Posts Tagged ‘gifts’

Ideas For A Baby Gift Basket

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Are you going to give a baby shower soon? Or have you recently been invited to one and you are not certain what to do? If so, you will be expected to give a gift to the baby to help welcome him or her into the world. This is fine, but a great deal of people, especially single men, ask themselves what it is precisely that a baby so urgently needs.

If you fall into that category or if you would like to take a scatter-gun approach to giving a present in the hope that something will be of use, then you could think about procuring the baby a baby gift basket. You see, a baby gift basket contains a great deal of small objects or big objects or a mixture of the two. Whatever you can come up with or afford really.

There are two ways of getting a baby gift basket. You can either buy one ready-made or you can buy a basket and pick-and-mix the contents yourself. So, let us suppose that you are going to avoid duplication and fill your own basket.

First the basket. A traditional wicker basket like the ones they show on toffee tins, in which a maid is carrying eggs is pretty, but also pretty costly. You could obtain a plastic version, but maybe the box that the gifts are in is not as important as the gifts themselves. You could make your own by lining and wrapping a suitably-sized box and finishing it with a bow.

The contents. What do babies need? Or are you going to put some things in there for the parents too? If you are going to add a few items for the parents as well, I will leave that up to you as you know them better than I do, I would imagine.

What can you buy for the baby then? Something instructive is a necessity; something to occupy the baby’s attention, perhaps like a mobile or a fancy abacus to string across the pram. How about music? Brahm’s Lullaby is excellent, with or without voices, in German or in English, but get it sung by a choir or a solo, but professionally-trained singer – not Lady Gaga.

Whilst choosing music remember that by the time the baby can understand the words, the CD will have been lost, scratched or worn out. Go for peaceful music, classical is best in this instance.

Other items that always come in useful are bibs, teething rings, special beakers and a small plate or dish. I do not think it is a good thing to do to get shampoos and soaps, it is better to let mum purchase them or you might be blamed for allergic reactions and dandruff. However, talcum powder is a fairly safe bet, but do not purchase anything strongly perfumed.

Personalized bedding is a good idea. If you purchase a cot blanket, try to get one the same size as the cot for safety reasons. A lovely touch is to have the baby’s monogram or initials embroidered on it. This does not work well for clothing, because kids grow out of them, but it is great for quilts and pillow cases.

Purchase the bedding and ask (or pay) someone to do the embroidery for you. The child will grow out of the cot, but the blanket can then be used as a comforter. Embroidered pillow cases have a similarly long life.

Some individuals give sweets and biscuits, but personally I am not in favour of helping someone to rot their teeth, encouraging a sweet tooth or overweight babies. A decent bottle of wine though is another matter, but you will need to take advice on whether it will be at its peak in twenty years time. Good Port is a safe bet. Spirits do not mature in a bottle.

Owen Jones, the writer of that article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with the satin baby blankets. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Woollen Blankets.

Famous British Caricaturists – Part One

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

This list includes both British born artists and those who were born elsewhere but did the majority of their most important work in the U.K. The assortment is listed in chronological order by date of birth.

William Hogarth (1697 ? 1764)

He was born in London and apprenticed to an engraver where he learned his trade. He became a painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist and has been accredited with pioneering sequential art or the cartoon strip.

His output ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called “modern moral topics”. His most renowned works are no doubt ? The Harlot?s Progress and ?The Rake?s Progress?.

Isaac Cruickshank ( 1756 – 1811)

Cruickshank was a Scottish painter and caricaturist who was born in Edinburgh. Cruikshank’s first known publications were etchings of Edinburgh “types”, from 1784.

His water colours were put on show, but in order to make a living wage it was discovered that it was more profitable to produce prints and caricatures. He was responsible in part for developing the figure of John Bull, the nationalistic representation of a solid British yeoman.

Isaac Cruikshank was a contemporary of James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson, and he was part of what has been known as “the Golden Age of British Caricature.

Thomas Rowlandson ( 1756 – 1827)

Thomas Rowlandson was an English painter and caricaturist. He was born in London and after he left school he was educated at the Royal Academy. He was thought of as a promising student and if he had continued his early diligence he would have made his mark as an artist.

But he inherited ?7,000 from a French aunt and dived into the dissipations of the town (he was known to sit at the gambling-table for 36 hours at a stretch).

He quickly squandered his inheritance but the friendship and examples of James Gillray and Henry William Bunbury seem to have suggested caricature as a means of filling his stomach and purse.

He also created a collection of erotic prints and woodcuts, lots of which would these days be thought of as pornographic .

James Gillray (1757 – 1815)

James Gillray was a British caricaturist and printmaker who gained great fame for his etched political and social satires, mainly in print between 1792 and 1810.

Some of his most well known caricatures were aimed at at the Royal Family and George III in particular. He is also accountable for almost certainly the most famous political cartoon of all time.

It was entitled ?The Plum Pudding in Danger? . It was printed in 1805 and depicts Pitt and Napoleon carving up the plum pudding of Europe.

By 1811, madness, no doubt made worse by his excessive life-style, was overtaking him and he passed away in 1815.

George Cruickshank ( 1792 – 1878)

George Cruickshank was born in London, the son of the famous caricaturist Isaac Cruickshank and started his working life as apprentice to his father.

He later started out as a caricaturist in his own right and was even paid ?100 in return for a promise not to satirize George IV In later life he turned to book illustrating and illustrated ?Sketches by Boz? and ?Oliver Twist? for Charles Dickens.

After creating palsy he died in 1878. Punch in his obituary said ?There never was a purer, simpler, more straightforward or altogether more blameless man. His nature had something childlike in its transparency.”

If you would like one of our unique, hand-made, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos supplied by you please click on one of these links History Of Rugby. If you would like to find out more, please visit our web site at Custom Cartoons.

Famous British Caricaturists – Part Two

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

This list includes both British born artists and those who were born elsewhere but did most of their most important creations in the U.K. The selection is listed in chronological order by date of birth.

Max Beerbohm ( 1872 – 1956 )

Sir Henry Maximilian “Max” Beerbohm was born in London, son of a well-to-do Lithuanian-born grain merchant. His family gave him he nick-name of Max and that is what he signed himself in his work and was called for the rest of his life.

Beerbohm was educated at Charterhouse School and Merton College, Oxford but left without taking a degree as he was already well recognized as a caricaturist and humourist.

He had an inability to draw hands and feet but excelled at heads and his dandified figures with inflated heads quickly became his trade-mark. The Times newspaper in 1913 described him as ?the greatest of English comic artists and he was variously feted as ?the English Goya? and “the greatest portrayer of personalities in the history of art?

Henry Bateman (1887 – 1970)

Bateman was born in New South Wales, Australia of English parents who returned to England soon after he was born. He studied art at Westminster School of Art and the Goldsmith Institute.

His style matured early in life and by the age of 17 it was already established. He achieved a deal with Tatler magazine but is best well-known for his ?The Man Who??.? series of cartoons. These showed hapless people who had committed mostly upper class social faux pas. ?The Man Who lit his Cigar before the Loyal Toast? is a prime instance.

Sir David Low (1891 ? 1963)

Sir David Alexander Cecil Low was born in New Zealand and taught at Dunedin and Christchurch. He began his professional life in New Zealand and in fact his first effort was published while he was only 11 years of age.

He later moved to Australia and subsequently to England and by 1927 was working for The Evening Standard. He is best well-known for his caricatures depicting Hitler and Mussolini both before and during World War II. In fact, generations of New Zealand school children learned about the origins of the Second World War using textbooks illustrated by Low.

He was especially hated by Hitler and after the war it was uncovered that his name was in the ?Black Book? which listed those who the Nazis wanted to arrest after they had conquered Britain.

Low was knighted in 1962, a year before his death. His obituary described him as “the leading cartoonist of the western world”

Ronald Searle (b. 1920)

Ronald William Fordham Searle was born in Cambridge and began drawing at the prodigiously early age of five and was working professionally by the age of 15. The War interrupted his art studies and he enlisted in the Royal Engineers .

He was serving in Singapore when he was captured by the Japanese. He was a prisoner of war for the rest of the war ultimately working on the infamous Siam-Burma ?Death Railway?. He created, in secret, numerous drawings depicting conditions in the camps which survived detection by being hidden under the mattresses of dying prisoners.

He came back to England at the end of the war and produced a prodigious volume of work in the 1950?s and 60?s. However he is best remembered as the originator of ?St Trinians School?.

Gerald Scarfe (b. 1936)

Gerald Anthony Scarfe was born in London and as a child was severely asthmatic. During his early bed-ridden years he entertained himself by drawing. He began his working life in advertising but by the early 60?s his caricatures were appearing in ?Private Eye? and that led to a job with the ?Daily Mail?.

But it was his work with the British rock group Pink Floyd for which he is most known particularly the illustration for the cover of their 1979 album ?The Wall?.

Searle also provided the caricatures for the opening and closing sequences of the well-liked BBC comedy ?Yes Minister? and in 1998 he drew caricatures of Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecombe, Joyce Grenfell, Les Dawson and Peter Cook which were shown on a set of five British postage stamps celebrating British comedians.

If you would like one of our unique, hand-painted, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos supplied by you please click on one of these links History Of Rugby. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Custom Cartoons.

The History Of Caricatures

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

A caricature is a portrait, painting or cartoon that exaggerates or distorts certain features of a person or item to generate an easily identifiable visual likeness.

Caricatures can be discourteous or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn simply for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoons, whereas caricatures of movie stars are often seen in entertainment magazines.

The term is derived from the Italian caricare- to charge or load. So, the word “caricature” essentially says a “loaded portrait”. Strictly speaking , the term refers only to depictions of real-life people, and not to cartoon fabrications of fictional characters.

However the world-renowned animator Walt Disney claimed that his animation work could be compared with caricature, saying the hardest thing to do was find the caricature of an animal that worked best as a human-like character.

One of the earliest instances of a caricature has been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii where a graffiti caricature of a politician had been carved on a wall.

Moving forward nearly 1500 years but staying in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci was an active exponent of the art. He actually sought out people with some form of deformity to use as models.

The point of a caricature was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Diodemmar Casem, one of the best early exponents, claimed to be able to sum up a person in ? three or four strokes of the pen?.

Caricature underwent its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where such portraits would be passed about for mutual enjoyment.

Mary Darley was one of the first professional caricaturists in England and about 1762 published the first book of caricature drawing in England – A Book of Caricaturas

However, the two greatest exponents of the art of the caricature in the 18th century were Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray. Their styles of output were in great contrast. Rowlandson was the more artistic of the two and took his inspiration from the public at large.

Gillray, on the other hand, was more interested in the political scene and used his art to lampoon political life. Being contemporaries they became great friends and used to spend a great deal of time getting drunk in the taverns of London.

In drawing a caricature the caricaturist can choose to either gently mock or cruelly wound his topic. Drawing caricatures can simply be a variety of entertainment and amusement – in which case gentle mockery is in order – or the art can be employed to make a serious social or political objective.

A caricaturist draws on (1) the natural characteristics of the victim (the big ears, long nose, etc.); (2) the acquired individuality (stoop, scars, facial lines etc.); and (3) the vanities (choice of hair style, spectacles, garments, expressions and mannerisms).

Although caricaturists like Gillray raised a great deal of debate in the 18th century by their portrayal of the Royal family and especially George III, it was nothing compared to the present day pandemonium in the Muslim world brought about by cartoons caricaturing the prophet Mohammed. So the contemporary day caricaturist continues in the satirical mode of his illustrious predecessors.

If you want one of our unique, hand-painted, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos suppled by you please click on this link Formula One. If you would like to know more, please go to web site at Custom Cartoons.

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Historical Animated Cartoons

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or created with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn) film for the cinema, tv or computer screen, featuring some sort of story or plot (even if it is a very short one).

Animation itself can be described as the rapid showing of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways.

It is difficult to believe but the very earliest instances of attempts to capture the impression of motion by drawing can be found in Paleolithic cave paintings. Here animals are shown with multiple legs in superimposed positions, clearly trying to convey the perception of motion.

Further examples can be seen on an earthenware bowl more than 5,000 years old from Iran and an Egyptian mural of wrestlers in action, which is about 4,000 years old.

However these examples cannot really be described as animation as there was no means of making the characters actually move.

The first mechanical devices designed to supply the illusion of movement were invented for children?s amusement or as entertainment at private parties. These included the zoetrope, magic lantern, praxinoscope, thaumatrope, phenakistoscope, and flip book.

Charles-Emile Reynaud created the first animated film in 1892 when he exhibited an animated film consisting of loops of around 500 frames. This film is also notable as the first known example of film perforations being used. His films were not photographed, but drawn directly onto the transparent strip.

However the first film which can truly be called an animated cartoon was ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ produced by J. Stuart Blackton in 1906. It features a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, and the faces apparently coming to life.

One of the very first successful animated cartoons was “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914) by Winsor McCay. It is thought of as the first example of true character animation.

All the major movie studios used animated cartoons of 5 to 10 minute lengths as ?fillers? before the main film was shown during the period of the 1930s to the 1960s.Theatrical cartoons were in colossal numbers and MGM, Disney, Paramount and Warner Brothers were the greatest studios producing these 5 to 10-minute “shorts”.

However the ever increasing popularity of TV and the subsequent waning in cinema going has meant that today most animated cartoons are produced for EV.

The most well-known animated cartoon character of all is no doubt Mickey Mouse who was introduced to the world by Walt Disney in May 1928 in Plane Crazy but also starred some six months later in the first animated cartoon with sound – ‘Steamboat Willie’.

By the way, Mickey was originally christened Mortimer Mouse until Walt Disney?s wife persuaded him to make the modification.

Mickey Mouse, predated by another cartoon animal called Felix The Cat, made his debut in 1919. However another all time favourite cartoon series Tom and Jerry had to wait until 1931 to put in an appearance.

All these characters and many more have long since made the transition from movies to TV where, no doubt, they will be seen for many years to come.

If you want one of our unique, hand-made, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos suppled by you please click on one of these links History of Football. If you would like to know more, please go to website at Custom Cartoons.

Glass Artwork Paperweights

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

My friend has a store that sells glass artwork. My personal favourite glass artwork is paperweights and I have a lot of pleasure attending art auctions and buying art glass with her. We pay a lot of attention to what our friends and her clients like and dislike.

I often give people art glass paperweights that I find at art auctions for special birthdays and anniversaries. My mother turned seventy last August and I found a magnificent glass paperweight for her.

The art glass paperweight that I bought for my mother was made by Baccarat and I was extremely lucky that this was one of the last items auctioned. A lot of people had already left the auction when this item went under the hammer. My mother appreciated the rose motif because the rose is her favourite flower.

I have a Dutch friend from Den Bosch who loves effigies of frogs. She has been able to decorate her abode very stylishly with her favourite frogs. I have been on the lookout for an art glass paperweight for her for years. I eventually found one at an art auction last year. The glass paperweight featured a frog sitting on a lily pad surrounded by blue water. It was very pretty and my friend started using it on her desk immediately.

I also have an aunt who collects art glass paperweights. She has asked me very often to find glass paperweights for her when I am attending art auctions. Of all of the pieces I have bought for her over the years, one sticks out in my memory more than any other.

The prettiest art glass paperweight I have ever won at an art auction has to be one that featured a blue and gold Macaw. Rick Ayotte was the artist that made it and it was even featured in a book of his work. He has created many lovely art glass paperweights.

There is no difficulty at all selling art glass paperweights made by Rick Ayotte. His work seems to draw a great deal of interest. My friend tries to win any auction she finds for art glass paperweights made by him. She won one not so long ago that looked like pink roses. They looked so delicate and sweet. I know that this art glass paperweight will sell without delay.

There have been some inquiries at the shop for art glass paperweights by Richard Marquis, although we have not found any in any of the art auctions we have been to recently.

I will keep looking out for art glass paperweights at the auctions I attend, but I will not be going way out of my way to track them down. I now buy every art glass paperweight I can find that was made by Rick Satava. My favorite has to be the coral orange jellyfish that I found at an art auction an hour from my home. It was really beautiful.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

Punch Magazine

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

In all probability the first name that springs to mind whilst thinking of the history of cartoons is that of Punch.

It was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire published between 1841 and 1992. It was started in July 1841 by Henry Mayhew who, with Mark Lemon, was responsible for the editing, and engraver Ebenezer Landells who took care of the illustrations.

Its original sub-title was The London Charivari, after a French satirical humour magazine called Le Charivari. Revealing their satiric and humorous goal, the two editors took the name of the anarchic glove puppet, Mr. Punch, of Punch and Judy fame as the title of the new periodical.

On the other hand the name is also a play on words regarding the name of the co-editor Mark Lemon, in that “punch is nothing without lemon”. Mayhew did not stick with the publication for long. He ceased being joint editor in 1842 and became “suggestor in chief” until he departed in 1845.

Punch was responsible for the word “cartoon” in the sense of a comic drawing. In fact one of its most famous cartoons, drawn by George Du Maurier, the grandfather of the novelist Dame Daphne Du Maurier , gave birth to the phrase ?it is good in parts, like the curate?s egg?. The phrase derives from a cartoon entitled “True Humility”.

It pictured a nervous-looking curate taking breakfast in his bishop’s house.The bishop says, “I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg, Mr Jones.” The curate replies, “Oh, no, my Lord, I assure you that parts of it are excellent!”

Yet perhaps its most famous cartoon is entitled ? Dropping the Pilot? . This was a political cartoon by Sir John Tenniel, first published in March 1890. It depicts the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, as a shipping pilot, stepping off a ship watched by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. Bismarck had recently resigned as Chancellor at Wilhelm’s insistence.

After a very problematic start with much financial trouble and lack of market success, Punch became a necessity for British middle class drawing rooms because it not just displayed a sophisticated sense of humour and but lacked the rude material so prevalent in much of the alternative satirical press of the time.

The Times used small parts from Punch as column fillers, giving the publication free publicity and indirectly conferring a degree of respectability, However respectability was truly achieved when it was learned that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were to be discovered amongst it readership.

The circulation of Punch peaked during the 1940s at 175,000 but thereafter fell into deterioration, until in 1992 ,after 150 years the magazine was compelled to close.

In 1996, the Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed became tired of the numerous criticisms he had to put up with from the magazine Private Eye and purchased the rights to the Punch name with a view to using it to contend with his adversary. He relaunched it later that year, but it never achieved any degree of circulation or profitability and in May 2002 it was declared that Punch would finally close for ever

If you want one of our unique, hand-painted, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos suppled by you please click on this link History of Cricket. If you would like to know more, please go to web site at Custom Cartoons.

A Romantic Holiday In St. Thomas

Monday, November 8th, 2010

If you and your partner are interested in a romantic break, you may have a difficult time deciding on a location because there is such a large number of vacation destinations to choose from. However, I would like to suggest St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, which lies in the Caribbean.

St. Thomas is well-known for its romantic holidays. Hundreds of thousands of couples have been vacationing in St. Thomas in order to get pleasure from an exclusive, intimate, and romantic vacation. If you are asking yourself why St. Thomas is such as wonderful place for romantic breaks, you ought to read more about St. Thomas on their official Internet web site.

The Caribbean, in general, is well known for its magnificent, tropical weather and this sort of environment is many couples’ ideal romantic vacation spot. The lovely weather means unmatched opportunities for swimming and other beach activities. If seeing all the good-looking people in their bathing costumes does not turn you on then nothing will!.

However, do not think that St. Thomas is only intended for younger people. It caters very well for people of all age groups, although some areas are ‘adults only’. So, if you will have to check up on any age restrictions on some of the private beaches. Some may be Club 18-30, others may not admit under 18 year olds.

The ‘adults only’ resorts in St. Thomas are just right for romantic holidays. The hotel rooms in these resorts are also of a superior class. Many of them have oceanic views and large in room baths or jacuzzis. If you can get hold of one these rooms, you may not even care to go outside.

However, if you do want to go outside, many of St. Thomas’ beach resorts offer outstanding opportunities for all varieties of water sports like boat trips, snorkeling and assisted scuba diving tours. If you are not water-orientated or you want to try something on land then there is horseback riding too. Horse riding along the shoreline is very popular. Many resorts have their own specialist activities, so when you reserve your holiday, make sure you check out what is accessible to you in that locality.

There are ample opportunities for shopping and sight-seeing on your own as well. You could hire a car and head up the coast or inland to one of the national parks, where you might see wildlife or find a quiet restaurant offering delicious local food.

Last, but definitely not least, in the list of romantic things to do in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is to get wed. There are fewer restrictions on marriage for American couples than on mainland America. The only observances are a $50 fee and an eight day posting of bans to declare your intention to wed. You can get married at almost any time of the day or night. So, a sunset wedding on the beach is easily workable and is, in fact, one of the most popular romantic reasons for young couples coming to St. Thomas.

Owen Jones writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with romantic men’s perfume. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts Ideas This article, A Romantic Holiday In St. Thomas is available for free reprint.

Romantic Songs

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

A song can tell you a lot about life, the person who wrote it, the person who sings it and the person who likes to listen to it.. Songs come in different genres. Have you ever come across a genre which is immortal? If you did would it be about love or hatred? Naturally, everyone would say that ‘love’ is the most discussed, written and sung about by people of all races and nationalities. So, it is no surprise then to find out what makes a date worth remembering?

Music invariably has something to do with it and music could actually fashion the mood of your date. Dating is such a great way of selecting your future lifetime partner. When you are out on a date, see to it that the music is well-chosen and that it generates a mood of romance.

People have composed all types of songs, but the ones they write the best are love songs. Since the day the first love song was sung, people’s hearts have been melting. Songs of finding a new love, losing love, songs of inspiration, songs of moving on, songs about romance, first loves and the gush of emotions.

With all due respect to all the artists concerned and their fans too, here are some of the most popular songs of Romance. They demonstrate the feelings of two people in love during a very romantic date:

Truly, Madly, Deeply: (Savage Garden) – this duo’s song speaks about a deep love and promises made to the other person.

I’d be your dream I’d be your wish I’d be your fantasy I’d be your hope, be your love Be everything that you need

This I Promise You: (N-Sync) – this group filled the airwaves with love. This song is really a promise of a lifetime’s dedication. It is often used as a wedding song.

And I will take you in my arms And hold you right where you belong Until the day my life is through This I promise you

Iris: (Goo Goo Dolls) – it gained popularity not only because of the movie in which it featured, but because the song touches the heart.

And I don’t want the world to see me ‘Cause I don?t think that they’d understand, When everything’s made to be broken- I just want you to know who I am.

Dreaming of You: (Selina) – the singer died tragically, but the song lives on. It is a light song, but it goes straight to the heart.

I’m dreaming of you tonight ‘Til tomorrow And for all of my life And there?s nowhere in the world I’d rather be.

Songs will always be a big part of courtship and that usually starts with a date. Music is the food of love and music is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Generations always have, and generations always will, continue to keep the tradition going. Music not only induces love and romance, but it also keeps love and romance alive.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Romantic Gifts: Ideas. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts: Ideas

Choosing Scent For Somebody

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

A person’s scent is a unique way of expressing oneself. Some people choose the perfume they wear depending on their frame of mind, some wear one perfume during the day and another in the evening, while many people choose to wear the same scent all the time. Others have a favourite, very expensive scent that they wear only on special occasions.

Whatever someone does, the choice is a personal one. Some people use a scent like a personal brand, so that whenever you get a whiff of that particular bouquet, you instinctively think of that one person. My mother used a scent called ‘Wild Gorse’ made by the monks on Caldy Island in west Wales for this reason. Very, very few other people had that scent, as you had to go to the island to buy it.

It is almost impossible to choose perfume for someone you do not know, unless you go for a famous, expensive name like Chanel No. 5. There are few women who would turn down a bottle of that, even if it was not their favourite perfume. The more you know the person the easier it should get, in theory at least.

So, how do you know which perfumes are going to be a welcome gift? That is the $65k question. There are a number of ways that reduce the odds of you making a slip-up. You could take a sneak look on their dressing table to see what that person wears already.

If you think far enough ahead, you could bring it up in conversation with an off-hand compliment like: ‘Oh, what a lovely scent/after shave! I like that. What is it called?’. But you have to do it weeks before you need the information.

Or you could choose a scent that brings a special memory to mind, like the perfume that was worn on their wedding day, anniversary, or graduation day. Perfumes like these bring back pleasant memories and make them feel good by association. If you are not a bosom buddy of the one you want to buy for, you could ask their friends’ advice.

If you want to give a gift of perfume to someone that you want to remember you by, why not invite them out for a meal or a show and a meal and present the scent in the restaurant? Most perfumes lose their potency after four or five hours, which is why many women top up every now and again with a spray from their handbags. Very few men do this.

So, if you give the perfume later on in the evening, there is less chance of it clashing with what they are already wearing, meaning that someone is more likely to dab a bit on there and then, thereby associating the bouquet in their memory with the night you took them out. Just make certain it was a good night out.

If all of the above fails, then most department stores offer perfume gift boxes which include the scent , a powder and body wash. These perfume gift boxes are a decent alternative, even if the person only wears it to go to bed or around the house.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with men’s perfume. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts: Ideas