For centuries, women have loved the gift of perfume. From Cleopatra to the Queen of Sheba, from Marie Antoinette to Marilyn Monroe, the great women of the world have always used and appreciated the luxury of fine perfume.

Perfume for Mother's Day is a traditional gift. It's traditional because it has stood the test of time. If you're floundering around (and Mother's Day is May 13, whether you're ready or not) and not sure what to get your mom, a gift of fragrance may be just the answer.

But even if you decide to get perfume, what do you buy? How do you buy it? Even a fast walk by the perfume counter of a local department store is going to make your head spin--and not just from the many different scents.

That's why we created this site. We don't sell perfume. What we provide to you is information about types of fragrances, the language of fragrance, and some gift ideas.

Here are some facts about perfume shopping:

• Perfume is rarely discounted. At most, manufacturers will "package" some deals that might offer you powder with cologne or a bath gel with perfume, at a price lower than the two items would cost individually. But perfume on sale? Almost never happens.
• There are lots of perfume choices. To make it even more complicated, most perfume houses make more than one fragrance with the same (or similar) names. Pay careful attention to the name. If you mom likes a perfume called "Beautiful" or "360" or any number of others, be sure and ask her which one--there are several!
• Perfume is different than cologne. You'll notice the same scent is often offered in different varieites--perfume, something called eau de parfum, cologne and toilette water. The fragrances are the same but the delivery vehicle is different. Perfume is the most expensive but the fragrance lasts the longest.

Check out LINKS to find out some related sites that can be of help. And after you've purchased your gift, if you need help writing the card to your mother, visit our sister site letters2mom.com.