Holiday Season 2014 is in full swing. When you work in the world of fragrance, two things stand out during this time of year. It begins with the ads. Online, on tv, in print… we are inundated with the latest from big launches, best sellers, and scent classics. Christmas is like the Super Bowl of fragrance sales, with total Nov/Dec purchases for many companies exceeding those made throughout the rest of the year combined. Hence, enter the blockbuster spots from the likes of Chanel, Dior, Lauder… (currently my own media browsing habits are sprinkled with a high volume of Julia Roberts for Lancome’s La Vie est Belle) .
This is coupled with a litany of incoming requests for help with fragrance gifting ideas.
“My [husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend/colleague…] currently wears [X] and is [really into perfume, in need of an update, impossible to buy for…]. Could you please help me find something that will magically wow them?”
Gifting has always been a tricky subject for me. Honestly, I wasn’t always the biggest fan of the idea of gifting fragrance, seeing perfume as more of a personal purchase than as present, especially due to the difficulty in trying to find the right scent for another person’s skin. Almost like trying to buy lingerie without really knowing anything about size and fit – so not necessarily impossible, but a bit of a gamble. That being said, I’ve recently come around to the idea of fragrance gifting, but with one important caveat: I never gift fragrance alone.
The “Never Gift Alone” Rule
By pairing fragrance with other gifts, you can tap into olfaction’s connections to emotion and memory, using fragrance like an aromatic string to tie each of the gifts together. I always say, fragrance helps make a gift just a bit more personal, and a lot more memorable. Here are a few simple things I like to consider when gifting with fragrance:
- • Unless a specific bottle request has been made, your search shouldn’t start at the fragrance counter. First you need to do a little brainstorming and possibly some detective work to help narrow down choices. Be sure to note any noticeable fragrances habits of the intended recipient (good and bad) and take that knowledge out shopping.
- • Are you buying a scent for someone to wear when with you? Then it’s important you also like the fragrance. Choose something you don’t mind getting close to.
- • And just what exactly are you doing together? Having an exciting night out? Be it dinner, dancing, or taking in a film, choose a scent that matches your intended plans. Maybe even up the gifting game by adding in a few going out accessories (think wardrobe updates, tickets, travel arrangements… ).
- • Or are you thinking more about a night in? Then why not add gifts of taste and touch to give a multi-sensorial experience. Since a night in encompasses anything from the casual to the erotic, always begin by asking what the person will be doing. For example, a friend of mine was looking to get a fragrance for the guy who was really into craft beer brewing. Together we assembled a set of gifts that included, some cured meats and pickles, candles reminiscent of a smokehouse, a fragrance with notes of malt and hop, a beer stein, and of course, some Brooklyn brew.
- • Or are you buying for someone to cherish on their own? In this case, I always look for things the person does to leisurely pass time, like reading a book. Books are actually wonderful fragrance companions, allowing the gift giver to draw olfactive inspiration from the words on the page. Remember, the idea is to make the gift feel more personal… more memorable.
- • Lastly, if the idea of giving a fragrance to wear is too riddled with anxiety, consider the option of interior scent products. Candles, diffusers, and incense all make great gifts, but still apply the “never alone” rule. What does that room look like? What does the fragrance make you think of when you are there?
Gifting With Christopher Street
Because of Christopher Street’s multi-layered olfactive narrative, it can be quite versatile when being considered for gift pairing options. While most certainly not the fragrance for everyone, it’s distinctive notes and story make it a great gift for someone who isn’t the shy violet of the group. Here are some of the gifts I’ve paired with Christopher Street in the past:
- • The number one Christopher Street companion for me has been gloves and scarves. By adding in a few extra patchouli pods, and wrapping everything together in traditional street market packaging, it always feels like I’m shipping off a parcel from the wharfs of old NY.
- • I’ve gone the tea route, too. Adding in a nice little teapot, and a few of my favorite leaves from McNulty’s. (Lately I’ve been drinking the Lung Ching Dragonwell and 1001 Nights).
- • Because of its historical roots, I’ve also gifted Christopher Street with books (so many great options here to choose from). Specifically with copies of Barbara Herman’s Scent and Subversion, David Carter’s Stonewall, and Fred McDarrah’s Anarchy, Protest, and Rebellion.
- • My most ambitious Christopher Street gift pairing to date has been with a full night out in the West Village including: dinner at Havana Alma de Cuba, an olfactive neighborhood tour with tea tasting at McNulty’s and a leather-play demonstration at The Leather Man, drinking and dancing at Stonewall and Monster, a drag karaoke showdown at Boots & Saddle, and fireworks on Christopher Street Pier. That was a truly a night to remember.
- • Of course, the best gift I can pair with Christopher Street here is a coupon code to help each of you with your own fragrance gift giving needs…
For making 2014 so memorable for Charenton Macerations, please enjoy 20% off all purchases made during the remaining days of December. Just enter the coupon code MRGAMESHOW at checkout to activate. Get your bottle here.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
