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Beauty > Makeup

The 20 Best Perfumes of

All Time
Discover a new (or old) favorite.

BY LINDY SEGAL / AUG 3 2022, 11:27 AM EDT

COURTESY

F
inding a signature scent can be a
years-long process. Fragrance is
notoriously personal, and each one
smells unique on the wearer. But a great
place to start is with some of the best-
selling, most iconic fragrances ever. From
those that have stood the test of time to
more recent favorites, these 20 perfumes
have forever earned a space on our
vanities—whether you prefer floral
perfumes, a tried-and-true classic like
Chanel No. 5, or something else entirely.
Scroll on to discover your new (or old)
favorite.

BEST FRUITY PERFUME

Miss Dior Eau de

Parfum
1 Dior

$138 AT SEPHORA

Read More

BEST FLORAL PERFUME

Flowerbomb Eau
de Parfum
2 Viktor & Rolf

$27 AT NORDSTROM

Read More

BEST LUXURY PERFUME

Baccarat Rouge
540 Eau de Parfum
3 Maison Francis Kurkdjian

$195 AT NORDSTROM

Read More

BEST FALL PERFUME

Black Opium Eau

de Parfum Spray
4 Yves Saint Laurent

$66 AT MACY'S

Read More

BEST MULTIFACETED PERFUME

Sì Eau de Parfum
Fragrance
5 Giorgio Armani

$25 AT NORDSTROM

Read More

MOST ENDURING PERFUME

Chanel N°5 Eau de

Parfum Spray
6 CHANEL

$90 AT ULTA BEAUTY

Read More

BEST CELEBRITY PERFUME

Fenty Eau de
Parfum
7 Fenty Beauty

$30 AT FENTY BEAUTY

Read More

BEST AFFORDABLE PERFUME

Glossier You
8 Glossier

$64 AT GLOSSIER

Read More

BEST FIRST FRAGRANCE

Daisy Eau de
Toilette
9 Marc Jacobs Fragrances

$108 AT SEPHORA

Read More

BEST NOT-TOO-SWEET PERFUME

Chance Eau de
Parfum Spray
10 Chanel

$146 AT ULTA BEAUTY

Read More

SHOW LESS -

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BEST FRUITY PERFUME

Dior

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

COURTESY

$138 AT SEPHORA

Dior perfumes are so iconic, they even

inspired a documentary. This modern
classic truly has a bit of everything: juicy
blood orange and mandarin, fresh lily of
the valley, and earthy patchouli.

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BEST FLORAL PERFUME

Viktor & Rolf

Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum

FLOWERBOMB
VIKTOR@ROLF

$27 AT NORDSTROM

As the name suggests, this Viktor & Rolf

cult favorite is deeply floral thanks to fresh
jasmine and rose, while notes of grounding
vanilla and patchouli add warmth and
sophistication.

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BEST LUXURY PERFUME

Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de

Parfum

Maison
FrancisKurkdiian
Paris

Bac ca ra
Rouge540
t
Eaudeparfum

$195 AT NORDSTROM

Created as a collaboration between the

perfumer and Baccarat to celebrate the
crystal manufacturer’s 250th birthday, this
popular scent is, frankly, a masterpiece. A
combination of woody notes, amber,
jasmine and other florals, it's sophisticated
and never overpowering.

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BEST FALL PERFUME

Yves Saint Laurent

Black Opium Eau de Parfum

Spray

AINT/AUR

BIACK
OPIUM
YVESSAINTAURENT

$66 AT MACY'S

Rich coffee and vanilla create a sweet and

warm base, while a floral heart lightens
things up. It's excellent during cooler
months, but can be worn year-round if you
please.

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BEST MULTIFACETED PERFUME

Giorgio Armani

Sì Eau de Parfum Fragrance

$25 AT NORDSTROM

If you’re looking for a sweet, strong floral

scent, you may have found it in the
Mediterranean-inspired Sì. It starts out
fruity with top notes of black currant
nectar, followed by a freesia and Rose of
Mai heart, finishing with a musky, vanilla-
tinged base.

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MOST ENDURING PERFUME

CHANEL

Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum Spray

N°5
CHANEL
PARIS

PARFUM

$90 AT ULTA BEAUTY

Celebrating its 100th birthday in 2021,

Chanel No. 5 is perhaps the most famous
fragrance of all time. Heavy with may rose
and jasmine, it was the first perfume to be
layered with aldehydes, a now-
commonplace practice that lends the
fragrance an airy quality. Game changing
then, iconic now.

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 7

BEST CELEBRITY PERFUME

Fenty Beauty

Fenty Eau de Parfum

$30 AT FENTY BEAUTY

Rihanna has been name-checked as the

best-smelling celeb by just about everyone
on the planet, so it was only natural that
she create her own signature scent. It
instantly sold out, but if you’re lucky
enough to snag a bottle of this elevated
blend of magnolia, musk, tangerine,
blueberry, Bulgarian rose absolute,
geranium, and patchouli, know that it’s
worth all the hype.

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BEST AFFORDABLE PERFUME

Glossier

Glossier You

$64 AT GLOSSIER

Named You as a nod to the fragrance’s

ability to smell different on each wearer,
this blend of floral iris, spicy pink pepper,
and warm ambrette seeds became an
instant hit for Glossier, and remains the
brand’s one and only fragrance.

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BEST FIRST FRAGRANCE

Marc Jacobs Fragrances

Daisy Eau de Toilette

DAISY
MARCJACOBS

$108 AT SEPHORA

The daisy-adorned bottle became an

instant sensation, but what’s inside is
pretty fabulous as well. With notes of
strawberry, sandalwood, and jasmine,
Daisy is a light floral that’s become a rite of
passage for teens (and teens at heart).

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10

BEST NOT-TOO-SWEET PERFUME

Chanel

Chance Eau de Parfum Spray

CHANCE
CHANEL

$146 AT ULTA BEAUTY

Chance was introduced in 2002, and it’s

been in heavy rotation ever since. Thank
the floral base of iris and jasmine, which is
rounded out by sweet vanilla and white
musk—plus, pink pepper adds an
unexpected touch of spice.

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11

BEST GENDERLESS PERFUME

Le Labo

Santal 33 Eau de Parfum

$310 AT NORDSTROM

This mysterious fragrance became one of

the biggest perfume crazes of the last
decade, and for good reason: It’s musky,
spicy, and a bit smoky (but not
overwhelmingly so), and the genderless
quality makes it ideal for sharing.

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12

SEXIEST PERFUME

Tom Ford

Black Orchid Eau de Parfum

TOMFORD
BLACKORCHIE

SOML

$136 AT SEPHORA

Like all things Tom Ford, this scent is

undeniably sexy and glamorous. The
namesake black orchid is surrounded by
ylang-ylang and citrus, black plum,
patchouli, and vanilla. It’s deep, dark, and
elegant, especially for evening.

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13

BEST BEACHY PERFUME

Jo Malone London

Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

$63 AT NORDSTROM

You don’t have to live by the beach to

appreciate this surf-inspired scent (and one
of Jo Malone’s best sellers). With notes of
sea salt, sage, and ambrette seeds, it’s
simple, sophisticated, and genderless.

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14

BEST CLEAN PERFUME

Henry Rose

Jake's House

$120 AT
HENRYROSE.COM

A gorgeous combination of honeyed neroli,

peony, jasmine, and musk, this top seller
from Michelle Pfeiffer’s fragrance line
smells both crisp and clean, and is made
with clean ingredients; in fact, it’s the only
fine fragrance line to be verified by the
Environmental Working Group (EWG).

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15

BEST FRESH PERFUME

Bond No. 9 New York

Scent of Peace Eau de Parfum

lle
e

BO
N

nil

$295 AT
BLOOMINGDALE'S

Bond No. 9’s luxe fragrances are inspired

by New York City, though according to the
brand, this lavender bottle is named for
“the greatest neighborhood of them all—
peace.” Light and fresh, the mix of fresh
grapefruit, lily of the valley, and black
currant, is just lovely.

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BEST SOPHISTICATED PERFUME

Chloé

Chloé Eau de Parfum Spray

Chloe

$100 AT NORDSTROM

A bouquet of florals—rose, lily of the

valley, freesia, magnolia—give way to
amber and cedarwood, which lend a
sensual, warm air to the overall light scent.
Plus, this one is loved equally for the bottle
(topped with a hand-tied ribbon) and for
what’s inside.

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17

BEST CULT-FAVORITE PERFUME

Byredo

Mojave Ghost

$200 AT NORDSTROM

Not even the fragrance-averse can resist

Byredo’s chic, cylindrical bottles,
particularly this scent inspired by the
Mojave Desert. The woody scent features
notes of ambrette, Jamaican nesberry,
violet, sandalwood, magnolia, Chantilly
musk, crisp amber, and cedarwood.

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BEST PACKAGING

Mugler

Angel Natural Refillable Spray

$153 AT NORDSTROM

We don’t know what’s more recognizable:

the star-shaped bottle or the perfume that’s
inside. Angel features a patchouli base and
fruity bergamot top notes, and is layered
with sweet praline and vanilla—yet
somehow never smells too sweet.

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BEST SWEET PERFUME

Prada

Candy Eau de Parfum Spray

$114 AT NORDSTROM

With a name like Candy, you might

mistake this scent for being cloying—but
that's not the case at all. With notes of
warm caramel and musk, Candy is sensual
and fun: the perfect everyday scent.

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BEST LIGHT PERFUME

kai

kai Eau de Parfum

$80 AT NORDSTROM

Kai has earned a devoted following over

the years for its clean, tropical, gardenia-
based fragrance. For rose lovers, there’s
also a spin-off scent, called (you guessed
it), kai rose.

LINDY SEGAL
Lindy Segal is a beauty writer and editor.

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