A guide to gifting holiday scents

Fragrance isn’t a no-brainer gift where one scent fits all; it requires careful thought and knowledge of the giftee. Here we’ve done the thinking for you and tailored the fragrance releases of holiday 2022 into personality types that your loved ones will fit into.

For the contemporary, elegant male

Inspired by woodland forests, where a young shoot grows into woody green trees, Hermès combined nature and high technology to blend H24, an eau de parfum where sage, rosewood, narcissus and sclarene (a strong, dry woody note) are shaken up with moss.  H24 was also made to evoke the texture of raw linen, a light and tactile material worked by Véronique Nichanian, artistic director of Hermès’ men’s universe, to echo the interwoven fibers in nature.

Now H24 has spawned a men’s skincare line, which boasts 86% to 97%-natural ingredients. H24 Hydrating and Energizing Face Moisturizer is an antipollution formula that protects skin from external aggressors; Anti-Pollution Energizing Face Mist contains natural moss to create a barrier that enables skin to adapt to changes in the atmosphere; Face, Body and Hair Cleansing Bar is formulated with sweet almond oil and lipids to clean without drying the skin, leaving it soft and invigorated; and Refreshing Deodorant Spray and Stick keep men smelling fresh and subtly fragrant with its natural formulas.

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H24 EDP and skincare are available at Hermès in Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati.

For the floral girl

The second fragrance in Gucci’s Flora line after Gorgeous Gardenia, Gorgeous Jasmine eau de parfum is an uplifting floral meant to inspire joy.  Fronted by Miley Cyrus, who’s entered the metaverse as the first avatar in Gucci Town on Roblox, the pretty potion is led by Grandiflorum jasmine, blended with joyful mandarin, serene magnolia, soothing sandalwood and sensual benzoin.

Gucci Flora’s gorgeous bottles were inspired by Grace Kelly: back then Guccio Gucci was so happy she was a patron of the brand he created a personalized card for her out of a floral pattern — the one seen on the bottles today.

For the traveler

In spring 2021, German luxury fashion house MCM launched its signature fragrance, which captures the brand’s DNA of travel via the ingredients, which take you on an olfactory journey. Vibrant raspberry and hand-picked jasmine lead to clean woods and sheer Ambrox Super, arriving at a fresh, woody-floral aroma that remixes classic perfumery with modern blending technology. The MCM eau de parfum bottle is a collector’s dream, paying homage to the classic backpack with its top handle, studs, flat front pocket and iconic Cognac Visetos logo pattern. It’s the ultimate synergy between fashion and fragrance.

For the soulful yet strong man

The raw power and beauty of a Mario Sorrenti campaign photo captures the essence of Burberry Hero eau de parfum: a shirtless Adam Driver leans on a horse, with the Hollywood actor representing soulfulness, while the horse symbolizes strength. Perfumer Aurelien Guichard said his inspiration was Landes forest, where pine trees grow close to the ocean. “The scent of pine needles melted with warm sand and sea spray  was the aroma I wanted to recreate,” Guichard says. Thus, Hero opens with the bracing scent of pine needles, blended with resinous benzoin and incense, and features a trio of cedarwood oils as its base, creating a warm and sensual elixir.

For the cool fashionista

Prada Paradoxe is named after the brand’s penchant for juxtaposing opposites: the classic with the avant-garde, sophistication with eccentricity, and timelessness with innovation.

It’s the same with the fragrance: a timeless bouquet of neroli and jasmine is twisted with avant-garde Ambrofix, a bio-converted amber typically used in masculine scents; and Serenolide, a new and revolutionary musk molecule that is so diffusive it creates an intoxicating, flirtatious trail.

Paradoxe is contained in a triangular bottle inspired by Prada’s original, iconic triangle logo. Minimal and luxurious, it’s designed to rest on its side — again cool, sophisticated and eccentric.

For the chic romantic

Freedom, lightness and femininity are the principles on which Chloé was founded in Paris over 60 years ago. Today, Chloé’s vision of effortless, romantic chic lives on in its RTW, accessories, and fragrances.

Chloé eau de parfum is a bouquet of tender flower hearts meant to evoke the touch of silk on bare skin. The main note is a raspberry-scented rose; verbena flower adds fresh greenness, while cherry blossom sweetens the juice with milky almond notes. This sexy skin scent is housed in a modern, pleated bottle adorned with a hand-tied beige ribbon.

For the elegant lady

Inspired by the promise of a radiant summer day and a beach as far as the eye can see, Lanvin Mon Eclat is faithful to the codes that made its predecessor, Eclat Arpege, such a success: love, happiness, radiant femininity and Parisian elegance. At its heart is jasmine, reinvented from its traditional opulence to fresher, sunnier and more cheerful facets. This fruity-floral is freshened with green bergamot and aquatic aloe vera. Jasmine mingles with rose before taking on the gourmand roundness of velvety apricot. The woody softness of sandalwood and white musk spreads a comforting trail. The bottle’s organic design is inspired by a pebble with Lanvin’s two intertwined rings.

For the classic gent

Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio is a classic fresh scent that never goes out of style. This refreshing aromatic-aquatic evokes wind and water. Bitter citrus and herbal rosemary intertwine with the sweet and salty fragrance of seawater and hedione (a citrusy-floral molecule) that will immediately transport him to the sunny coast of the Mediterranean sea.

For the young, connected creative

The Paco Rabanne woman is as empowered and multifaceted as the couturier’s iconic muses: Jane Fonda as Barbarella, Audrey Hepburn in Two for the Road, and Brigitte Bardot in glittering chainmail, which is the inspiration for the bottle of Fame, the house’s new feminine fragrance.

That vibe is now celebrated by today’s young, connected, ultra-creative urban woman embodied by American actress Elle Fanning, with an avant-garde signature scent in a fashion-forward metal bottle covered with silver pastilles, edgy piercings, and cat’s-eye sunglasses, the accessory of the true star.

Inside is a star-studded cast of notes that have never played together in a fragrance: succulent mango, airy jasmine, and sensual incense, resulting in a breakthrough composition that’s the first feminine, creamy incense in perfumery. Composed of 90% natural ingredients from Grasse, to me it smells like a delicious mango shake that I find supremely addictive.

For the modern woman

Si Passione by Giorgio Armani is a bright and sensual perfume that emits confidence, seduction and strength, suited to the modern woman. The fragrance opens with notes of spicy pink pepper like a burst of adrenaline and continues with radiant pear, which adds a bit of boldness. Rose and jasmine exude femininity, while heliotrope, vanilla and cedarwood are more indulgent, pleasurable notes. And with its lipstick-red bottle, it’s perfect for Christmas.

For the inner mystic

Tarot and fortunetelling are in nowadays, so the always trendy Viktor & Rolf, who gave the world Flowerbomb with its 1,000 florals, have now released Good Fortune, another powerful floral with a licorice twist of fennel, and infused with creamy and captivating bourbon vanilla at its base. Housed in a crystal-ball bottle with an amethyst cap, it should resonate with those who want to embrace their inner modern mystic.

For the artistic male

Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf is the masculine equivalent of the classic Flowerbomb. The woody-spicy fragrance features two diametrically opposed scent accords: a fiery accord of chili, saffron, leather, tobacco and vetiver, while an explosive accord includes bergamot, grapefruit, elemi and pink pepper.

Spicebomb’s flankers Night Vision blends spices with green fruit, while Infrared is a warm and inviting blend of cinnamon with fruit and chili pepper.

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All fragrances are available at leading SM, Rustan’s, Robinsons and Landmark department stores nationwide and exclusively online at Rustans.com.

For the cologne lover

Bench Active B21 boxes are the perfect gift for the person on your list who loves staying fresh by splashing on colognes then applying body powder.  Each of the three gift sets contain three colognes and a body powder, with complete scent profiles that include fresh citrus, fruity-floral and gourmand.  And you can’t beat the price, ranging from P389 for the limited-edition box to P629 for the Super Rookie set.

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Available at Bench stores nationwide.

For the home

For those who want their home to smell amazing as well, Diptyque has countless options. For a truly unique-smelling Christmas candle they’ve issued Citrouille, which mingles the deliciously spicy scent of pumpkin pie with chestnut.  For a year-round chic scent there’s 34, inspired by Diptyque’s first-ever address on 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain.  It’s the only Diptyque fragrance that is at once woody, floral, spicy and herbaceous, embodying the creative freedom and eclecticism that are the brand’s hallmarks.  The 34 collection consists of a signature scent; hourglass, reed, wall and car diffusers; candles of various sizes; and scented ovals.

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Available at Diptyque boutiques, Trunc.ph, Rustan’s The Beauty Source and Rustans.com.