Valentine’s Day Fragrance Recommendations

So Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us again. If you haven’t yet, you still have three days to pick a perfume if you’re going that route this year. If you have someone in your life who loves perfume, always heed the most important advice anyone can give when it comes to fragrances; Know what they like and never blind buy. Blind buying, unless you are a major fragrance collector, can get ugly when you accidentally get a perfume the other person hates. So, make sure you profile them a little to see what kind of scents they enjoy.

Now, with that having been said, the following is a little list of perfume recommendations for your special someone ordered from affordable to lavish. Happy hunting. And remember, don’t blind buy these just because I recommend them. Go smell them first!

For Women

Affordable: Cherry Blossom from L’Occitane en Provence – $38.00 (50ml)
Cherry Blossom from L’Occitane is one of those pretty, sheer, easy to wear florals that’s done very well. It’s not the widely popular Japanese Cherry Blossom from Bath and Body Works so you aren’t getting her a fragrance that everyone else has. L’Occitane’s Cherry Blossom hits a more sophisticated level.

Mid-Range:J’Adore L’Eau from Dior – $88.00 (125ml)
J’Adore L’Eau borrows from the same concept as the original J’Adore but does it in a lighter, slightly sweeter, and fresher way. I find L’Eau a nice, clean, crisp scent that’s hard to hate. J’Adore itself was beautiful and L’Eau makes an already easy scent to wear even easier. Not to mention at 125ml for $88.00, you are getting a pretty good deal for a Dior perfume.

High End: Beige from Chanel les Exclusifs – $210.00 (200ml) or $110 (75ml)
Beige is one of the most beautiful fragrances from Chanel’s les Exclusifs line. It’s strong but elegant. Classic but modern. It’s an echo from Chanel’s days when the house was at its best. Beige is a gorgeous floral that evolves into a woodsy scent. Unique but very easy to wear and very obedient.

Lavish: Un Lys from Serge Lutens$140 (50ml)
Un Lys is a beautiful piece of work from Serge Lutens. It’s a lily soliflore done so well that it’s won over many hearts especially those who love lilies and light florals.

For Men

Affordable: Arber from The Body Shop – $28.00 (100ml)
It’s hard to beat that price for an ultimately decent men’s fragrance that’s fresh, clean, easy to use and relatively well-composed. Arber’s watermelon note shouldn’t scare you away, it only adds to the crisp freshness of the scent.

Mid-Range: L’Eau au Masculin from Lolita Lempicka $83.00 (100ml)
The lighter, more woodsy and more citrus version of the feminine perfume, Lolita Lempicka. There is a very well done licorice note in this fragrance that gives it a little flair. Interesting, more complex than the standard mass market offerings and comes in a neat looking bottle.

High End: Vetiver 46 from Le Labo – $200 (100ml) or $130 (50ml)
Vetiver 46 is a great vetiver iteration. Vetiver being one of the more popular notes used in men’s fragrances. This is an interesting take and stays true to the sense of vetiver with a masucline darkness to it. It is recognizable, noticeable but not overwhelming.

Lavish: Memoir from Amouage$260 (100ml) or $225 (50ml)
Memoir is a complex, dark, and dense fragrance focused on a beautiful spicy, woodsy herbal blend that is, as usual, incredibly well-blended by Amouage. This is a fragrance for fancy dinners and special occasions but it can also work as an everyday scent if you want to feel luxurious every day.

And there you have it, a bunch of recommendations for fragrances. I tried to keep most of these likable but always, always, smell before you buy!