Looking to cross a few items off your holiday shopping list but don’t know where to start? Sure, hair gifts, makeup gift sets, spa gifts and bath bombs are welcome options (and check out these gifts for women), but the best perfume gift sets really raise the bar. Whether you’re gifting a fresh bottle of someone’s tried-and-true signature scent or introducing them to something new, fragrance gift sets are always a winning beauty gift.
“Fragrance is truly a personal gift for a loved one, as it shows thought was put into the purchase,” says Leigh Quilhot, Senior Director of Merchandising at Bluemercury. “Scent is closely linked with memory, in ways that the gift of fragrance can evoke nostalgic emotions of a trip or transport them back to a special moment in their lives. Fragrance is also strongly tied to self-care. It could be the ritual of lighting a candle at the end of the day or taking a moment to spritz yourself with your favorite scent. Fragrance is extremely visual, whether it’s the glass bottle of perfume sitting on top of your vanity or a ceramic candle on your coffee table. It’s a gift that has a daily presence in the lives of loved ones — and perfect for Instagram, too!”
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What makes perfume gift sets even more exciting during the holiday is that you can nab options that aren’t available the rest of the year. “The holidays are a fun time for fragrance as we are seeing limited-edition packaging, artist collaborations, and new formats that will be only available during the holidays,” Quilhot says. “Giving the gift of wellness also has come through in fragrance — we love the idea of gifting your loved one an aromatherapy-inspired gift, such as a gorgeous stone diffuser from Vitruvi. We are continuing to see home fragrance double as home décor. The vessels from our new brands L’objet and Harlem Candle Co., along with limited-edition holiday candles from Diptyque, NEST, and LAFCO are so gorgeous you’ll want to reuse them long after the wax has burned down.”
Start filling up your cart with the best perfume gift sets of the holiday season.
1. Vilhelm Parfumerie Discovery Kit
“I love fragrance kits for the holidays because they allow you to try a variety of bestsellers,” Quilhot says. “This one in particular includes Vilhelm Parfumerie’s most sought after scents, offering an option for any mood or occasion.” It comes with Morning Chess, Dear Polly, Room Service, Mango Skin, Basilico & Fellini, and Poets of Berlin.
2. Aromatherapy Associates Moment to Treasure Gift Set
“This luxurious aromatherapy vault collection includes everything I could ever need for the ultimate self-care routine,” Quilhot says. “It features a full suite of 19 of Aromatherapy Associates’ bestselling and most loved essential oil blends.” Bath time will never be the same for the lucky recipient.
3. Henry Rose The Playground Gift Set
Just like a real playground, you could spend all day playing with this fragrance gift set from Henry Rose, Michelle Pfeiffer’s clean perfume line. The rainbow colorscape will make quite the impression, just like the genderless scents themselves. They can all be mixed and matched to create a custom fragrance.
4. Hermés Mini Replica Coffret Set
Who wouldn’t be thrilled to find the signature orange Hermés box waiting to be opened for the holidays? There are four mini fragrances inside this perfume gift set: Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum, a floral, spicy, scent featuring ginger and tuberose; Eau des Merveilles with candied orange, patchouli and a woody amber accord; Un Jardin sur le Nil Eau de Toilette, that brings a garden in bloom to life; and Eau de rhubarbe écarlate Eau de Cologne, with rhubarb and white musk.
5. Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet and Lip Glow Gift Set
The box is so pretty that you won’t even need to wrap it, making this one of the best perfume gift sets. The enchanting Miss Dior is a floral explosion rounded out with citrus and musky notes. The fragrance gift set includes the eau de toilette, the Miss Dior Nourishing Rose Hand Cream, and a Dior Addict Lip Glow in 001 Pink, the nourishing lip balm.
6. Jo Malone London Cologne Collection Set
To get into the holiday spirit, Jo Malone releases limited-edition perfume gift sets for the merriest time of year. This one features five minis: Lime Basil & Mandarin, Wild Bluebell Cologne, Wood Sage & Sea Salt , English Pear & Freesia, and Fig & Lotus Flower Cologne. Meant to be mix and matched, the recipient can play perfumer and create a custom blend.
7. Chanel Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette Refillable Twist and Spray
Gift the men in your life this classic warm, woody cologne from Chanel. The blend of grapefruit, dry cedar and sandalwood is a crowd pleaser. Ideal for on-the-go, the set comes with three mini eau de toilette sprays, with a refillable atomizer.
8. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Set
When YSL’s Opium was introduced in 1977, it caused a scandal. Four decades later, Black Opium is one of the most popular perfumes for women out there. The sweet and spicy gourmand blends coffee, vanilla and white flowers. This perfume gift set includes the eau de parfum and a travel spray, so you can take the scent wherever you go.
9. Ralph Lauren Men’s 3-Pc. Polo Red Eau de Toilette Holiday Gift Set
Men’s fragrances don’t get any more classic than Polo Red. Deliciously woody and spicy, the cologne blends bergamot, red saffron, and deep red wood. The limited-edition men’s fragrance gift set comes with the Ralph Lauren Polo Red Eau de Toilette in full and travel sizes, as well as a deodorant.
10. Tom Ford Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum Set
Simultaneously sweet and sexy, Lost Cherry is a warm and spicy gourmand that you’ll want to spritz on again and again. The combination of black cherry, tonka bean, and almond is like nothing else out there. Delightfully luxe, the perfume gift set includes a full and travel size of the scent.
11. Dolce & Gabbana K Eau de Toilette Gift Set
When you can’t take him on a getaway to the Italian countryside, the next best thing is the essence of fresh Mediterranean air in a bottle. A woody cologne, K by Dolce & Gabbana features top notes of citrus, sparkling blood orange and juniper berry, with a heart of clary sage, geranium and lavandin, and a base of cedarwood, vetiver and patchouli. The set includes a full-sized eau de toilette, travel spray and shower gel.
12. Nest New York Mini Diffuser Set
Diffusers are an elegant way to scent your home, and no one does elegance and home scents quite like Nest. This limited-edition fragrance gift set has three petite diffusers in the brand’s iconic seasonal scents and each delivers approximately 30 days of continuous fragrance. The Birchwood Pine diffuser evokes a winter forest with a blend of white pine, balsam fir, birchwood, rich musk and amber. The Holiday diffuser is a mix of pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and amber. The Spiced Orange & Clove diffuser fuses orange pomander, spiced brandy, Saigon cinnamon, star anise and gingered honey.
13. Gucci The Alchemist’s Garden Hand Cream Set
If there’s one thing we’ve all done a lot of in 2020, it’s hand washing. That’s why this beautiful hand cream trio from Gucci is one of the best fragrance gift sets this holiday season. The chic gender-free set will nourish and protect hands while leaving them delightfully scented. The set includes three perfumed hand creams — The Eyes of the Tiger, A Song for the Rose and The Last Days of Summer — with charming vintage-inspired packaging tucked into a gift-ready box.
14. Nautica Oceans Eau de Toilette + Toiletry Bag
Take an olfactory dip into the ocean, so to speak, with this holiday fragrance gift set by Nautica. The sea salt accord will take you straight to the waves of Tasmania. The alcohol-free fragrance boasts an eco-conscious design and packaging, with a refillable bottle and FSC-certified carton printed with water-based ink. It comes tucked into a toiletry bag that’s ideal for stashing all his grooming goodies.
15. Armani Beauty My Way Perfume Gift Set
You can’t go wrong with a Giorgio Armani perfume, making this one of the best holiday perfume gift sets. The duo includes a full size and travel size of My Way, the famed Italian designer’s most popular scent, a classic woody floral that blends orange blossom, tuberose and vanilla.
16. Sephora Favorites Holiday Cologne Sampler Set
Can’t decide which scent to gift him this Christmas? Thanks to this sampler set, you won’t have to choose. Tucked into this sleek vegan leather bag — which he can use as a travel bag or Dopp kit — are nine samples of the most popular men’s colognes. The Sephora gift set contains Burberry Mr. Burberry Eau de Toilette, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme, Armani Beauty Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme, Gucci Gucci Guilty Pour Homme, Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory Extreme, Prada Luna Rossa Carbon, Valentino Uomo Born In Roma, Versace Dylan Blue, Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb Infrared, and Yves Saint Laurent Y.
17. Acqua di Parma Fragrance Samples Gift Set
This spectacular set by Acqua di Parma is one of the top fragrance gift sets this holiday season. The signature bright Parma yellow and striking design makes this a holiday decoration in itself. The discovery set comes with 10 scents from four different lines: Colonias with Colonia and Colonia Club; Le Nobili with Rosa Nobile and Magnolia Nobile; Blu Mediterraneo with Arancia di Capri, Fico di Amalfi, Mirto di Panarea, and Cipresso di Toscana; and Signatures of the Sun with Yuzu and Quercia.
18. By Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Mini Spray Set
By Kilian is the king of sexy scents that are like nothing else out there. That might have something to do with the fact that he created Rihanna’s signature scent. Just like her pick, Good Girl Gone Bad is a sensual scent worth stocking up on. It features a floral trio of tuberose absolute, jasmine and narcissus. This gift set comes with four travel-sized refills and a strikingly chic atomizer for easy application.
19. Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Eau de Parfum Gift Set
When you can’t get her a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, their gorgeous perfume is the next best thing. The duo comes with a full and travel-size parfum spray. The sparkling floral spotlights peach, vanilla, jasmine and red spider lily.
20. Mugler Alien Goddess Perfume Gift Set
After all these years, Mugler’s Alien is still out of this world. (See what we did there?) The perfume gift set come with a refillable full size and a travel size, tucked into a giftable box. The warm floral blends bergamot, jasmine and bourbon vanilla.
21. Ellis Brooklyn Library Fragrance Discovery Set
You don’t need a library card to check out Ellis Brooklyn’s award winning, clean, vegan eau de parfums. Play perfumer by mixing and matching the fragrances to create your own scent or wear them solo. The petite sizes make them ideal for travel or on-the-go. The set includes eight unisex favorites: Myth, a white musk; Rrose, a sparkling floral; Sci Fi, a vanilla; Fawn, a blend of spring citrus and coconut milk; Rives, a lavender-neroli inspired by Twenties South of France; Raven, a bold peony-patchouli; Fable, a honeysuckle-amber; and West, a blood orange fragrance.
22. Vitruvi Stone Diffuser Holiday Bundle
One of the best ways to bring fragrance into your space is with a diffuser, particularly this long-lasting one from Vitruvi. It comes with four of their most popular essential oils: The Golden Blend, Grove Blend, Fireside Blend and Afterglow Blend, making it one of the best fragrance gift sets.
Courtesy of Vitruvi
23. Diptyque Limited-Edition Carousel Set with Baies Candle
“Diptyque Carousel Candle’s gorgeous limited-edition packaging would be a standout piece in any living room and brings the perfect festive touch for the holidays,” Quilhot says. The heat of the candle turns the carousel, which projects light and shadow effects. Their popular Baies scent is an intoxicating blend of blackcurrants and rose.
24. Memo Marfa Eau de Parfum
All eyes are on this striking bottle! “On top of how amazing this scent smells, the bottle also makes for a beautiful addition to my vanity,” Quilhot says. The perfume combines orange blossom absolute, tuberose absolute and white musk.
25. Lafco White Maple Bourbon Candle
“The scent from Lafco’s White Maple Bourbon candle evokes the spirit of the holiday with a magical scent of white maple wood and vanilla bean,” Quilhot says. Exclusive to Bluemercury, the silver vessel has that holiday sparkle. Even better, it delivers 90 hours of burn time.
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