Is it vain to think that I wear fragrance well? That my skin’s natural scent mixes so perfectly with fragrance that when I spritz on my parfum de jour, it’s sure to impress passersby? Heads turn, people stop me on the street to inquire what exactly it is that I’m wearing. A great scent has an undeniable star power that’s energizing, confidence-boosting, and self-assuring. Narcassistic or not, I know smell good.
I started toying with the idea of writing about my most complimented perfumes over a year ago. To be fair, I’ve never been one for a signature scent. Growing up, my idea of a great fragrance was what my mom and I picked up on our monthly trip to Bath & Body Works. My go-to scent changed with each purchase—and often mirrored what my friends were buying. We’d ogle over the same aromas (looking at you Japanese Cherry Blossom) distilled into a body mist or whipped into lotion. We all pretty much smelled alike; looking back, individuality was important, but scent was, to a great extent, really about fitting in.
A decade later with a beauty writing gig at Vogue, I was inspired to reimagine my relationship with scent. I began to study perfume and cologne as if it were a college course: smelling every single bottle, new and old, that hit the beauty closet—jotting down what I liked and didn’t like in the Notes section of my phone. When you apply this kind of methodological approach to scent, you learn really quickly which kinds of perfumes you gravitate towards. If my fragrance profile were a Meyers-Briggs test, the results would be FSVO, standing for fresh, spicy, vanilla ouds—though, in compiling this list, the perfumes I get the most compliments on don’t even fit this mold. From Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu to Chanel Chance Eau Vive, it seems fruity florals wear well on me. Or at least, these are the kinds that get the most praise.
I like to think that learning about your fragrance preferences is a way to learn about yourself—or in this case, how others see you. Below, a look at my six most-complimented perfumes, according to according to everyone who has ever told me I smell great.
Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu Eau De Parfum
- Why I Love It: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu has to be my most-complimented scent on this list. Shout out to my Vogue colleagues who hype me up when I strut in from the beauty closet wearing it. I often think I’ve worn it so much throughout our busy workdays that they would get used to it; but no, they continue to delight in its sweet, fruity signature. This is from the featured fig and blackcurrant, but it’s truly an iris scent which balances this fruitiness with a sort of earthy, floral. I like that it’s warm and delectable, without being overpowering.
- Key Notes: Iris pallida, jasmine sambac, patchouli essence, fig, blackcurrant
Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede Cologne
- Why I Love It: I swear by this Jo Malone London scent when I want to feel sweet and feminine. It’s one of those fragrances that’s undeniably girly via peony mixing with rose and honey accents at its heart, balanced by a soft suede. Red apple as a top note gives it a fruity crispness—enlivening its wearer til the floral notes take hold. Like any good fruit, or any good floral, this always leaves you wanting more of it.
- Key Notes: Red apple, peony, rose, honey, suede
Hermès Barénia Eau de Parfum
- Why I Love It: I hopped in an Uber the other day and seconds after saying hello, my lovely driver remarked “you smell amazing! May I ask what you’re wearing?” “The new Hermès Barénia,” I quipped back. He hadn’t yet heard of it so I spelled it for him. Though Hermès’s latest EDP only just launched earlier this month (with a star-studded NYC launch party, no less), Barénia has become a mainstay in my fragrance rotation. “When you put Barénia on your skin, it feels like a caress,” perfumer Christine Nagel told a group of editors. A true chypre, this embodies the Hermes woman: elegant, bold, and unforgettable.
- Key Notes: Butterfly lily, oakwood, miracle berry, oakwood, patchouli
La Bouche Rouge Nude L’Extrait de Parfum
- Why I Love It: There’s a sub-category of my most-complimented scents that are light and easily layered thanks to their skin-enhancing qualities. My long-held favorite is La Bouche Rouge’s Nude. Described by the brand as a “silken caress,” it smells soft and sensual on the skin. Refreshing bergamot and fig are balanced by a velvety, gentle wood base that pairs excellently with other scents.
- Key Notes: Fig, bergamot, rose, iris, cedarwood, guaiac wood
Chanel Chance Eau Vive Eau de Toilette
- Why I Love It: Eau Vive is a fitting name for this Chanel perfume; “vive” after all, means long live in French. One of four scents from Chanel’s Chance collection, I’ve found this one the most invigorating—leading with zesty blood orange and grapefruit, rooted with jasmine and a cedar-iris accord. I mostly wear it when I have a big day ahead and need an energy boost.
- Key Notes: Grapefruit, blood orange, jasmine, cedar-iris accord
Costa Brazil Aroma
- Why I Love It: The allure of the jungle is that it engulfs you—making you one with nature. The same can be said for Costa Brazil’s Aroma, which leaves you wanting more after each wear; natural ingredients sourced from the Amazon (white jungle flora, Brazil orange oil) stir activate its captivating aroma. Its woody, herbaceous qualities are enlivened by pink pepper and grapefruit zest, then grounded by bourbon, nutmeg, and plant-based musk for an EDP that makes one (read: me) feel wild and free. Maintaining a bit of IYKYK status among industry insiders, I know one of my peers will ask if I’m wearing it.
- Key Notes: White jungle flora, Brazil orange oil, pink pepper, and grapefruit zest with opposite notes of bourbon, vetiver, musk, and patchouli
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