If you’re anything like me and have 100 gifts to buy between now and the end of the year, the situation has gotten pretty urgent. You need gifts that are classic, thoughtful, stylish, and personal—and the only category I can think of that checks all of these boxes is fragrance. I just hit up Sephora (I forgot how fabulous its fragrance section is), and I was reminded that perfume is actually the best gift you can give someone. You can cater the scent you buy to their personality (or even to a memory), and honestly, it doesn’t get much more personal than that.
So my gift to you is an expertly curated list of the eight very best fragrances I found at Sephora. They’ll make everyone on your list very happy, whether you’re searching for a scent for your homebody friend, the one with impeccable style, or anyone in between. I’ve even got something for that outdoorsy friend. (We all have one.) Keep reading for the best personalized fragrance gifts.
If cozy is their vibe, they’ll be very much into this. It’s warm and spicy and combines orange flower, clove oil, and chestnut mixed with a hint of vanilla. This is meant to re-create the coziness of a crackling fire, and honestly, it delivers.
This is a special one. It boasts notes of black cherry, tonka bean, and almond, which I know sounds like a lot, but I find it intoxicating. Plus, the bottle is insanely chic—it gives major shelf candy.
Nothing spells romance more than a bouquet of flowers. With jasmine, rose, patchouli, and vanilla, this warm scent smells like you just walked into a room full of blooms. It’s classic and memorable.
This is one of the more calming scents on this list, and it’s perfect for those who enjoy being out in mother nature. It’s equal parts earthy and woody with notes of ambrette seeds, sea salt, and sage.
This is a vibrantly sweet and playful scent. At first, you’re hit with orange blossom, but then it melts into a honeysuckle and rose combo mixed with marshmallow—a roasted marshmallow with a subtly smokey undertone.
This cologne really reminds me of summer, specifically hanging out at the beach for hours on end. It’s light and fresh with notes of marine, bergamot, and cedarwood. It’s the perfect scent combo to pull anyone out of their winter blues.
Whenever you need a pick-me-up, this will do the trick. Chilled yuzu and pomegranate are combined with peony and warmed with notes of musk—it’s a unique blend that’s extra bubbly and extra fun.
For that friend we all know and love who can never make up their damn mind, this is the gift they’ll appreciate most: A sampler of some of the best scents the season has to offer in the cutest bite-sized bottles. Once they’ve tested each scent and found a favorite, they can take the included scent certificate to any U.S. Sephora store or Sephora.com to redeem a full-size fragrance from the set at no extra cost.
