One thing I love about the festive season is the many scents that remind me of Christmas. Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves are my favourite but not exactly my favourite to wear. Fragrances are brilliant Christmas gifts, with some creating everlasting and special memories for us. If you’re still on the hunt for that little something-something for your wife or husband, girlfriend or boyfriend, mam or dad, siblings or besties well fret no more as I’ve a range of gorgeous perfumes and aftershaves for everyone. Whether it’s the notes of rose and jasmine or a spiced wooden musk that packs a punch, I have included my personal favourites as well as those whose opinions I trust to give you a great selection of fragrances for her and for him that will make any gift-receiver smile, and most importantly smell really damn good!
Photo by Josie / Fashion Mumblr http://www.fashionmumblr.com/
Fragrances for Her
Every woman is different to the next, and her scent preferences will also vary from season to season. That said, some women aren’t as fussy and would wear a fragrance until it’s gone and then move onto the next. I’m the latter, and so this selection of fragrances for her are a combination of different notes, smells and seasonal perfumes including Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette as well as sprays and cologne. Apart from online stores & discounts, the best places to find a great selection of perfumes are department stores and larger pharmacies nationwide. For exclusive brands look to Brown Thomas & BT2 and Harvey Nichols Dundrum, whereas department stores House of Fraser Dundrum, Arnotts and Debenhams have a great selection of popular perfumes and some exclusive finds too. Boots, The Perfume Shop and select pharmacies also stock a great range of fragrances for the ladies. I’ve divided the selection into sizes of perfume bottles rather than price, as sometimes the lady in question may prefer a little bottle to try out the new scent, and a big bottle of her favourite will also go a long way.
My personal recommendations are Nigritella EDP by The Body Shop, Mon Paris EDP by Yves Saint Laurent, Charm Club Forever EDT by Thomas Sabo, Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and Velvet Orchid by Tom Ford.
- Jo Malone London Mimosa & Cardamom Cologne 30ml, Brown Thomas, BT2, €54
- Nigritella Eau de Parfum 50ml, The Body Shop, €59.50
- Roger & Gallet Gingembre Rouge Intense Eau de Parfum 50ml, Marks & Spencer and select pharmacies nationwide, €49
- Thomas Sabo Charm Club Forever Eau du Toilette 50ml, Arnotts, Brown Thomas Cork, BT2 Blanchardstown, House of Fraser Dundrum, €39.95
- Chanel N°5 L’Eau Spray 50ml, Brown Thomas, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €85.80/£68
- Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum 50ml, Brown Thomas, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €85.80/£68
- Fleur de Mimosa Eau de Toilette 50ml, & Other Stories, €30
- Boss Orange for Women Eau de Toilette 75ml, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €81
- Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Eau de Parfum 75ml, Debenhams, The Perfume Shop, €100.80
- Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum 80ml, The Perfume Shop (engraving available!), Boots, €77
- Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto Eau de Pafum 90ml, Debenhams, Brown Thomas, House of Fraser Dundrum, €52.50
- Emporio Armani Diamonds Rose for Women Eau de Parfum 100ml, Brown Thomas, Arnotts, €81
- Tom Ford Velvet Orchid 100ml, Brown Thomas, Harvey Nichols, €138
- Jo Malone London Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense 100ml, Brown Thomas, BT2 Dundrum & Blanchardstown, €135
- Yves Saint Laurent Opium Eau de Toilette 125ml, Brown Thomas, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €120
- Fleur de Mimosa Body Mist 150ml, & Other Stories, €15
Fragrances for Him
For the lads, smelling good is as key as dressing well. Women love a good scent, and this selection are as masculine as they are fancy without being excessively priced. Musk, wooden notes and spiced scents are all popular, with many designer brands taking centre stage. As mentioned above, Brown Thomas & BT2 and Harvey Nichols Dundrum are lovely for exclusive fragrances, and department stores House of Fraser Dundrum, Arnotts and Debenhams have plenty of the best and more popular perfumes. Boots, The Perfume Shop and select pharmacies also stock a great selection of fragrances for all the lads.
My personal recommendations are L’Homme EDT by Yves Saint Laurent, Diamonds for Men EDP by Emporio Armani and London EDT by Ted Baker. And a big thank you to my friends for their top tips for the male fragrances!
- Ferrari Red Eau de Toilette 40ml Gift Set, Debenhams, €19.98
- Chanel Égoïste Eau de Toilette 50ml, House of Fraser Dundrum, €58/£48
- Armani Code by Giorgio Armani for Men Eau de Toilette 50ml, Brown Thomas, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €59
- Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette 50ml Gift Set, House of Fraser Dundrum, €59/£48.50
- Versace Pour Homme Eau de Toilette 50ml, Harvey Nichols Dundrum, The Perfume Shop, €54
- YSL L’Homme Eau de Toilette 60ML Body Deluxe Gift Set, Brown Thomas, €59
- Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men Eau de Parfum 75ml, Brown Thomas, €67.50
- Davidoff Cool Water Eau de Toilette 75ml, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €34.99
- Creed Green Irish Tweed Eau de Toilette 75ml, Harvey Nichols, €202.46/£170
- Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Eau de Toilette 90ml, Boots, Harvey Nichols Dundrum, €72.90
- Bottega Venetta Pour Home Eau de Toilette 90ml, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols Dundrum, €75.42
- White Musk for Men Eau de Toilette 100ml, The Body Shop, €28.50
- Ted Baker London Eau de Toilette 100ml, Ted Baker, Boots, €36
- Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette 100ml, Boots, The Perfume Shop, €76
- Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette 100ml, Brown Thomas, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €80.10
- Tom Ford Noir 100 ml, Brown Thomas, Harvey Nichols Dundrum, €105
- Diesel Only the Brave Eau de Toilette 125ml, The Perfume Shop (engraving available!), Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €69.99/£58
- BOSS by Hugo Boss Bottled Night For Men Eau de Toilette Spray 200ml, Boots, House of Fraser Dundrum, €100
Christmas Gift Guides:
- Watch Station International
- Gifts for Her
- Gifts for Him
- Merry Kissmas at Weir & Sons
- Fragrances for Her & Him
Nirina xx
Images © respective owners; feature image © Josie/Fashion Mumblr
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