Complement your mother s personality with the perfect scent

Each spring, Americans strive to find the perfect Mother's Day gift to celebrate the person who nurtures them and makes life more beautiful. Showing your love and appreciation may come in the form of a family brunch or a relaxing spa treatment, but what personalized gift would she cherish all year long?

Here's a hint. "On our Web site, we asked Shop Etc. readers which type of beauty product, from fragrance to skin care to manicure and hair tools, she'd most like to receive for Mother's Day, and perfume topped the list," says Amy Keller, Beauty Director, Shop Etc. "Plus, choosing a scent that you know will 'fit' your mom shows her how much you cherish her."

Fragrance preferences are intensely personal and selecting the best one can present a daunting task. According to Karyn Khoury, Senior Vice President for Corporate Fragrance Development Worldwide of the Estйe Lauder Corporations, giving someone a fragrance she will truly love is not as difficult as it may seem. "Taking into account your mother's personality, her style, her favorite foods and flowers, can give you a pretty accurate picture of what fragrance she'll want to wear over and over again," she said.

Which best describes your mother:

The Sophisticate

Her elegant sense of style has always been inspiring. If exotic food and excursions to European cities are high on her list of must-haves, consider presenting your mom with a sensual scent that signifies refined glamour. Youth Dew Amber Nude Eau de Parfum by Estйe Lauder blends intoxicating flowers including gentian flowers and radiant magnolia, ylang ylang, jasmine, black rose, plus a special sensual skin accord with spicy accents of ginger and fresh tea. The lasting impression is deep and sexy yet never comes on too strong thanks to a combination of amber balms, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli heart and dark chocolate.

Romantically Inclined

Everything she touches somehow seems more beautiful. A graceful enchanting floral should suit her personality. Beautiful by Estйe Lauder is a lovely, intensely feminine bouquet of vibrant roses, lilies, tuberose, marigold, jasmine, ylang ylang and carnation that creates a flirty twist thanks to fresh mandarin and bright fruity notes. A warm background of sandalwood, moss, amber and vetiver will linger on her skin.

Simple Modernity

For the woman whose sense of style expresses her individuality and incredibly good taste, an airy modern floral fragrance with a hint of femininity and playfulness is destined to become her signature scent. Pure White Linen by Estйe Lauder exudes a feeling of sunlit freshness thanks to its infusion of incandescent grapefruit and mandarin notes that mingle with crisp fruits such as pear and Granny Smith apple and velvety florals. Since her classic inclinations don't mean that she is completely predictable, Pure White Linen finishes with an alluring and mysterious dry down that is comprised of white heliotrope, seductive cedarwood and patchouli.

"The beauty of fragrance is that women can express different moods and the different sides of themselves," says Rochelle Bloom, President of The Fragrance Foundation. "And who knows, by buying her a new scent, you may help her to channel an aspect of her personality even she never knew existed."

The luminous actress Gwyneth Paltrow is an example of a young mother who would appreciate a special scent.