Perfume as a holiday gift, without getting it wrong

It's the same story every year: you know perfume would be a special gift, then you stand in front of the shelf and realise you don't know what that person actually likes. Sweet or fresh? Light for the office or bold for a night out? A full bottle is a big investment in a guess, and a perfume that sits unopened on a shelf isn't a gift, it's an obligation.

So here's a different idea: instead of one bottle, give three 5 ml decants. They get three different scents, wear each for a few days and discover which one is really theirs. Put at least three 5 ml decants in your cart and the site automatically takes 10% off them, so the set is kinder on your wallet too.

How to read their taste

The best clue is what they already wear. If you don't know, look at the little things: do they love desserts and coffee with whipped cream, or would they rather have lemonade and the sea? Dark jumpers or crisp white shirts? People who like warm and sweet usually find themselves in vanilla, cinnamon and caramel. Those who find all that “too much” lean towards citrus, musk and clean woods. A set of three lets you cover both directions without having to nail it first time.

For him

If you don't know where to start, start with Dior Sauvage. Bergamot and pepper up front, a clean, bright ambroxan base: it's fresh, yet strong enough to get noticed. For the man who loves winter and warmth, Stronger With You Intensely is cinnamon, toffee and vanilla, sweet in a way that still reads masculine. And if he's the type who dresses up for dinner and enjoys a good conversation, Replica Jazz Club smells of rum, tobacco and vanilla, like a late evening in a bar with live music.

For her

Khadlaj Shiyaaka Gold is the soft, floral choice: gardenia and jasmine with pear and peach, settling onto warm amber and sandalwood. For someone who loves fruit and brightness, Al Haramain L'Aventure Femme opens juicy, with pineapple and blackcurrant, and finishes soft with musk and vanilla. If you want something more striking, Tiziana Terenzi Kirke is a burst of passion fruit, peach and raspberry on a musky base: the kind of scent people remember and ask about.

For anyone

Some scents simply don't care who's wearing them. Giardini di Toscana Bianco Latte is creamy and sweet, like a mug of warm milk with honey and caramel; it's hard to imagine a cosier scent for December. Lattafa Khamrah brings cinnamon, dates and praline together into something that smells like the holidays themselves. And for anyone who prefers fruit to pastry, Xerjoff Erba Pura is a sweet fruit cocktail of orange and lemon over white musk, bold and instantly recognisable.

The best perfume to give isn't the one you like most, it's the one they get to choose themselves.

How to put the set together

The safest combination is one fresh, one warm and one wild card. For him, say, Sauvage, Stronger With You Intensely and Jazz Club. For her, Shiyaaka Gold, L'Aventure Femme and Bianco Latte. If you know nothing about their taste, pick three from the “for anyone” group. You don't pay anything up front: you pay on delivery, and delivery in Podgorica is free.

And when, a few weeks later, the person you gave the set to says “the second one is my favourite”, you'll know exactly which bottle to buy for their birthday.