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10 best perfumes for women, from floral to woody scents

We’ve found fabulous fragrances to suit everyone, from budget buys to luxury brands

Lauren Cunningham
Thursday 07 March 2024 11:56 GMT
<p>Chanel No5, Marc Jacobs daisy and more are all included</p>

Chanel No5, Marc Jacobs daisy and more are all included

Our Top Picks

The world of perfumery can be a tricky one to navigate, with hundreds of options to choose from. So, we sat down with one of the best experts in the business, to offer a little guidance that will help you pick the best perfume for you.

Firstly, there are two main categories that crop up when speaking about perfume: eau de toilette and eau de parfum. “Eau de parfum has a higher concentration of fragrance, which results in a longer-lasting aroma” shared The Fragrance Shop’s Natalia Ortiz. “Eau de toilette concentration is lower, falling between 8-12 per cent,” Ortiz added, which means it doesn’t last quite as long but is usually a little cheaper.

You may also be surprised to learn there’s a correct way to wear your perfume. “Fragrances work best with the natural oil and moisture of your skin,” Ortiz said. “Apply your fragrance directly to your skin after a shower and moisturising. Never rub your fragrance, just spray and let it settle,” she explained.

When it comes to choosing a new scent, look at the core ingredients of some of your favourite perfumes. More often than not, there will be three or four ingredients that stick out in almost every fragrance, and you can start to look out for these in other scents.

Below, we’ve rounded up our list of the best perfumes to buy now, and we’ll continually update this article every time another fragrance catches our eye (or our nose). So, keep scrolling to see what made the cut.

How we tested the best women’s perfumes

Just a few of the perfumes we tested for this round-up

Our beauty editor has spent years building up a vast perfume collection. For this round-up, we looked at famous fragrances – such as Chanel No5, Marc Jacobs daisy and YSL black opium, to name a few – as well as some relatively unknown names. Key categories to look out for were, of course, scent (although this can be rather subjective), longevity, ease of application and how the bottle looked (we want it to be stylish enough to display, after all). Keep scrolling to see which ones scored full marks.

The best women’s perfumes for 2024 are:

  • Best women’s perfume overall – Phlur father figure eau de parfum: £98, Freepeople.com
  • Best budget women’s perfume – Scentology pomelo and neroli perfume for women: £12.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best floral women’s perfume – Marc Jacobs daisy eau de toilette: £44.76, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best luxury women’s perfume – Chanel No5 eau de parfum: £71, Thefragranceshop.com
  • Best citrus women’s perfume – Floral Street sunflower pop eau de parfum: £74, Lookfantastic.com

Phlur father figure eau de parfum

Plur father figure eau de parfum-indybest
  • Best: Women’s perfume overall
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Lush fig, cassis buds, orris root, skin musks
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Smells like a little bit of everything

You may be surprised to learn our favourite women’s fragrance isn’t from a well-known brand. In fact, it’s likely Phlur’s perfumes aren’t on your radar at all.

Despite having a whole host of options available, it’s father figure that stood out the most for our tester, as it seems to have the best parts of every scent category combined into one. It’s slightly floral with whiffs of cassis; a bit fruity with fig; and rich and creamy with orris root, vanilla and sandalwood. So, if you’re not quite sure which type of fragrance is your favourite, this one is sure to tick almost every box. Plus, a little goes a long way, as it’s an eau de parfum, so it should last a really long time.

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Scentology pomelo and neroli perfume for women

Scentology pomelo and neroli perfume for women-indybest
  • Best: Budget women’s perfume
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Pomelo, neroli, jasmine, cedarwood
  • Size: 100ml
  • Why we love it
    • Bargain buy
  • Take note
    • Not for those who like labels

Named best fruity floral fragrance in our guide to the best bargain perfumes under £30, this Scentology option is a real steal at just £12.99.

Our tester praised the “sleek and minimalist” bottle, stating this brand’s scents “look much more expensive than they actually are”. But it didn’t stop there, of course, as our reviewer was also very taken with the scent: “Pomelo and neroli perfectly captures the sweetness of flowers with the sharpness of fruit, for a softly scented fragrance that sits in between the two. It’s light and airy yet still packs a punch.”

So, if you’re in the market for something a little more pocket-friendly, this is one of our top picks.

  1. £12 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Chanel No5 eau de parfum

Chanel No5 eau de parfum-indybest
  • Best: Luxury women's perfume
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Neroli, May rose, jasmine, aldehydes
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Instantly recognisable
  • Take note
    • Expensive

With Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba and Celine Dion all apparently fans of this fragrance, it’s safe to say Chanel No5 is one of the most popular perfumes on the market. Created in 1921, it’s certainly been around for an incredibly long time, building a long-standing reputation as one of the most luxurious scents to shop.

It’s scent is instantly recognisable, with neroli, May rose and jasmine giving it a floral feel, while aldehydes make it quite unique. Plus, as it’s an eau de parfum, it lasts all day. Although, as it’s expensive, especially when buying the bigger bottles, our tester likes to save theirs for special occasions.

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Floral Street sunflower pop eau de parfum

Floral Street sunflower pop eau de parfum-indybest
  • Best: Citrus perfume
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Mandarin, passion fruit, crystallised musk, raw honey
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Long lasting

This is one of our favourite fragrances. Inspired by Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, as you can probably spot from the bottle, it’s fresh, citrusy and really helps to lift our mood. Along with the smell of sweet flowers, the key notes are mandarin and passion fruit, for a zesty zing; honey; and crystallised musk, which adds a bit of depth. In fact, it’s one of the only scents we could keep spraying without it getting sick of it. Although, as it’s an eau de parfum, just two to three spritzes a day is probably enough to keep you well-scented, meaning one bottle lasts a really long time.

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Malin + Goetz dark rum eau de parfum

Malin + Goetz dark rum eau de parfum-indybest
  • Best: Sensual perfume
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Ripe plum, anise, bergamot, rum, milk
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Holiday-like scent
  • Take note
    • Too much can smell a little sickly sweet

The ingredients in this perfume read more like a cocktail list, because that’s exactly what it’s meant to smell like – a spiced rum Carribean cocktail. Mixing rum with plum, anise and milk (yes, really), it offers whiffs of a warm, spicy drink, conjuring up images of a sun-soaked beach. Though we loved the initial few whiffs, it can get a little sickly after a while, so less is certainly more. As it’s an eau de parfum, you really don’t need more than two or three sprays to leave you nicely scented for the whole day. So, if you’re a cocktail fan or simply want to feel like you’re on holiday, we’d certainly recommend giving this one a go.

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Marc Jacobs daisy eau de toilette

Marc Jacobs daisy-indybest
  • Best: Floral perfume
  • Type: Eau de toilette
  • Key notes: Wild berries, white violet, jasmine, sandalwood
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Fun bottle design

Another popular pick, this scent was launched in 2007, so it’s been around for quite an impressive number of years, without feeling dated.

Offering a sweet floral scent, it combines white violet and jasmine for a flowery fragrance, berries for sweetness and sandalwood to make it seem deeper and warmer, it has a little bit of everything while still staying nice and light.

  1. £44 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Yves Saint Laurent black opium eau de parfum

Yves Saint Laurent black opium eau de parfum-indybest
  • Best: Popular perfume
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Pear accord, mandarin essence, vanilla, white musk
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Lasts a long time
  • Take note
    • Very popular, so not ideal if you’re trying to find a signature scent

This YSL perfume is a hugely popular choice, so it’s perhaps one to avoid if you’re hoping to find a signature scent. However, this also points to it being one great fragrance, with a sweet and zesty pear accord, mandarin essence and vanilla made much deeper and more sensual with black coffee, cedarwood and white musk. We’ve found it the perfect pick for evenings out, and, as it’s an eau de parfum, it lasts an incredibly long time. Plus, you can often pick it up on sale.

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Sol de Janeiro Brazilian crush cheirosa 62 perfume mist

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian crush cheirosa 62 perfume mist-indybest
  • Best: Perfume mist
  • Type: Perfume mist
  • Key notes: Pistachio, salted caramel, almond, heliotrope
  • Size: 90ml
  • Why we love it
    • Easy to travel with
  • Take note
    • Doesn’t last very long

For those after a lightweight perfume that can be thrown in a gym bag without risk of smashing, Sol de Janeiro Brazilian crush cheirosa 62 perfume mist should certainly be on your radar.

It’s included in our best bargain perfume guide, with our tester raving about its scent and easy of use, thanks to a handy plastic bottle. “If you love the bestselling Sol de Janeiro bum bum cream (£18.90, Lookfantastic.com) you’re sure to fall for this fragrance,” shared our reviewer. “Food-like scents make up the main proportion, with pistachio, salted caramel and almond sitting as the key notes, so trust us when we say it will make your mouth water,” they added. Although, as it’s only a perfume mist (a lower concentration than an eau de toilette or eau de parfum), it won’t last as long, so regular top-ups are necessary throughout the day.

  1. £22 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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& Other Stories the lost chapter eau de toilette

& Other Stories the lost chapter eau de toilette-indybest
  • Best: High-street perfume
  • Type: Eau de toilette
  • Key notes: Sandalwood, papyrus, fig, carrot
  • Size: 50ml
  • Why we love it
    • Affordable

Also included in our best bargain perfume guide was this & Other Stories find. “Matching the mysterious name, this sharp yet sweet fragrance transported us back to an almost forgotten holiday,” shared our tester. “Sandalwood sits with papyrus, fig and carrot to create an earthy scent that strikes us of driving through farmers’ fields while on a hot holiday,” they added, making it a great option for those who aren’t a huge fan of sweet, floral fragrances. Plus, at just 50ml, it’s also travel-friendly – a huge plus, if you’re looking to carry it in your gym bag or are a frequent flyer.

  1. £29 from Stories.com
Prices may vary
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Floraïku spring river eau de parfum gift set

Floraïku spring river eau de parfum gift set-indybest
  • Best: For serious fragrance fans
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Key notes: Woody musk, ylang ylang, petitgrain oil
  • Size: 50ml plus 10ml travel size
  • Why we love it
    • Offers something a bit different

You may be thinking that perfume is pretty straightforward but Floraïku’s scents make it much more of an experience. Inspired by Japanese culture, each perfume comes hidden inside a bento box, complete with a 50ml fragrance and a long, hand-painted leather lid that doubles up as a removable travel case that houses 10ml of scent.

On the back of each bottle, you’ll also find a haiku, which the brand encourages you to repeat to yourself each time you spritz. While we don’t imagine many people will actually do this, the attention to detail really stands out, making the whole thing much more of an experience than your everyday basic bottle.

So, we’d say this is best as an extravagant gift or for those who really have a penchant for perfumes, as its price point reflects more than just the scent, which is soft and floral with notes of woody musk, ylang ylang and petitgrain oil.

  1. £260 from Harrods.com
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Women’s perfumes

While perfumes are incredibly subjective, with each person gravitating towards a different favourite scent, we’re confident we’ve found something to suit every preference, no matter if you’re after a sweet floral find like Marc Jacobs daisy or a deep, dark scent such as Malin + Goetz dark rum. Plus, if you’re searching for a budget option, Scentology’s fragrances look and smell much more expensive than their price tag suggests. When choosing the best of the bunch, we plumped for Phlur’s father figure, as it offers a little bit of everything in one bottle.

For more inspiration, check out our round-up of the best vegan perfumes

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