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The best perfumes for women
A perfume is something personal to all of us. We want to find the signature scent that makes us stand out from others, and makes us feel confident in our body. However, finding such a perfume can be a difficult task, especially during the pandemic.
Thus, if you have been trying to find a perfume without having to leave your house, then you have come to the right place. We tested hundreds of perfumes and finally decided that the following ten are the best ones yet.
All of these perfumes have unique accords that make them set apart from the rest. We tested their longevity, sillage, and scent composition so that you can have a better idea of the perfume even if you cannot physically through it.
Perfume is like an invisible yet empowering accessory for each woman. It is a way for her to show her personality and feel confident. If you are perfume-searching and haven’t found the right perfume yet, then you are in for a luck today!
Below are 10 of the best perfumes that you can find in the market. They are romantic, decadent, airy, fresh, and warm. Each has its own set of accords that sets it apart from the rest and we have discussed it all in detail so you can pick the right perfume even in the era of social distancing and quarantine.
Best overall
Versace Bright Crystal perfume for women
This stylish pink bottle contains all of the mighty Donatella’s favorite floral scents. It gives very clean and summery vibes and will be ideal for anyone who wants a pleasant, noticeable, and soft fragrance for day-to-day use.
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Versace’s Bright Crystal is a classic floral EDT that has very refreshing, bright, and summer-y notes. If you are a fan of the stylish Donatella and love floral scents, then this product will suit you just perfectly.
The top note of the perfume contains water notes, pomegranate, and Yuzu. While the middle notes include Magnolia, Lotus, and Peony. Lastly, the base notes have Musk, Amber, and Mahogany. All of these scents mix and give you an aura of freshness, sensuality, and refinement.
Since it is an EDT, it does last for only a few hours; maximum: four to six hours before it fades away. So, you might have to reapply it throughout the day. The best thing is that it comes in various sizes; 0.17, 0.3, 1, 3, and 6.7 fl oz so you will always be able to carry it around with yourself.
However, if you do not like soft scents that are dominated by floral notes, this perfume is not for you.
Best for women in their 20s
Vera Wang Princess perfume for women
This heart-shaped purple bottle is ideal for all those who crave a balanced yet captivating scent to accompany them all day long. With a combination of water lily, mandarin, apricot, chocolate, amber, wood, and vanilla, the perfume can be worn to any event and any time of the day (or year)!
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The Vera Wang Princess EDT is perfect for all those people who love a mystical and aquatic scent.
Close yourself and imagine yourself on the shore of a beautiful beach in the Maldives. Imagine birds chirping in the background while you hear the waves crash with the shore after every few minutes and you inhale the beautiful salty yet refreshing aquatic smell. That is how this perfume smells like.
It can be categorized as an oriental floral fragrance with a spraying atomizer. The heart-shaped bottle contains mandarin orange, apple, apricot, and water lily as its top notes. Dark chocolate, tuberose, Tiare flower, and guava make the heart of the product. Whereas, the base contains vanilla, amber, and wood.
The perfume can suit anyone who likes a tropical, earthy and aquatic scent. The EDT lasts for five hours maximum after which it disappears. It is available in 30, 50, and 100 ml bottles.
Best for young women
Ariana Grande Ari perfume for women
It has wonderful marshmallow, blonde woods, rose rubs, crispy pear, and many other scents which are perfect for women who love an ultra-feminine fragrance that radiates an aura of playfulness, timelessness, and confidence.
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Ariana Grande’s Ari is a fruity, soapy, and powdery EDP that can be considered a modern classic. It is perfect for all those people who love an ultra-feminine perfume that radiates playfulness, and confidence.
The Floral Fruity Gourmand has raspberry, pear, and grapefruit as its top notes. The heart of the note includes vanilla orchid, roses, and lily-o-the-valley. The base includes musk, marshmallow, and wood.
We were a bit let down by the longevity of the perfume. It lasts only for 4.5 to 5 hours on the clothes and barely an hour on the skin. Given that it is an EDP, we expected it to be much more long-lasting.
The aesthetically pleasing geometric bottle is available in three different sizes; 1, 1.7, and 3.4 fl oz. So you can have a bottle for your vanity as well as a travel-sized one in your purse.
Best for elder women
Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds perfume for women
The product offers a mature, elegant, and sophisticated framework that is loved by many women. With different notes of orange, lily, rose, cinnamon, oakmoss, musk, and many more, the unit smells like a high-quality, dense, rich, flower bouquet.
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You might have seen this perfume on your mother’s or grandmother’s vanity. Made by the late Elizabeth Taylor herself, the White Diamonds perfume is a floral scent that has sharp, earthy, bright yet creamy accords. You might smell a hint of spice and tanginess as well.
The top notes include orange, lily, neroli, bergamot, and aldehydes. The middle notes have Narcissus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Cinnamon, Egyptian Tuberose, Turkish rose, orris root, and carnation. The base note has oakmoss, patchouli, musk, sandalwood, and amber.
The perfume is ideal for all those who crave a mature and elegant framework. The perfume lasts for five to six hours. Besides, you can gradually increase the intensity of the perfume so that it might last for longer.
The bottle is present in 1, 1.7, 3.3, 5.2 fl oz sizes which make it perfect for almost every purpose. It is perfect for the spring season.
Best refreshing scent
Vera Wang Embrace perfume for women
The product is the perfect blend between green tea, pear blossoms, and muskiness which is not overwhelming at all.
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If you are looking for a perfume that gives off a romantic, classic, and elegant aura and makes you feel confident but in a soft way, then this perfume is perfect for you. It is a very chic and modern perfume that is best for younger girls and women in their 20s.
The bottle has a spray atomizer that produces a fine mist and does not leave large drops all over your shirt. Furthermore, the perfume does not stain your clothes either. It feels like walking in a garden in the morning when the sun is just rising on the horizon. It is soft, fresh, musky, yet not overwhelming in any sense.
The top notes include bergamot, green tea, and pear blossom. The heart consists of orange blossom, freesia, and peony which blend with the base notes; cedar, sandalwood, and musk.
We were bummed when the perfume vanished from our skin within a few hours. We would have liked it if it lasted for a little longer. The perfume is available in 1 fl oz and 8 fl oz.
Best long-lasting
Clinique Happy perfume for women
The best thing about the product is its sillage and longevity. The scent is strong enough that it will last on your skin and clothes for hours and you might even get a faded whiff of the scent on your clothes days after you had applied it.
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Happy by Clinique is ideal for all those who want a perfume that can last all day long. It is fresh, uplifting, refreshing, and has a lot of citrusy and floral notes in it. So, if you are looking for a fragrance you can wear during the hot sweltering summer heat, then this is the one.
The perfume contains oranges, Indian mandarin, plum, bergamot, apples, and blood grapefruit in top notes. These blend into the heart which contains rose, orchid, freesia, and lily-of-the-valley. The base notes have musk, lily, amber, magnolia, and mimosa.
The product has a long-lasting effect because it is an EDP; which comparatively has high longevity than an EDT. Although, with this advantage comes the disadvantage of it being too strong. Thus, we will suggest you use it in small amounts and slowly build up the intensity to get to the desired limit.
It is available in 0.14 and 1 ounces and also in 1.7 and 3.4 fl oz. The unit has a spraying mechanism and we noticed that the spray atomizer spreads a nice thin layer of the liquid over your clothes and skin.
Best affordable
LUCKY You perfume for women
If you love soft yet loud perfumes that do not overwhelm your senses but delivers the desired results, then this is the product for you. It has fresh citruses, lightly floral, and sandalwood undertones.
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If you have a budget constraint, then this product is the best for you. LUCKY You is a floral and citrusy casual scent that can be used at any time of the day. It gives off spring and summer vibes and the smell does not overwhelm your nose and cause a headache.
The top notes include green leaves, grapefruit, and water hyacinth. The middle notes are composed of star jasmine, peony, and blue poppy while the base notes consist of amber, sandalwood, and musk. Thus, you will be getting the soft yet mystical scent all in one perfume.
The bottle is available in 3.4 ounces bottle and a spraying mechanism. The longevity is much less than expected. Some people claimed that it lasts for only 20 minutes on your skin before it dissipates. This means you will have to keep the bottle with you in your purse throughout the day.
Best for casual wear
Sarah Jessica Parker perfume for women
If you like a fresh-smelling scent that is heavy on floral, then this product is definitely for you. It delivers an exuberant orchid note which is bright, light, and pleasant.
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Lovely is a floral and woody fragrance that has sophisticated, refined, modern, and mature notes. It is ideal for all those people who love a soft, feminine yet musky smell. In particular, it will work perfectly for the autumn season.
Palisander Rosewood, martini, bergamot, mandarin orange, and lavender make up the top base. Whereas narcissus, orchid flowers, and patchouli constitute the middle notes. Lastly, the vase notes include wood and cedar.
The smell does last for many hours and you might even find a faded scent on your clothes days after. However, this product is not for people who do not like a very musky and woody smell in their fragrances. Though the smell gradually becomes inoffensive, the initial musky scent might bother people.
The bottle has a very elegant and minimalistic design with a spraying atomizer on the top. The bottle is available in 1.7 and 3.4 fl oz size.
Best aquatic fragrance
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue perfume for women
It is a clean, refreshing, delicate scent which makes you remember a sunny summery day in South Italy. It does have a few musky notes, but overall, the muskiness is not apparent and it can be used for daytime use.
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Light Blue is a beautiful, vibrant, and fresh EDT which has dominant fruity and floral accords. The best thing is that it is perfect for women of all ages. You can use it for yourself or gift it to your mother or grandmother as well.
Top notes include bellflower, cedar, apple, and Sicilian lemon. White rose, jasmine, and bamboo make up the heart. The base includes cedar, amber, and musk. One thing that we immediately noticed was how uplifting and refreshing it is!
We were also impressed by how long the scent lasted, given that it is an EDT. So if you are looking for a perfume to deal with summer days, then you need to have this one for sure!
The bottle is available in 0.85, 3.4 and 6.7 fl oz size and the bottle does not leak which makes it perfect to take with you when you are traveling.
Best for summertime
Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream perfume for women
The product is a sophisticated, elegant, and ethereal fragrance which has a very distinct combination of smells. It smells fresh, clean, something that came straight out of a dryer, although not in a negative way.
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Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream is an airy and light scent that contains a multitude of fruits and flowers which makes it the perfect floral perfume and also the best perfume during summertime.
Pear, grapefruit, and blackberry dominate the top base while litchi, jasmine, and wisteria and prominent in the middle notes. Both notes combine with the base notes that include coconut, musk, and white wood. Together, all of these different scents give you an ethereal scent which you will probably love for the rest of your life.
The longevity and sillage are not as much as we expected but it is not too bad either. The bottle is available in 1, 1.7, 3.4 fl oz bottles. It is perfect for younger people. However, it might not be suitable for older people.
What to look for in a good perfume
Selecting a perfume out of an array should be an easy chore, right? All you have to do is sniff the perfume if you are physically buying it or check the main ingredients if you are shopping online.
Wrong! There are a lot of things that you need to consider before buying perfume. Which factors are these? Let’s find out!
The type of perfume
Have you ever come across the term EDP or EDT when looking for perfume? And what are perfume oils? Body Mists? Have you ever wondered what they mean?
- EDP stands for Eau De Parfum. It has short longevity and lasts on your skin and clothes from anywhere between six to eight hours. They are not overwhelming at all and contain approximately 12-15% of the fragrance concentration in alcohol.
- EDT stands for Eau De Toilette. These fragrances are very light and usually last from four to five hours. They contain only 7-12% of the scent concentration and it is ideal for everyone who thinks Perfume Oils and EDP are too overwhelming.
- Perfume oils have the highest fragrance concentration; 20%. Although, instead of alcohol, it uses oil as its solvent. It typically has for six to eight hours.
- Body mists are light and refreshing scents that are perfect to layer with other perfumes. It contains only 3-5% of the fragrance concentration and lasts for only an hour or two.
You need to decide which type of perfume you want. If you buy an EDT, you cannot expect it to last all day long. Furthermore, you might have to carry the bottle with you everywhere to reapply. However, it is perfect for people who like a subtle but captivating scent.
EDP, on the other hand, is strong and might linger on your clothes even after eight hours. However, if you apply too much, they can overwhelm you.
Main accords/notes
Main Accords or notes of a perfume are similar to the notes that you play to create music. An accord/note is a scent that makes up the perfume –it is the composition and the scent you immediately smell when you apply the perfume.
Usually, a perfume’s composition is described using three different terms:
Top notes
Top notes or head notes are the initial scents that a person inhales when they apply the perfume. They usually evaporate much quickly and have a very strong scent. It is the first impression of the perfume and that is why it has fresh, sharp, and assertive substances in it.
Middle notes
Middle Notes or the heart notes are the scents you will sense immediately after the top notes evaporate. These smells are mellow and are usually used to mask the unlikable first impression of the base notes.
Base notes
Though base notes have a slightly unpleasant impression, in the beginning, it becomes pleasant over time. These are the scents you will detect after the middle notes disappear. They are used to give the perfume a depth so that the subtle touch of muskiness or mysteriousness. Usually, these scents linger on your clothes even hours after the application.
The top note is there to give you the best first impression ever. Whereas middle and Base notes are considered as the main theme of the perfume thus it is important to note the substances used in these two categories.
Longevity/ sillage
Longevity means how long the product will last on your skin and clothes whereas sillage means the scent trail which is usually left behind when someone wearing a perfume passes by.
For judging these factors, you first need to decide if you are buying an EDT, EDP, perfume oil, or body mist. Each one has a different concentration of the scents and so, they will have different longevities and sillage.
Irritants, allergens & perfume sensitivity
Most of the substances that are used in perfume are rather irritants than allergens. Irritants are usually different synthetic and chemical substances that are present in a perfume that irritates your skin when you apply it. If the perfume, as the name indicated, irritates your skin in any way, do not buy it.
On the contrary, Allergens are proteins that your body reacts to and then causes an inflammatory reaction to it. This can also cause other allergic reactions to occur. An allergen can cause itching, dryness, blisters, reddish skin, or a burning sensation.
However, most experts suggest that it is actually perfume sensitivity that one should be concerned with a perfume sensitivity. Does the perfume make you sneeze? Is it causing itchiness or stuffiness in your nose? Headaches? Nausea? If yes, you should not buy such perfume.
There is no definite way to determine which substances or chemicals might irritate you. It varies from one person to another. Thus, you need to look at the ingredient list to check if it has any of the allergens/irritants that normally affect you.
If you do not know about your allergies, then try a patch test. A physician or an allergist will expose you to a tiny amount of various allergens to see which one triggers you. Once you find these out, try avoiding them.
FAQ
Is EDP or EDT perfume better?
Though a lot of other factors play a major role in determining which perfume is better (for example; brand, product, your nature pheromones), EDP is considered to be stronger than EDT and will last longer as well. Most people suggest that it should be worn during the night. While EDT has short longevity and is considered best for daytime use.
Is it worth buying expensive perfume?
Yes, it is worth it. The reason is that the higher the price tag, the more chances that the product has more natural oils and absolutes than an inexpensive one. Usually, the inexpensive ones are made from water or alcohol which can affect their permanence.
What makes perfume smell last longer?
If you apply a small layer of unscented lotion or moisturizer on your skin before applying the perfume, it will last longer. Keep in mind that different skins retain perfume in different ways. For example, oilier skin is known to retain fragrance much longer than normal or dry skin.
Do you spray perfume on clothes or skin?
You can spray on your clothes but if you want it to last longer, try spraying it in all of the target areas that are exposed to air at all times; the pulse point near your collarbone, inside of the wrists, and inner elbows.
Why can’t I smell my perfume?
You might have what is called ‘Nose Fatigue’. The phenomena explain that people get used to how they smell and it gets mixed with all of the other smells as you get used to it.
Final verdict
Selecting a perfume is indeed a difficult task and after reading the article, you might have guessed that it gets a bit technical too.
Make sure to always check the main notes and accords of any perfume that you are going to choose. Scan the substances and check if any ingredient causes irritation or an allergic reaction in you. Furthermore, also try to evaluate the longevity of the perfume. If you are purchasing in-store, you can check it out by applying it to your wrist and waiting for a while. If online, try reading the reviews.
Each of the above products has its own set of advantages that makes them stand out from the rest. We hope this article proved to be a fruitful read! Have a great day!
