9 best hair perfumes to refresh your locks from Jo Malone, Sol de Janeiro, Penhaligon’s and more

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

Is it really any surprise that Penhaligon’s has created a hair perfume that smells divine, lasts all day, and doesn’t break the bank? The brand, founded in London all the way back in 1870 is known for its sophisticated scents and the  brand new Luna hair perfume that came to shelves at the beginning of July is no different.

It comes in a 30ml bottle which we found was perfect for slipping in our handbag so we could top up on the floral scent if we needed to during the day. After spritzing on our hair, we couldn’t feel the product and didn’t notice any signs of greasiness after using, but we could smell it. Penhaligon’s hasn’t been stingy with the fragrance, as the aromas of orange, jasmine, soft rose and fir balsam make their mark, sitting invisibly on the hair. So, although you can top up, you probably won’t need to meaning, despite looking small, this bottle will last.

Add to that an apothecary like bottle with a little bow, the classy Penhaligon’s label and a £40 price tag, we think this is one to display on your dressing table as much as it is to refresh your hair.

Best: For haircare

Rating: 8/10

This offering from Jo Malone is all about the haircare. It’s been formulated so it’s suitable for all hair types while also giving strands an extra boost. The mist includes natural-derived argan oil and vitamin E to nourish the hair and encourage a healthy shine while making it smell beautiful.

The floral scent has a musky undertone that gives it an immediate sexiness, so we loved using it in the evening. It was light on the hair, as promised but, although the scent is rich, it didn’t last as long as we would have liked, meaning we had to top up throughout the course of the day.

At £46 it is a reasonable price, but we think we’d get through the 30ml quite quickly because the scent doesn’t linger. However, we love the sleekness of the black bottle, the blend of notes and the haircare benefits this lightweight mist offers.

Best: For summer

Rating: 9/10

This delightful offering from Aqua di Parma is based on sweet and fruity raspberry and has top notes of peony which balances out the fruitiness with some freshness. It’s beautifully feminine and when we used it, we were immediately transported to the middle of summer.

It’s a light mist just like a regular perfume and sprays easily over the hair with no greasiness, stickiness or wetness. The bottle is sophisticated with a gold lid and pink tinted glass which would look beautiful on display. We also love the price of this one, because it’s a 50ml bottle and will only set you back £46. The scent is delicate so you may need a couple of extra sprays but because they give those extra 20ml on other similar products, we don’t mind.

Jo Loves was founded by Jo Malone CBE in 2009 after she took some time away from fragrance post selling her original brand, Jo Malone. Unsurprisingly, although she took time away, her gift for creating delicious, high-quality scents didn’t.

The fig hair mist is the epitome of fresh. It’s a blend of fig, rose and amber and lasts for hours. The fragrance itself is delicate enough that it isn’t overwhelming but strong enough that once you’ve sprayed it onto your hair, it stays. Like Aqua di Parma (£46, Selfridges.com), it also comes in a generous 50ml for only £45 and is also vegan and cruelty free which gets two big ticks from us.

Best: Budget

Rating: 7/10

If spending nearly £50 on a hair perfume seems like a lot, then look no further than Sol de Janeiro. The cheirosa ’40 perfume mist isn’t as sophisticated scent-wise as the others but does still give a unique fragrance to your hair. It also comes in two very healthy sized bottles – 90ml and 240ml – so if you love it, you can buy it in bulk.

It was a tad too sweet for our liking because it’s based on vanilla, but the scent was strong and vibrant and it did last on our hair for a while, although that much product for such a low price meant we didn’t mind topping up throughout the day.

Best: Scent

Rating: 9/10

Gypsy Water is a classic fragrance from Byredo and is worn by celebrities including Sienna Miller, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kate Bosworth so you’ll be in good company with this hair perfume. It’s invisible on the hair and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy when sprayed – all that’s left after a spritz is the beautiful scent. It blends smokiness with citrus and spiced pepper for a truly memorable scent that perked us up immediately. Just as potent as the regular fragrance, this is a standout scent. We can see why the celebs love it.

Best: For everyday

Rating: 8/10

This offering from Ruka Hair is affordable and healthy for our hair. It includes vitamin E, glycerin, vitamin B5 and omega 6 to nourish and build up our strand’s strength, which is particularly good curls, and has a nice scent. A blend of coconut and woody tones over vanilla base are reminiscent of summer holidays which makes this a light, sweet fragrance.

It was a light mist – although slightly heavier than some of the others in this edit – that left a strong scent that lasted for around two hours before we felt we needed to go in for another spritz. Plus, at only £25 for 50ml, it’s a great every day option and is definitely one to add to your fragrance wardrobe.

Best: Luxury

Rating: 9/10

So, this one is a little more luxe than the others at £75, but you do get a very healthy 70ml. For this specific fragrance, the brand has drawn on the French city of Baccarat for a woody, breezy aroma with notes of jasmine cutting through with a floral punch. We really liked how bold the scent was; just a couple of spritzes and we could strongly smell the scent on our hair. It lasted for a few hours which we were happy with and the mist didn’t feel heavy or damaging to our hair. We love that it’s alcohol free so our hair isn’t in for any nasty surprises.

Best: Floral

Rating: 8/10

Before even spraying this hair mist from Diptyque we knew we were going to like it because of the bottle. Oval with a black and white label that told us the scent we had was eau rose, it looked chic and expensive. But at £45 for 30ml, it truly isn’t that expensive.

The scent is centred around rose and light and fresh as well as being formulated with camellia oil to nourish hair. We didn’t notice too much of a difference to the feel of our hair after using the mist, but we did enjoy the floral scent. The summery notes from the perfume made us feel ready to take on the day, and we were even stopped and asked what fragrance we were wearing. Is there higher praise than that?