Question:
With the rapid advent of Mother's Day, I've been considering to get my Mother a bottle of perfume this year along with a few other gifts. Unfortunately, my Mother is a perfume-hater - she wears very little scent herself and hates rich, heady fragrances. The reason I want to pick out a fragrance for her is a) because it's an interesting challenge for me, and b) because it's criminal for a woman not to have a favorite (or few favorites) scent!
My Mother is fifty-five, Chinese, average height and weight with an olive complexion. She looks young for her age (and consequently is quite obsessed with looking young...); most people guess her to be in her late thirties instead of mid-fifties. She focuses quite heavily on business and is a reknowned workaholic with extremely high standards and little patience for laziness or incompetence. However, at the same time, she's also very nostalgic, emotional, and believes in spirituality very easily. Most of her friends would describe her as dynamic, successful, and somewhat quirky.
As I mentioned before, she hates heady florals/aldehydes (Chanel is probably out of the question) and anything that smells too "synthetic". She probably also hates very sweet fruity/citrus scents as well, and runs away screaming from scents that are too scent, too strong, or too sexy. At the same time, she's not into aquatic scents either, claiming that beachy perfumes just happen to irritate her. Most likely she likes "fresh" fragrances with light floral/woody accords; I can remember her liking Ralph Lauren Polo Woman (one of the few throughout her life) and the notes of peony, grass, oranges... probably incense is a good bet, too. She probably hates most generic perfumes, too.
I'd take her sample shopping, but that's very difficult to do in Canada, and I'd prefer to surprise her.
Suggestions? Department store ideas would be best; it's very hard to obtain niche scents where I live, and I think that even if I were to try, she might probably like them less than department store staples.

Answer:
She sounds a bit like me - I hate aquatics, floral aldehydes and anything overly citrussy (I like citrus so long as it's back with woods or spices, but I really don't like fresh/sporty-type scents).
Rousse springs to mind - it's woody, but also very light for a Lutens. There's a bit of citrus and a touch of violet in there (I barely notice the violet though - it's more there to give freshness to the cinnamon wood, rather than an in your face violet like Paris or Insolence, which is good as I really hate those). It's also very addictive!

Answer:
Not sure here, debating between the following:
1) Nothing fragrance related, just some fabulous skin-care products she might not splurge on herself, to make her feel cherished and look younger. If she is into lipsticks/mascaras -- get her several;
2) Fragrant Bath and Body products, designer or niche, soaps, body creams/lotions, shower gels, candles, possibilities are endless;
3) Same themed samples/decants, like the whole Parfums de Rosine line: all about roses but done differently, to let her pick and choose and make your job of finding her "one and only" easier for Christmas or her birthday.


Answer:
If you know your mother hates perfumes don't disrespect her by buying her one. Perfumes are not compulsory. Give here something for herself, not for you.

Answer:
Quote: Originally Posted by Sestra If you know your mother hates perfumes don't disrespect her by buying her one. Perfumes are not compulsory. Give here something for herself, not for you. I agree with this, if it is a gift for Mother's Day it should be something she loves.

Answer:
Ditto

Answer:
Quote: Originally Posted by shanghai_rose I can remember her liking Ralph Lauren Polo Woman (one of the few throughout her life) and the notes of peony, grass, oranges... probably incense is a good bet, too. She probably hates most generic perfumes, too......Suggestions? Department store ideas would be best; it's very hard to obtain niche scents where I live, and I think that even if I were to try, she might probably like them less than department store staples. BaseNote reviewers of Polo Sport Woman compare it to Miyake's L'eau D'Issey and Tommy Girl - both of which are department store frags. I've worn both (I am older than your Mom and Caucasian with dry skin) and can say that they do have the same fresh floral, aldehyde components with an amber/musk drydown that is light and sophisticated. Tommy Girl especially is a compliment-getter.
Happy hunting. Your Mom sounds formidable!! (Still lovin' that Avatar!! )

Answer:
I think I'd get her something different that I could be confident she'd like. I'd hate it if my own Mum didn't enjoy her mothers' day present.

Answer:
Why try to force her to wear perfume? It's your passion, not hers. A gift is about the person you present with the gift, not about you. Otherwise it's no longer a gift but a control issue.

Answer:
How about the real "gift" being something you know she'd like, with a little sample size or two of scent tied into the bow, or otherwise presented in an ancillary fashion?