The Gift of Choice

When it comes to buying presents, I'm really quite good at getting stuff that I would want, and assume that if I am as enraptured by it, of course the lucky person would be more than happy to receive. Flawed logic much?

This Christmas, while searching for presents that I other people would like, I stumbled upon the Scent Sampler Kits at Sephora, a genius idea that lets your be-gifted choose their favorite scent from a possible 8-10 selections, and turn in a voucher for a full-size bottle! It takes the (not fun part of) guesswork out of gifting and injects a fun activity for the recipient to partake in. Also, I've never understood how people can give perfumes to others, without for sure knowing it's that person's signature scent, since smell is such a personal and subjective characteristic.

Each kit includes vials of trial-size samples (you know, the kind that Sephora gives out with online purchases), and is $50, a good deal considering that the full-size versions of the samples cost more than that on its own.

There are four sets to choose from, including one for the men in your life. With so many varieties of perfume, each set targets a different type - the "Bestseller" for fragrance newbies and girls who want to try the most popular scents, the "Trend Setters" for girls who are looking for a new olfactory experience, and "New Classics" which have heavier scents and may a good choice for older sisters and moms. For guys, there is 1 set, and includes my personal favorites - Bvlgari Aqua and YSL L'Homme.

For the ones who want to upsize - for $70, there is a Deluxe set, and includes 8 vials of glass samples that are miniature replicas of the large sizes, allowing your loved ones to try each scent for longer, and also keep the cute bottles afterward.

Happy gifting!