With the winter festivities well under way and Christmas 2022 fast approaching, we are preparing ourselves for that joyous occasion…the art of gifting. To help guide your choices this year, we caught up with our in-house fragrance expert, Alan Hunter, for some sage advice and great tips that will fill the recipient with joy this festive season and beyond.
Based out of The House of Creed’s flagship Mayfair boutique, Alan is no stranger to understanding the challenges of choosing the right fragrance for loved ones and holds a wealth of fragrance wisdom to help you pick the right gift this Christmas.
What are your secrets to buying the right fragrance as a gift for someone else?
Buying a gift for someone can seem a daunting task, but to quote a wise English nanny from cinema, Mary Poppins; 'For every job that must be done, there is an element of fun!’, and the same can be said for buying a gift. First and foremost, think of the person you are buying for. Think of their personality, their humour, their affectionate nature. How do they compose themselves?
What is your relationship dynamic with that person? Fragrance is essentially an extension of personality. We all have a scent which is like our ‘jeans and t-shirt’ or that scent which makes us feel grand, opulent and dressed to the nines. With these thoughts and questions in our mind, searching for that perfect scent to gift really does have that element of fun.
Focus less on what you personally like and more on what you want the gift to say to your loved one. And if you are still stuck on what to purchase, our sample sets make a wonderful stocking filler and allows your loved one to explore a collection of our most iconic fragrances for him and for her. Our online boutique also has an online exclusive universal sample set.
What Creed products would you recommend for a gift?
The House of Creed offers a range of luxuriously scented products that could be perfect for any style of gifting or occasion – be it Christmas, a Birthday or anniversary. From our little stocking fillers such as our hand-milled scented soaps and miniature Fragrance Discovery Sets, complete with an array of fragrances to discover, to luxury scented candles bound in our signature Creed Leather and our collection of bestselling millésimé quality Eau du Parfums for men and women.
We have an exquisite leather collection, released in a French navy for winter 2022. The leather travel pouches (available in 50ml, 75ml, 100ml) are perfect for storing and protecting your favourite Creed fragrances, and a refillable travel atomiser inspired by the Creed family’s travels across the globe.
We all have a scent which is like our ‘jeans and t-shirt’ or that scent which makes us feel grand, opulent and dressed to the nines. With these thoughts and questions in our mind, searching for that perfect scent to gift really does have that element of fun.
Are there any products that are exclusive to the Creed online boutique or the Mayfair boutique?
If you’re shopping for the person who already has everything this Christmas, an exclusive, limited edition or niche product can make the perfect gift for your loved one. Available exclusively on our online boutique and in our Mayfair boutique is the stunning Acqua Originale collection. Each scent is inspired by the travels of the Creed family as they sourced the finest ingredients.
Travel to Java through the warm, fresh and woody scent of Vétiver Géranium, or bathe in the heady, sensual midnight of India through Iris Tubéreuse. These are just a few of our fantastic scents in this exclusive range. We also offer a 1hr Private Consultation with our in-house fragrance experts in our exclusive VIP area in the boutique.
Available to purchase on creedfragrances.co.uk, it makes the perfect experience gift for those hard to buy for recipients. Enjoy a complimentary glass of Bollinger Champagne, tea or coffee as we discover and explore the incredible fragrance wardrobe we have to offer.
What gifts would you suggest for couples?
Our Boutique Fragrance Consultations make the perfect gift for you and your loved one to enjoy together. We have had many people come to our VIP consultations with the person they have purchased the session for as a gift. This is a great chance for both the gift-giver and recipient to delve into and learn about our rich heritage whilst discovering the collection.
Our private consultation (£38) is redeemable as part payment towards any product within the boutique and gives the freedom to the recipient to explore and choose the fragrance they love the most. If you aren’t local to London, our fragrance duo gift sets are the perfect gift of choice for couples – available in an Aventus For Him And Her set, Aventus and Aventus Cologne duo or Viking and Viking two-piece.
Do you have any gift wrapping or any gift box options?
We have some beautiful gift wrapping options suitable for Christmas and other gifting moments. Our signature packaging option presents your chosen gift in a luxurious branded gift box, complete with a protective dust bag and an optional complimentary gift message.
All of our packaging options are eco-friendly, recyclable and when purchasing on the official online boutique The House of Creed is committed to donating to One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every order placed. A gift should be guilt free and never harm our beautiful world…it is where we source our fine ingredients from, after all.
Discover more about our commitment to sustainability here.
