New Orleans gets under your skin. Maybe it's the vibrant history and alive culture, jasmine climbing wrought-iron balconies, the heavy sweet air after a summer storm, the music drifting out of open doors, or the way the sky turns purple at night. People who love this city never stop loving it, and people who've left never stop missing it. Few American cities seem to hold as much lore and romance as the one we proudly call home.
I've been making natural perfume here for nearly 14 years, and so much of what I make is a love letter to this city. If you're shopping for someone who loves New Orleans, whether they live here, used to, or just fell for it on a visit, here are gifts that let them carry a little bit of NOLA wherever they go.
Why Scent Is the Perfect New Orleans Gift
New Orleans is one of the most fragrant cities in the country. Ask anyone what they remember and they'll describe a smell: sweet olive in the fall, jasmine in the spring, magnolias and cypress in the heat, coffee in the morning, even the less pleasant smell like Bourbon Street have a way of influencing your experience of the city. Scent is tied closely to memory, which makes a perfume one of the most powerful souvenirs there is. One breath, and they're transported. And unlike a T-shirt or a magnet, a perfume gets worn every day.
For the One Who Misses the City Itself and Never Stopped Loving It: Smoke Perfume
Our namesake perfume, Smoke, was inspired by the fragrant streets and colorful history of New Orleans. Vetiver, jasmine, and citrus drift by like a cool breeze on a perfect spring day in the city. It's grounding, uplifting, and sensual, and it's the scent most people who know us associate with Smoke.
Perfect for: the friend who moved away and talks about New Orleans every chance they get, or the friend who visited and immediately "got" it.
For the Night Owl or the Party Girl or Guy: Night Cloud Perfume and Incense
At night in New Orleans, the clouds hang impossibly low, the sky glows purple, and the air is as electric as it is humid. Night Cloud bottles that feeling with lavender, allspice, oakmoss, and sandalwood. It's noir, powdery, and a little mysterious, like a meandering night in New Orleans filled with synchronicities.
Our Night Cloud Incense brings the same scent into their home. Or give both together in the Night Ritual Set.
Perfect for: anyone who's been swept up in our infamous night life, and felt more alive for it, or the friend who's a little bit witchy.
For the Southern Romantic: Magnolia Soliflore
Few flowers say "the South" like magnolia. Our Magnolia Soliflore is our tribute to this regal tree: crisp juniper berry opens into creamy pink lotus and sandalwood, with the scent of warm earth rising in the early spring heat. Sultry, vintage, and smooth, like an afternoon in the shade of a magnolia in a Garden District yard. My tip: spritz this in hair as a hair perfume and feel like you're wearing a flower crownn of magnolias in full bloom--delicious!
Curious about the history? Read Magnolia: An Ancient Flower in Southern Perfumery.
Perfect for: the Southern belle (of any gender), the gardener, and anyone who loves vintage style.
For Someone Who Wants the Full Experience: A Gift Set
- Signature Scent Gift Set ($105): a roll-on of Smoke or Night Cloud paired with our Full Moon Rose Body Oil. Rose and humidity are a very New Orleans combination.
- Home & Away Perfume Duo ($205): their favorite scent as a full-size spray for home and a roll-on for travel. Especially sweet for the person who lives far away and visits often. Ships free.
- Discovery Set ($50): a sample of every Smoke perfume, plus a $30 credit toward a full-size bottle. A great way to give them the whole collection.
Little New Orleans Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
- Night Cloud Incense ($18): a New Orleans night, in incense form.
- 1 ML perfume minis ($10): a tiny bottle of Smoke, Night Cloud, or Magnolia Soliflore. Choose the 1 ML size on any perfume page.
- Digital gift card: delivered by email in minutes. Perfect for long-distance New Orleans lovers.
Make It a New Orleans Care Package
For someone who's homesick, pair a Smoke perfume with a few other local favorites: a bag of coffee from French Truck, skin care from Oxalis, or a record from Peaches. It's the next best thing to a weekend visit.
Handmade in New Orleans, Shipped Across the U.S.
Every Smoke perfume, body oil, and incense is made by hand in small batches here in New Orleans, using only natural ingredients. When you give a gift from Smoke, you're supporting an independent local maker and giving something truly made in the city they love. We ship anywhere in the U.S.
Shopping locally? You can also find Smoke Perfume at one of our retail partners in New Orleans.
From our city to theirs, with love.
xx Kathleen ⚜️