I am not a great fan of the Christmas festivities, but what I do love at the end of the year is the chance to give presents to the people dear to me.
We are pulled in every direction at this time of year. What I offer you here are gifts that I love to give, or that I would love to receive.
1. The golden rule: only give a perfume if you know it
When we think of Christmas gifts, the idea of giving a perfume comes to mind very quickly. I think it is a good idea when you know the fragrance of the person it is meant for. It is an intimate, personal gift, which requires you to know, or to guess, what the other person likes to wear every day.
When you know the lucky fragrance of choice, I find it more original, and less expensive, to give a body product from the same line: lotion, cream, soap… The perfume itself often costs the wearer quite a lot already, and she hesitates to pay extra for the products of the same line.
2. Scented body care and the trick of personalised layering
You can also give a very good quality body lotion, with the most discreet scent possible, accompanied by these words:
“I am giving you this body lotion to help you scent every square centimetre of your skin, with a wonderful trick: pour a small amount of unscented lotion into the palm of your hand, add a few sprays of your usual perfume, mix, then apply just before getting dressed. You will get the best and most faithful companion product there is, far more faithful than the one offered in your perfume’s own line.”
If this person changes perfume often, she will be able to create a made-to-measure scented lotion each time.
A little tip: if you want your perfume to last longer, moisturise and nourish your skin well.
3. Eau de Cologne: the risk-free gift
The only fragrance I would give to someone whose tastes I do not know is an Eau de Cologne. It is a fresh, light and volatile product, and therefore discreet. It is in fact a wellness product, an invigorating splash after the shower that puts you in a good mood.
Perhaps you did not know: you can wear your usual perfume right after applying your Eau de Cologne. There is no risk of cacophony!
My idea: the Eau de Cologne Impériale by Guerlain (€118 for 100 ml), a classic, timeless and very elegant Cologne. But every brand has one.
And if you would rather give a body care product, I cannot think of anyone who would not appreciate a beautiful shower gel. I like the one from the Eau d’orange verte line by Hermès (€79 for 200 ml).
4. Scenting the home: candles and diffusers
For a Christmas gift, rather than a perfume, I readily opt for a home fragrance: a candle or a diffuser.
Diptyque
The choice is immense and of high quality, often at affordable prices: you will have plenty of gift ideas. Here are the scents that fit the spirit of Christmas and the end of the year:
- Feu de Bois really smells like a fireside.
- Ambre and Benjoin are two amber scents, warm and cocooning. At this time of year I prefer them to fresher scents such as Baies, or floral ones such as Tubéreuse or Jasmin.
The classic 190 g candle costs €65.
Diptyque also offers, under the name “la droguerie”, a large range of very high-end home products, at every price:
- a car fragrance diffuser (€95), a good idea for a man as much as for a woman;
- scented ceramics, to slip into a drawer with the fragrance of your choice;
- tools to care for your candles.
Guerlain
A magnificent choice of candles in the L’Art & la Matière collection, with a real extra: the beauty of the vessel, the possibility of personalising it, and the quality of the fragrance. A few scent ideas: Vanille Planifolia, Encens d’hiver and Tonka Sarrapia, the most enveloping. Another advantage: the candles are refillable (€139 for the candle, €75 for the refill).
There is also a car fragrance diffuser, rather precious, entirely gold (€137).
Trudon
You are spoilt for choice: candles, diffusers… The candles are exceptional and high-end, to be appreciated as much for the quality of the fragrance as for their looks. A few scent ideas:
- Fir, the smell of the Christmas tree;
- Gabriel, the wood fire;
- Spella, an oriental;
- Spiritus Sancti, incense.
Allow €95 for the classic 270 g candle, a little more for Fir and Spella.
Loewe
At Loewe, what appeals is the beauty and originality of the vessels. The brand has shown a great deal of creativity: its candles are real decorative objects. I quite like the Beetroot candle (from €120), more for the object than for its scent, I admit.
At Loewe you will also find very design-led tools for looking after a candle: wick trimmer, snuffer…
Byredo
Also consider the home fragrances by Byredo. The Bibliothèque universe comes as a candle (from €78) and as a home fragrance, and the house’s reed diffusers are contemporary and elegant.
Officine Universelle Buly
You will find superb gift ideas in this house, which can be personalised: the recipient’s name can be hand-calligraphed on the gift wrapping. The service is quite unique and incredible.
- An original idea: the scented ballpoint pen. I like the one with Madagascan amber.
- Decorative scented pencils, original fragrance diffusers.
- A gift at a small price: scented matches (€16).
- The soaps nestled in their box, of rather exceptional quality.
- The antique oils, beautifully scented, in retro packaging.
On the other hand, I do not like the design of their candles, but that is a personal matter.
5. Scented objects, between decoration and perfume
The Boule d’ambre by L’Artisan Parfumeur
I adore this object: a perforated ball of precious wood, in which a delicious oriental fragrance nestles. You can easily place it anywhere in your home (€239).
The Melograno by Santa Maria Novella
Another idea for an object to give: a terracotta-coloured ceramic in the shape of a pomegranate, the terracotta Melograno (€75). It is a very beautiful decorative object, which can be scented with any perfume.
6. The 2026 Advent calendars
The brands are vying with each other this year with a magnificent choice of Advent calendars. It is an excellent idea, which gives you the chance to try many perfumes and scented products, and the value of the contents often exceeds the displayed price. A piece of advice: they sell out fast, so it is better not to wait until December.
| Brand | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Yves Saint Laurent Beauté | €400 | 24 compartments: full sizes, perfume miniatures, make-up and skincare |
| Jo Malone London | €430 | 25 days, 13 miniature colognes and a 30 ml cologne on the last day |
| Diptyque | €450 | 25 surprises, including 9 candles, perfumes and skincare |
| L’Artisan Parfumeur | €475 | 13 perfumes |
| Guerlain x Kevin Germanier, The Jewellery Box | €620 | 25 surprises, including 11 perfumes, make-up and skincare, in a reusable jewellery box |
| Acqua di Parma | €750 | 13 perfumes, 9 body care products, 2 candles, and the Colonia in 50 ml and 12 ml |
Prices noted in October 2026, subject to change.
7. Discovery kits and Christmas gift sets
To introduce someone to new perfumes, you can also give discovery kits, or sets of miniatures (larger than 2 ml!), from major houses such as Guerlain, Dior, Chanel or Saint Laurent, or from more niche brands, at prices ranging from €15 to about €200.
I like the ones from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (from €45), from Le Vestiaire des Parfums by Saint Laurent, from Byredo (€47 for six samples) and from Parfum d’Empire. The ones from my own brand, Delacourte Paris, cost €15 and are refundable on your first purchase.
Retailers’ gift sets
In the various retail chains, Marionnaud, Nocibé, Sephora, you will find limited-edition gift sets dressed up for Christmas. These chains pull out all the stops to offer legendary perfumes in new sizes, special bottles and promotions, at prices that are often very attractive. The perfume often comes with a companion product, for the price of the Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum alone.
8. For yourself: winter’s amber perfumes
If you want to treat yourself, here are a few tips for choosing a winter perfume. I would opt for the great classics of the amber, or oriental, family. I find that this family is particularly suited to the end of the year: these are warm, enveloping, comforting perfumes, and most of them have sillage and staying power.
At Guerlain
- Shalimar L’Essence (intense Eau de Parfum): the same DNA as Shalimar, but more modern and easier to wear.
- Cuir Béluga (L’Art & la Matière): a suede scent enhanced by a cocoon of musk and vanilla.
At Chanel
- Le Lion de Chanel (Les Exclusifs): an oriental in the lineage of Shalimar and Habit Rouge, which can be shared.
At Dior
- Bois Talisman (La Collection Privée): a woody, amber note, slightly gourmand.
- Hypnotic Poison: a charismatic, sexy and rather gourmand perfume.
- Dolce Vita, in the same spirit as Féminité du Bois, has just been relaunched in the brand-new Dioriginals collection: thirteen historic perfumes of the house, reorchestrated by Francis Kurkdjian.
At Saint Laurent
- Babycat (Le Vestiaire des Parfums): a sexy vanilla amber.
At Serge Lutens
- Féminité du Bois: a bewitching amber wood.
- Ambre Sultan: a raw amber, vintage without feeling retro.
For festive evenings: I would recommend Babycat by Saint Laurent and Cuir Béluga, which is more intimate. They are my two end-of-year favourites.
9. My Christmas list
Christmas is a wonderful excuse to treat the people we love, family or friends. Here is what I am giving this year:
- For my girlfriends, I always give candles at Christmas, it is a tradition.
- For a friend whose decor is in terracotta tones, it will be the Melograno by Santa Maria Novella.
- For my daughter, who does not really like perfumes, a bath line.
- For my son, I know the name of his perfume: I cannot go wrong by giving him the same one.
- For my brother-in-law, who smokes, a car diffuser.
- And finally, for my sister: Cuir Béluga. She has only just discovered it, of all things!
Summary: which idea for whom?
| For whom | The idea | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Someone whose perfume you know | The lotion or cream from their perfume’s line | Depends on the brand |
| Someone whose tastes you do not know | An Eau de Cologne (Cologne Impériale, Guerlain) | €118 |
| Someone who does not really like perfume | A scented shower gel (Eau d’orange verte, Hermès) | €79 |
| A friend who cares for her home | A Diptyque candle (Feu de Bois, Ambre, Benjoin) | €65 |
| A friend with terracotta decor | The Melograno by Santa Maria Novella | €75 |
| A smoker, a frequent driver | A car diffuser (Diptyque, Guerlain) | €95 to €137 |
| A perfume enthusiast | A discovery kit | €15 to €50 |
| A small original gift | Buly scented matches | €16 |
| A devotee, for the whole month of December | An Advent calendar | €400 to €750 |
