TThere’s a ritual in France: on her 16th birthday, a girl is taken to La Maison Guerlain, a boutique that’s been open on the Champs Élysées since 1914, to choose her own fragrance. I think I bought my first perfume on a P&O ferry, so the romance of the idea has always fascinated me, and it inspired me to send several teenagers (including my son and godchildren) to a Jo Malone London counter or boutique to experience their own special coming-of-age moment.
The appointment is free (book to ensure a relaxed experience); the scents aren’t, of course. But ideally, for a first perfume, none of these are overpowering or inappropriate—even if the recipient secretly applies a spritz for school—so you can spark curiosity about scents without fumigating your home.
The teens I know have chosen Wood Sage & Sea Salt, Blackberry & Bay, Peony Blush Suede or English Pear & Freesia. All are delightful and can be worn forever if desired. It’s certainly a luxury experience, but Jo Malone also has some more affordable lines that are a great starting point for teens to begin their fragrance journey.
I am so glad that the Caudalie brand is so popular among young people because that means you can probably convince your teenager to wear their beautiful, fresh and tasteful fragrances. All of them are great, but Tea of the Vines (£31), a musky skin scent with hints of citrus and sweet – not sticky – ginger, will particularly appeal to teenagers.
A newer brand to keep an eye on is DedCool. If you can look past the awful name, you’ll find several very wearable, gender-neutral, and teen-friendly colognes. Madonna Lily (from £24), a lovely scent of warm woods and gently spicy cardamom is my favourite.
As a high-quality “special” gift, for example for a milestone birthday or exam results, Chanel is always a good choice. My choice would be Chance Eau Fraisland (wood, grapefruit, no sugar) or Chance Eau Tendre (Apple, Musk, Spring Floral, both from £88).
In my opinion, Zara’s homage to the latter, called apple juice(£12.99) is hard to dislike as it lingers on the skin for 10 minutes before fading to nothing. I prefer the new collection of four musk scents, each costing £19.99.
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These are exactly the scents that many teenagers are wearing right now – powdery, sweet, bright and fresh – and they are great for the price. The best of all is Linen Muska clean, summery scent like warm beach arms.
