Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

12 best perfumes for spring

Our picks of the new scents for a new season

Tuesday 09 February 2016 18:22 GMT

Chloe Fragrance

Whether you're gift-buying for Valentine's Day or searching for a new fragrance for 2016, here's our pick of the best light and airy, spring-time scents. From fresh green grass to spring blooms, and zesty citrus to clean musks, whatever your fragrance preference, there's one here to suit for spring.

1. Creed Love in White Eau de Parfum: £165 for 75ml, Creed

A stunning bouquet of white florals - magnolia, narcissus, white hyacinth and white iris from Florence - are complemented by a hit of orange zest, and a warm base of vanilla and sandalwood. With an illustrious history of supplying perfumes to European royals since 1760, Creed still uses the infusion technique (abandoned by modern scent-making) and hand produces various components for each scent. It's at the upper end of fragrance pricing, but worth every penny for perfume perfection.

2. Molton Brown Dewy Lily of The Valley & Star Anise Eau de Toilette: £39 for 50ml, Molton Brown

Clean, sweet and bright, lily of the valley is one of our favourite scents. Many fragrance houses have tried to replicate the flower's notes but it's not easy and can end up with a bit of a chemical tinge. This delightful fragrance captures the flower's qualities perfectly. Fresh green top notes blend into a floral heart of lily of the valley and magnolia, with a lingering base of ylang ylang.

Launches February 15th

3. Miller Harris L'Air de Rien eau de parfum: £65 for 50ml, Miller Harris

Legendary actress Jane Birkin only put her name to two brands: the Hermes Birkin bag, and this scent with Miller Harris. To celebrate 10 years of L'Air de Rien, it is being re-launched with a limited-edition bag exclusively illustrated by Jane herself. Light and ethereal, nonchalant and mysterious, L'Air de Rien was developed by Jane to evoke memories of a past affair. Her distinctive style is captured in the unusual blend of amber, vanilla, neroli, oak moss and musk – warming tones, but with a real spring lightness.

Launches February 15th

4. aStore 2: £29.50, acanteenstore.co.uk

From the eclectic aStore Canteen comes its lifestyle beauty brand, aStore, and a new range of scents, body care and candles. These products are ultra-stylish, affordable and paraben, SLS and aluminium-free. They're handmade locally by a bio-scientist specialising in herbal medicine and blended with natural ingredients. The brand includes the handbag-sized, rollerball fragrance, bottled in amber glass, which preserves delicate essential oils and avoids plastics and aluminium chemicals from leaching into the scent. aStore 2 is their second fragrance and it's an energising blend of aloe and cucumber with a citrus twist from blackthorn berries.

5. Chloe Love Story eau de toilette: £58.50 for 50ml, Boots

This is a light and lush sensual fragrance for every day wear, blending fresh and floral orange blossom, jasmine and cedarwood. It's a softer, fresher modern take on the original Love Story Eau de Parfum.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Rosa Excelsa eau de parfum: £65 for 50ml, Debenhams

A distinctive rose heart in this scent is given a modern twist with neroli leaves, papaya flower, white waterlily and white daffodil. It feels green and lush, but with the elegant undertone of the timeless rose. Warm musky notes and rich sandalwood create a earthy, sensual base for this powerful, yet somehow innocent scent.

7. Jo Malone Orris & Sandalwood Cologne Intense: £105 for 100ml, Jo Malone

Creamy and captivating, this is the spring scent for you if you like a more unusual fragrance. Woody and floral, it's intense and sensual, but also sunny and exhilarating. Orris is the root of the iris plant, so although it's a floral, it's also deep and earthy. Not your usual run-of-the-mill spring scent, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

8. Atkinsons Rose in Wonderland eau de parfum: £120 for 100ml, Harrods

Atkinsons is another heritage perfume house that's been around since 1799. This edgy interpretation of a classic perfume ingredient, the rose, is distinctive and intriguing. There's nothing innocent or gentle about this rose-based scent - blackcurrant buds, geranium, vetiver and cristal amber give it a radical and unfamiliar edge. Not for the faint hearted, this is perfect if you like your fragrances with an unusual twist.

9. Donna Karan Liquid Cashmere eau de parfum: £65 for 50ml, Harrods

A limited-edition take on Donna Karan's iconic Cashmere Mist, Liquid Cashmere retains the original softness, but throws in zingy top notes of juicy mandarin and crisp bergamot. A bouquet of jasmine, turkish rose petals and orange flower gives the floral heart a modern edge, and it dries down into warm, sensual vanilla, patchouli and sandalwood.

10. Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush eau de toilette: £54 for 50ml, Debenhams

Airy, lush and energising, this is the perfect spring-time scent to start off a new year. Fresh florals violet leaves, waterlily and bergamot, blend into a warm floral heart of lily of the valley, rose and freesia, with a base of clean musks and vetiver. A lush modern take on the feminine and pretty.

Launches February 24th

11. Ted Baker Lyla eau de toilette: £15 for 10ml, Boots

An initial zesty kick of bergamot, grapefruit and peach settles into a heart of jasmine and rose, and dries down into a warming rich base of amber, vanilla, musk and sandalwood. This is an affordable, citrus-floral blend for spring time.

12. DKNY Be Electric Citrus Pulse eau de toilette: £37 for 50ml

This is pure citrus zing in a bottle. Nectarine, mandarin and passion fruit top notes, give way to a floral heart of jasmine absolute and magnolia, and dry down to a rich, creamy sandalwood musk base. This is a real pick-you-up fragrance when you need an early morning kick start.

Available from March from the Perfume Shop

Verdict:

Molton Brown has perfectly captured the innocence and beauty of lily of the valley (no mean feat as it's one of the hardest scents to distill), the iconic Jane Birkin Miller Harris scent (launched on the 15 February) is nonchalant and ethereal, while aStore 2 is energising and lively. But for sheer sumptuousness, Creed Love in White is one of the most stunning scents we've tested in a while.