what would you do?

[nextqueen]

a good friend bought me a perfume set , eternity, for xmas and i dont like it? should i tell her i dont like it and ask if she can swap it, what would you do? its a shame as shes spent so much money and works hard for a miserly wage. i feel bad about saying anything, wondered if she still had the receipt etc. the perfume just isnt me. please dont say sell it on ebay as i hate that place.

[rowanwitch]

allergic to it is better than don't like it..... if I was a friend I'd rather know you had something you really liked and if you swapped it for something cheaper she could have a bit of change back too or you could buy a bottle of wine to share with anything left over

[Nosha123]

I think you should be honest.. otherwise she might get you something else like it next time round!
Perfume is always a bit iffy - as its hard to know whether it will be liked or not - unless they know you wear it already!
Tell her you really appreciate her thought and effort and dont want her to be offended - but could you change it for another fragrance?
Failing that - keep quiet and never come clean!!

[wolf63]

If you have broken the cellophane then they won't take it back.

I got Gap Perfume for Christmas and I was nervous about opening it, but my SIL has great taste and it was lovely.

If all else fails give it to somebody else as a present.

[China Doll]

I wouldn't say anything really. I agree with pinki.

Mind you, unless I knew the person liked a particular perfume, I probably wouldn't buy it in the first place.

[karenmac60]

Whatever you do, don't just leave it. I made that mistake when my mum bought me Red Door about 10 years ago. She has bought me a bottle for Christmas every year since and I hate the stuff - smells like wee :(

[Mosaic]

I had two separate gifts of Anais Anais some years ago - after a whiff of the first, and comment made by OH (unprintable), I knew they had to go. after over a year I flogged both on ebay.
However, your good friend may expect you to smell of 'eternity' on occasions - at least my gifts came from distantly-placed relations.

[boxtops]

I too would have suggested eBay but you say you don't go there.... unless you have the receipt you probably won't be able to take it back. If you know the friend well I am sure she won't mind if you say you don't like the scent, and could you change it for XXX.

[beejaybee]

When I was quite young my uncle used to buy me hankies & chocies every Xmas. I didn`t like chocies. After a few years I decided to tell him. I never got any Xmas presants off him again.

[starone]

I put all unwanted presents into a drawer with a note on them saying who gave me them and when (don't want any silly mistakes) and then redistribute them as and when required. Incidentally years ago I asked a colleague what perfume she was wearing as it was such a lovely smell. She said Intimate, so I dashed out and bought a bottle. It smelled like cats wee on me. Apparently perfumes don't always smell the same on everybody. I gave the rest of the bottle to the colleague I had asked about it. So it is best not to buy other people things you like yourself, they dont always suit.

[nextqueen]

a good one, i may save the gift to pass on to someone else, that doesnt know my friend of course. i suppose i could get a tester and use that when im around my friend who bought it. i do feel like admitting i dont like it though, i would prefer something much more modern. there was no cellophane on the gift box that had shower gel or cream in i think and of course i have sprayed it once. i just dont want her to buy it me again. she bought me ck in2 u last year, i must drop stronger hints next year!

[Jemisa]

Makes me think, if it had no celophane on it perhaps it was a 2nd hand...... No, I won't say it I'm probably wrong. ??

jem

[naomi24]

No, you definitely mustn't tell her you don't like it. Leave it in the drawer for years - throw it away - give it away - tip it down the sink - it really doesn't matter what you do with it as long as you don't hurt her feelings. I'm often given perfume I don't like. I don't understand the problem.

[boxtops]

I still think the charity shop is the best option, someone out there will really like it at a bargain price.

[nextqueen]

but i really would like one that i like, theres a few i like at the moment. as its calvin klein im wondereing if they would change it anyway as a different counter, think she goes to debenhams for my gifts tho know she goes to perfume shops too.

[naomi24]

If you really would like a perfume that you like, why don't you just go and buy it? I understand from another thread that your husband is in a high powered job, so what's the problem? Give your friend's gift to someone who will appreciate it - or, as I said, tip it down the sink.

[nextqueen]

not high powered as such, high pressure i meant moreso. i just dont want my friend buying this for me again, i was thinking of saying the smell reminded me of bad times, could she swap it if not then she can re use it for herself or regift it.

[boxtops]

If it's got no cellophane on the box and you have sprayed the perfume, nextqueen, then there is no way that you can take it back to the shop, they won't exchange it unless it is in mint unused condition at the best of times. You'll have to write it off. Before Christmas next year, tell your friend that you used to like Eternity but now you have started using another scent which you like better. That really is all you can do now the pack is not as new.