There are tons of new fragrances on the market. In fact, new perfumes seem to be introduced all of the time.

But when it comes to luxury products, you really can't be the classics. For Mother's Day, if you don't know the particular scent your mother favors or you think she may not be impressed with some of today's newest designer fragrances, you really should look into the classics. There's a reason some of these old and not-so-old fragrances have stood the test of time.

This list is totally subjective. You could ask ten perfume lovers to list the classic scents of all time and get ten different lists. We apologize if our list differs from yours, but these are some of the scents we think are just glorious and suitable for just about any woman.

• Tresor, a scent by Lancome, and a relative newcomer to the scene (introduced in 1990). It's a flowery scent but it's got a bit more oomph and personality than some of today's lighter gender-bending fragrances (you know, the ones where you can't tell if it's an aftershave or a lady's cologne)
• Chanel No. 5, from Chanel, is a winner. It's an aldehyde-based fragrance which means it relies on a synthetic substance that allows the fragrance to change subtly depending on who wears it. Now I personally don't think you can find a bad scent in the entire Chanel line-up (Coco, No. 22, No. 19, Allure ... all wonderful), but No. 5 ranks highest. It's been around since the 1920s.
• Eternity by Calvin Klein. I don't know why but I always thought the name of this scent didn't match what it smelled like. Eternity is a great big floral scent, like a huge boquet. It's almost universally pleasing.
• Obsession by Calvin Klein. This is a great scent and one that I find a lot of women name when asked their most favorite fragrance. It's not exactly ancient, but it's been on the market a while.
• Opium by Yves St. Laurent, is a spicy scent, something a little bit different but a fragrance that has stood the test of time. My own personal Yves St. Laurent fragrance is Y, which I'm not sure is a classic. It's been around since the 1970s, but it's a bit more of an acquired taste. I think it's a light fun fragrance, but it's certainly not as light as most trendy scents today.
• Youth Dew is what they call in the trade an "Oriental" which means you've got a heavier kind of scent with base notes of musk. This Estee Lauder favorite has been around since the 1950s and was wildly popular at one time and all but forgotten today. It's very powerful stuff (just use a tiny amount) but it's a very different scent. I put some on at a perfume counter once and an older lady remarked, "That smells like my high school. We all wore that!"
• White Shoulders is a floral with a lot of honeysuckle; it's light and pleasant and the cool thing about this definitely retro-scent is that you don't get a lot of fragrances on the market today with these notes. Plus it's a definitely feminine scent that isn't too girly-girly.

If you're looking for a classic scent, you can also ask for help at the perfume counter. If you get a knowledgeable sales person, simply tell her you're shopping for a classic scent for a woman of your mom's age. Getting a classic means that the scent has been around for a while and most people find it very pleasing.

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