The ultimate guide, from stocking fillers to scented sets, bath treats and home fragrance...
Scent-sational Stocking Fillers
Whilst personally I've not been overly in love with their newer fragrances this year, there's no denying that Zoella Beauty has some great Christmas sets, particularly if you are a newcomer to the brand. My pick for festive cheer always has to be the delicious Bake My Day, which has an incredibly sweet and true to life gingerbread fragrance. Unfortunately they didn't bring the range back in its entirety, but the Bake My Day body mist is available in the All Four You gift set, (£15) accompanied by the original Blissful Mistful, and this year's new scents Snow'ella and Gelat'eau.
Another brilliant affordable option is So...? Fragrances, who launched their ever expanding body mist line last year. At £3.99 (and currently half price too!), the body mists are a great stocking filler on their own, but they also have some fab sets too, including the So...? Delights set which includes 3 body mists for £8, as well as the So...? Indulgence Musk set, with a body mist, shower gel and body lotion. I've also been really impressed with their more premium eau de parfums, which I reviewed here. Dark Romance* is still a firm favourite with its delicious scent of vanilla and praline, reminiscent of dark chocolate and cherry. The perfect gift for lovers of sweet perfumes, it is available in a set along with a handy body spray here.
The Perfume Society Discovery Boxes are the perfect stocking fillers for fragrance lovers. They contain a selection of perfume samples usually with at least one deluxe sample (around 10ml) as well as a couple of body/skincare bits too. The latest Discovery Box is The Velvet Collection (£15 subscribers, £19 subscribers), which is an edit of fragrances specially selected for the winter months, including Ruth Mastenbroek Firedance and Vince Camuto Amore. This box is great for discovering some of the more niche brands.
You might remember me unboxing the Superdrug Bloom 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar in this video. It introduced the Superdrug Bloom range, and they are also selling some of the scents separately in full size, purse sprays and candles. Being Superdrug, the whole range is really affordable, and it includes some amazing Jo Malone dupes. There's Mandarin & Lime Basil, Bergamot & Cucumber, Berry Cassis & Fig and Citrus Blossom, which dupe (respectively) Lime, Basil & Mandarin, Earl Grey & Cucumber, Wild Fig & Cassis and French Lime Blossom. Although not particularly long-lasting, the Superdrug Bloom perfumes are light and fresh and make the perfect scents for everyday.
Magnificent Minis
Leighton Denny has always been known for their amazing quality nail polishes, but the brand has been one of my best perfume discoveries. I previously tried their Light & Dark Original fragrance (review here) and as lovely as it is, I did find it slightly too strong for everyday wear (but if that's your jam, then you will love it!). Leighton Denny have recently released a solid version, the Light & Dark Touch Up Solid EDP* (£14.50). I've never really been into solid perfume, but this one has a twist-up mechanism so it is really easy to apply and doesn't get all over your fingers. The fragrance is glamorous in a very Chanel-esque way, and the solid version is awesome to pop into your bag to touch up throughout the day. As well as Original, Leighton Denny have three other fragrances (one of which I will talk more about later on), and you can also buy a Discovery Set (£28.50) featuring purse sprays of all 4.
Talking of purse sprays, this Twist & Spritz* fragrance atomiser (£10) is perfect for carrying around your favourite perfume. Unlike other atomisers, it is really easy to fill, simply take out the inner part, pop off the spritzer of your fragrance and pump the perfume into the atomiser. I love the purple shade of this one, but it also comes it tons of other colours, including rose gold, marble and glitter effects. The Twist & Spritz holds 8ml of fragrance, which gives around 100 sprays, and is the perfect gift if you are struggling to pick a specific perfume.
Another amazing gift option in this department is a brand new service from The Fragrance Shop, replacing their Discovery Club (review here). Scentaddict let's you 'Date' fragrances before 'marrying' them, and is a very similar premise to Scentbird in the US. For £12 each month, you will receive an 8ml fragrance refill which slots into an atomiser very much like the Twist & Spritz above. There are over 250 designer fragrances (including Chanel, Guerlain and Tom Ford) which you can add to your subscription and then you will receive one at random each month. You will also receive that £12 off the full size fragrance too!
And then lastly there's the mini fragrance sets. I remember getting an awesome one from Boots for Christmas years ago, featuring Ghost, Givenchy and more! Designer fragrance lovers are in for a treat this year as there are a lot of options. DKNY is the cheapest with their Be Delicious Deluxe Mini Trio Gift Set (£22), with 3 x 7ml minis of the iconic Be Delicious fragrance, as well as the red Be Desired and pink Be Tempted Eau So Blush. Versace have a gift set (£27.50), with Crystal Noir and Bright Crystal and Eros pour Femme EDP and EDT. Then there is a Giorgio Armani Minis for Her set (£30), with Si EDP and EDT, Aqua Di Gioia and Armani Code. Estée Lauder's Fragrance Treasures Gift Set includes Modern Muse and Modern Muse Le Rouge, as well as Beautiful and Pleasures, priced at £37. Lastly, the most luxe option comes from Hermes at £48, with their Miniature Gift Set containing Jour d'Hermes, Eau des Marveilles, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, and the most recent Twilly d'Hermes.
Scented Sets
Fragrance gift sets are big business at Christmas time, and there also typically a pretty expensive gift. However I've been pleasantly surprised by those from Ghost this year. Ghost The Fragrance was one of the first perfumes I ever fell in love with, with its gorgeous sweet rose scent. It is feminine, inoffensive and versatile, and would suit all ages. Something that never overly excites a gift sets are those that come with body lotions and shower gels, so I love that the Ghost 30ml Gift Set* (£22.99) also comes with a Distant Dreams Bath Oil. I feel like this would be a real treat and the perfect indulgent upgrade to your usual pamper routine, and would be something I would actually use and enjoy. Ghost have a wide range of fragrances to choose from, including the newer launches of Dream and Whitelight.
For something different, this Aqua Manda Gift Set* (£39.99) brings back that classic Aqua Manda scent which was created in 1947 but became a defining scent of the late 60s and early 70s when it was a bestseller. It is based around a mandarin orange note, with spicy notes of ginger, cinnamon, juniper, tarragon, and eucalyptus, as well as lavender and earthy patchouli to create a warm aromatic scent very typical of the 60s. The gift set comes with a 20ml fragrance, soap and talcum powder, and it is the perfect nostalgic gift for mums, aunties and anyone else who may remember the original Aqua Manda first time around. Also available, revived by popular demand, are Goya Black Rose from the 1950s, Aqua Citra, the follow-up to Aqua Manda which launched in the 1970s, Babe from the late 70s and 80s and finally Tribe from the 90s. Fun fact - Tribe sponsored Take That's first tour in 1992!
Fabulous Fragrances
Other than gift sets, individual fragrances also make for fab presents, and at the more affordable end of the scale there are some great options from Next. I've been so impressed with their perfumes, particularly Summer Sun, which is an exact dupe of Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess! Monsoon Rose Gold* sits somewhere in the middle of drugstore and designer fragrances, being £24 for 30ml, but I've managed to find it for just £10 here, which is an incredible buy! It is a rose-based fragrance, with a deliciously sweet rose and lemon opening, but it moves into a deeper base, being warm and sophisticated. It reminds me a lot of Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, with a rosy twist, so it would be the perfect gift for lovers of that fragrance!
I mentioned Leighton Denny fragrances previously, and my firm favourite from the range just has to be Light & Dark Delightful*. I reviewed it in full here, but it is an incredibly juicy, fruity scent. Its notes include red apple, watermelon and mango, as well as soft florals and a base of coconut sorbet, musk and vanilla. It is the ultimate fruity scent for me, being light, fun and fresh without any harsh base notes. Fans of Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! will love this, and it is cheaper than designer options at £43.50 for 70ml.
Moving onto slightly higher end options, I think Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb (from £52 for 30ml) is one of those crowd-pleaser scents that everyone seems to love. It is sweet and sexy, with a slight spiciness that keeps it from being too young, and it lasts on the skin incredibly well. Flowerbomb is an oriental fragrance, and has notes of citrus, tea, rose, white florals and patchouli. The bottle is beautiful, and their gift sets (from £83) are absolutely stunningly packaged this year! For fans of slightly lighter perfumes, there's also Flowerbomb Bloom which is fresher and more fruity. It's gorgeous!
Another fragrance that I think would make a wonderful gift is Chloé Love Story* (from £47 for 30ml), especially for floral lovers. The signature Chloé Eau de Parfum is so iconic and recognisable, and as gorgeous as it is, you smell it everywhere. Love Story is a little bit of an undiscovered gem and it's something a little different, while retaining that gorgeous Chloe DNA. Love Story is based around an orange blossom note, combining it with a woody base to create a sophisticated and pretty sweet floral fragrance that lasts really well on the skin without being overpowering. The bottle is inspired by the love locks that were on the Pont Des Arts in Paris, and it is one of my favourite designs, featuring a gold padlock style which looks so luxurious!
Bath & Body
One of the most indulgent gifts to receive is a gorgeously luxurious bath or body product, even better if its something you wouldn't usually treat yourself to. For younger girls, you really can't beat Mad Beauty's range of licenced Disney bath treats. This Alice in Wonderland Toiletry Gift Set* (£11.99) houses a body wash, hand cream and body lotion in a delicate pear and ginger scent, as well as a gorgeous wash bag and pink puff. The fragrance isn't too strong so it is great for even the sensitive noses, as there's the added bonus of the bag being incredibly useful for trips away or to house the beginnings of a makeup collection. Bath Bombs always make a fun gift, and Bomb Cosmetics have a great range of sets, including this Chocolate Gift Set* (£9.99) which includes 6 bath melts with various delicious fragrances, including chocolate buttercup, mocha, chocolate orange and vanilla. Laden with cocoa and shea butters, these bath melts leave the water feeling silky soft and keep the skin feeling nourished too.
For bath treats, Sanctuary Spa is always a great bet with their affordable luxury, particularly their Must Have Body Treats Set (£20). This year, they launched their little sister brand, Being and it has a ton of fun scents and products. My personal fave is the Water Lotus & Pomelo Shower Burst* (£7) as it's a super fun foam body wash and the scent is the perfect morning pick-me-up. This Mermaid Showers set (£10) would be awesome as a gift as it contains 4 of their body washes in Hibiscus & Coconut Water, Salted Caramel & Macademia, Cloudberry & Lychee Blossom and Chilli Mango & Tonka Bean, so would be a lovely introduction to the brand. You also can't go wrong with Soap & Glory, and their Spa of Wonder is still the Star Gift until 18th December. It offers £78 worth of product for just £30, and including a range of beauty, bath and skincare products!
For more luxurious options, L'Occitane is always a fabulous choice, and I'm gifting some of their sets this year. Some great options are this Shea Butter Body Bauble (£12), which includes a soap, body lotion and their iconic Shea Butter hand cream, and their Beauty Icons set (£20) which would be great for newcomers to the brand. Nuxe is also one of my favourite body care brands, and their My Dream Gift Set (£20) includes a hand cream and two of my holy grail products, the Reve de Miel Lip Balm and the Huile Prodidieuse Multi-Use Dry Oil. Aromatherapy Associates makes the perfect gifts for those who deserve to relax and treat themselves. The Perfect Partners set (£20) includes two oils, but the Ultimate Wellbeing Time Gift Set (£60) is exactly as it sounds, the ultimate pamper treat, featuring ten 9ml bath oils.
And what do you buy that person who has everything? One easy answer: these Floating Rose Bath Lights* (similar here for £6.99)! Something that I never thought I needed in my life, these colour changing LED roses activate once placed in water. They give such a gorgeous glow to the water, and add a lovely ambience that really makes your pamper session feel so much more luxurious. I'm sure I will be gifting many of these to various family and friends over the next couple of years, they're such a game changer!
Home Fragrances
Lastly I come on to home fragrances, possibly the easiest category of fragrance to gift, and it's something that people might not think to treat themselves to. Both brands I'm mentioning here really have that luxurious feeling, and would be perfect for gifting. Of course I have to mention M&J London, a brand that I have spoken about many a time on this blog. Their Bavarian Winter candle* (from £23) is just the ultimate winter scent, with notes of blackcurrant, cinnamon, clove and vanilla, and is inspired by the scent of traditional Christmas Markets. A fragrance that can be burned all year round is Tbilisi*, inspired by the capital of Georgia. It has notes of pomegranate, tarragon and walnut and is a very unique blend that really comes to life when burned, as the warmth of the walnut really shines through. As soon as I smelt Tbilisi, I immediately thought of it as a great kitchen scent, and it is known as M&J London's entertaining candle. What better gift to bring along if you are going to a dinner party! All of M&J London's candles are soy wax and have ethical luxury in mind, from their packaging to the wicks. They even give a percentage of their profits to UK women's charity nia, so it is the perfect way to give back this season.
The second home fragrance brand that I wanted to talk about is Noble Isle. Wonderfully luxurious, Noble Isle is a quintessentially British brand, favouring quality ingredients and the finest fragrances to create a range inspired by the natural riches of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales - the Noble Isles. The Shrouds of Splendid Rhubarb Set* (£60) is one of the most indulgent home fragrance sets I've seen, feeling extremely good quality and in beautiful packaging. Of course, even before you unwrap the gift set, you can smell the wonderful aroma of the Rhubarb Rhubarb scent, which has notes of bittersweet rhubarb, juniper and muddled rosemary. It is gorgeously aromatic and fresh, and is very reminiscent of a rhubarb gin and tonic, garnished with rosemary. Definitely one for gin lovers! The set contains a candle and snuffer, as well as a reed diffuser, and it is the perfect fresh scent to burn once the Christmas festivities die down. As well as home fragrance Noble Isle also have a range of unisex bath and body products too, and Fireside is the perfect cosy winter scent, inspired by a country inn. Available in a candle, Bath & Shower Gel and Body Lotion, it has notes of cinnamon, cypress, vanilla and beet extract sourced from Mynwy Valley.
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