A perfume is an amazing gift, but it can be quite difficult to choose the right one. Fragrances are subjective, but there are a few that are universally agreed to be amazing. But what are the best fragrances to gift your mum?
What Fragrance Should You Gift Your Mom
A fragrance can be a great gift for your mum. Whether it’s mothers day, her birthday, or you just want to spoil her a little, a fragrance will always be nice. But it can be quite difficult to find the right fragrance. As you know, liking a certain scent is highly subjective. However, there are quite a few fragrances out there that are loved by pretty much everyone.
These fragrances are usually on the safer side, being a floral or gourmand fragrance, but there are also some more interesting ones as well. One common trend, though, is that they’re all extremely likable.
Some are on the fresher side, others are sweet and heavy, but all are amazing. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best fragrances you can give to your mum!
1. Guerlain Mon Guerlain
Guerlain Mon Guerlain is a lovely fragrance with a scent that fits any woman. This fragrance was made by Delphine Jelk and Thierry Wasser and was released in 2017.
The top notes of Guerlain Mon Guerlain are lavender and bergamot. The middle notes are iris, jasmine sambac, and rose. The base notes are vanilla, coumarin, sandalwood, benzoin, licorice, and patchouli.
Guerlain Mon Guerlain opens with a dominant scent of aromatic lavender, accompanied by a touch of sweet vanilla. The lavender definitely comes across a little strong in the opening, but it does mellow down after a while.
When the lavender becomes softer, the vanilla starts to show its beauty. The vanilla is warm, creamy, and sweet and only becomes better with the addition of the sweet and alluring note of jasmine sambac.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, it becomes slightly creamier and sweeter. The vanilla, paired with the added note of coumarin makes up for a large portion of this fragrance and the lavender is another key player in this scent.
Due to the sweetness of this fragrance, it’s best worn during the colder months. Here, it’s extremely easy to wear and will work both formally and casually.
The versatility, paired with the easy-to-like scent makes this fragrance perfect to gift. It will fit any mom, or woman for that matter, making it a safe but amazing gift.
2. Chanel No.5
Chanel No.5 is a universally loved fragrance that’s suspiciously popular with moms. This fragrance was made by Jacques Polge and was released in 1986.
The top notes of Chanel No.5 are aldehydes, ylang ylang, neroli, bergamot, and peach. The middle notes are iris, jasmine, rose, and lily of the valley. The base notes are sandalwood, vanilla, oakmoss, vetiver, and patchouli.
Chanel No.5 opens with a typical Chanel scent. Hints of aldehydes and fresh florals are in the forefront, making for a fresh and mature opening.
Shortly thereafter, some woody notes start to appear. These give the fragrance a rich and slightly dry backbone, working together perfectly with the many different floral notes from the opening.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, a subtle sweetness makes itself known. This sweetness comes from the note of vanilla and, although faint, does make the fragrance a little more interesting.
In the end, you’re left with a fragrance that has captured the hearts of many men and women. This is a true classic, which makes it perfect to gift a mum. Chances are they already know and love this fragrance.
It’s a safe fragrance that you can’t really go wrong with either. It works great in all seasons, in any setting.
3. Le Labo Santal 33
Le Labo Santal 33 is a fragrance that has gained a lot of popularity over the years. This fragrance was made by Frank Voelkl and was released in 2011.
The notes of Le Labo Santal 33 are sandalwood, papyrus, leather, cedar, cardamom, violet, iris, and amber.
Le Labo Santal 33 opens with a dry scent of sandalwood and leather, immediately setting the tone for this fragrance, being a dry and modern one.
Shortly after the opening, some fresh florals are added, giving the fragrance a powdery feel. This powdery feel goes great with the dry woods and leather, making for a powerful, yet inoffensive combination.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, some more woody notes present themselves, making for an even stronger scent of woods. Every now and then, you can also pick up some spices, although they stay in the background.
Even though this fragrance is warm and dry, you can actually wear this one all year long. It’s mature, modern, and definitely classy, making it perfect for a modern, successful woman.
This fragrance is generally liked by many, but its scent is a bit different from your typical crowd-pleasers. Still, this makes for an amazing gift for your mom.
4. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense is the stronger, longer-lasting version of the popular Light Blue. This fragrance was made by Olivier Cresp and was released in 2017.
The top notes of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense are lemon and apple. The middle notes are marigold and jasmine and the base notes are musk and amberwood.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense opens with a beautiful scent of fresh citruses and aquatic notes. Suffice to say that the opening definitely lives up to the name of this fragrance.
After a little while, a few fresh floral notes are added, giving the fragrance another layer of freshness. Hints of jasmine and marigold make sure the fragrance smells lively and happy.
All the while, there’s this clean undertone of musk present. The musk lifts up the fresh notes from the opening and ties them together beautifully with the florals. This leaves you with an overall fresh and happy scent.
Such a scent is of course best worn during the warmer months. Here, you can wear it pretty much whenever you want, whether you’re in the office, working out, or relaxing at home.
Because it’s so easy to wear and extremely likable, this fragrance makes for a great gift.
5. Christian Dior Ambre Nuit
Christian Dior Ambre Nuit is a luxurious, high-end fragrance, part of Christian Dior La Collection Privee. This fragrance was made by Francois Demachy and was released in 2009.
The notes of Christian Dior Ambre Nuit are amber, rose, pink pepper, bergamot, and grapefruit.
Christian Dior Ambre Nuit opens with a beautiful scent of warm and rich amber, supported by a classy touch of rose. These two notes form the base of this fragrance and will be there all throughout.
A little while after the opening, some soft citruses can be detected, but only ever so slightly. In addition, the note of pink pepper shines through, giving off a warm and slightly sweet scent.
From here, the fragrance doesn’t change too much anymore. This will leave you with an incredibly warm, comforting, and luxurious fragrance that you simply cannot go wrong with.
This is a rather high-end fragrance, and the price tag shows that, but it’s well worth it as a special gift to a loved one.
6. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium
Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium is an incredible gourmand fragrance with an interesting scent. This fragrance was made by Honorine Blanc, Marie Salamagne Nathalie Lorson, and Olivier Cresp and was released in 2014.
The top notes of Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium are pear, pink pepper, and orange blossom. The middle notes are coffee, jasmine, bitter almond, and licorice. The base notes are vanilla, patchouli, cedar, and cashmere woods.
Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium opens with an incredible scent of coffee and vanilla, immediately introducing that rich and gourmand feel that makes this fragrance so great.
Shortly after the opening, a sweet touch of pear is added, giving the fragrance a fruity sweetness. Along with the pear is a hint of bitter almond, adding to the gourmand feel and making the fragrance a little creamier.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, a sweet scent of patchouli makes itself known. You can also find some woody notes in the base, however, these are mainly here for the other notes to thrive on.
In the end, you’re left with a wonderful fragrance with a sweet and rich scent. Generally speaking, this is a safe and easy to like fragrance that serves as the perfect gift.
7. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb has always been a great fragrance to wear. Made by four perfumers, Carlos Benaim, Dominique Ropion, Domitille Michalon Bertier, and Olivier Polge, this sweet, flowery fragrance never failed to amaze.
The top notes of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb are tea, bergamot, and osmanthus. The middle notes are orchid, jasmine, rose, freesia, and orange flower. The base notes are patchouli and musk.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb opens with, well, an explosion of floral notes. Along with the many different floral notes is a heavy touch of patchouli. The patchouli gives the fragrance a heavier, sweeter feel and blends in perfectly with the floral notes.
Out of the many floral notes, quite a few have a sweet scent to them as well, making for an overall strong, yet delightful opening.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, the scent becomes a little softer. It’s still a beautiful scent of sweet florals and patchouli, just not as heavy as in the opening.
Overall, this is an amazing fragrance that will serve as a fantastic gift. This feminine and classy fragrance will be great for any woman.
8. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is another high-end fragrance that smells absolutely amazing. This fragrance was made by Francis Kurkdjian himself and was released in 2015.
The top notes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 are saffron and jasmine. The middle notes are amberwood and ambergris. The base notes are fir resin and cedar.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 opens with a sweet, almost sugary sweet scent. This scent, although sweet, appears light, airy, and inoffensive.
Added to the sweetness is a nice touch of semi-sweet jasmine and saffron, paired with a sweet touch of amberwood. All these notes come together to create that beautiful and different sweetness that makes this fragrance so great.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, a nice undertone of cedarwood starts to appear. The cedar ensures that this fragrance dries down into something nice and warm.
Overall, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 has a crowd-pleasing scent that works great on any woman, in pretty much any setting. This makes it perfect as a gift, although a rather pricey one. Still, if you’re looking for a beautiful gift for a special occasion, this might be the one.
9. Guerlain Shalimar
Guerlain Shalimar is another classic female fragrance that has been around for a long, long time. This fragrance was made by Jacques Guerlain and was released all the way back in 1925.
The top notes of Guerlain Shalimar are bergamot, lemon, cedar, mandarin, and citruses. The middle notes are iris, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine, and rose. The base notes are incense, vanilla, leather, opoponax, sandalwood, civet, musk, and tonka bean.
Guerlain Shalimar opens with a complex and powdery scent of citruses and some floral notes. A nice freshness is immediately present, coming from the multiple citrusy notes, whereas a powdery hint of iris makes the fragrance feel a little heavier.
Shortly thereafter, a nice sweetness starts to present itself in the form of creamy tonka bean and vanilla. These give the fragrance a lot of depth and work together perfectly with the powdery iris.
From here, the fragrance dries down into something slightly warmer and woodier and there’s even a hint of leather present. This leaves you with an overall complex fragrance that smells absolutely amazing.
Despite the complexity of this fragrance, it’s actually very easy to wear. It’s feminine and classy and works great in both casual and formal settings. It also has a mature vibe to it, making it great for moms. And on top of that, it’s also very affordable as well!
10. Maison Martin Margiela Replica Bubble Bath
Maison Martin Margiela Replica Bubble Bath is one of the most recent additions of this fragrance house, being released in 2020.
The top notes of Maison Martin Margiela Replica Bubble Bath are bergamot and soap. The middle notes are lavender, jasmine, and rose. The base notes are white musk, coconut, and patchouli.
Maison Martin Margiela Replica Bubble Bath opens with a clean and soapy scent. This is probably what you’d expect from a fragrance with a name like this, but it’s done in a very fresh and clean way.
Shortly after the opening, an aromatic undertone of lavender starts to show up, blending in nicely with the soapy opening. Along with the lavender are some other floral notes, although those stay in the background
When this fragrance starts to dry down, you can start to pick up a nice scent of coconut. The coconut appears creamy and subtle but adds a beautiful layer of depth to the fragrance.
In the end, you’re left with a pure and clean fragrance with a scent that works well on anyone, at all times. It’s so inoffensive and easy to wear that you simply cannot go wrong with it. This also makes it perfect as a gift, as you’ll have a hard time finding someone who wouldn’t like this fragrance.
11. Giorgio Armani Si
Giorgio Armani Si is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh scent of fruity and floral notes. This fragrance was made by Julie Masse and was released in 2015.
The top notes of Giorgio Armani Si are blackcurrant, pear, mandarin, neroli, and bergamot. The middle notes are freesia, May rose, strawberry, mango, jasmine, and osmanthus. The base notes are vanilla, musk, patchouli, amber, and woody notes.
Giorgio Armani Si opens with a very pleasant scent of fresh and sweet fruits. Hints of pear and blackcurrant are on the forefront, supported by some fresh citruses.
After a little while, some fresh floral notes start to appear. These florals give off a fresh and clean scent and work wonderfully with the fruits from the opening.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, the scent becomes a bit warmer. This is due to the notes of amber and the several woody notes, giving the fragrance a soft and warm finish.
Overall, Giorgio Armani Si is a fantastic fragrance with a very easy to wear scent. This is the type of fragrance that you can wear all day, every day without ever having to worry about it being out of place.
And besides being easy to wear, it’s also easy to like as well, making Giorgio Armani Si a fantastic fragrance to give to someone.
12. Chanel Gabrielle
Chanel Gabrielle is a wonderful feminine fragrance that portrays class and elegance. This fragrance was made by Olivier Polge and was released in 2017.
The top notes of Chanel Gabrielle are grapefruit, mandarin, and blackcurrant. The middle notes are orange blossom, ylang ylang, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley, pear, and pink pepper. The base notes are musk, sandalwood, cashmeran, and orris.
Chanel Gabrielle opens with a beautiful scent of white floral notes, supported by a fresh touch of grapefruit. This makes for a fresh and elegant opening that has that classic Chanel feel to it.
Shortly after the opening, some sweetness is introduced in the form of a pear note, making the fragrance a little more interesting without taking away the fresh and clean feel.
When the fragrance starts to dry down, it becomes much warmer and smoother. This is because of the woods and musk that are present in the base.
Overall, this is an amazing fragrance that’s perfect for the warmer months. Here, it can be worn all the time. And seeing as it’s classy and inoffensive, it’s also an easy fragrance to give to someone!
13. Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant
Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant is a rather interesting fragrance with a beautiful bottle design. This fragrance was made by Dominique Ropion and was released in 1996.
The top notes of Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant are cloves, cumin, and mandarin. The middle notes are cardamom, caraway, licorice, mango, ylang ylang, heliotrope, and gardenia. The base notes are vanilla, amber, and patchouli.
Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant opens with a beautiful scent of warm spices. Hints of cloves, cumin, and cardamom are immediately present and give off a truly stunning scent.
Shortly after the opening, some freshness is introduced with some floral and fruity notes. These fruity notes also add a nice sweetness that goes very well with the spices from the opening.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, the notes of vanilla and amber start to play a large role. These two notes give off a sweet and warm scent and even make the fragrance a little creamier.
In the end, you’re left with a wonderful cold-weather fragrance with a classy and spicy scent. This fragrance is somewhat unique, but it’s still amazing and has an easy-to-like scent. This makes it perfect as a safe, yet unique gift.
14. Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis
Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis is a lovely fragrance with a fresh and realistic scent of grapefruit. This beautiful grapefruit fragrance was released in 2015.
The top notes of Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis are pink grapefruit, mandarin, and blackcurrant. The middle notes are orange blossom, mint, and rose. The base notes are vetiver, amber, and iris.
Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis opens with a juicy and realistic scent of pink grapefruit. You’ll immediately pick up a juicy freshness with a light sweetness in there as well.
Shortly thereafter, a nice and cooling scent of mint starts to appear. The mint gives the fragrance an icy feel, which works great with the grapefruit scent from the opening.
Every now and then, you can also pick up a floral or fruity scent, but those are in the background.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, you’ll notice it becomes a little warmer and cozier. This is due to the addition of amber, giving the fragrance a warm, rich, and a slightly sweet finish.
Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis is an amazing fragrance for the warmer months and will be perfect as a gift. This fragrance is easy to like and easy to wear, so rest assured, anyone would love to receive this one as a gift.
15. Gucci Bloom
Gucci Bloom is a wonderful fragrance with a simple, yet delightful scent of white flowers. This fragrance was made by Alberto Morillas and was released in 2017.
The top note of Gucci Bloom is jasmine. The middle note is tuberose and the base note is Rangoon creeper.
Gucci Bloom opens with a light and delicate scent of jasmine, a white floral note. The jasmine is fresh, clean, and straightforward, perfectly setting the tone for the remainder of this fragrance.
Shortly after the opening, a different white floral note makes itself known, tuberose. The tuberose, once again, gives off a fresh and clean scent and works great with the jasmine.
From here, the fragrance actually doesn’t really change any more. This leaves you with a simple and straightforwards scent that smells extremely pleasant.
This fragrance is full of class and elegance and has a soft, light, and delicate feel to it. This makes it great for the warmer months, where it can be worn practically anytime, anywhere.
Whether you’re working out, at home, or closing a million-dollar business deal, this fragrance will be perfect. And its versatility also makes it great as a gift as well.
16. Carner Barcelona Cuirs
Carner Barcelona Cuirs is a fragrance many will not be familiar with. However, this is an incredible fragrance that should definitely not be overlooked. This fragrance was made by Sonia Constant and was released in 2011.
The top notes of Carner Barcelona Cuirs are saffron and caraway. The middle notes are sandalwood, guaiac wood, patchouli, cedar, and violet. The base notes are oud, leather, tonka bean, labdanum, amber, musk, cypriol oil, and Amyris.
Carner Barcelona Cuirs opens with a rich and dark scent that actually appears very clean and easy-going. This is where this fragrance truly shines, as it brings together some of the darker and richer notes and portrays them in a soft and light manner.
Hints of oud, many spices, and woods are all present in the opening, continuing all the way through the dry down. When the fragrance starts to dry down, it becomes a little sweeter with the addition of tonka bean. The tonka bean also makes it a little creamier as well, adding to that easy-going feel.
Overall, this is definitely an amazing fragrance that will be perfect for any mom. This fragrance is safe, yet powerful. Inoffensive, yet present. It has it all.
17. Christian Dior j’Adore
Christian Dior j’Adore is a lovely floral fragrance with a nice undertone of fruits. This fragrance was made by Calice Becker and was released in 1999.
The top notes of Christian Dior j’Adore are pear, melon, magnolia, peach, mandarin, and bergamot. The middle notes are jasmine, lily of the valley, tuberose, freesia, rose, orchid, plum, and violet. The base notes are musk, blackberry, vanilla, and cedar.
Christian Dior j’Adore opens with a classy scent of many different floral notes. Hints of jasmine and rose are on the forefront, backed by the likes of lily, magnolia, and tuberose. These all come together to create a lively and bright fragrance that smells classy at the same time.
After a little while, the fresh florals are accompanied by some fruity notes. These fruits add a light, yet sweet undertone to the fragrance, giving it more depth and life.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, a nice scent of clean musk, paired with an undertone of vanilla starts to arise. These ensure the fragrance dries down beautifully and the delicate and elegant feel never goes away.
Due to the delicate and feminine scent, Christian Dior j’Adore makes for a fantastic gift. Any mom would be delighted to have such a lovely fragrance.
18. Lancome Poeme
Lancome Poeme is another staple of the mature female perfumes. This fragrance was made by Jacques Cavallier and was released in 1995.
The top notes of Lancome Poeme are narcissus, datura, peach, plum, poppy, mandarin, blackcurrant, bergamot, and green notes. The middle notes are mimosa, vanilla flower, tuberose, ylang ylang, orange blossom, jasmine, freesia, heliotrope, rose, and leather. The base notes are vanilla, orange blossom, amber, tonka bean, musk, and cedar.
Lancome Poeme opens with a powdery scent of many different floral notes. Of these florals, the yellow floral note of ylang ylang appears to be the strongest.
The ylang ylang gives off a sweet, flowery, and almost narcotic scent that goes great with the clean feel of the many white florals.
As the fragrance starts to dry down, it becomes a bit sweeter with the addition of vanilla and tonka bean. All the while, this fragrance has that mature, almost old-school vibe to it that makes it resonate so well with mature women.
Due to the mature, yet extremely nice scent, this fragrance will be perfect as a gift. This is one of those classic ‘mom’ fragrances that any mom will love.
19. Tom Ford Black Orchid
Tom Ford Black Orchid was the very first fragrance of the house of Tom Ford, and it’s safe to say it’s one of the best of the house. This fragrance was made by Givaudan and was released in 2006.
The top notes of Tom Ford Black Orchid are truffle, gardenia, blackcurrant, ylang ylang, jasmine, bergamot, mandarin, and lemon. The middle notes are orchid, spices, gardenia, fruity notes, ylang ylang, jasmine, and lotus. The base notes are chocolate, patchouli, vanilla, incense, amber, sandalwood, vetiver, and white musk.
Tom Ford Black Orchid opens with a dark and rich scent of fruits, florals, and even a hint of chocolate. Quickly added to these notes are some spices, making for an overall gorgeous and mysterious scent.
Shortly after the opening, some more floral notes start to appear, creating a scent of dark and sweet flowers.
From here, the fragrance dries down into something a little sweeter. Some woody notes, vanilla, and vetiver all make sure the fragrance becomes warmer, sweeter, and heavier.
All the while, there’s this undertone of the note of truffle present. The truffle gives off a mysterious, dark, and intense scent that makes this fragrance what it is, a mysterious, dark masterpiece.
Truth be told, Tom Ford Black Orchid isn’t the safest gift. However, if your mom likes this scent, chances are she’ll love it. The rich, dark, and intense scent is great for a powerful, confident woman, but it does require an acquired taste.
20. Christian Dior La Colle Noire
Christian Dior La Colle Noire is yet another Dior fragrance from Christian Dior La Collection Privee. This time, its a more flowery-based perfume. This fragrance was made by Francois Demachy and was released in 2016.
The top note of Christian Dior La Colle Noire is lemon. The middle notes are May rose, spices, peony, lily of the valley, blackcurrant, raspberry, and peach. The base notes are white musk, sandalwood, amber, heliotrope, and oud.
Christian Dior La Colle Noire opens with a blast of different fruity notes, all overpowered by the main scent of rose. The combination of rose and the multiple different fruits creates an invigorating and happy scent.
This feeling continues on all throughout the remainder of the fragrance as well. Hints of nice and clean musk are present, as well as a few spices. These add a nice layer of depth to the fruity scent of rose without taking away the freshness.
There’s even a hint of oud present in this fragrance. Usually, oud is rather powerful, but this time, it’s done in a light and soft manner.
All in all, you get an intriguing fragrance with a wonderful, easy to wear scent. You’ll be sure to know that any mom would love to receive a fragrance like this as a gift!