Two of the gifts the Wise Men brought were precious scents in the form of incense - frankincense and myrrh.  If you are among the millions who plan to give the gift of precious scent this season, it might be wise to learn some perfume basics.  It will make shopping easier and increase your chances of pleasing the perfume lovers on your list. 

The average department store perfume department in high-holiday season is enough to send the novice perfume shopper into sensory overload.  The clouds of scent, dazzling displays of gleaming bottles, shiny boxes and glittering gift sets, cheerful holiday music and eager sales associates could make you forget why you’re there.  So here are a few tips to help you keep your head and emerge victorious:

By Michaela Carolyn Griffin

Guerlain recently brought perfumes exclusive to its Paris boutique and Bergdorf Goodman to Houston.

•Know the brand and exact name of the perfume.   I know, this sounds basic, but I mention it for a good reason.  On nearly every perfume shopping trip I witness at least one person struggling to figure out which perfume they’re looking for.  They often know the brand and even part of the name, but they get stuck if they don’t know the exact name.  This is because perfume makers are notorious for giving totally different scents confusingly similar names. 

Here, I’ll prove my point:  Is it Estee Lauder Pleasures , Pleasures Delight, Pleasures Exotic or Pleasures Intense that she wears?  Is it Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison, Midnight Poison, Tendre Poison, Pure Poison or simply Poison?  Does he wear YSL Kouros, Body Kouros, or Kouros Sport?  Is that Bulgari Omnia or Omnia Crystalline you want?  Does she want Caron Fleurs de Rocaille, Fleur de Rocaille, or Miss Rocaille? 

By M.C. Griffin

Habanita parfum by Molinard. Created in 1921, initially to perfume the cigarettes of those audacious flappers and only later as a perfume for the body.

That’s just scratching the surface of the perfume name game.  You’d think that with all the money spent developing and marketing perfumes that they could come up more original names, but there you go.  Just remember to jot down the brand and the exact name of the perfume before you leave the house.  You’ll be glad you did.

•Know which scented products you’re looking for.  A few fragrances are offered in only one or two product formulations - usually an eau de toilette or eau de parfum and a lotion or cream.  But many come in liquids (spray and splash), lotions, oils, powders, creams, solids, shower gels, bath oils, soaps, deodorants and even candles. 

Why should you care which product you buy?  Scent lovers know that a perfume smells subtly - sometimes obviously - different in each form.  If they’ve had a chance to try the different products they usually find that they prefer certain ones. 

By M.C. Griffin

Gucci eau de parfum (2007). Not the original Gucci with the same name, this is a heady blend of white flowers, patchouli and musk.

Try to discover how those on your list prefer to perfume themselves.  Do they love to splash it on, spray with abandon, smooth on a luscious veil of thick cream, or carefully dab?  Once you know, you can decide whether you’d like to replenish their favorite product or buy complementary products.  Hint: Many perfume lovers will feel pampered if you buy them complementary products (because they can’t always afford to buy them for themselves).

•What is the best perfume value?   Not all perfumes are created equally.  I’m not talking about how they smell.  I’m talking about how they’re made, and about the most common form of perfume - liquid.  While a few scents are only available in one concentration, most come in a range that can include:  eau de cologne (eau fraiche); eau de toilette (voile de parfum); eau de parfum (parfum de toilette); parfum (extrait), and oil. 

By M.C. Griffin

Rouge Hermes eau de toilette (2000). A rich perfume – floral and spicy - probably best enjoyed in cooler weather and on a date.

Different concentrations of the same scent can smell noticeably different on the skin, so dedicated perfume lovers also have their concentration preferences.  While casual perfume wearers might not be as picky, everyone can recognize quality.  If you don’t know which concentration the person on your list prefers, don’t worry.  The following information will help you decide which concentration you want to give and what is worth your money.

Eau de cologne is the weakest concentration of perfume.  It contains only 2-5% fragrance oils diluted in alcohol and water.  It is designed to be light and refreshing and its scent tends to fade within an hour or two.  Eaux de cologne are meant to be liberally applied and reapplied, that’s why you often find them in large splash bottles.  You get more ounces for your money, but it’s a more watered-down scent. 

Eau de toilette contains more fragrance oils (4-10%) than eau de cologne and the scent is designed to last longer - typically three to four hours.  On some people an eau de toilette can even last all day.  I have found them to be an excellent value. 

By M.C. Griffin

L by Lolita Lempicka eau de parfum (2006). A sweet but not too-sweet perfume in a pebble bottle adorned with charms – a gem from the sea?

Eau de parfum (8-15% fragrance oils) is a step up from eau de toilette and is the next best thing to parfum.  Its scent usually lingers longer than an eau de toilette and it feels more dense and rich on the skin.  Interestingly, even though they contain more perfume oils, eaux de parfums often smell less “loud” than their eau de toilette counterparts.  You’ll pay a few dollars more for an eau de parfum.  Unless someone prefers the eau de toilette version of a scent (which can smell quite different), I’d pop for the more luxurious eau de parfum. 

Parfum contains the highest concentration of perfume oils diluted in alcohol and water (15-25% oil in 90-95% pure alcohol).  You’ll hear people call it pure perfume, but the fragrance oils are actually diluted in alcohol and water.

Parfum is the most luxurious form of perfume, and the most expensive.  It is the strongest concentration, yet is rarely the loudest-smelling on the body.  This may be because it’s more often dabbed than sprayed.  And because it’s most often worn solely at the pulse points. The ritual act of dabbing and the fuller, richer-smelling formulation combine to make parfum a sensuous and intimate form of scent; you have to lean in closer to breathe it in. 

By M.C. Griffin

Vol de Nuit parfum by Guerlain. A lovely, woody scent created in 1933 as an homage to that era’s brave aviators (Night Flight in English).

With parfum you do get less volume for your money.  But what you lose in ounces you make up in impressiveness - there’s a reason why people collect empty parfum bottles!  Also, because parfum is more concentrated you tend to use it more sparingly.  If you store it properly - tightly sealed, away from heat and light - an expensive bottle of parfum can last for years. 

If you really want (or need!) to impress a woman, buy her parfum (also called extrait).  I can’t imagine the woman who won’t feel like a glamorous Hollywood movie star when she uses that crystal stopper to anoint herself with parfum. 

Perfume oils are touted by some as pure perfume, but they too contain a percentage of fragrance oils diluted in odorless carrier oil.  Perfume oils tend to stay close to the body and are usually long lasting.  Some people prefer them because they don’t contain alcohol. 

Men’s scents generally come in three concentrations: aftershaves and balms; colognes; and eaux de toilette (from weakest to strongest).  Among the European brands you’ll also see deodorant sprays.  These are lightly scented and can be used all over your body.  They’re not the same (nor as brash) as the so-called body sprays you find at the drugstore.

By M.C. Griffin

Narciso Rodriguez for Her in eau de parfum. Men seem to love this soft musky scent with white roses.

•Holiday gift sets – a good idea?   Gift sets can include body lotion, cream, shower gel or solid perfume along with a bottle of eau de toilette or eau de parfum - often for the price of the bottle alone.  The bottle of perfume in a gift set is the same as the perfume in standalone bottles (check the label to see which concentration it is).  Gift sets are a wonderful way to pamper the perfume lover who might not be able to afford those little extras like body cream or solid perfume.

Some companies also offer limited editions of their scents during the holiday season.  If you have a perfume collector on your list, a limited edition of a favorite scent would be a welcome gift.

•No clue what to buy?   How about a prepackaged variety pack of smaller-size perfumes like those offered by brands like Bond No. 9, Bulgari and Jo Malone?  They look posh and will let your perfume lover play with different scent combinations. 

French-based retailer Sephora (sephora.com) also offers something clever and practical this year - for $50 you get samples of their ten top-selling perfumes plus a gift certificate redeemable for a full bottle of the one you like best. 

If all else fails, you can always give a gift card to a perfume shop or online store and let your perfume lover decide.

•Before you head to the mall:  Go online to find out which stores carry the fragrances on your shopping list.  This will save you a lot of running around.  And if the thought of going near a perfume department during the holidays fills you with dread, you can always do your perfume shopping online.  There are tons of deals and discounts available at this time of year.  Just remember that perfume is shipped via ground transportation, so allow enough time for it to travel. 

If you do decide to perfume shop at the mall, print this out and bring it along.  During the holidays, many sales associates are temps who don’t have a lot of product training.  This guide will help you get through your perfume shopping experience with a lot less stress.  And you might want to hang on to it for future perfume buying. 

If you need help getting started with your shopping or have general questions about perfume, email me at scentedtrails@yahoo.com.  Put “Perfume Question” in the subject line and be sure to tell me what you need.