Perfume for girlfriend... Suggestions?

[Steve-ish]

Hello! My girlfriend's birthday is coming up in a month, and I'm looking for a great scent for her, as there seems to be very little that makes her happier than fragrance.

A little about her: She's 27, has fabulous style which varies wildly from day to day, but is always perfect, very sexy and girly but ridiculously capable. She loves to cook, always wears really high heels, loves travel, hot weather, spicy food, and is a very tactile person. She also loves chaos, despite being incredibly mellow and never rushing for anything. A walking study in contradiction, really.

Now, not being TOTALLY without sense, I conducted a strategic mission to her dressing table while she was out (Steve you sly bugger you! *pats self on back*) and recorded the contents in the hopes that they may reveal some clues as to the perfect addition. I found:

Kingdom
Musc Ravageur
Dolce&Gabbana Sicily
Stella Peony
Jhivago 24K
Samsara
Angel
Angel Rose
Demeter Rain
Donna Karan BlacK Cashmere
Narcisco Rodriguez for her
Joy
Kai
Missoni
Bulgari Omnia
Tom Ford Black Orchid
Agent Provocateur
Flower by Kenzo
Shalimar

You see what I'm up against here? Also, if it helps, she dislikes most common brand fragrances (Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Escada, etc, not to mention all "celebrity" brands) on the grounds that they "have no soul". So, wise denizens of Basenotes, please, if you could help this plaintive fellow out with some suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm even thinking of getting her an assortment of scents, increasing my probability of success and giving her no end of fun analyzing them!

So... educate me?

[Jasmin de Grasse]

you re a very lucky man!

my boyfriend asked me what I want now because he knows he doens 't know lol

Rose Barbare by Guerlain, a sexy modern sweet hesperedic rose, stunning bottle at Bergdorf & Goodman

Fleurs d 'Oranger by Serge Lutens


these two are very sexy, young, feminine but high end too - considering your girlfriends tastes, these two perfumes are "safe" choices

[yonggoh]

its time to get her some chanel

[TDDanae]

I'd definitely go with the scent assortment. Maybe take some decants or samples and put bows on them and make a sort of bouquet with them. From her line-up of fragrances, she sounds like someone who knows what they like and may be disappointed with something you picked out.

[Shycat]

Oh boy, your girlfriend has good taste. I can only suggest from my own wardrobe. These are scents I know well, and felt bottle-worthy myself.

If you want to wow her, you can pull on the patchouli love (Angel, Angel Rose) and get her Jalaine's Patchouli. This would be a fragrance gift that implies a ring in the future. She's no stranger to expensive oils (kai) and JP is along those lines--but comes in 6ml instead of 3.75ml and is packaged in Italian cut crystal. You pay for that bottle, but that's part of the gift. The square crystal stopper has a color changing treatment so at different angles it is lime green, while the stopper sides go from blue to pale lavender. Viewed straight on they are clear. It comes in a black wooden box with a gold wooden J on top. Its a tremendous patchouli, delightfully earthy, very slightly euchalyptic in a minty way at first, then mellows as a dry vanilla comes out. Two drops is a wearing, and it lasts all day. Refills for the crystal bottle are availabe at a more reasonable price---so if she loves it....you have future presents locked in place.


Another good bet would be Chinatown from Bond #9. You can read my review of it here in our directory. It's a gardenia gourmond, again with a patch vanilla base.

Pennhaligon's new Lily and Spice is pretty divine. I did a wrist to wrist with my Serge Lutens Un Lys and was surprised to find the heart notes indestinguishable. SL Un Lys is drop dead gorgeous, but rather elegant and linear. L&S opens more casually with a fresh bit of galbanum(read green bulb-y note) and though it fades to the true lily heart, it created a more casual scent at home with more styles. L&S has a supposed saffron note, and dries down beautifully, again with a touch of patchouli.

A different tack would be the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria's. Guerlain is an old revered perfume house with scads of soul. The AA's are lighter summer scents and IMO the Herba Fresca is just perfect for a hot day--it's minty in a spearment way, and very refreshing.

AA Gentiana is another great one. Really great, IMO. It's a green grapefruit soft floral that is crisp and delightful. Probably sounds apalling, but it's not.

Nahema is a seductive rose from Guerlain that is also to die for. I've reviewed it in our directory as well. It's much more than a 'rose frag.'

The last one in my collection that might do is Sacrebleu from Patricia de Nicolai. It's a softly spicy scent, slightly powdery, and I always think of it as a carnation scent. It's actually a bouquet with a carnation note, though. I add this because it draws on the Kenzo she already likes.

I personally go for simpler fresh florals that your girlfriend. These I've mentioned are more complex florientals, except the AA's, and I'd consider them safe bets from her wardrobe and taste.

There are many other beautiful fragrances in the deeper oriental and chypre families that I will let others recommend.

Hope this helps!
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I have one more idea--and I think you can still get this online from www.luckyscent.com. Aroma M makes roll-on oils with a japanese sensibility and they offer the cutest little sampler on the planet. It contains 11 different oils, large vials and that's significant with these concentrated oils, wrapped in beautiful origami papers with shiny gold foil accents. They are twirled up like little candies and tucked inside carefully double folded white tissue in a pink envelope box, sealed with a latch of bamboo skewer. I've not tried a one, although I've always wanted to, and when I saw this sampler I nabbed it. The oils are quite varied, like her collection, and include a peony scent which she must like. This gift gives fun as well as beautiful gift presentation and lovely fragrances.
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Oh, if you choose to get a variety of decants, there's a good ebay shop called You Smell Marvelous that wraps each decant in different coloredtissue paper tied with an organza bow then pops it into an organza bag with a surprise sample. Dragonfly Scent Me also does premium decants in very nice little atomizers with gold tops and quite professional boutique type labels.

[Twolf]

She also loves chaos, despite being incredibly mellow and never rushing for anything. A walking study in contradiction, really.

Why not get her some? Can't find/afford a bottle -- get her a decant! It is by Donna Karan, BTW.

[Jasmin de Grasse]

I think Shycat and yonggoh are right, it 's time she gets a Guerlain or a Chanel.

Chanel Critalle is nice too, they also released a new range 'Les Exclusifs' you might want to check that.
Guerlain Nahema is beautiful but for a 27 yr old Rose Barbare by the same house would be a little more youthed up perfume.

[dimples]

Wow Shycat, I have to remember those suggestions.

Like the others here, I would recommend an older Guerlain or Chanel, especially in the pure parfum form. They are simply amazing, complex, yet subtle.

She's sounds ready for the next step.

[G Man]

Get her Dolce & G LIGHT BLUE.

[Lalage]

My suggestion: Moschino by Moschino

[Hebe]

Lucky girl!

I would consider Serge Lutens Daim Blond (apricot, iris, suede, smells of class imo), Agent Procateur Maitresse (bit of a wild card as it's white floral/musk), a set of samples from Ormonde Jayne - these would really give her some fun, Kingdom bath and body products ('cause they're fab).

Let us know what you choose.

[kanutta]

Maybe Gucci edp; it is a departement store fragrance; but I've seen it described as a scent with niche end quality in various perfume blogs.
I have it myself, and I think of it as a modern classic, suitable for women of all ages.

[Steve-ish]

Alright... we are in business! Her bottle of Jalaine's Patchouli arrived today, along with a sample size of same to satisfy my curiosity (it made me giddy, if she wears it I WILL have a propose forthwith!) and a bottle of Guerlaine Mitsouko parfum, which seemed like something she'd like quite a bit. I love that the bottles are as gorgeous as the fragrances, too.

I've also got another little plan up my sleeve... I bought her a gorgeous antique wooden box that I know she's had her eye on, and I'm going to fill this with a plethora of samples of somewhat more uncommon scents...

Now... what scent has a handy screw-top so I can pop a ring in it for our aniversary in july? :-D

[ineespenes]

I see she has a lot of either frags I own, or that are on my wish-list.I wonder if she'll like Versace Crystal Noir...a department frag,but a quality frag non the less IMO.