Perfume is one of the most personal gifts there is. That is exactly what makes it tricky. A scent you love can come across completely differently on someone else. The good news: with a few questions up front, the risk turns into a gift that really gets worn.
1. What does the person wear today?
The best clue is often in the bathroom. Does the person smell fresh and citrusy, floral, woody or warm and sweet? You do not need to know the name of the perfume. It is enough to recognise the scent direction. Someone who wears fresh scents today is rarely happy with a heavy evening fragrance.
How scent directions are built is explained in What is a fragrance pyramid?
2. What part of life is the scent for?
An office scent needs to be subtle, an evening scent can be more present. Think about where the person will wear it most. For every day, fresh and balanced scents are usually the safer choice.
3. Do not buy by your own taste
The most common mistake with perfume gifts: giving the scent you would like to smell yourself. Ask yourself honestly whether the scent suits the person or your picture of them.
4. A niche scent instead of a bestseller
The well known bestsellers the person may already own, or someone at the office wears exactly the same one. A scent from a small brand is rarer and often comes with a story worth telling. More on this in Niche or designer perfume?
5. Not sure? Let them test first
If you really have no idea, there are two safe options:
- Sample first: the 2 ml sample for CHF 5 is enough for a few days of everyday wear. If the scent fits, the CHF 5 is fully credited on the bottle.
- Gift card: the Waswänzi gift card from CHF 10 arrives instantly by email, and the recipient chooses for themselves.
6. Order in time
During Advent everything takes a little longer. At Waswänzi:
- St Nicholas, 6 December: order by 24 November
- Christmas, 24 December: order by 13 December
We ship within 3 working days, then Swiss Post usually takes 2 to 4 working days. On request we add a greeting card with your message.
Our tip from Zurich
The Flow from Züri comes in two versions. Pour Femme is fresh with bergamot and lemon and has a soft heart of magnolia. Pour Homme is fresh and spicy with grapefruit and black pepper and warm woods in the base. Both are Swiss Made, vegan, 50 ml for CHF 89, with free shipping throughout Switzerland.
All gift ideas at a glance on our page Give a fragrance from Zurich.
Frequently asked questions
Is perfume a good gift?
Yes, if you know the person's scent direction. If not, a sample or a gift card is the safer choice.
Can I return a perfume?
At Waswänzi you can return unopened bottles within 14 days. Opened bottles are excluded for hygiene reasons.
What do I give if I am running late?
The gift card. It arrives instantly by email and is still on time after the order deadline.
Which scent for her, which for him?
Pour Femme is for her: fresh and floral with bergamot, lemon and magnolia. Pour Homme is for him: fresh and spicy with grapefruit, black pepper and warm woods.
