Buying perfume for someone else?

Start with what you can find out

Fragrance is personal, so the most useful information is what the person already likes. Without spoiling the surprise:

• Look at what they own. A bottle on a dresser or in a bathroom tells you the brand, the name and, from the label, the concentration (EDT, EDP or parfum).
• Ask someone close to them. A partner, friend or family member may know what they wear or have mentioned wanting.
• Notice what they compliment. If they've admired a scent on someone else, note its name.
• Ask a general question. "Do you wear perfume?" is less revealing than "What should I get you?" and still tells you whether fragrance is welcome at all.

If you find their current fragrance, buying the same one, in the same concentration, is the lowest-risk gift there is. An EDT and EDP with the same name can smell different, so match the label. See EDT vs EDP vs Parfum.

When you can't find out: lower the risk

The suggestions below are our editorial view.

A large bottle of something they've never tried is the riskiest choice, however good the price.

Packaging matters more for gifts

For yourself, a tester or unboxed bottle can be a sensible saving. For a gift, the presentation is part of the present. Testers often come in a plain box, sometimes without a cap, and may be marked "not for sale". See tester vs boxed perfume. The gift finder defaults to retail-boxed bottles and gift sets, and labels every other packaging type on the card.

Think about sensitivities

Some people are allergic or sensitive to fragrance ingredients, and in the US individual fragrance ingredients can be listed on the label simply as "Fragrance" (FDA). If you know someone avoids scented products, perfume is probably not the right gift; the FDA suggests people with fragrance sensitivities choose fragrance-free products. Strong scents can also be unwelcome in some workplaces, which is worth bearing in mind for office gifts.

Get a gift receipt and check returns

Return policies are set by each retailer and can differ for opened bottles, testers and sale items. Before you buy, check that the retailer accepts returns of unopened gifts and whether a gift receipt or the original box is needed. ScentsHunt doesn't sell anything, so the retailer's policy is the one that applies.

Setting a budget

Fragrance prices span a wide range, and the same money buys very different sizes depending on the brand. Decide the most you want to spend first, then compare what that buys:

• a smaller boxed bottle of a well-known fragrance;
• a gift set;
• or a larger bottle of a less expensive one.

Price per ml helps compare sizes of the same product; see how to compare perfume prices fairly.

Use the gift finder

The gift finder lists in-stock bottles by budget, size and packaging, and by scent family only where we have verified it from a published source. It doesn't guess what someone will like, and every result shows its exact size and packaging.