From scents that evoke imagery of fresh, salt-crusted skin and a trip to somewhere exotic to timeless and seductive classics that effortlessly balance your favorite florals, fruits, and sugar-spun sweets, our nine fragrance winners have something for everyone.
Best “Timelessly Classic” Fragrance
Chloé
L’eau de Parfum Intense
To walk past someone in Chloé L’eau de Parfum Intense is to whip your head and wonder all day long what that mysterious stranger was wearing. A layerable scent built upon a bed of roses and deepened by raspberry and ambrette, this fragrance is the sensorial manifestation of sophistication. It’s the kind of scent that lingers long after you’ve made your first impression.
Best Hair & Body Mist
OUAI
St. Barts Hair & Body Mist
Everyone loves a good multitasking product, but Ouai’s beloved St. Barts scent (dragon fruit! orange blossom! tuberose! musk!) bottled prettily into an intoxicating hair and body spray? Say no more. It’s no wonder our editors and celebrity judges can’t recommend it highly enough.
Why experts love it: “The smell of this is incredible. I love how light it is and that I can also mist it onto my hair for the perfect refresh.” — Justine Marjan, Celebrity Hairstylist
Best “Second Skin” Fragrance
Merit
Retrospect Extrait de Parfum
Finding a signature scent is no small feat, but this warm, musky debut fragrance from Merit is a strong contender for your everyday spritz. Its highly concentrated oil formula is a cocktail of bergamot, jasmine, musk, and moss that swirls into a second-skin scent. We felt right at home when we bathed in Retrospect.
Why experts love it: “This scent is an everyday kind of scent, a very signature scent. It’s simple, but it will make people want to stop and ask what you’re wearing. It’s not too heavy on the floral or musk notes. … Essentially, Merit created a perfectly balanced fragrance in Retrospect.” — Bridget Brager, Celebrity Hairstylist
“This one is actually in my fragrance rotation. I love it for a conference or a speaking engagement where I want to give sweetness (pear, rose, violet) but also show that I mean business (musk and moss bottom notes). It’s a must-own.” — Caroline Robinson, MD, Dermatologist and Founder of Tone
“Clean and conscious! A memorable scent with luxurious, clean formulas. I love a clean girl scent that doesn’t smell fruity or … overpowering. That’s award-worthy!” — Vanessa Marc, Celebrity Aesthetician and Founder of Vanessa Marc Spa
Best “Sophisticated Vanilla” Fragrance
Henry Rose
Dave Eau de Parfum
We didn’t think vanilla scents were for everyone until we found this Henry Rose concoction. Even our toughest vanilla-perfume critics were entranced by the warmth and hidden spice tangled in this tincture, and hints of florals, cocoa, and tonka bean emerge in the dry-down. Sensual, unique, and not too sweet, this vanilla scent was the cool-girl crowd-pleaser.
Best “Musky Floral” Fragrance
If floral perfumes usually make you stick up your nose, you’ll be surprised by how many times you’ll find yourself circling the perfume aisle just to smell Glossier You Fleur one… or two… or three more times. This solar scent is perfect for someone who favors unisex fragrances but still wants something that feels seasonal and light. The summery smell of mineral salt, ylang-ylang, and apricot skin hit you first, a warm, Ambrox-infused base intertwining itself in the aroma of your own skin. It’s a floral scent that helps you bloom.
Best “Elegantly Sweet” Fragrance
Amouage
Guidance Eau de Parfum
Sexy, sweet, and undeniably rich, this lilting Amouage fragrance is how we’d imagine the blooming welcome bouquet in the entryway of your Paris hotel suite to smell. Notes of pear, rose, and sambac jasmine shake their feathers first, and sandalwood, ambergris, and vanilla make their coy debut as the elixir dries. Classic and painfully chic, this long-lasting perfume will leave trails of soft elegance wherever you roam.
Best “Seductive Rose” Fragrance
Phlur
Rose Whip Eau de Parfum
Nothing says date night like a bouquet of roses. Well, a rose-inspired perfume just might. This fragrance is provocative right down to the packaging—a sleek, inky bottle houses the musky rose scent inside. Petals dance in a heated tango with black currant and osmanthus while a sensual dose of amber, musk, and cashmere wood adds a sense of romantic mystery. It’s sweet without smelling sugary, rich without being cloying.
Why experts love it: “The musky rose scent in this is intoxicating. If you’re a fan of floral fragrances with a hint of amber, you will love this!” — Marjan
Best “I’m on Vacation” Fragrance
Orebella
Salted Muse Parfum
If we could pick one perfume to take on vacation, we wouldn’t hesitate to pack this gemstone-inspired bottle from Bella Hadid’s celebrated fragrance brand, Orebella. Lauded by celebrities and editors alike, this luxe marine scent teleports you onto the deck of a billowing sailboat headed straight for Mykonos, a summer of island-hopping and sea-soaked memories awaiting. This oil-based fragrance is comprised of sea salt, pink pepper, and woody amber with accents of olive tree accord and lavender—the composition of a fragrant siren song, if you ask us.
Why experts love it: “The scent is so interesting. It smells like summer and adds a nice glow to the skin, so I’ve added it to my rotation for the season.” — Robinson
“[It’s an] elevated scent with sophistication with elements of nature. You feel the inner strength and confidence once you apply it. I really love this fragrance because it’s clean, fresh, earthy, and skin loving. Salted Muse deserves an award because it’s more than a fragrance.” — Marc
Best “Dessert-Inspired” Fragrance
DedCool
Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
Want to have your cake and smell like it too? Okay, maybe it’s not cake, but this scent certainly brings the bakery-level sweetness thanks to its alluring gourmand makeup. Everyone will experience this ooey-gooey mix of marshmallow, vanilla bean, and sweet rice milk differently, as it’s designed to react to your skin’s pH, but the one thing that remains is the fact that we can’t get enough of this nostalgic, Y2K-inspired scent that smells just like the sugar-soaked milk at the bottom of your cereal bowl.
