The Scent-Obsessed Gift Guide: Best-Smelling Gifts (original) (raw)
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Retailers
Gifting someone else a fragrance can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Yeah, perfumes are tricky if you don’t know the person that well, but they aren’t the only scented option to gift this holiday season.
To keep you from wandering the aisles, wafting in the different scents until you’re lightheaded, we have rounded up below 59 good-smelling gifts. From bath products and diffusers to luxury candles and under-$50 options, isn’t the highest compliment being told you smell good?
➼ Under $25
➼ Under $50
➼ Under $75
➼ Under $100
➼ Under $150
➼ Under $200
➼ Over $200
➼ Our experts
Updated on December 19: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
TikTok can’t stop talking about EOS scents. Vanilla Cashmere is a cult favorite scent that layers well with other oils and fragrances.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Phlur’s Vanilla Skin was probably the scent of the year from its growing popularity on social media and at retailers. The brand recently launched deodorant that smells just like the scent. It’s sweet and addictive, and it actually works. It’s the perfect gift for the friend who can’t stop talking about how much they love the scent; it’ll complete their collection.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This lavender- and chamomile-infused pillow spray is a must-have for relaxation and meditation.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
It doesn’t have to be expensive to be great. Ashlea Halpern over at the Strategist describes the scent: “Delicate but powerful. Not in a nose-singeing, throat-scratching, dorm-room patchouli kind of way, but more like I’d stumbled into a dewy meadow or sun-dappled timberland and inhaled with all my might.”
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Saltair is beloved for its blissful vacation scents like Pink Beach. This year, the brand turned the coconut-and-vanilla fragrance into a glistening body oil with SPF. The sun-kissed glow it gives is like no other.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Perfect for an at-home spa day, or every day. Mom get super-soft skin, plus the aroma of warm almonds and vanilla. If she likes it, you can buy her the refill (with 78 percent less packaging) next time.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This sugar scrub gently exfoliates the body while conditioning it with shea butter and argan oil, a shower must-have. The topless tangerine scent is a juicy citrus that adds to the body-care experience, and the refillable packaging is so easy to travel with.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This earthy yet rosy candle encapsulates floral gardens in the South of France. If you have a friend who visits every summer (or wants to), gift them this to transport them their for the holidays.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Hermés launched a Birkin-inspired chypre fragrance this year. The patchouli and citrus scent smells like a second skin. This soap bar has a luxurious lather and is engraved with a jumbo H for Hermés, a chic bathroom statement for any host.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Yes, Drake has a candle line, and the scents actually smell really good. If you’ve ever been in the lobby of the Edition Hotel, you’ve likely been captivated by the citrusy yet warm and inviting scent. This smells just like that, and it comes with a gold marker so it can be customized by the owner.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This lightweight beard oil has a citrusy aroma for the man who likes his beard to smell good; it also provides a luster that nourishes and softens beard hairs.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Most times, I’d say give a tub of Sol de Janeiro to the Gen-Zer in your life, but its latest scent could work for a more mature nose, too. It has the brand’s signature gourmand scent but with soft rose notes, and it leaves a dewy finish on the skin. A no-brainer for a body-care lover.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
I know you’ve probably had enough of vanilla scents, but hear me out. I was introduced to Cyklar and became obsessed with it because it’s not your average intensely sweet vanilla, it’s balanced, rich, and spicier. This duo offers body cream and perfume oil that layer quite well.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
The easiest way to mentally teleport to an island is through scent, and during New York winters, I’m always desperate to teleport. Ouai’s St. Barts sugar scrub does exactly that with this scent, but outside of smelling like a beach vacation, it nourishes skin with a blend of oils and lightly exfoliates with sugar crystals.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Last winter, I spent my birthday at the RAKxa Wellness Spa at the St. Regis Aspen (highly recommended if you’re in Aspen this season). There was one cream that hit my body that immediately prompted me to ask what it was. There was a sensorial cooling effect that was giving my muscles an immediate sense of relief. It was this CBD relief cream with menthol, mushroom extracts, and CBD sourced right in Colorado. For the past year, I’ve used it as a saving grace for my sore muscles and it has proved to be the best CBD cream to touch my body. Scent-wise, it takes you on a strong minty-menthol ride.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This black pepper and bergamot candle is balanced out with clary sage and lavender, the perfect notes for a grounding atmosphere. The best part is that all of Deandra Craigman Studios candles come with a playlist. This one has a jazzy instrumental one, which invites soothing energy to your space.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Valentino Beauty’s Born in Roma fragrances are always highly complimented. This trio is a sampler that can be layered or worn alone.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Beyoncé’s ultimate gift last year was a Christmas performance. You probably aren’t gifting your BeyHive friends tickets, but you can gift them a Cécred candle. The temple-oud scent of the hair products has had me sniffing my hair all day (not cute), but that’s how good it smells. With notes of oud and sandalwood, the candle will fill up any home vibes. It’s a great cozy bathroom scent.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Hate candles, but still want to be able to choose the aroma in your space? Diptyque’s scented wax ovals omit scent for up to three months just by hanging around and looking pretty.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This isn’t just any lemon tree; it’s a Meyer lemon tree, whose citrus is said to have a more floral, even slightly spicy aroma compared to regular old lemons.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This sachet filled with a mixture of buds, leaves, and flower petals typical of the Tuscan hills is the sort of luxury we’d never buy for ourselves but would love to get as a gift. Santa Maria Novella is an apothecary in Florence, Italy, and the oldest pharmacy in the world. The proprietors have been making potpourri for three centuries — they know what they’re doing.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
A trio of fruity floral hand washes for the host who loves to leave their guests with a scent trail and soft hands.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Loewe home scents are the best on the market. Its signature Ivy scent has the earthiness of a vine fragrance contrasted by warm woody notes. I get endless compliments on it when I have guests over. It’s a great gift for the friend who loves to host.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This candle has earthy hemp notes, but it isn’t the focal point. It’s a sweet amber and incense scent that brings the outdoors inside. I love the vessel just as much as the scent.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Aramis is for the man who is a cologne connoisseur. It is the first-ever prestige men’s fragrance, and it relaunched this year. It’s the same bold, leathery scent with a fresh and modern citrus twist.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
We all love Dior’s J’Adore, but fell in love even more this year when the brand launched the scent in a solid perfume. It’s alcohol-free so it clings to the skin and lasts all day long. It’s great for people who are sensitive to fragrances because of the alcohol.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Beauty influencer Jackie Aina launched her first fragrances this year after being a scent authority. The most beloved? I Am Her, a pear and red-velvet blend with subtle hints of oud. It’s feminine and badass, so it’s safe to say it lives up to the name.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This scent is meant to stop time, so you don’t know if you’re ending the night or starting it. It’s bold enough to be seductive, but also playful enough, with notes like raspberry, to be an everyday scent. It gets endless compliments without breaking the bank.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
The person in your life who has a shelfie full of products can never have too many body creams. Fenty’s body cream smells just like the fragrance — spicy and warm with notes of rose. The thick cream hydrates the skin while leaving the alluring scent behind. Not only will they have the most luscious skin, but they’ll be smelling just as good as it looks.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Moodeaux fragrances are formulated with less alcohol to minimize the drying effect for sensitive skin, but it doesn’t affect the scent at all. In fact, it lasts longer than most because it has a higher percentage of fragrance oil. This scent, Worthy, is a woodsy floral aroma that the brand dubs “a hug in a bottle,” and I must admit I do immediately feel at ease when I wear it because of how velvety it feels and smells on the skin.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Byredo is a classic. It’s so aesthetically pleasing that you might never want to light it. Byredo’s summer rain has warm sandalwood and tonka beans as the base with top essential-oil notes.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Because who wouldn’t want a Loewe candle? They’re long-lasting with an aroma that fills the entire home and the vessel is the gift that keeps on giving even after the candle is done burning.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
“Can you get me Usher’s fragrance for the holidays?” was the exact question my dad asked me. This isn’t Usher’s fragrance, but he’s the face of it. And, yes, it smells like everything he represents — confidence on a night out in New York thanks to its bold citrus notes with a creamy vanilla blend. A fragrance any man would love, or a woman if she likes masculine scents.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Marc Jacobs’s Daisy fragrance is a classic and has been for years. Recently, the company launched a limited-edition Murakami scent. The bottle is a playful sculpture paying homage to the artist’s work.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is for the person who loves a scent with a theme. It’s a smoky fragrance inspired by the sophistication of Eartha Kitt — an earthy oud that lingers.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
For the person in your life who loves an intensely fruity scent, one that dries down with a muskiness while the sweet raspberry notes still cling to you all day.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This scent is for people who don’t like to smell like anyone else. Stora Skuggan’s scents introduce you to a room before you step in; that’s how intense they are. Moonmilk has unique notes of sandalwood, black tea, leather, and black pepper. Even though it’s warm and creamy, it’s also slightly animalic.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is another scent that’s designed to layer; it’s a magnifier meant to intensify the perfume you’re already wearing. Because it’s sandalwood based, it pairs great with other notes in the musk family.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is the candle I love to pull out when I have company because of how inviting and fresh it smells. It’s a botanical blend with a hint of woodiness, Cartier candles also last forever and come in the chicest vessel.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is Gucci’s first gourmand fragrance, and the first time I smelled it I immediately asked, Why haven’t they explored this sooner? It’s an overload of vanilla that leaves a honeyed sweetness on the skin, one that’s rich but not overpowering.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Inspired by decadent French pastries, Choux Choux is a rich gourmand scent with notes of sandalwood and cocoa. Many scents have been trying to smell like actual food; this smells more elevated and the sweet notes are balanced out with citrus peel. It lasts all day long. I’ve gotten endless compliments on how delicious it smells.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
As a molecule perfume, this adapts to everyone’s body differently. The fun in gifting it is seeing how it smells on the recipient.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This is the scent I wear for every date night. The mysterious tobacco enveloped with creamy vanilla makes it an alluring feminine scent. Victoria Beckham created this scent to reawaken a travel memory with her husband, David Beckham, so it makes sense that it’s so fitting for date night.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
It’s very rare that I like coconut in a fragrance because it’s often too tropical, but this scent takes the milkiness of coconuts and blends it into an alluring gourmand fragrance with sandalwood and cashmere wood. A scent that could be for both genders, but lately I’ve been loving how spicy it smells on my partner. Byredo can do no wrong.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Chanel upgraded its classic best-selling men’s fragrance this year, what a New York man described as a “bougie shower.” The maison found that men were getting bolder, so it leaned into it with rich layers of amber and leather. It’s a completely different fragrance than the OG, one women are loving on men and that men are reaching for.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you ask a florist, this scent smells like “a sensual combination of flowers.” Its sharpness invites you in with floral enveloping notes. It’s one of Tom Ford’s newest launches this year and makes florals smell dark and sexy, my favorite kind.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Musky scents have been beauty writer Carol Lee’s signature for nearly two years now, and it’s not easy for a perfume to break into her usual lineup. But Another 13 seduced her with its musky, spicy, slightly floral scent, which reminds me of old library books and burying your face in a lover’s neck. I’ve gotten plenty of compliments when I’ve worn it, and it’s never “What are you wearing?” Instead, it’s always “You smell so good.”
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
The OG Angels’ Share is a warm, cognac-inspired scent, fitting for a winter night out. Angels’ Share On the Rocks is like its uncle who is less serious, a lighter and fresher twist on the deep cognac while still keeping the essence of the fragrance.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
This kit is for the niche fragrance lover who likes playing with their scents. It includes multiple perfumes with different scent profiles. With them, you’re able to create your own fragrance based on the combination of layering you want to do. It’s the gift to give to the person who already has every single fragrance already. It gives them a chance to play.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Parfums de Marly knows how to make a really seductive scent. It’s a long-lasting vanilla fragrance with crisp notes of apple and fresh bergamot.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
The name of this fragrance speaks for itself. Hundred Silent Ways is meant to be a silent weapon before you enter a room because that’s how striking it is. It’s my most complimented scent and what I recommend to anyone who doesn’t know where to start or what to buy. Its top notes are juicy peach and mandarin, but vanilla, vetiver, and sandalwood notes make it a bit warmer, and then there are added florals. It sounds like a lot, but once you put it on, it’s addictive.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Holiday scents are great, but scents that smell like the holidays and are fitting year-round are even better. Loewe’s newest sweet-almond candle has the nostalgic aroma of sugarcane, but it’s blended with soft floral notes. It’s homey and festive and comes in a beautiful metallic-red vessel.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Chris Collins is a perfumer who makes layered fragrances for the person who loves daring scents. This chocolatey gourmand is a rich, deep scent that smells like candied brown sugar blended with oud. It’s perfect for the chocolate lover in your life who you don’t just want to gift chocolates.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
There’s a science behind layering fragrances and creating your own signature scent. This isn’t a fragrance to wear alone; it’s an enhancer that’s meant to be layered on top of your favorite fragrance. The result is a signature scent that mixes well with your body chemistry. It intensifies whatever you’re already wearing and smells great on everyone.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Parfum de Marly’s Althair is a rich, musky one. With notes like bourbon vanilla and cinnamon, it is a long-lasting fragrance that gets compliments all day long. Men love it and women love it, too.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Frédéric Malle’s interpretation of Acne Studios is a clean, yet magnetic scent with a sweetness of peach and florals that make it addicting.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Van Cleef scents are often full of mystery. This one smells like tobacco overload, a great scent to layer with creamy and warm perfumes.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Mind Games often takes notes that you’d never expect to be blended together, and the result is magical. Prodigy fuses rose with cinnamon for a spicy surprise — they’re wafted together with soft musks for a flirty finish.
Want to be emailed about sales and other updates to your saved products? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale.
Yes
New! You can now save this product for later.
Have a friend who can’t get enough of vanilla? This powdery vanilla dries down with a bit of an enticing coconut aroma. It’s not the gourmand you’re used to.
Asia Milia Ware, beauty editor at The Cut.
Chinea Rodriguez, shopping writer at The Cut.