Perfume is an expression of intimacy. Offering perfume as a gift is a very special way of connecting with your loved one: your friend, spouse, parent or even child. Over the years I received many fragrant gifts and I always loved them because they conveyed something very special: how someone feels about me. Of course, I loved wearing some more than others, but more importantly they often gave me the excuse of trying a fragrance I would not have necessarily chosen for myself.

Perfumes are true indulgence, they are full of emotions and many of them are packaged in such pretty bottles that they can also be used as decorating items!

There are about six families of scents, and in many ways they reflect a certain personality.

* Floral: Classic, romantic and elegant

* Fruity: Sweet, bubbly and young

* Watery: Modern, clean and easy going

* Citrus': Sporty, energetic and On the go!

* Chypre: Warm, sensual and mysterious

* Oriental: Sexy, passionate and provocative

Most people like to receive perfumes in the family of Floral, Fruity and Citrus'. They are just more popular, period! Unless you are absolutely sure about someone's taste for perfumes, I would try to stay away from the Oriental, Chypre and Fruity. These families of scents tend to create very strong emotions: people either love them or hate them¿and of course you would not want your loved one to hate the fragrance you choose. If you have a good idea of what the person you buy the perfume for likes, ask the sales associate at your favorite store to show you some classics and new arrivals which match that same family of scent. Experiment on blotters (those little pieces of paper) and try it on your own skin. Although it will be different on the person who will wear it, trying it on your own skin will give you a good idea about if you like it or not.

As for pricing, there is good news and bad news. Let's start with the good news: We live in Bermuda, a "duty free" zone as marketed by perfume houses, so fragrances sold here are at least 30% cheaper than in the USA. So you want to do your perfume shopping here, unless the fragrance you want to buy is not sold in Bermuda. The bad news is that perfume never goes on sale, unless it has been discontinued or sitting on the shelves for so long that its content is probably not very good anymore. Be especially careful of old body lotions as they can trigger skin rashes.

During the Christmas season, many perfume houses put together beautifully packaged gift sets which often include a bottle of fragrance, a body lotion and a shower gel. In most cases, they are really good value as they are only slightly more expensive (a few dollars) than just buying the bottle of fragrance by itself. It's worth comparing the prices of the fragrance by itself or part of a gift set.

Have fun smelling and giving your favorite finds to your loved one.

Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone is the Perfumer and Proprietor of Lili Bermuda.