Mother’s Day Fragrance Gift Guide by the Candy Perfume Boy

Mums are awesome; it’s a well-known fact.  I may be biased but I know for a fact that mine has superpowers and I’m pretty sure that yours does too.  It stands to reason then, that when Mother’s Day rolls around we should all make a darn good effort to celebrate the women who brought us life, nurtured us and shaped us into the wonderful people we are today.  Therefore it is imperative that at the very least we spoil them rotten on this one day of the year.

Perfume is one of the best ways to treat someone and to assist you in picking the perfect fragrant gift for Mother’s Day; I have compiled a little guide that takes you on a whistle-stop tour through four of the most popular fragrance families.  Here you’ll find perky fruit scents, grand florals, fashionable Chypres and delicious Orientals – all of which range from the easy to love to the more bold, daring options.  There’s something here for every mum out there, all you have to do is pick, pay and present!

Fruity Fun

Easy to Love: Fantasy by Britney Spears
I may be the only fragrance expert in the world that would dream of recommending a Britney Spears fragrance, but there is just something so cute and charming about Fantasy that means it cannot be ignored.  If your mum is in the market for a perfect fruit cupcake of a scent then Fantasy is hard to beat – it’s sweet, yes, but it’s also fresh and dewy (thanks to top notes of lychee, kiwi and quince), meaning that it never becomes cloying or heavy.

Fantasy would make the perfect gift for those mums who have a bit of a sweet tooth.  Those mothers who celebrate bright colours, bold prints and have no shame in wearing something that could be considered as a guilty pleasure.  This perfume is for those gals out there that know how to balance a sense of style with an unrelenting thirst for fun.

Something a Bit Bolder: Euphoria Eau de Parfum by Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein’s Euphoria is a decidedly more mature take on fruit, so grown up in fact that it feels dangerously feminine, as if it’s ready to ensnare any unwitting bystanders at a moment’s notice.  Where Fantasy errs on the fresh side of fruity, Euphoria opts to be much bolder, sporting a vivid red accord of crushed pomegranate.  In the opening stages the whole thing feels chaotic and alive with motion, sparking mini explosions of ruby red fruit grenades.  My advice?  Stand back and watch this fruity supernova explode from a distance.

This bold burst of fruit is met by a stonking patchouli note (a la Thierry Mugler’s Angel) to create a ‘Godzilla’ of a perfume that certainly means business. Euphoria is loud, proud and undeniably fabulous and would suit any mum that possesses the same characteristics.  It is a perfume for those that enjoy excess and love nothing more than to make a statement.

Floral Fancies

Easy to Love: Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia by Guerlain
Guerlain are well known for their exotic orientals and classic chypres, boasting a back catalogue of perfumes that includes classics such as Shalimar and Mistouko respectively.  Perhaps what is less known, is the fact that they are pretty darn good at blendingamazing floral fragrances (just take a look at Insolence Eau de Parfum for evidence) and one of their very best is Lys Soleia, a perfume within the brand’s young and ephemeral Aqua Allegoria collection.

Lys Soleia is one of the most laid back florals in the world.  It displays delectable, salty lilies drenched in gallons of vanilla milk, coming together to create the impression of sun-soaked skin coated in a thin layer of SPF 15.  It feels both natural and contemporary, capturing the languid and laid back spirit of summer.  Get this one if your mum’s idea of a good time is sunshine, flowers and relaxation.

Something a Bit Bolder: Gold Woman by Amouage
If you’re looking to really treat mother dearest with a truly fabulous floral then look no further than Amouage’s incandescent Gold Woman.  Created in 1983 by master perfume Guy Robert, Gold is one of the most luxurious and palatial florals ever created, hinting at exotic exuberance, unending wealth and glamorous femme fatales.

Gold Woman is a true floral in the classic French style, meaning that it uses different flowers – rose, lily of the valley and jasmine – as individual chords to create a symphony of blooms that is euphoric in both its volume and beauty.  This one is for the mums out there that demand the very best in life and have an inimitable sense of elegance.  Yes it’s on the pricey side, but are you really going to say that she’s not worth it?  I thought not…

Classy Chypres

Easy to Love: La Petite Robe Noire Couture by Guerlain
The Couture version of Guerlain’spunky and popular La Petite Robe Noire hasn’t been on the market long but it’s a perfume that knows how to make a good first impression.  In Couture, the delicious whimsy of LPRN’s cherry, liquorice and black tea accords is dialled down for a much more graceful interpretation that really is easy to enjoy.

By placing the fruity gourmand notes of the Little Black Dress in a more chypre setting with patchouli, moss and vetiver, Guerlain has created an entirely new style of fragrance.  This style merges modern sensibilities with a touch of old school glamour, crafting a classic signature that is as timeless as a piece of vintage couture, resulting in a perfume that isperfect for the fashionista mums out there.

Something a Bit Bolder: The Afternoon of a Faun by Etat Libre d’Orange
You must forgive me if this is not the first time that you’ve seen me include EtatLibred’Orange’s The Afternoon of a Faun in an article or gift guide – the truth is that it is just too wonderful not to showcase, especially when discussing the chypre genre.  What makes this ode to Nijinsky’s ballet so impressive is the fact that it doesn’t shy away from smelling musty and mossy in the way that old school chypres used to.

But The Afternoon of a Faun isn’t just a traditional chypre regurgitated under a niche label; it is in fact a classic take on the genre with a modern twist.  By adding a wave of the sweet curried tones of immortelle (everlasting flower), perfumer Ralf Schweiger gives the forest floors of the chypre an animalic flourish, hinting at the soft hide of the dancing faun.If your mother can be described as ‘daring’ then The Afternoon of a Faun is an absolute must.

Oriental Opulence

Easy to Love: Candy by Prada
Ahh, Candy, how I love you so. Is it because we share the same name? You are the Candy perfume and I am The Candy Perfume Boy, it must be a match made in heaven.  Perhaps it is your bubbly cocktail of velvety soft caramel and fluffy benzoin that makes me so addicted to your sweet, sweet personality?  Whatever it is that draws us together, I cannot help but admit that you are very special indeed.

Candy is one of those perfumes that make one feel as if they are wrapped in a blanket of sweet scent.  It succeeds at being chock full of caramel, vanilla and amber without verging on anything remotely indigestible, in fact it is pretty light and airy, which is quite a technical feat!  Candy is perfect for mums that have an innate sense of fun and enjoy delicious fragrances with a bit of substance.

Something a Bit Bolder: Vitriol d’Oeillet by Serge Lutens
No flower is bolder than the carnation.  Coming in an array of vivid colours and boasting one of the most distinct smells in Mother Nature’s garden, these flowers are heady, spicy and delightfully exotic.  Serge Lutens is the king of Orientals, so it’s no surprise that his ode to carnation – ‘Vitriol d’Oeillet’ – is a perfectly photorealistic blend of clove, pepper and ginger, that accurately pieces together the olfactory signature of this most fragrant of flowers.

Vitriol d’Oeillet is a linear perfume, meaning that what you smell at the beginning is pretty much what you sniff at the end.  This makes it a good choice for those straight talking mums out there who can be filed neatly under the category of ‘what you see is what you get’.  It would also be perfect for the lady that can’t get enough of big and bold oriental spices.