Last Minute Gift Ideas

Guerlain Shalimar

Thomas Signature

I have a shocking revelation to make – it’s officially just over a week until Christmas day and I’ve barely started my Christmas shopping! I know, I know, I should have gotten myself organised weeks, if not months ago, but I haven’t. In truth, I’m a last-minute kind-of-a-guy and planning certainly isn’t my strong suit. I work best under pressure and it’s safe to say that the heat is now fully on, and I need to kick my behind in to gear if I don’t want to be left on Santa’s naughty list this Christmas.

If, like me, you’re realising that you’ve left things a little bit late, then don’t panic, there’s still time! Luckily for us, we can order up to 13:00 on Tuesday 23rd December on Escentual for guaranteed UK Christmas delivery. That certainly is very handy indeed. So, to celebrate my people, i.e. the last-minute Christmas shoppers of the world, or just those out there that are looking for an additional gift, or even a little treat for themselves (it sure is important to treat yo’ self), I’ve put together a comprehensive last minute gift guide.

Within this guide, you’ll find budget friendly stocking stuffers for him and her – small ticket items that are guaranteed to leave your loved ones’ stockings smelling delightfully fragrant this Christmas. We’ve also got some big splurge items for those of you out there who are looking to really treat their loved ones. So, don’t panic, put the kettle on and get ready to pick out some fabulous last-minute gifts.

Guerlain Coque d'Or Shimmer Spray

For Her

Stocking Stuffers
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a touch of Thierry Mugler in the stocking or underneath the tree. That’s the case in my house, at least. One Mugler gift that makes the perfect stocking stuffer is the Angel Perfuming Hair Mist, which for £17.85, shrouds one’s hair in Angel’s beautiful cloud of chocolate-patchouli candy floss. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.

From one classic to another, we have Cacharel’s Anais Anais. This one is a delightful little fragrance that is filled to the brim with crisp flowers and a powdery base. Starting at £12.50 for 30ml, Anais Anais makes the perfect stocking filler for the young girl who is just starting to discover the world of perfume. There’s a reason why this one has stood the test of time!

For something a bit more modern, and higher up on the cute-factor there is the Marni Eau de Parfum purse spray. 10mls of this beautifully tart rose and incense fragrance will set you back £25 so it’s a little bit pricier, but the bottle, which is adorned by the brand’s signature doll, is just so darn adorable, who are we to complain?

Something a Little Bit More…
Each and every year, Guerlain launches a make-up collection for Christmas, the star of which is a Shimmer Powder based on one of the house’s classic fragrances from their archives. This year, it’s the turn of Coque d’Or, which has been revamped in the fragrance’s original bottle (which has been died gold for good measure – never a bad move, if you ask me) and used as the scent for 2014’s Perfumed Shimmer Powder. The result is a fine, glittery mist scented with the warm, and oh-so-subtle chypre tones of one of Guerlain’s most legendary fragrances. In short, the Coque d’Or Perfumed Shimmer Power makes the most breathtaking gift.

Hey Big Spender
If you’ve got a little bit more money to burn, then you can never go wrong with Amouage. Unlike many other ‘niche’ brands, the cost of Amouage’s perfumes is easily justified by the quality and artistry of the compositions, most of which are made with top notch ingredients by some of the world’s greatest perfumers. Perhaps the most iconic of the Amouage perfumes is Gold Woman, a rich floral oriental that was commissioned with the brief that the cost the materials should not be an object. Gold Woman is one of the world’s most dazzling and glamorous perfumes and it says “look at me, don’t you wish you were this fabulous?!”

Guerlain fragrances make the best of gifts at any time, but a Guerlain Extrait (or Pure Parfum) makes the most iconic of gifts. So, if you’re looking to spoil the lady of your life, or your beloved mother, grand mother or sister with the finest that the world’s greatest fragrance house to offer an Extrait is the way to go. My favourite Guerlain extract is Vol de Nuit – a finely constructed fragrance that sits somewhere firmly between oriental and chypre, boasting beautiful powder and narcissus notes. What’s more, the gorgeous aviation-inspired bottle is to die for.

Of course, if you’re looking for something a bit more au courant, then how about Acqua di Parma’s Rosa Nobile, which definitely wins the award for one of my personal favourite launches of the year. This is the prettiest ode to pink roses I ever done saw, complete with blush pink rose water, zesty lemon and green leaves. Delightful doesn’t quite cover it.

Guerlain Homme Ideal

For Him

Stocking Stuffers
Now for some more Mugler, and this time we have something for the boys. A*Men is one of the best masculine fragrances a scent-loving gent can buy and it stands apart from many of the bottles on the shelves because it is just so wonderfully unique (anything that pairs lavender, mint, chocolate, vanilla, coffee and tar in one perfume is certainly daring). The Hair & Body Shampoo is a good gift for the guy on the go because it is strongly scented and full of energy, making the perfect after-gym reviver or early morning wake up shot.

Whilst we’re on the subject of shower-appropriate stocking stuffers, one must have gift is Aramis’ Shampoo on a Rope. Aramis is a classic masculine fragrance that has been making people swoon, both ladies and gents, for almost 50 years. The soap smells just as amazing as the fragrance and lathers the body in a handsome veil of citrus, herbs, woods and resins. It’s the best soap on a rope for your man’s stocking, that’s for sure.

If you’re looking for something more sprayable to place in a gent’s stocking, then why not consider Calvin Klein’s CK One? I’m pretty sure that it’s written in law somewhere that every person on the planet should own a bottle of this – it’s like a little olfactory time capsule to the ‘90s and priced at £14.95 for 50ml, the effervescently clean citrus tones of this fragrance are hard to beat as a small scented treat.

Something a Little bit More…
I’m very aware that Guerlain keep making the cut on this last-minute gift guide, but the house is such a huge part of the fabric of perfume that one simply must sit up and take note to all of the many wonderful things they’ve done in their rich history. This year they launched a brand new masculine fragrance named L’Homme Idéal, and it makes the perfect mid-range gift for any man that deserves a handsome, yet frivolous fragrance. This cocky scent has a robust base of woods and resins underneath an exterior of sweet almond. I dare you, or the man in your life to smell it and not smile.

Hey Big Spender
Now for the big ticket items for the gents out there, starting with the pure luxury of Italian brand, Acqua di Parma. They’ve got some cracking gift sets this year, and the bevy of goods within their Bergamotto di Calabria Gift set (the EDT, shower gel AND body lotion) most definitely caught my eye. Much like the Amalfi coast this fragrance is inspired by, Bergamotto di Calabria is a relaxed and gentile unisex scent that boasts a beautifully high quality bergamot note. Perfect for the easy going gent that takes pride in his appearance and the way he smells.

Of course, if the man you’re buying for is a bit more subversive in his scent choices and is worthy of a £200 splurge, I cannot recommend CB I Hate Perfume’s 7 Billion Hearts highly enough. This is, hands down, one of the greatest vanilla fragrances of all time. It captures every facet of vanilla, from the candy floss sweetness to the transparent spice, and woody smoke. In short, it’s really, really good.

Last, but certainly not least, we must ensure that we cater for the rebels in our midst – the handsome bad boys of the world, and to make sure that they are suitably covered in this guide, I’ve picked the handsome, the reckless and the ruggedly sexy Rien by Etat Libre d’Orange. Rien is the olfactory equivalent of a cracked leather jacket, worn by the type of boy that your mother warned you stay away from, and for that reason it’s pretty awesome.

Escentual are offering standard 2 day delivery right up until 4.30pm on Sunday 21st December – and for the true last minuters, there’s next day delivery available until 1pm on Tuesday 23rd December!

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