Beauty: High notes

Pretty by Elizabeth Arden. Photo / Babiche Martens

Perfume is a lovely gift to receive - indulgent, expensive, and intensely personal.

It's best to have an idea of what may appeal, (and for safety's sake perhaps include an exchange card). But in the same way as receiving a bunch of flowers, sometimes it's just nice to be surprised. A rose fan may actually enjoy gardenias for a change, and she'll remember the gift because it was unexpected and expressive of the giver. If truly in doubt, remember appearance does matter, choose by the label or the bottle - at least it may match the recipient's aspirations or make a nice design statement on the dressing table.

Though it's hardly a plus for a true perfume fan, many modern fragrances are rather nondescript, inoffensive blends, making them fairly safe options. Warmer, woodier styles are a trend, after years of fresh, green scents, but florals remain top-sellers.

* One of the advantages of buying around Mother's Day is that so many of the popular options come in lovely gift sets, meaning if you do fall back on buying an old favourite it may well come with a lovely extra.

1 Elizabeth Arden Pretty eau de parfum 100ml $129
This aptly named perfume is the big new release from Elizabeth Arden this year. It comes in a heavy, clear bottle shaped like a bud vase, with a pink flower encased in the stopper. Appealingly feminine, sweet but not cloying, this floral is delicate. Givaudan parfumiers have come up with Petalia, a distinct blend for Pretty, which should prove a winner.

2 Vera Wang Look eau de parfum 100ml $220
Look is the American dress designer's first non-bridal scent, after a host of delicate florals, of which my favourite is Bouquet. Look is louder, but it hardly shouts, though there's something pleasantly masculine about the bottle and the tangy warmth of this fruity mix.

3 Chloe Creme Collection $115 each
The delicate rose-infused perfume was one of last year's most popular; now Chloe has brought out a body cream, bath cream and body scrub. They come in glass jars with silver-plated lids, that you'll want as keepsake containers.
(From selected department stores).

4 Gucci Flora eau de toilette 75ml $169
A fashion fan will be excited by the black and white lining of the box, a floral pattern designed as a silk scarf for Princess Grace in 1966 and much reinterpeted by the Italian label. The scent is sensual in the Gucci style, with rose, osmanthus, a touch of citrus and warm end notes and it comes in a handsome hexagonal bottle.

5 Pure Fiji Body Butter Mango $43
If a tropical escape is off the Mother's Day menu, then evoke the aroma of an island idyll with this fruity body cream, which really does smell like mangoes. It's made in Suva with natural ingredients, rich in moisturising coconut oil and infused with passionflower.
(From selected spas. For nearest stockist call toll free on 0800 7873 3454 or www.purefiji.com)

6 Essence Narciso Rodriguez eau de parfum 50ml $165
The scent, different from the signature Narciso for Her, comes encased in a silver inner flacon wrapped in a slope-shouldered glass bottle. Deserves to stand in some architecturally innovative bathroom where light and space play with convention. Distinctively warm, musky and floral.

7 Jo Malone Cologne Collection $150
This boutique English line encourages bespoke scent layering, to allow the individual to develop a signature scent. With this box of six miniature colognes the process is made easy, you can wear each scent individually, experiment with the mixes suggested, or come up with your own. From Red Roses to Pomegranate Noir to Lime, Basil and Mandarin there should be something singularly appealing for everyone, all stylishly packaged in cream and black.
(From Jo Malone, Chancery or ph JOMSHOP.)