The best women's fragrances ever, according to Bazaar editors
The candy floss notes of Mugler Angel; the aldehydes of Chanel No5; the clean, aquatic fluidity (and Moss-y Midas touch) of CK One... just three of the most successful women's fragrances in history, each completely unique on launch, and an industry game-changer in its day. But, of course, not each universally loved (quite the opposite in fact for Angel, which is a notoriously Marmite fragrance) – because while a perfume can be wildly successful, it can never appeal to everyone. Recommending the best women's perfumes of all time, therefore, is a tricky business.
The perfumer and fragrance historian Roja Dove believes that "successful fragrance creations endure because they trigger an emotion within their wearers". According to him, "they become an extension of our personality, or perhaps they offer a glimpse into who we aspire to be; I believe we all deserve to source a scent that connects us to our truest self."
For our edit of the best women's perfumes ever, Bazaar has combined decades of fragrance knowledge with perfumes that are perennial best-sellers for a tightly curated top 10 (...and friends).
Also important, though, is how you shop for fragrance: spritz fatigue and scent overwhelm in the middle of a crowded perfume hall are real, and not conducive to finding The One. But equally, selecting a signature scent is so sensorial and deeply personal that it's almost impossible to do it without an in-person experience. So here, along with our selection of the best women's perfumes of all time, are our tips on navigating the process.
How to shop for fragrance
Know the fragrance families you like, for example floral, citrus, woody, or gourmand. This narrows down the options hugely, making the process less overwhelming.
Where possible, try the fragrance on skin rather than a blotter – this will give you a true sense of the scent.
Let the perfume sit for at least an hour (preferably longer) before making a decision on it; it takes time for the middle and base notes to come through, and for your own scent to interact with the perfume.
Smelling coffee beans between perfumes is a bit of a myth – the best thing to do is nuzzle your nose into the crook of your elbow and inhale; this goes some way to resetting your olfactory receptors.
The 10 best perfumes for women, according to Bazaar
For Her EDT
It's hard to remember what musk lovers wore before this fragrance came along in 2003. Perfumers Francis Kurkdjian and Christine Nagel turned the fragrance world on its head with this joint creation, because it used what had hitherto only been considered a base note as its central ingredient: sensual musk that was clean, understated, memorable and seductive (supported with those Carmen Kass ads).
A lovely way to flirt with a musk-centric scent without fully committing is to try it in a hair fragrance such as Initio Musk Therapy Hair Mist.
And, while it's not strictly speaking musk, ambergris and ambroxan have an indisputable musk-like, animalic quality to them, nowhere better demonstrated than in Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540, sprinkled with just enough floral loveliness.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDT key notes: bergamot, musk, amber, vetiver, patchouli
21:50 Rêverie EDP
Proving (if more proof were needed) that gourmands can be grown up, Victoria Beckham's new fragrance 21:50 Rêverie is as elegant as it is delicious. Plum notes bring a juicy tartness to silky, creamy vanilla pods for a foodie fragrance that doesn't stray too far into sweetness and is comforting in the chicest possible way – the cashmere blanket of fragrances, if you will.
For a sweeter tooth, the vanillic dream that is Dries van Noten Vanille Camouflage combines two types of vanilla, while an unexpected green freshness runs through it, and for all-out comfort food, we recommend the strawberries and cream-inspired LBTY Vine Thief.
Victoria Beckham 21:50 Rêverie EDP key notes: tobacco leaves, plum, vanilla, tonka bean, cedar wood
$170.00 at victoriabeckhambeauty.com
Coco Mademoiselle EDP
Gabrielle Chanel was the woman who, despite being laughed at, championed the idea of women buying their fragrance from quelle horreur! their dressmaker. Chanel, evidently, had the last laugh. More than a century since she launched her first fragrance (No5 in 1921), the luminous-yet-full-of-depth Coco Mademoiselle is a global best-seller.
This fragrance falls into the 'floriental' category, characterised by combining flowers such as rose, jasmine and neroli with woods, resins and, crucially, vanilla, for something that is, somehow, as full of warmth as it is freshness (also seen in Jimmy Choo I Want Choo EDP).
And it would be remiss to talk about this category without mentioning Guerlain, the trailblazer of the Oriental fragrance with perfumes like Shalimar, and more recently florientals such as Mon Guerlain EDP Intense (for which Angelina Jolie is the face). This scent combines the house's signature blend of vanilla, florals and bergamot – know as the 'Guerlinade' – with soft musk and woody notes: comforting yet eternally elegant.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP key notes: mandarin, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, yang-ylang, vanilla, opopanax
Bergamotto Di Calabria EDT
Honestly, for fans of a citrus scent, anything in the Blu Mediterraneo collection will delight, but Bergamotto di Calabria is particularly evocative of azure Italian waters, sunny citrus groves, and la dolce vita.
If you prefer a little more body and depth to your citrus scent, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino goes deep(ish.. not too much); after the initial zing of bergamot, mandarin, lemon and orange, the fragrance mellows down into a medley of heady white solar florals and skin-like amber-musk.
Acqua di Parma Bergamotto Di Calabria EDT key notes: bergamot, lemon, ginger, cedar wood, musk
La Vie Est Belle EDP
There was a time when fruity florals – possibly because they were everywhere – got a reputation for being a bit basic. But there's a reason they were everywhere: when done well, the right mix of fruit and floral notes is utterly joyous. This can be one of the most happy-making fragrance families, and La Vie Est Belle is a masterclass in such wizardry. Carefully chosen pear and blackberry blend with iris, jasmine and neroli for what we like to think of as Julia Roberts' smile, bottled (the actress is the face of scent).
Another excellent, grown-up fruity floral is Christian Dior J'Adore, which has remained a bestseller since it launched in 1999, recently refreshed with Rihanna as its face. Juicy top notes that include melon and peach give its complex floral heart a honeyed, almost golden quality.
Lancôme La Vie Est Belle EDP key notes: pear, blackberry, iris, jasmine, neroli, praline, vanilla
You EDP
While the term 'skin scents' essentially refers to musk- and amber-based fragrances, some, we feel, are closer to actual skin than others, and can behave very differently from person to person. This cult favourite from Glossier is one of the best; it sits lightly on the skin for a mercurial trail that can smell fresh and clean on one person, sensual on the next.
For the same reasons, Eccentric Molecules Molecule 01 is another superior skin scent based on the clever synthetic note Iso E Super, purported to enhance our pheromones (although the jury is still out on the science behind this); think of it as the tailored trousers to Glossier You's prairie dress.
Viral skin scent Plur Missing Person, meanwhile, leaves the tiniest bit of floral powderiness in its wake, for a morning-after-the-night-before mood.
Glossier You EDP key notes: pink pepper, iris, ambroxan, ambrette
Miss Dior EDP
Chypre perfumes are notoriously hard to classify – purists will tell you one thing, while modern interpretations of chypre would suggest another. But essentially, there is a more-is-more quality to a chypre: citrus top notes, a full-bodied floral heart, and ingredients such as patchouli and resins in the base.
One of the most enduring chypres of all-time (and first created in 1947 as an homage to Christian Dior's sister, Catherine) is Miss Dior.
Interestingly, in 2021 the EDP fragrance was updated (as it has been many times over the years) with iris, lily-of-the-valley and vanilla, so it technically now sits more in the floriental category, but we feel its chypre DNA remains, for a perfume that is pure Paris in the spring time.
Christian Dior Miss Dior EDP key notes: iris, lily-of-the-vlley, rose, peach, vanilla, benzoin
Santal 33 EDP
Santal 33 is one of those once-in-a-generation fragrances that captures a mood so perfectly; this was the perfume of the 2010s, but so enduring in its appeal that it remains a best-seller today.
It's also a bit of a je ne sais quoi perfume... is it the clever combination of woods and paper-y notes that makes it so appealing? Or the dots of velvet-soft powderiness that flow through it, coming from iris and violet? Either way, it suits anyone and everyone, and is a Bazaar beauty team stalwart.
Le Labo Santal 33 EDP key notes: violet, papyrus, sandalwood, cedar wood, amber, leather
Rose de Grasse EDP
This is the perfume that will make you fall in love with rose scents (if you haven't already) – a modern, luminous interpretation of the queen of flowers; the olfactory equivalent of holding a gossamer-fine rose petal up to the sun and letting it be shot through with light.
Rose de Grasse is a perfect, elegant soliflore (perfumese for single-note floral fragrance), where one ingredient is front and centre, supported only by notes that will make it shine brighter.
In master perfumer Aurélien Guichard's Matière Première French Flower, tuberose is that ingredient – a giddy-making white floral fragrance that is the sensual summer's night to Rose de Grasse's day.
Aerin Rose de Grasse EDP key notes: aquatic notes, French rose, Bulgarian rose, musk, amber
Philosykos EDT
Fig fragrances have become synonymous with freshness but in a more sharp, green way than, say, a sunny citrus scent. And there's something about Diptyque's OG Philosykos that's hard to beat – top notes of both the fig's fruit and leaf are ever so slightly softened with the subtlest smattering of coconut, and grounded by warm woody notes.
Consummate in everything she creates, Lyn Harris's Perfumer H Fig is a truly grown-up (and slightly more robust) take on fig, as rose and frankincense notes bring a hazy backdrop to the freshness of the fig note.
And for a completely unexpected interpretation of fig, we love Radio Child from the slick new Scandi fragrance house Bibbi. The inclusion of a little jasmine, a little salt, and a little black pepper make for a scent that's as unpredictable as it is infinitely wearable.
Diptyque Philosykos EDT key notes: fig, fig leaf, fig tree
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