10 Perfect Perfumes Guaranteed To Go Down Well

Our pick of the best perfumes to treat someone to this winter …

All products featured on thegloss.ie are selected by our editors. If you buy something through affiliate links on our site we may earn a commission.

Chosen carefully and thoughtfully, a bottle of something that smells divine is a gorgeous gift whatever the season. Whether you’re restocking someone’s signature scent, perhaps an endlessly loved classic, or being brave by striking out with something new and distinctive, it’s about finding a heart of glass …

The best idea is to choose a standout Irish scent: the choice of homegrown perfumes is now so excellent that it’s really easy to keep things local. Cloon Keen is always my first stop for something exquisite: I’m currently wearing award-wining Castaña eau de parfum on repeat – it’s such a deliciously mellow take on sweet chestnut, with hints of golden caramel, with a soft warmth. Or treat someone to inky dark rose Róisín Dubh – they will love you for ever! The new bottle design is more exquisite than ever – they look like beautiful silver sculptures on your shelf. The peak of Irish perfume.

We also enjoy La Bougie’s scents, including fresh new Pomelo 1830, a bright and breezy blend of grapefruit, gin and coriander. For further Irish options, keep waters+wild in mind (Tuberose + Frankincense for now, from €45), and anything from The Burren Perfumery (they do a discovery pack for €30) and all of these are great gender-free options too.

How about a personalised perfume gift? In a dream world, I’d choose the Chanel Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gift Set: select your favourite three from the collection of 19 exquisite scents, in 75ml size. Each one is a work of art, from Coromandel to Eau de Cologne.

You can’t go wrong with a classic. I’d put many of the Hermès scents into that category, including the wonderfully wintery Violette Volynka, a leather scent with top notes of delicated, subtle violet, slightly powdery and sweet. This is gorgeous for guys, too, as are Montblanc’s elegant Explorer Platinum, Chanel Bleu.

Top of the list for fashion-lovers has to be the new trio of perfumes by Victoria Beckham, created by renowned nose Jerome Epinette of Byredo fame. If you were glued to the recent Beckham doc (and who wasn’t?), these give olfactory insights into the mighty brand.

Discovery sets offer a great way to find something new, without huge commitment. The Armani Privé Les Eaux set of tiny minis is pretty. Head to The Loop, Dublin Duty Free, for good deals on both scent and beauty items: you can often find 100m bottles reduced – even the most recent Tom Ford eau de parfum, Myrrhe Mystere.

There are different ways to wear perfume, too. Jo Malone London’s scented powder with brush is one, while hair perfumes offer a lighter way to wear scent. And you don’t need to spend a fortune: you can’t go wrong with a bottle of Clarins Eau Dynamisante (from €30), a brilliant, gender-free fragrance that smells great on everyone.

Keep scrolling to see and shop our pick of the best perfumes guaranteed to go down well …