! They are very cute (and I found at least two perfumes from the deluxe collection that I like).
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Yay for you Undina, you managed to write this post. I’m so happy to get a chance and see your own gift ideas.
Ineke sampler set is lovely, the presentation is exquisite. Too bad none of those perfumes worked well with my skin.
I absolutely agree that Atelier Cologne gift card with a sample set is a nice way to get someone started. Plus Atelier Cologne has such a broad choice of other different coffrets now!
Those Amouage soaps sound nice too, I could use one scented with Beloved Man
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
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Hi Lucas!
I’m surprised that Field Notes From Paris didn’t work for you: I like it both on my skin and on my vSO. Another perfume – Hothouse Flower that I really like – it probably to feminine for you.
I’m tempted to get a couple of Atelier Cologne’s sets for myself…
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Well I’d go with the Rusty endorsed soaps myself. Who could resist such a Spokescat? Not me!
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Yeah… Those get more and more irresistible the more I look at them ;)
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I love those socks! But who needs presents when you already have Rusty?!
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What do you mean “who”?! Of course, Rusty! ;)
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Nice picks, Undina! I passed by the Atelier boutique 2 Thursdays ago when I was out with some NYC fumies but it was already closed. If the SA was still there and was willing to open the door, I would have bought 2 sets of the gift card that comes with the tin of 12 samples. I read the terms and conditions and noted that the gift card expires one year after purchase and there is sales tax on it (although technically, if I am having it shipped to NJ, there shouldn’t be any) and any purchase of perfume also has sales tax – it sounds like double taxation but I won’t complain since it is such good value. I will probably buy 2 sets and give them to my nieces without the gift card and will tell them to choose which one they prefer and I will get it for them for their birthday (one in February and the other one in March). I had already bought their Christmas present and do not want to spoil them any more than I already do.
The Atelier Cologne soaps are wonderful.
It looks like I need to look at Beauty Spin when I am bargain hunting. I took a quick peek and you’re right about ignoring the % savings – utterly ridiculous.
Those socks are cite but Rusty is cuter!
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I was going to buy one more perfume to my vSO from Atelier Cologne. But now I’m contemplating getting a gift card and then using it to get him that cologne :) Those 12 samples are definitely worth an extra tax.
And I’m looking at BeautySpin for a couple of perfumes for myself… And the socks… And… I need to stop…
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I went ahead and ordered the Atelier Cologne Gift Card + Sampler. No tax and Free Shipping. Woo hoo! Of course I also just bought each of them the Philosophy ornament with 15 mLs of Fresh Cream perfume and they’ll end up sharing one L’Artisan Mini Splash set from Sephora. I still have to do 90% of my shopping egads!
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Regarding the expiration…it was actually 15 months from date of purchase…so just a tad bit over the one year I read in the terms and conditions. The tin of samples with a gift card is good value overall.
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Yeah… I couldn’t pass on it as well ;)
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That’s a fine selection of scented gifts – the discovery collections are particularly cute and useful, but I have already pressed enough perfume on my friends already such that I really am trying to get myself to back off these days. That said, one friend might be getting a bottle of something I think she likes – then that really is it.
As ever, Rusty does a great job of interacting with – and generally lounging in festive mode alongside – the items concerned.
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Vanessa, I think that you influence on friends in relation to perfumes goes beyond holidays, so it’s fine if you pause for a little while :)
I’m looking forward to seeing Truffle featured in your perfume-related posts: she’s an a beaut!
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Oh Undina – I never get updates on your blog :(
I need to fix that.
In the meantime, happy holidays to you and yours, and special hugs to Rusty!
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