Holidays are officially here. Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year. Love and look forward to all of them.
Saturday Question #245:
Will You Give Any Fragrant Gifts This Holiday Season?
Not necessarily perfume, but anything scent-related – candles, room sprays, aroma diffusers, etc.?
Do you expect to get any presents of this type yourself?
My Answer
This year, we keep the gift exchange to a minimum. The closest to the topic of this SQ gift that I’m giving is a set of skincare products for my MIL: I made sure they are scented because I noticed that she didn’t enjoy a great, in my opinion, scent-free moisturizer from Ordinary that I gave her.
I know that I’m getting a scented item as a New Year gift from my vSO. It was my choice, and I’ll write about it soon. I can’t wait to use it!
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I have given my sister some beautiful, gorgeously scented products from Emma Hardie and Neom, which are also lovely for your skin. I actually buy perfume for my husband to give to me to ensure he doesn’t make costly mistakes – this Christmas it will be a brand new bottle I bought on eBay of Yves Rocher’s discontinued Rose Absolue (you know I like that one!). It will remind me of Christmases past …..
Looking forward to reading about your choice.
Very best wishes to you, dear Undina, and all your readers.
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Thank you, Jillie. All the best wishes to you too.
I was recently thinking that 10 years from now, we won’t be able to find “vintage” for the most perfumes we like because our favorites from the past 10 years were niche perfumes produced in much smaller quantities, bought to be used (and not as obligatory and often not wanted gifts), so the chances of finding them unopened and in good condition will be slim.
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Funny you should ask, Undina. I’ll be gifting my brother-in-law a fragrance this Christmas, along with a few Caswell-Massey soaps. He’ll be the only one getting any fragrant gifts this year.
I never get fragrant gifts myself. I’m not sure friends or family would even know where to start. They have left the fragrant gift giving for me up to me. So, with that in mind, I gifted myself a bell jar of the long awaiting return of Sarrasins by Serge Lutens earlier this week.
Many years ago, a work friend presented me with a candle as a gift for Christmas. She said that she was certain that I would enjoy this particular candle. There was a reason that she felt so strongly about the success of her gift. A friend of hers presented her with the very same candle once upon a time. Her friend gave her the same advice — this candle would be one of the most amazing candles she would ever experience. Guess what? It certainly was. The candle was Red Currant by Votivo. It’s still one of my favorites, and I found myself gifting it to other with the very same advise over the years.
I’ll be waiting to hear about your New Year’s gift.
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As you can see from other comments, usually we get fragrant gifts carefully planned by us :)
Caswell-Massey soaps are a perfect gift! I would refuse them for any holiday.
I am curious how much the current version of Sarrasins is different from the older one.
I’m curious to try that candle now. I’ll report back.
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I directed my son to buy Chanel Coco Mad scented lotion for my sister in law (her signature scent); and I’ll put a small candle in her stocking. Nothing for anyone else, although I expect to receive some LUSH Rose Jam body wash from my son – it’s the default gift these days and I didn’t want anyone to spend on me this year (I just bought some new camera equipment and felt like that was plenty of newness for me). We will enjoy scented candles and lots of wonderful food and hopefully a lower key Christmas Day. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and if this time of year is difficult, sending healing vibes your way and wishes for a much happier New Year!
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New camera equipment is great! (Though, I’m not sure it should be considered as a gift – after all, it’s your work equipment! ;) )
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No fragrant Christmas gifts from me to anyone this year. My husband got a new bottle of Terre d’Hermes for his birthday and I gave my DIL a bottle of the new Chanel Gabrielle L’Eau for her birthday so no fragrant gifts for Christmas presents. I got a couple of Malle Noel candles and a couple of Cire Trudon holiday candles for my Christmas prezzy and that’s all the scented gifts for 2024.
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Scented candles are great presents for anyone, in my opinion.
I wonder how much the current version of TdH is different from the previous reincarnations of this perfume. It was my most favorite perfume in my vSO’s fragrance wardrobe, but I haven’t tried it in probably 5 years, so I’m not sure if I’ll still want to re-purchase it once the current bottle is done.
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This year I’m giving a bunch of Shower Gels. I’m curiously uninspired about the giving season in 2024. It’s annoying because I collect stuff all year and now that it’s time to make decisions I’m bleach.
Hope everyone has a sensational time.
Portia x
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I hope when it came to the actual giving you got your mojo back.
I like scented bath products, but I get tired of the same scent, so I constantly have several open gels, which slightly annoys me. I think, for me it would have been ideal to have very small bottles. I should probably be getting some set with a variety of scents next time I’m looking for a shower gel.
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Molton Brown has those excellent multi mini packs. So cool.
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I always buy something for my sons as I’ve mentioned before.
There are more important things for DH & I.
I can’t yet put into words about this season
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I hear you. Thinking of you and your DH. <3 <3 <3
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Yes! I gave a friend a travel spray of Ormonde Jayne Man, and another one a discovery set of Jo Loves, which I would quite fancy myself, never having tried the line myself.
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Both are great presents!
Jo Loves hasn’t made it to the US, so my exposure to it was just from one visit to the London store and several samples I either got from them or received for testing from a perfumista friend (tried and returned). I think, it’s definitely worth trying for those who liked Jo Malone perfumes (and isn’t for those who didn’t :) ).
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Yes, my friend was already a big Jo Malone fan, so it seemed a logical extension of that.
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