The best perfumes for women – 40 sensational scents loved around the world

On the hunt for one of the best perfumes for women? Picking a new fragrance can seem daunting at first, but nothing compares to that feeling when you finally get a whiff of The One. When it comes to scent, you don’t think, you feel. 

If you're not quite sure where to begin, you're in luck. The beauty team has tested a myriad of scents over the years, from intense ouds to the best rose perfumes and the best Jo Malone fragrances – making finding your next signature scent as easy as one, two, spritz. 

With such a hold over our feelings and personal experiences, it's no surprise that the best perfumes for women is one of the most subjective topics in beauty, as personal as, say, your favorite food or go-to romcom. We can objectively agree that the best foundation should look like your skin, only better; but what makes a fragrance "the best" and worthy of a spot in our top 40? 

We've included a mix of niche brands that are loved by cool-girl celebs and Beauty Editors, budget crowd-pleasers such as the best Zara perfumes, as well as a few notable new launches we think will make future classics for good measure. If you think it's time to update your signature scent, you'll hit the right note with one of our below picks of the all-time best perfumes for women. 

How to choose the best perfumes for women

With so many fragrances out there, it's not always easy to learn how to choose a perfume. We've divided our list into five perfume styles to help you choose. 

• Floral: Feminine with an ingredients list packed full of blooms. Great for fans of iconic floral perfumes like Givenchy L'Interdit and Marc Jacobs Daisy.  
• Fresh: Citrussy, clean-smelling or with sparkly ‘aldehydic’ notes, these perfumes will suit lovers of Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche and cult-fave Bobbi Brown Beach.
• Fruity: Juicy and tasty, fruit-forward scents. If you or whoever you're buying for likes Jo Malone London Blackberry & Bay or Prada Candy, they're probably a fruity perfume fan.
• Unisex: Technically, every perfume is unisex. But spicy or clean notes and gender-neutral packaging define this style. Classics include Le Labo Santal and CK One. 
• Spicy: Heady and warming with woods and patchouli. The best oud perfumes come under this category and wearers of YSL Black Opium or Chanel Coco are likely to fall in love with a spicy perfume. 

The best perfumes for women, as chosen by our experts

Floral perfumes

This amber floral is all about the classic rose, from the dusty pink-colored juice to the floral top and heart notes. What strikes you about this fragrance is how natural it smells. It evokes childhood memories of plucking garden rose petals to bathe in water to create a personalized perfume concoction. This is no powdery, fuddy-duddy floral blend—it is delicate and elegant, and a sure-fire hit with fans of rose scents. 

This is a modern, bright take on classic floral fragrances. The added green accords give not just an impression of a freshly cut rose, but the whole garden blooming in spring. The fruity elements of the perfume are subtle, so it’s not overly sweet. What you gain in light, fresh notes you may find lacking in longevity—a spritz lingers for a couple of hours—so this feels like a perfect rose perfume for day wear.

If you’re looking for a safe bet scent, this is it. It’s classed as a white floral fragrance and hinges on the white gardenia flower. But it’s the pear blossom note that strikes on first spritzing. The dry down is given a creamy sweetness from sweet brown sugar accords. It’s a pretty scent, not especially long-lasting, but certainly joy-filled and pleasantly simple. If you are worried about how to buy fragrance online without smelling it this is the sort of scent that you could quite happily buy blind for a friend or relative, safe in the knowledge that they would gratefully receive.

With an ingredients list that includes black coffee, long-wearing patchouli, and warming vanilla, this is one addictive floral gourmand fragrance. It has over 13,500 5* reviews online and was the most googled fragrance of 2020. So what more can we add? This is an alluring, rich, and mysterious juice, especially as you start to appreciate the sensual dry down of vanilla and woods, which makes this feel a little more geared towards a winter fragrance wardrobe. 

A bottle that remains instantly recognizable over a decade on from launch, this amber floral certainly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-noughties. The first impressions are sweet, not sickly saccharine but certainly a little sugary. The floral heart is elegant and actually surprisingly subtle, given the perfume’s name. The dry down is comforting, with a milky-like accord that lingers on the skin for hours and hours.  

Don’t let the ‘Miss’ fool you. This is no frothy teen scent, in fact, it's generally regarded to be one of the best Dior perfumes of all time. It’s a mysterious and sensual floral fragrance, which has been masterfully blended to create an elegant, luxurious, and ladylike juice. The mandarin is a fleeting accord, and soon makes way for the soothing, intoxicating jasmine heart. This is a fragrance with great projection—you’ll make an entrance before even stepping foot in the room. It has a cosseting, musky warmth, which makes it great for bedtime, and equally an effervescence that plays well on balmy summer days. 

A beautiful, delicate perfume that celebrates the scent of the magnolia tree, Magnolia Heights has only been around since 2016 but this chic floral is appreciated by many a floral fragrance enthusiast. As well as having a certain elegance, it's cheerful and uplifting, like a walk on the first sunny day of spring in fragrance form, and has a lovely musky drydown. 

An upgraded version of the classic Gucci Guilty for Her that you may already know and love, as its name suggests the Intense edition is the same sweet amber floral scent, just deeper and richer. Because of this it has good staying power, lingering for several hours. It is a very popular one, so you'll be far from the only person who wears it as their signature scent, but when a fragrance has won over the masses you know it's a good one. 

Fresh perfumes

The misty, cerulean blue bottle hints at what lies within a watery, fresh-smelling scent, suggestive of exotic crystal clear waters. Citrus notes will galvanize the mind like no other accord. Just think about what happens when someone unpeels an orange in a crowded train carriage—it cuts through the room like a knife. The top notes work in the same way here. Lemon and mandarin orange slice through a foggy mind, immediately enlivening the senses. The heart and base notes continue this olfactory escape to a distant isle, with an aqueous, youthful effect. It might not have the most longevity, but if fresh and sparkling is your fragrance bag, then spritz with abandon.

For whatever reason, if an exotic holiday is off the cards, let this tropical scent inject that wanderlust spirit into your fragrance wardrobe. Pleasingly affordable, as perfume goes, this is definitely one of the best cheap perfumes that still looks and smells like a luxe designer scent. It’s lighter than your average eau de parfum, but it works with its light and airy holiday vibe. The warm and tropical blend of coconut, vanilla, and amber will transport you to sunnier climes, cocktail in hand, sand between toes. It is pure summer in a bottle. So much so it feels rebellious to spritz it in colder climes. But then rules are made to be broken, so there's no need to shove this in a drawer for half the year and then frantically google do perfumes expire the next time you want to wear it. You do you. 

From the brand that makes some of the best scented candles in the business, this is the sort of unique, curious fragrance that would make people stop and ask you what you’re wearing. We have tested its unisex appeal and yes, in our household this is a scent we would gladly share. If you’re a fan of citrus accords, you will be enchanted by this bright and sunny blend. For others, the sharp top notes might be a little too intense. After the initial slurp of citrus zing, it deepens with rich, leathery notes, which stick around on the skin for hours. 

In a Venn diagram, this splash-on spritz would sit in the middle ring between classic perfume and aromatherapy. First launched in 1987, it has the unique ability to tone, moisturize and perfume the skin in a single spritz. Its effect on the olfactory nerve is certainly enlivening, with a zingy blend of essential oils including lemon, patchouli, and ginseng that some may find a little green, herbal and medicinal-smelling. For us, the juice had an uplifting effect, and conjured up an image of a health spa, tucked away in the forest. 

Imagine the clean, crisp and invigorating scent of the ocean. That’s what this floral aquatic number conjures up. It’s a bright and airy fragrance with aqueous accords of crushed mint, lemon and dewy peony, trailed by a warm and woody dry down. What is so striking is how clean this fragrance smells. A spritz before leaving the house will make you feel lighter on your feet. 

It’s hardly surprising that a fragrance with a roll call of aquatic accords was inspired by the freshness and translucency of water. After the delicate first impression, comes a swathe of white flowers and finally a woody trail that lingers on the skin. This is a clean and classic perfume that transcends age and seasonality. 

Back for another limited edition run for the second year in a row is this fresh, almost delicious, Eau De Toilette from Diptyque. Inspired by the sun-soaked of the Mediterranean, to us it smells like pure sunshine – hazy and slightly creamy, but not too sweet. If you don't have a last minute hot holiday to the Med lined up, spritzing this through the last of the summer months feels like the next best thing. Don't miss your chance to get your hands on it...

Caudalie might be a brand we think of for excellent skincare products, but they also have a selection of fresh fragrances. Our favorite is Thé Des Vignes, a juicy and slightly sweet number. If you close your eyes while spritzing you could almost picture yourself drinking wine in a vineyard as the sun starts to set. Glorious!

Fruity perfumes

All too often, the idea of a fruit-filled fragrance conjures up a sickly-sweet perception. In classic Jo Malone style, this interpretation is elegant, understated, and downright classy. It won’t surprise you to learn that it’s bagged the number one spot in the best Jo Malone fragrances, as voted for by customers. On first spritzing, you’re greeted with a burst of juicy pears, with white freesias hot on its tail, trailed by woody patchouli.  “When you smell English Pear & Freesia, you’re instantly transported to an orchard where juicy fruit mingles with blooming flowers. There’s something unexpected about the combination of key ingredients and it’s got that freshness and elegance we’re known for,” says Celine Roux, Global Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone London. We agree. The overall effect is understated and graceful, mirrored in the design of the beautiful fluted glass bottle.

If ever a fragrance could come to embody the unbridled glamour and femininity of a Jimmy Choo stiletto, it’s this, the debut fragrance from the fashion house, which launched in 2011. Part daring, part sensual, refreshing in summer, cosseting in winter, it’s a fragrance that quite understandably earned mass appeal. It’s classed as a fruity gourmand, the latter referring to synthetic edible notes. The juice is warm, creamy, and confident with notes of exotic tiger orchid, patchouli and sweet toffee. 

Raspberry takes center stage here. That initial fruity burst evokes memories of scented dolls and ponies from childhood, but then it takes on a more grown-up and graceful turn as the floral heart comes into play. For a fruity number, this has impressive sillage and staying power. One spritz is enough to take you from day to night. And the bottle makes an impressive dressing table statement, too. 

Call it subliminal messaging (the moon-shaped bottle is a bit of a hint), but this fragrance feels like more of a nocturnal perfume, that would perfectly compliment your party makeup. It’s creamy and mysterious and alluring. Although there is a fruity, foody element to the initial spritz, this has a richer, sensual effect thanks to the ylang-ylang, jasmine, musk, and caramel accords. Sandalwood is one of the best notes for longevity and this fragrance certainly has day to night staying power. 

Fresh, fruity, and fizzy—the initial impressions of this scent read like a dream summer cocktail. Expect a big slurp of blackcurrant on first spritzing, which dries down to a very pleasant and universally appealing musky rose. It’s on the fine and delicate side so don’t expect much oomph. But if you take a less is more approach to fragrance, you’ll appreciate its elegant subtleties. 

If you like your perfumes sweet, it will be love at first spritz. It sits pretty close to the skin so you might need a few spritzes to make an impact. The fruity top notes smell just like strawberry fizzy laces from the corner store, but before things become a little too saccharine, the fragrance takes a powdery floral turn and suddenly becomes very pretty and feminine, a trail that did last for a surprisingly long time. 

Another suitably summertime fragrance comes from Jo Loves, this time with the juicy notes of perfectly ripe mango with a sharp twist of lime and spicy black pepper. We promise you that it is a perfume, not a cocktail – though it is blended to perfection, and makes a great addition to any fruity perfume lover's collection.

Imagine how a sweet, freshly cut apple would smell if did have a rich scent. That's exactly what Huda Beauty's KAYALI has bottled with this mouthwatering, juicy fragrance – peppered with sweet berry notes, wearing down to a gorgeous base of vanilla and musk. It is undeniably sweet, so if that's exactly what your'e looking for we're confident that you'll love it. 

Unisex perfumes

The matte black, leathery-looking bottle hints at what lies within. Raw and woody oud, derived from the tropical Agar tree, is offset by sparkling sugary top notes, which make for a mesmerizing juice, one that will make you want to sniff your wrist repeatedly. Oud is usually the star of the show in such fragrances, making a bold, ‘look at me’ statement. In this interpretation, the oud makes up part of the first wave of notes so its effect is more subtle and beguiling. The rich composition of base notes (think bonfire-y moss, leather, and musk) mean this unisex fragrance has staying power. It’s a cozy blanket of a fragrance that will make you want to hunker down for the winter.

This unisex scent launched in 2011 and became an underground smash, beloved by Beauty Editors and cool girl celebs, like Alexa Chung. Its cult status was cemented when the New York Times referred to it as “the perfume your smell everywhere.” It fuses sweeter notes of iris and violet with deep yet comforting leathery, smoky and musky accords. You will still have the pleasure of smelling this scent for hours after applying it, heck, even the following day depending on your personal bathing routine. 

An ode to Romani culture, this nomadic scent perfectly captures a sense of freedom with bucolic elements, such as juniper berries, pine needles, and sandalwood. For us, it’s the juniper that steals the show in this fragrance, balanced by incense and vanilla, which work in perfect synergy to create a magical, woodsy, and gender-neutral scent.

Tangy blood orange and accents of ginger read a little ‘Christmassy’ but this amber-floral has broad appeal beyond the festive season. Having said that, the warm and spicy profile does seem to suit the colder months. It’s a powerful and sensual number that leaves a trail of sandalwood, evoking the cozy, warmth of being sat in front of a log fire in the middle of winter. 

First things first, the burgundy-lacquered bottle is incredibly beautiful. The top is adorned with a gilded royal beetle, which is said to bring good luck. It’s certainly a perfume that smells expensive. Labeled as a unisex fragrance, it has a fresh, green quality to it thanks to geranium and rose, undercut by woody patchouli and rich incense. With great projection, this is a rich and powerful fragrance that will get you noticed. 

The excitement of waiting for the fireworks to start, as the bonfire sizzles and crackles in the distance—this is the warm opulence captured in Oud & Spice. The first hit is all campfire and leather, tinged with a hint of sparkling citrus to lighten the mood. It could lean on the more masculine end of the spectrum, and it certainly has a more autumnal feel. We happen to like male scents so found this captivating—a mysterious and alluring mix of spicy and zingy, warm yet fresh.

Escentric Molecules 01 is a classic, but it's a little unusual in that it's comprised of just the one note, which dries down to a cedar-like woody and musky affair. Unlike some punchier and more complex concoctions, it's subtle and has a nice, everyday vibe. Spritz it alone for a gentle woody scent, or experiment and layer it with other scents to add a little "something" extra. 

The millennial pink packaging may have fooled you, but this is absolutely a unisex fragrance with the subtlest hint of sweetness. Slightly powdery and musky but an all-round great universal perfume, Glossier You is specifically designed to adapt to you – hence the name. It'll smell slightly different on everybody but in general it's a very cosy, soft, and warming fragrance. It's worth saying Glossier also makes a clever solid version of this that's also a refillable perfume. Whichever you choose this is a great everyday number and one that's loved by the masses.  

Spicy perfumes

It may be nearing its centenary but Shalimar is still up there as one of the most popular perfumes today. It’s the sort of comforting fragrance you’ll spray and think ‘where have I smelled this before?” The warm and spicy blend opens with a big slurp of juicy, citric bergamot, before mellowing to a soft yet spicy floral heart within 10 seconds. After a couple of hours, it’s the incense and sweet vanilla that really shine through, although the citrus aspect does reappear. Despite its universal popularity, this is a truly unique perfume in terms of its complex blend. 

This is a perfume that fills the room. It has fantastic sillage and impressive staying power. We got a whiff when we threw on a coat we’d worn a week earlier. It’s the combination of sweet, citrus top notes and deep patchouli, vanilla, and white musk that make this a clean and classic yet spicy scent that feels appropriate at any time of day, spans the seasons, and has an ageless appeal.

If perfume is an extension of personality, then the woman who wears Black Orchid is confident, glamorous and takes no prisoners. It’s classified as a chypre, with top notes of black truffle jasmine and a hint of citrus, with a dry down of amber, creamy vanilla, and woodsy accords. There’s a dark side to this fragrance so if you’re looking for something a little more uplifting Coco Mademoiselle might be more your speed. 

You can pretty much divide womankind into two camps-those who love Angel and those who prefer Alien. For the purposes of our round-up, we’re going with Mugler’s debut scent, which remains one of the best-selling scents in the world. In fact, we probably all know someone who wears or has worn Angel at some point in their life. There’s no getting away from the fact that this is incredibly sweet, but it’s completely intoxicating too, enveloping the wearer in a sugary, nectary cloud. 

The clue is in the title-this soft and delicate aroma is like an echo of a perfume. What it lacks in olfactory punch, it makes up for in its ability to blend well with other scented lotions, hand creams and even other perfumes, if you’re into fragrance layering. The rich woody notes, inspired by a quintessential English library, are warm and cozy and peppered with a touch of spice, perfect for the colder months.

It’s surprising to think this fragrance only came to be in 2019—it has a romantic, old-world elegance that gives the impression it’s been around for millennia. With saffron, incense, and dusky vanilla, it’s a perfume that smells decadently rich, inviting and warming.

A heady and sophistic scent that is the ultimate in elegance, Portrait of a Lady is not for the faint-hearted – but that's a good thing. Lasting for hours, it's an intense medley of notes like Turkish rose, sandalwood, frankincense, patchouli, and will have you oozing confidence with every spritz. Instantly recognizable, it's a true icon of the perfume world. 

One of eight perfumes created in collaboration with legendary fragrance name Jo Malone CBE, Zara's Ebony Woods opens with energising peppercorn before wearing down to those all-important fragrant woody notes. It's lovely and warming, and a reliable everyday go-to.