Women's Perfumes: Scents To Splurge On This Christmas (And Ones To Steer Clear Of) | HuffPost Life

We've Road-Tested 11 Glorious Fragrances For Women

Natasha Hinde— The Huffington Post UK

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It can be a tough call when it comes to choosing women's perfume - especially for a loved one.

You'll have many questions to consider... Will she like it? Will it break the bank? Will the bottle sit nicely on her dressing table? (Because a perfume bottle needs to look as good as the fragrance smells these days.)

Then there's the brand to choose - you know she loves Chanel No.5, but is it time for a change? Would she prefer Burberry this year? Or maybe something a little more natural - Jo Malone? Diptyque? Neal's Yard?

The questions are endless. So we've road-tested a combination of new and old fragrances to decide which scents are really worth splurging on this Christmas.

From the latest Burberry fragrance (we were intrigued by their personalised advert on TV) to Jo Malone's more masculine-smelling Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne, there's a scent here for everyone...

Fragrances For Women 2014

Vetyverio (EDT), Diptyque, 50ml, £55(01 of11)

Packaging: Housed in the legendary French perfume house's signature black-on-white packaging, the Vetyverio scent is classy, intimate and inviting - much like the fragrance itself.Scent: The unisex fragrance is the ultimate fusion of masculine and feminine. The warmth of the woody vetiver base note contrasts with the ultimate feminine floral top note - the rose. Beautiful, flirtatious, sensual.Verdict: This perfume makes me want to eat my arm. It's utterly scrumptious. Buy it here | ☆☆☆☆☆ (credit:Diptyque)

Le Pamplemousse, Miller Harris, 100ml, £95(02 of11)

Packaging: Fun yet sophisticated, bright yet classic. The orange-yellow packaging and delicate illustration, which is echoed on the robust glass bottle, are a homage to the scent.Scent: The initial burst of grapefruit is countered by delicate Moroccan orange flowers and smoothed over by earthy wood notes such as moss and vetivert.Verdict: The grapefruit certainly pricks the nostrils, some may even say it's sharp. But there's something slightly intoxicating about this sharp first spritz. Before long the soft Moroccan orange and warming base notes come into play, and anchor the citrus yet woody fragrance to the skin. Light enough for summer, but robust enough for winter.Buy it here | ☆☆☆☆☆ (credit:Miller Harris)

Flowerbomb, Viktor & Rolf, 50ml, £57.50(03 of11)

Packaging: The perfume bottle is shaped like a bomb which is kind of strange but works, I guess. Despite the strange bottle shape, it's surprisingly feminine-looking.Scent: It's very floral. You can really smell the flowery base notes of patchouli, freesia and rose. It's glorious if you like a nice feminine scent that isn't too overpowering. Verdict: A wonderful fragrance - probably my favourite ever. It makes me smell terrific (if I may say so myself).Buy it here | ☆☆☆☆☆ (credit:Boots)

Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne, Jo Malone, 30ml, £40(04 of11)

Packaging: Beautiful, clean packaging as always from Jo Malone, and a decent sized bottle which means you can pop it in your handbag. Scent: The scent is fresh yet woody (even a slight hint of pepper?), and is just the right side of masculine for women who don't like florals. Verdict: It's not too full on and when I spritzed it onto my wrist for the first time, I couldn't stop smelling it. The scent is perfect for the office and if you're heading out for drinks afterwards. I found the price a bit steep for a 30ml, but I would still pay it. But it here | ☆☆☆☆ (credit:Jo Malone)

Reveal, Calvin Klein, 50ml, £52(05 of11)

Packaging: The bottle kind of reminds me of a boat at first glance. It's pretty simplistic - half glass and half metal lid. It's not as pretty as some of the other fragrance bottles out there, but you can't really argue for the price.Scent: It's pretty inoffensive. A soft and sensual scent with base notes of sandalwood and salt. This fragrance is very pleasant on the nostrils, works as an everyday scent and isn't too bulky for your handbag. Score.Verdict: I really like it, it's not too overpowering and it doesn't tend to wear out throughout the day - which is a must for me! Buy it here | ☆☆☆☆ (credit:Calvin Klein)

Daisy Dream, Marc Jacobs, 30ml, £39(06 of11)

Packaging: The pretty white flowers on this cute bottle will brighten up your bedside table on wintery mornings. The curved shape and pale blue liquid make it perfect for anyone who likes feminine decor. Scent: As the name suggests, this perfume has fresh floral notes. A little on the strong side, but fabulous nonetheless.Verdict: It’s the perfect present for any girly-girl. Although the scent isn’t perfect, it’s still pretty good and the packaging makes me want to buy it again and again. Buy it here | ☆☆☆☆ (credit:Marc Jacobs)

L'Occitane, Jasmin and Bergamote, 75ml, £49(07 of11)

Packaging: The bottle is glass, long and quite classy with a raised glass embellishment - but the top slightly lets it down. It's black and a bit plasticky. Scent: A brilliant idea, pairing bergamot and jasmine together. Beautifully floral, this works well as a daytime and night fragrance. There's definitely more of an emphasis on the jasmine however. Verdict: An overall winner - I did a straw poll of various people in the office and they all nodded their approval.Buy it here | ☆☆☆ (credit:L'Occitane)

Helmut Lang Eau De Parfum, 100ml, £130(08 of11)

Packaging: My favourite bottle so far - chunky, solid glass with simple black and white label. Looks expensive and understated. Scent: Quite a powdery, sweet scent - for those that don't like florals or woody fragrances. Verdict: Helmut Lang stopped making perfume and has only just re-launched their new range now. The guy who created the scent wanted it to smell like sex, so although it's not quite the gift for your mum, the price and bouquet of lavender, rosemary, cedarwood, vanilla, musk and amber makes it the ideal posh perfume present. A bit too powdery for me, but I know several people who would love it. Buy it here | ☆☆☆ (credit:Helmut Lang)

No.1 Frankincense, Neal's Yard, 50ml, £37(09 of11)

Packaging: Small glass bottle with a silver lid and delicate Neal's Yard logo stamped on front. Scent: The high point is that Neal's Yard is 97% organic, so great for ethical shoppers. The Frankincense is quite full on but not sickly - great for an older woman or one who loves woody fragrances with a lot of weight. Verdict: I was worried it was all going to get a bit Baby Jesus but Neal's Yard have undercut the heaviness of the frankincense with neroli and bergamot. Not for the faint of heart, but a solid buy for Neal's Yard fans. Buy it here | ☆☆ (credit:Neal's Yard)

Chloé Eau De Parfum, 50ml, £62(10 of11)

Packaging: You can't fault the Chloé packaging. Classic, minimal and utterly feminine, with deep groves in the bottle and a beautiful cream ribbon, it's guaranteed to look beautiful atop any dressing table.Scent: Chloé's signature scent blends warm amber and cedarwood base notes with lots of floral notes including rose, peony and Lily-of-the-valley.Verdict: This perfume reminds me of being 15 and I'm not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. It's super sweet, so great if you're into floral notes, but borders on sickly if you aren't. Buy it here | ☆☆ (credit:Chloé)

My Burberry, Burberry, 90ml, £90(11 of11)

Packaging: The chic, square bottle design is let down by the overly-yellow appearance of the liquid inside - not bad, but not Burberry’s best. Scent: It's overpowering and a little on the masculine side for me. Musk and woody tones come through strongly.Verdict: While the perfume might be okay for a night out, it’s far too strong for the office. After being drawn in by Burberry’s new advert, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed with the product itself.Buy it here | ☆ (credit:Burberry)

Do you know of an absolutely incredible scent that we just have to know about? Comment below or tweet us @HuffPoLifestyle!

SEE ALSO:
Gifts For Women This Christmas: Present Ideas That The Lady In Your Life Will Love
Top Six Advent Calendars Of 2014 This Christmas That Don't Involve Chocolate

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