The 10 most luxurious perfumes to gift in 2023, tried and tested

There's a reason why Frédéric Malle's 'Portrait of a Lady' has amassed a cult following. Mature, compliment-inducing and bold, it layers mystical, velvety rose over a woody base, with a fruity depth. 

Part of Chanel's Les Exclusifs line, 'Misia' is a total joy for iris obsessives. Inspired by the heady anticipation of opera dressing rooms, the scent is powdery, fizzy and a signifier of imminent excitement. It's giving palatial parma violet.

Above all else, Ormonde Jayne's 'Ormonde Woman' is such a thoughtful, interesting creation, that I can't help but mentally applaud Linda Pilkington with each spritz. Uplifting and radiant, this scent combines the rare black hemlock with musky jasmine - I think of it as an olfactive protective shield.

An unexpected favourite, the amber in Bvlgari's 'Magnifying Myrrh' has a lovely resin-like quality to it. Aromatic and soft, it floods the skin with warmth and this scent never fails to elicit a compliment.

An outlier in the fragrance world, vegan independent perfume house Sana Jardin is the proud creator of some extraordinary luxury scents. A discovery set would no doubt go down a treat with any beauty fanatic, but this is the fragrance I constantly come back to, featuring hypnotic patchouli layered over come-to-bed rose.

Diptyque's 'L'Ombre dans l'Eau' has strong summer associations, but I have no qualms about wearing it all year round. The tartness of the blackcurrant alongside the plush, dense rose feels romantic and in Toilette form it has a certain easy-breezy levity. 

The intention behind 'Rose 31' was to transform the traditionally feminine Grasse rose into something more "virile", but for me, its prettiness is its superpower. Creamy, spa-like and with a lathery appeal, I love the inclusion of non-disruptive spices that run through the base.

Comforting and creamy, Vilhelm Parfumerie's 'Poets of Berlin' is directly inspired by David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy. Call me musically challenged, but I've never listened to them, and I lapped up the scent all the same. The lemon is completely devoid of sharpness and the vanilla feels flat and purry rather than sickly sweet. Obsessed.

With 'Tudor', Liberty's new fragrance label LBTY pays tribute to the building's rich heritage. Steeped in history, this woody floral scent aptly reminds me of my beloved Hampton Court's Great Hall, evoking architectural extravagance. 

Herby and fresh, Bastille's 'Pleine Lune' combines green tea with jasmine, the standout tuberose and a hint of pink pepper to form a pleasantly sexy daytime fragrance.