New Interview of Dakota for ELLE Canada

Jewellery is always a good idea. 

When I'm at a loss for what to gift someone, I often Google to see what celebrities have been giving and receiving. My reasoning for this: at a certain point, outlandishly expensive gifts must be seen as a cop out (how many more times can the Kardashian-Jenners gift one another luxury cars?) so they really have to come up with something crazy obscure or meaningful. During a recent press event for Gucci Bloom I tested this theory, and asked Dakota Johnson, who is a face of the fragrance, to talk all things gifting.

Below, she shares the best gift she's ever given and why she thinks the Queen of England would wear Gucci Bloom.

WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR GIVING SOMEONE A FRAGRANCE AS A GIFT?

That’s really tricky. Either you’re giving a scent because it’s something that you’re re-gifting to somebody or you really want someone to smell a certain way.

WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A GOOD PERSON TO GIFT GUCCI BLOOM TO? 

The Queen.

OF THE U.K.?

Mhm. She's so elegant and chic and floral.

PERHAPS MEGHAN MARKLE WILL GET IT FOR HER. 

Meghan Markle seems like a Gucci girl.

DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOOD AT GIVING GIFTS?

I can be. I’m really good at random gifts but when it comes with the pressure of needing to give a gift by a [specific] date, I’m not great at it.

WHAT'S THE BEST GIFT YOU'VE EVER GIVEN?

My best friend just had a baby and I'm the baby's godmother. I made her a movie of everyone in her life explaining something about the world to her. It’s called Welcome to the World.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD GIFT IN YOUR OPINION? SOMETHING REALLY THOUGHTFUL? 

It depends on who it’s from and what it means, or if it’s something that you never thought you would have or you didn’t even know you wanted. I don’t need things. I’m mostly [into] love letters. And jewellery—just kidding. 

WHAT DO THE HOLIDAYS SMELL LIKE TO YOU?

Pine. Fireplaces. Chocolate chip cookies.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE NON-PERFUME SCENT?

I really like the smell of the fireplace and my goddaughter’s head.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU HATE THE SMELL OF? 

Those scented trash bags. I will throw up immediately. It’s really crazy. I can’t be around them—if they’re in the house I’m like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here or you’ve got to get out of here.’

WHICH ONE OF THE THREE GUCCI BLOOM SCENTS OUT RIGHT NOW IS YOUR FAVOURITE? 

I like the classic Gucci Bloom. I also really like the Nettare [di Fiori] one. It’s very rich.

DO YOU HAVE A SCENT APPLICATION TECHNIQUE? 

I have perfume in my bathroom, in my kitchen and in my purse. I spray it on my wrists and then rub them on my neck.