Nomade Gift Set

Boxed rather than bare, Chloé Nomade Gift Set does half the work of giving fragrance for you, and the scent inside is unusual enough to feel like a choice rather than a default. Mirabelle is the opening and it is not a citrus, which immediately sets the thing apart. It is a small yellow fruit, tart under its sweetness, and bergamot, lemon and orange brighten around it so the first impression is still lively. Freesia, jasmine, rose and peach make up the middle, a proper floral heart with the peach softening it and the jasmine giving it richness, while freesia keeps a thin, cool line running through the centre.

Inside are the 75ml Eau de Parfum, a 5ml bottle and a 100ml body lotion. The base is where the fragrance earns its reputation. Oakmoss is dry, earthy and faintly damp, patchouli deepens that, and then amberwood, sandalwood and white musk warm and smooth the lot. It is a floral built on something grainy rather than on sugar, and that is why it holds up outside summer and why it suits women who normally avoid flowers. Quentin Bisch is credited as the composer. As a gift the set suits a birthday or an anniversary, and it is a safer bet than it looks: florals built on a dry base tend to please even the people who insist they do not like florals. Thirteen materials in all, which is a lot of composition for one box, and the eau de parfum strength means it will last a full day without being topped up.

Chloé's story begins in Paris in 1952 with Gaby Aghion's first collection. A Paris boutique opened in 1972 and the first perfume followed in April 1975. The house works across ready to wear, bags and fragrance, with the scents made under licence and held in Coty's luxury division.