Perfume Gifts by Person: How to Choose for Everyone on Your List

The easiest way to choose a perfume gift is to start with the person, not the bottle: what they love, how they spend their evenings, where they'd rather be. If you're not sure of their taste, give the Parfum Discovery Set, eight scents in 2ml for $70, so they choose for themselves.

Whether it's for your mum, a partner, a best friend or the one who already has everything, here's how we'd choose.

What perfume do you give someone who hasn't found their scent?

Give them the choosing. The Parfum Discovery Set holds eight places in 2ml: Noir d'Oud, Bois d'Épices, Cuban Tobacco, La Primavera, Soleil du Maroc, Desert Nights, Neon Moon and Sun Soaked. They can wear one each day for a week and a bit, and notice which one they keep reaching for.

It's the gift we'd choose for someone who loves perfume but hasn't found their scent yet. It also takes the guesswork out of giving a full bottle later.

What's a good perfume gift for someone who travels?

Something small enough to come with them. Each LUMIRA travel set pairs a 10ml Eau de Parfum with a leather travel case in soft pebble leather with polished gold-tone hardware, designed to clip onto a handbag, tote or keyring.

• Sun Soaked Travel Set ($89): green pear, honeysuckle and peony, for the one who lives for summer holidays.
• Neon Moon Travel Set ($89): apricot blossom, pink pepper and black tea, for day into night in the city.
• Cuban Tobacco Travel Set ($85): cardamom, clove and tobacco, for warm evenings away.
• Noir d'Oud Travel Set ($85): powdery rose, oud and sandalwood, for evenings that deserve remembering.

For the one who's always leaving, The Departure Set holds all four in 10ml.

What perfume suits someone who loves a warm evening?

Cuban Tobacco. Cardamom and clove strike first, then tangerine softens into tobacco, mahogany and vanilla, smoky and close to the skin, yet soft enough to wear to work. It was found in Old Havana, in a bar where nobody checks the time, and it's our most requested fragrance.

It suits the person who closes the laptop and pours something slow. Two sprays at the wrists and the nape of the neck, and the evening has begun.

What perfume do you give someone who misses summer?

Sun Soaked, found in Mallorca among stone fincas and olive groves. Green pear and pink pepper open it like a window thrown open, then honeysuckle and peony warm on skin, over musk and cedarwood. It's light enough for every day. Sun Soaked was named Best Fragrance, Pure Beauty Global Awards 2025.

Give it to the friend still talking about last year's holiday. One spray at the wrists and they're halfway back.

What do you give someone who loves their home?

A candle chosen for the room they love most. The Cuban Tobacco Candle suits a living room and a long evening on the sofa. Balinese Ylang Ylang suits a warm bath, and Tonic of Gin suits the friend who always hosts. Each one is 300g, burns for about 80 hours and is hand-poured in Sydney, in glass made to be kept long after the wax is gone.

Not sure which room? Our candle room guide walks through each one, or browse gifts for the home.

What about the one who has everything?

There's always a place they haven't been yet. A scent from somewhere new, or a Discovery Set they can explore slowly, tends to land better than one more thing for the shelf. If they already love a LUMIRA scent, pair it: the Cuban Tobacco Eau de Parfum to wear and the candle to light give them the same evening on skin and in the room.

Wrapping and Christmas dates

Gift wrapping is included with every gift set, and you can add a personal message at checkout. Two complimentary samples and free shipping over $129.

To arrive in time for Christmas in Australia, order by Fri 18 December (standard) or Tue 22 December, 12pm (Express). For international orders, including New Zealand, order by Mon 14 December.

Prefer to choose by place? Our Christmas Gift Guide, by Destination starts there instead. Or see everything in Gifts.

 

Questions people ask

How do I choose a perfume gift without knowing their taste?

Give a discovery set so they choose. LUMIRA's Parfum Discovery Set has eight Eaux de Parfum in 2ml for $70.

What is a good perfume gift for mum in Australia?

Think about the moment she loves. Sun Soaked suits someone who loves bright days and holidays; Cuban Tobacco suits someone who loves a warm evening at home. Both are made in Australia by LUMIRA.

Can I try the perfume before buying it as a gift?

Yes. Most LUMIRA Eaux de Parfum come in a 2ml vial for $8, so you can try a scent yourself before you choose the full bottle.

Do LUMIRA gift sets come gift wrapped?

Yes. Gift wrapping is included with every gift set, and you can add a personal message at checkout.

Start with the person. The scent usually follows.