NEW YORK (AP) — December is a notable time for fragrance. The month accounts for one-quarter of the high-end perfumes, colognes, body mists and other scented beauty products sold annually in the United States, according to market research firm Circana.
Fragrances of all kinds and prices also have taken off as a popular purchase, outperforming sales of makeup and skincare in the first nine months of the year, the firm said.
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Customers walk into Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A general view shows Dior perfumes at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Associated Press reporter Anne D'Innocenzio helps a customer out at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cosmetics products by Dior are displayed at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Associated Press reporter Anne D'Innocenzio helps out a customer at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
However, many shoppers don't want to get spritzed while wandering through a department store and don't want a salesperson's help picking out a perfume for loved ones or themselves. They may know what they want from hearing about social media trends like “fragrance layering.” Some enthusiasts collect scents like they might handbags and trust their own noses.
Macy’s requires its 10,000 beauty advisers to do weekly training. It covers new information from brands and the latest trends, such as the reemergence of matte makeup and "juicy fruit" fragrances. The advisers also get selling tips and tricks.
Shoppers “come in knowing what they’ve seen on TikTok, but our beauty advisers really help them discover what is the perfect scent for them,” said Nicolette Bosco, vice president and divisional merchandise manager of Macy's beauty business.
To understand the changing retail environment for beauty products, I received a taste of sales training the week before Black Friday at the flagship Macy's in New York City that served as the setting for the 1947 Christmas movie “A Miracle on 34th Street.”
Virginia Dervil, a business manager for Parfum Christian Dior, trains beauty advisers for the makeup and fragrance division of the Dior brand. She spent roughly 30 minutes explaining Dior's fragrance lineup and offering advice on how to approach shoppers. On a busy Friday, I tried to put her teaching to the test during another half-hour standing in front of a Dior counter.
In that time, I enticed only three people to try out scents and didn't make a single sale. I found it difficult — and at times frustrating — to get the attention of passing shoppers. When customers did pause by the counter, most wanted to explore alone.
Here are four things I learned:
Always smile at shoppers as they walk by and try complimenting them on what they're wearing, Dervil said. If they moved on, I knew enough not to follow them. Remember the old sales adage about the importance of direct eye contact. It's more crucial than ever since many customers will be wearing earbuds or headphones and might not hear a spoken invitation to sample products.
If customers stop by the counter, ask if they want help. If they say no, let them explore and don't be pushy. They often start asking questions if you let them linger a while, Dervil said.
“Some customers want a one-on-one interaction the entire time that they’re here,” she told me. “And some customers prefer to have a moment to themselves and to really self-discover.”
Ask shoppers what they are looking for once they indicate they want help, Dervil said. “Are they looking for themselves or is it a gift for someone?” is a standard approach, she said. Understanding what brought someone into the store is a way to better guide them in making a selection.
Always direct customers first to the fragrance in the middle of the spectrum between subtle and strong. The midpoint is typically the most popular. In Dior's J'Adore line, the favorite version is the “eau de parfum," Dervil said. If a customer think that's too strong or too light, direct them accordingly, she advised.
I also learned that going up or down the spectrum doesn't always mean a more diffused or intense version of the same scent. It may lead to a different smell altogether.
For example, the “parfum d’eau” form of J'Adore smelled like a lighter version of the “eau de parfum.” But the line's lightest scent, J'Adore Eau Lumiere, had a citrusy scent that was totally different.
Don't spray or dab on shoppers. Instead, spritz three times on a paper test strip and let it sit for a few seconds before the customer smells it, Dervil advised. Otherwise, the initial whiff may be too overwhelming, she said.
Start asking open-ended questions about what they like or don't like about the scent. If they want to try other products, fold the strip and place it next to the just-sampled fragrance as a reminder of which one it was.
If they're switching from scent to scent, ask them to sniff their arm or the back of their hand to clear their nostrils for the next one, Dervil said.
If a customer likes a scent, discuss prices and bottle sizes, and hope to complete the sale.
Customers walk into Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A general view shows Dior perfumes at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Associated Press reporter Anne D'Innocenzio helps a customer out at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cosmetics products by Dior are displayed at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Associated Press reporter Anne D'Innocenzio helps out a customer at Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Hopefully the rest of the NFL enjoyed the respite.
The New England Patriots are back in the playoffs — with an unflappable quarterback and a coach who is thirsty for more.
Sound familiar?
Drake Maye guided New England to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, rallying his team from an 11-point deficit to a 28-24 victory over Baltimore on Sunday night that clinched a postseason spot for the Patriots and dealt a devastating blow to the Ravens' playoff hopes.
“We're going to try to win the division. We're going to focus on that,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “I'm excited. All the credit to the players. When we win, it's because of them.”
Seven years after Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their final Super Bowl together in New England — and four years after Belichick reached the playoffs with Mac Jones at quarterback — the Patriots return to the postseason in Maye's second year behind center. Maye certainly didn't hurt his MVP case Sunday, throwing for a career-best 380 yards and two touchdowns.
Down 24-13, Maye connected on a 37-yard scoring strike to Kyle Williams, and a 2-point conversion pass to Rhamondre Stevenson made it a three-point game with 9:01 to play.
After New England forced a punt, the Patriots drove 89 yards for the winning touchdown. Baltimore's pass rush, which was nonexistent earlier in the game, was much better toward the end, but Maye showed why he and his team are in first place in the AFC East.
New England remains a game ahead of second-place Buffalo despite losing to the Bills last week.
“It was kind of a wake-up call last week — we got a chance to win the game with a game-winning drive, and this week it was like, man, let's not have that feeling two weeks in a row," Maye said. “It was kind of the elephant in the room.”
Maye went 12 of 14 for 139 yards in the final quarter, although the winning touchdown came on one of New England's few productive running plays, a 21-yard dash by Stevenson with 2:07 left.
The Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson to a back injury in the second quarter, turned the ball over on their final drive on a fumble by Zay Flowers. Baltimore (7-8) is now two games behind AFC North-leading Pittsburgh with two to play. To win the division, the Ravens would need to win at Green Bay and Pittsburgh and have the Steelers lose to lowly Cleveland in Week 17.
“Tough loss," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We didn’t do the winning things we need to do. We made some mistakes that cost us.”
The Steelers beat Detroit earlier in the day. The dramatic ending of that game came after many fans had already entered the stadium in Baltimore, and Steelers-Lions was shown on the big screen.
Pittsburgh's win put immense pressure on the Ravens, and things went from bad to worse when New England took a 10-7 lead and then Jackson left late in the second quarter with yet another injury.
Tyler Huntley — who led Baltimore to a huge win in Week 8 over Chicago when Jackson was out with a hamstring problem — helped the Ravens rally. Flowers scored on an 18-yard end around to give the Ravens a 17-13 lead in the third quarter. Baltimore then snuffed out a fake punt near midfield and went ahead by 11 on Henry's 2-yard run with 12:50 left in the fourth.
But that was the last time Henry touched the ball — another baffling set of decisions in another fourth-quarter collapse by a Baltimore team that's had plenty of those in recent years.
The Ravens took a 7-0 lead on a 21-yard run by Henry — just their third first-quarter touchdown in nine home games this season. After Maye was intercepted, Baltimore's offense was rolling before Henry fumbled. New England tied it on a 1-yard pass from Maye to Hunter Henry.
It was 10-all at halftime.
The Patriots lost Rookie of the Year candidate Tre'Veyon Henderson when the running back left with a head injury in the second quarter.
The Ravens entered the season 22-3 under Harbaugh in prime time games at home, but they've gone 0-3 this season, losing to Detroit, Cincinnati and now New England. In fact, Baltimore went 3-6 on its home schedule, the worst mark in franchise history.
The Patriots, meanwhile, improved to 7-0 on the road in Vrabel's first season at the helm.
Patriots: DT Joshua Farmer injured his hamstring, CB Charles Woods hurt an ankle, WR DeMario Douglas injured a hamstring and DL Khyiris Tonga hurt a foot.
Ravens: G Andrew Vorhees injured a foot.
Patriots: At the New York Jets next Sunday.
Ravens: At Green Bay on Saturday night.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) runs against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson, middle, runs toward the end zone to score against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) leaves the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams, left, catches a touchdown against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey celebrates after intercepting a pass by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
