Friends, I hate to break it to you, but if you’re still wearing a celebrity fragrance from the early 2000s or a scent that you’ve been fished from the bottom of the bargain bin at ya local chemist, it’s time to upgrade.
Sure, I love me some Britney Spears Fantasy as much as the next girlie, but perfumes have come a long way since the sweet, simple smell of vanilla. There’s a whole deliciously smelling world out there for you to sniff, spritz and spray your way through.
So how do you find your new signature scent? Well, for starters, you’re in the right place. We’ve created an ever-growing list of fragrances that people are bloody obsessed with right now and chucked in some cult favourites for good measure.
We’ve got a few fan favourites from cult fragrance houses like Le Labo, Brydeo and Diptyque, and your designer perfumes from brands like Giorgio Armani, YSL, and Gucci. Then, to round it out, we’ve included a few experimental fragrance brands like Boy Smells, Kayali and Gold Field & Banks.
Now, all you need to do is figure out what general scents you gravitate towards (floral, fruity, woodsy, fresh, and clean) and go from there. And if all else fails, choose a fragrance like you would choose wine, and pick a pretty bottle. Godspeed!
The best perfumes for 2023
Floral perfumes
Giorgio Armani Beauty Sì Perfume
Giorgio Armani Beauty Sì Perfume, $180 (50ml)
For those wanting a light floral fragrance that settles sweetly on the skin, Giorgio Armani Sì Eau De Parfum is a delicious choice. It combines blackcurrant nectar, modern chypre, and blond wood musk with touches of freesia and May rose scent.
D.S. & DURGA Sweet Do Nothing EDP
D.S. & DURGA Sweet Do Nothing EDP, $291 (50ml)
Another floral fragrance that doesn’t sucker punch you in the face is D.S. & DURGA’s Sweet Do Nothing EDP. Inspired by Texas, this scent from D.S. & DURGA calls on neroli, orange blossom, fig, cedar, and desert pepper to create an intoxicating scent that settles nicely on the skin.
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum, $275 (90ml)
YSL’s Libre EDP is a delicious blend of floral lavender, orange blossom and musk accord, if you’re looking for something fresh and floral but still packs a punch.
Boy Smells Rose Load EDP
Boy Smells Rose Load EDP, $163 (65ml)
Boy Smells takes your traditional scents and really flips them on their heads. Rose Load is formulated with a generous dousing of rose, mixed with the masculine accords of smoked papyrus and agarwood, as well as bits of fruit and spice to really give it a romantic spark.
Fruity perfumes
Kayali Eden Juicy Apple 01 Eau De Parfum
Kayali Eden Juicy Apple 01 Eau De Parfum, $185 (100ml)
Talk about a juicy fragrance! Kayali’s Eden Juicy Apple 01 EDP features top notes of red apple, exotic lychee, sparkling pink grapefruit and tart blackcurrant, with mid notes of sweet wild berries, raspberry and jasmine. The perfume finishes with a creamy vanilla flower, amber and musk.
Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour Perfume Concentrate
Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour Perfume Concentrate, $235 (100ml)
The Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour Perfume Concentrate is a heavenly cocktail of citrus and spicy delights, including Australian desert peach, pear, mandarin, jasmin, green mango, ginger, coconut cream, and sandalwood.
Versace Pour Femme Dylan Purple Eau De Parfum
Versace Pour Femme Dylan Purple Eau De Parfum, $175 (100ml)
Looking for a fresh yet fruity fragrance? Try Versace Pour Remme Dylan Purple EDP. It is a sparkling blend of bergamot, orange, pear, freesia, mahonial, pomarose, cedarwood, and musk that lasts hours and settles sweetly on the skin.
Le Labo Bergamote 22
Le Labo Bergamote 22, $354 (50ml)
Almost everyone has had a LeLabo fragrance on their wishlist at some point. This particular perfume is a fusion of citrus, floral and musk that makes for a unique fragrance.
Maison Margiela Under The Lemon Tree
Maison Margiela Under The Lemon Tree, $210 (100ml)
Love a lemon? Maison Margiela’s fragrance is composed of sharp citrus and invigorating green notes, including lime accord, coriander and tea leaves that are blended with cedarwood essence and white musk.
Woodsy perfumes
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, $388 (70ml)
This cult fragrance opens on a romantic note of jasmine and saffron before deepening into a woodier blend of amber accord and cedar. It’s one of those fragrances that softens and lingers on your skin long after you spritz it.
diptyque Orphéon EDP
diptyque Orphéon EDP, $272 (75ml)
Almost any Diptyque fragrance is worth your hard-earned cash, but we’re particularly fond of this woodsy scent. Orphèon features notes of juniper berry, tonka bean for warmth, cedarwood and jasmine, and when sprayed on the skin, linger long into the day.
Comme des Garçons Wonderwood EDP
Comme des Garçons Wonderwood EDP, $173 (100ml)
This one is all in the name — Wonderwood. It’s a deep, darker fragrance that contains cedar, sandalwood, cypress, pepper, vetiver, oud, cashmeran, incense, nutmeg, bergamot, patchouli, caraway and guaiac wood.
Fresh/Clean perfumes
Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 Eau De Parfum Intense
Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 Eau De Parfum Intense, $223 (100ml)
This little baby is almost good enough to eat! Kayali’s Yum Pistachio Gelato EDP is a delicious explosion of irresistible and edible notes, including pistachio, whipped cream, roasted hazelnut, sweet rum, fluffy marshmallow and fizzy cotton candy. Ooft, can you imagine the compliments?
Ellis Brooklyn Sun Fruit Eau De Parfum
Ellis Brooklyn Sun Fruit Eau De Parfum, $180 (50ml)
This fresh fragrance is loaded with a creamy and unexpected blend of fresh fig, bergamot, handpicked jasmine, cyclamen and vanilla. One spritz, and you’ll feel like you’re off on a summer holiday.
A.N. OTHER FR/2018 Parfum
A.N. OTHER FR/2018 Parfum, $166 (50ml)
Mecca describes this one as “a classic gin cocktail in a fragrance” Lord, they’ve got me. This fresh formula contains citrus grapefruit notes, melon pop rocks, juniper, Madagascar ginger and a musky base.
