The Christmas gift edit

Start with our Christmas fragrance gift buying guide : five researched choices with Amazon shopping links, recipient matching, exact versions and the small print that matters before December 25.

Start with a scent family or a person

Our shortlists are desk research from manufacturer and retailer product pages, not wear tests. If you know the note you like, begin with vanilla , floral , woody , amber , musk , citrus , fruity , sweet or gourmand perfumes, or the more specific oud , patchouli , jasmine , sandalwood , tea , powdery , green , lavender , leather and tobacco lists. If you are shopping for a wearer instead, see perfumes for women , perfumes for men , colognes for men , unisex perfumes , fragrances for teenagers and perfumes for women over 50 .

By season, budget and occasion

Seasonal picks are in spring , summer , fall and winter lists. For everyday wear see everyday perfumes and long-lasting perfumes ; for budgets see perfume under $100 , affordable perfumes for men and perfume dupes ; for events see wedding perfume and the Christmas gift guide .

Sets, formats and the home

To try before you commit, compare perfume sampler sets , perfume gift sets and carry-on perfume sets . For other formats see perfume oils , solid perfumes , body mists , hair perfumes and scented body lotions . Home fragrance lists start with diffusers , reed diffusers and plug-in fragrance .