It is Thanksgiving in the US. It is also the pause before the frantic Holiday shopping season. Which will begin at about the same time the dishwasher is turned on in most homes. Black Friday has now encroached on the day before.

Fragrance is always a popular choice as a gift. I think it can be a difficult effort because we all experience scent so differently. I have posted a way which requires some extra steps but can make perfume an intimate gift at this link.

For most everyone else they are just going to be faced with sales reps trying to tell you this is the best perfume ever. They’re probably incorrect but you never know. To help navigate the season I am going to spend the next three days with different buyer’s guides. Today in Part 1 it is what has come out over the past year at the mall. Tomorrow in Part 2 for Small Business Saturday I will focus on small stand-alone perfume boutique offerings. Finally, in Part 3 for Cyber Monday I’ll have some suggestions for things to click on and get delivered to your home.

This list should all be available at large department stores. Links to the full reviews can be found in the names.

Aerin Rose Cocoa followed up last year’s Holiday offering of Cocoa Woods. This is a gently spicy rose gourmand perfume where the cocoa acts as chocolate snow upon the rose.

Bastide Verveine du Sud is a perfume from the husband-and-wife team of Frederic and Shirin Fekkai inspired by their Provence home. Verveine du Sud is a Provencal twilight as the cool night meets the green florals.

By Rosie Jane Lake is a new discovery by me but I admire the well-blended perfumes of the brand for their simple aesthetic. Lake takes you on a fall hike around Lake Tahoe.

Chanel Gabrielle Essence follows the release of Gabrielle two years ago. Perfume Olivier Polge turns Gabrielle Essence into a sweeter floral than its predecessor which I think exudes a greater assurance.

Ellis Brooklyn West is another release from Bee Shapiro’s excellent line of fragrance. Working again with perfumer Jerome Epinette they create an unusual citrus perfume featuring basil and blood orange.

M. Epinette is also the nose behind Floral Street Ylang Ylang Espresso. In this case he takes a fractionated version of ylang ylang which is contrasted with a bitter oily coffee bean accord. If you’re sick of sweet gourmands, this is a great alternative.

Twilly D’Hermes Eau Poivree is a perfume which wanted to be a modern floral for a contemporary woman. Perfumer Christine Nagel uses herbal baie rose, powdery rose, and a less earthy patchouli to create a simply elegant perfume.

If you need a cologne for the men in your life who only want a bottle or two, Zaharoff Signature pour Homme is exactly that. Perfumer Claude Dir creates a classic woody fougere that feels young instead of dated. Probably the best thing on the Men’s Fragrance counter at the mall today.

I am going to end with a suggestion that you should be careful about buying for someone who doesn’t wear a lot of perfume. But you should absolutely consider it for anyone in your circle who is a perfume fan.

Gucci Memoire d’une Odeur is unlike anything else in the mass-market sector. Creative director Alessandro Michele and perfumer Alberto Morillas are asking the provocative question, will consumers take a step out of their comfort zone. This is an incredibly intricate perfume focused on the edgy floral chamomile. It is the kind of perfume which comes around so rarely in the mainstream.

To all my US readers Happy Thanksgiving! To everyone else I hope this helps you when you end up at the perfume counter.

Disclosure: The manufacturers provided samples of all the perfumes mentioned.

–Mark Behnke