The Absolute Best Perfumes for Women

1. Most Iconic Scent:

CHANEL No. 5 Eau de Parfum Spray

There’s a reason Chanel’s best-selling perfume has been around since 1921. The classic floral scent features notes of May rose and jasmine with bright citrus top notes. Aldehydes create a more unique scent, while bourbon vanilla adds a sensual feel. It also comes in a travel-friendly eau de parfum spray.

2. Most Artistic Bottle:

DIOR J’Adore Eau de parfum

You’d think DIOR’s iconic perfume bottle was actually a piece of art. But inside is a floral and fruity blend of the ylang-ylang and Turkish Damascus rose essences. This is combined with a unique duo of jasmine grandiflorum from Grasse and Indian jasmine Ssambac. Basically, it smells like you just got back from Paris. 

3. Best Perfume for Floral Fans:

JO MALONE LONDON Vintage Gardenia Cologne

Though JO MALONE’s fan-fave perfume is all about the floral, it’s not your grandma’s fragrance. This bold blend features gardenia and hyacinth tantalise with cardamom, sandalwood, and myrrh for a more unique take on florals. 

4. Most Candy-Like Scent:

TOM FORD Lost Cherry 

What smells like candy in the most luxe way possible? TOM FORD’s yummy unisex fragrance with top notes of black cherry, tonka bean, and almond. Base notes of Turkish rose and jasmine sambac bring a layer of sophistication to an otherwise youthful scent. 

5. Chicest Bottle:

GUCCI Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum

GUCCI’s iconic fragrance is now in a longer bottle crafted from lacquered pink glass featuring a shiny gold cap. It’ll look chic sitting on any vanity, and the scent is great for date night, too. It features floral notes of blossom accord, Italian mandarin, and red berries; middle notes of white gardenia, jasmine absolute, and frangipani flower; and base notes of patchouli and brown sugar accord. The latter blend provides a sweet addition to all the flowers. 

6. Best Perfume for Gift-Giving:

LANCÔME La Vie Est Belle

We can’t think of anyone of any age who doesn’t like LANCÔME’s celeb-loved perfume. Fragrance notes of iris spring flowers and the earthiness of patchouli make this scent not too floral and not too musky—instead, it strikes the perfect balance and is a safe gift for anyone.

7. Most Energizing:

YVES SAINT LAURENT Black Opium Eau De Parfum

This spicy fragrance features notes of coffee, white flowers, and vanilla to create a unique sensory experience. YVES SAINT LAURENT’s most youthful—and sexy—scent uses bold caffeine to jump-start your day, so keep it around when you need an extra pick-me-up. 

8. Best Use of Consciously Sourced Ingredients:

ARMANI My Way Eau De Parfum

This new floral fragrance from ARMANI is making headlines because it uses consciously sourced ingredients and a refillable bottle packaged in a cellophane-free box. Inside is a warm blend of bergamot, orange blossom, tuberose, and jasmine. Then, a combination of cedarwood, vanilla, and white musks ensures it stays youthful. 

9. Most Fashionable:

BYREDO Mojave Ghost Eau de Parfum

Fashion-forward gals and guys love BYREDO fragrances, especially this woodsy one. This chic, minimalist bottle houses ambrette top notes, a heart of magnolia, sandalwood, and violet, and base notes of cedarwood, chantilly musk, and amber. 

10. Best Scent for Date Night:

CHLOÉ Love Story Eau De Parfum

Whether it’s a first date with a Bumble match or a night out with a long-term partner, CHLOÉ’s most sensual scent is the perfect choice. It features a surprisingly sultry blend of orange blossom, heliotrope, and sandalwood housed in a feminine glass bottle topped with a hand-tied ribbon.

11. Best Playful Scent:

MARC JACOBS Daisy 

The white daisies that sit on top of MARC JACOBS’ youthful scent gives you an idea of what’s inside. The fruity-floral fragrance feels fun, upbeat, and completely seasonless, so it’s perf to wear all year round. Wild berries are combined with white violet, jasmine, and sandalwood for a combination that’s playful but not too young. 

12. Best Newbie Scent:

DIPTYQUE Orphéon Eau De Parfum

This woody fragrance from DIPTYQUE is a newcomer that’s making waves. Those who prefer woodier scents to floral ones love the way juniper berry, cedar, and tonka bean come together with jasmine to give off that nighttime-in Paris vibe that just can’t be duplicated. 

13. Best Throwback:

DOLCE & GABBANA Light Blue

This summer-ready fragrance was hugely popular in the ’90s and continues to come back into trend time and time again—and for good reason. Fun fact: It’s even featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York! For the women’s perfume, expect Sicilian cedar melds with apple, jasmine, white rose, and musk for a fresh take on florals. 

14. Most Fun Bottle:

CAROLINA HERRERA Good Girl 

Friends will wonder what this mini high heel is doing on top of your vanity. It’s not a fun piece of art, though (well, depends who you ask). This femme fatale fragrance features notes of sensual jasmine and seductive tonka bean. 

15. Best for Weekends:

MAISON MARGIELA Replica Lazy Sunday Morning Eau de Toilette

When you’re spending the weekend hanging around your neighborhood, getting coffee, or catching a movie with friends, you want a scent that feels soft and comforting. MAISON MARGIELA’s pure floral eau de toilette has delicate notes of white musk and lily of the valley, so there’s nothing overpowering in this chic bottle. Bonus: This scent is also a great unisex option. 

16. Best for Mixing and Matching:

JULIETTE HAS A GUN Not a Perfume

This fragrance smells different on everyone, thanks to a special ingredient called cetalox which reacts to your body’s chemistry, creating a scent that’s clean, fresh, and uniquely yours. You can absolutely wear this signature scent solo or you can follow one Ipster’s lead. She writes, “Pairing this with other scents to mix it up is awesome. My favorite part is how it reacts to different scents!”

17. Most Complex Scent:

KENSIE Free Spirit

At first spritz, this perfume hits you with fruity top notes like black currant and bergamot. Floral scents reveal themselves next. As the day goes on, warmer notes like vanilla and patchouli begin to emerge. After testing this perfume, one Ipster wrote, "This was surprisingly complex. I love how it evolved on my skin as time went on."

18. Best Fresh Scent:

ENGLISH LAUNDRY Oxford Bleu Femme Fragrance

This eau de parfum is light and floral with bright citrusy notes up top. Expect scents like melon and orange blossom to transition into warmer musky notes as the scent settles into the skin. "I’m in love," writes one Ipster. "I have a specific signature scent that I don’t change ever. This is now my new favorite scent! I got so many compliments!"

19. Best Fragrance Oil:

DEFINEME FRAGRANCE Sofia Isabel Fragrance Oil

Alcohol-based sprays are certainly the most popular form of fragrance, but don't sleep on fragrance oils. They're typically more concentrated and contain fewer fillers. They can also stick to your skin longer and don't include dehydrating chemicals in their formulas. The base of this oil is made from fractionated coconut oil. Its sublime scent offers hints of tangerine, black currant, jasmine, and vanilla, making it one of the best women's perfumes out there. 

"I’m so in love with the smell and style of this perfume," one Ipster writes. "It's one of my favorites now and it’s longlasting. I can carry it around in my purse since it’s a roll-on."

20. Best Unisex Option:

ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE I Am Trash Les Fleurs Du Déchet Eau de Parfum

This playful unisex scent is made from twice-distilled ingredients that would normally be discarded. Through a groundbreaking upcycling process, these ingredients have a chance to live on and smell amazingly fresh as a perfume—and the scents here aren't ones you're likely to find elsewhere. Expect a combination of apple essence, bitter orange, french strawberry, rose absolute, and cedarwood.

Ipster Gogren writes, "I was extremely hesitant to try this because the name is a little worrisome. But, I did and I loved it! I got so many compliments when I was wearing it. Love this scent and the fact that it was created with recycled materials."

21. Most Instagram-Friendly:

GLOSSIER Glossier You Eau de Parfum

Like all of GLOSSIER's hit products, this perfume feels effortlessly chic. Comprising just three primary scents (ambrox, ambrette, and musk), the ingredients play with your skin's pheromones and pH to create your own custom scent. The musky base notes of this perfume are sprinkled with subtle hints of iris root and spicy pink pepper. This scent is also formulated to continue smelling the same from the first spritz until the end of the day. No hidden surprises here. 

Ipster mlcarecchi writes, "Great soft smelling scent, not overpowering, a subtle lingering. I really liked it, it's great to throw in my suitcase for business travel."

22. Best for Teens:

KENSIE Life Beat Eau de Parfum

Here's another floral fragrance from the best-selling brand KENSIE. This youthful option starts off fruity and develops into something more botanical by midday with hints of magnolia and neroli. Toward the end of the day, expect the scent to develop into something woodier. Think: patchouli mixed with cashmere musk.

"I can’t find many perfumes or fragrances that I can wear that don’t instantly give me a migraine," writes one Ipster. "This one, however, was subtle, yet noticeable. Very pleasant. I was sad when I ran out."

23. Best Warm Scent:

TOKYOMILK Dead Sexy Eau de Parfum

In the midst of winter, under 100 layers of scarves, coats, and sweaters, it can feel hard to feel sexy. If you're finding that to be true for you, try this romantic, ethereal scent from TOKYOMILK. This sensual perfume features notes of vanilla, wood, white orchid, and ebony. 

After trying this perfume in a Glam Bag, one Ipster wrote, "I was pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. It's not too heavy, not too sweet, and I've received several compliments when I wear it."

24. Best for a Picnic:

ENGLISH LAUNDRY Signature for Her Eau de Parfum

This signature scent from ENGLISH LAUNDRY is inspired by classic country gardens. Rose, geranium, and jasmine lead its floral notes while white chocolate incorporates just a touch of sweetness. The end result is powdery, musky, and perfectly balanced.

"This fragrance is amazing," says one Ipster. "The scent is light and not overpowering but smells great. It is also the perfect size for traveling."

25. Best Sweet Scent:

COMPTOIR SUD PACIFIQUE Vanille Abricot Eau de Toilette

One spritz of this sweet-smelling perfume will take you straight back to summer. Designed to take you on a sensory trip to the South Pacific, this tropical perfume hits you with notes of jackfruit, apricot, and papaya. The base notes then amp up the sweetness with scents like candy and vanilla. 

"It smells like fruity cotton candy but also very subtle and mellow," one Ipster writes. "I love it!"

26. Best Starter Perfume:

PHILOSOPHY Love Sweet Love Spray Fragrance

This new fragrance combines bright grapefruit and sweet mango with deep musk notes. Ipsters report that this scent lasts all day while constantly smelling soft, sophisticated, and delicately fresh.

27. Best Spring and Summer Scent:

HARVEY PRINCE Hello Fragrance

This invigorating scent's primary ingredient is also a unique one: Summer forsythia is an early spring floral that smells slightly sweet and almond-like. Then it’s complemented by notes of citrus, like Meyer lemon and grapefruit. One Ipster describes this fragrance perfectly. She writes, "If summer in the south were put in a bottle this is what it would smell like."

28. Best Party-Ready Scent:

ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE Remarkable People Fragrance

This balanced fragrance is equal parts floral, fruity, and earthy. Sparkling champagne offers a refreshing pop while sandalwood pulls everything together with a bit of warmth. 

"It smells AMAZING," writes shanalrs. "Floral scents give me headaches, but this is subtle and fantastic! I love it!"

29. Best Flirty Scent:

KENSIE Loving Life Eau de Parfum

Here's yet another winner from KENSIE. This one feels feminine with just the right amount of edge. Fruity berry notes, florals, and rich woody scents all play well together in this formula. "This scent is everything," writes one Ipster. "Not too floral, not too earthy, and just the right amount of citrus. I love it."

30. Best Cozy Scent:

JULIETTE HAS A GUN Sunny Side Up

This woody scent is called "Sunny Side Up" because the brand hopes it'll remind you of the blissful feeling you have when the sun hits your skin. It sounds like it did just that for hubblegirl1974. She writes, "The smell just puts me in a good mood even when stuck indoors!" Here, musky notes are complemented by sandalwood, sweet vanilla, and just a hint of florals.

Want to try the latest perfumes for women? Get in on the IPSY Glam Bag! Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.

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