20 Best Perfumes and Fragrances for Women

Many perfumes are designed to last all day into night, but most scents will fade after seven to nine hours. While I can’t guarantee it because factors like sweat may impact the life of your first spray, this Le Labo Santal 33 Eau De Parfum is a notably (according to reviews) lasting fragrance that won’t let you down. Described as the “spirit of the American West,” this perfume is a unisex scent with notes of cardamom, violet and iris, sandalwood, and leather, among others.

Founder Bee Shapiro created the Ellis Brooklyn line of cruelty-free and vegan fragrances known for its complex scents from 9 different fragrance families described as citrus, aquatic, and woods, among others. Vanilla Milk wins our choice for the best vanilla fragrance that’s warm and sweet but not too cloying, which occurs with some vanilla scents.

The original musk scent probably isn’t something you want to wear (hint: it came from the sex glands of a Tibetan musk deer, now a protected species), but today, many of these earthy, sensual scents capture smells like dark green woods or rich spices with exotic floral undertones. I love Heretic Florgasm because it smells like crushed flowers and damp leaves—like a walk in a forest after a rainstorm when everything is damp and heavy with botanicals.

Sweet but not cloying, Kensie So Pretty is a lightweight, sweet perfume that doesn’t overpower. Some users say they catch a whiff of vanilla, but this perfume is built on fruity flavors like apples, bergamot, and tangerine. The bottom fragrance notes are white cedar and musk that help balance out the sweetness.

The essence of summer by the sea and in the surf can be obtained in a bottle. While you won’t find saltwater in the ingredients, it smells like wild grasses or beach flowers in the sand and reviewers say it smells like the shore. If you want to be a surfer girl, but can’t get to the beach, try this summery scent and let your imagination do the rest.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this affordable, best-selling perfume by Dossier was created with this adage in mind. It was inspired by the best-selling scent, Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. While many teens (and adults) can’t afford its price tag (over $100), they can indulge in a similar explosion of scent for under $30. And if you don’t think it comes close enough to the original, all returns are free.

This perfume is made to be worn by men or women. I chose it for mature women because it’s sophisticated with musk and woodsy base notes that balance the sweet freesia and jasmine in the middle ones. It’s also EWG-verified and Cradle to Cradle certified, which means the ingredients in this perfume “meet the strictest standards of health, safety, and transparency known today,” making it a smart choice for mature and sensitive skin. Plus, you can share it with your partner—it’s made for everyone.

This perfume is like smelling a late spring garden with top notes of aromatic basil rounded off with neroli smelling of bitter orange blossoms. While there are more floral perfumes full of roses and gardenias, I love this one for its fresh, clean scent. Some reviewers say it doesn’t last as long as other perfumes, but that’s because it is a cologne, which unlike a perfume (which has more oils), doesn’t hold its scent for long periods. And it’s expensive, so if you are on a budget, I recommend skipping this perfume. Shopping tip: Jo Malone’s Wood Sage Sea Salt scent made our list of the best colognes for men.

If you dream of strolling among the lemon trees in Sicily, this fruity perfume may be your new favorite. A nice departure if you want a break from grapefruit and lime notes (equally nice) often found in fruity perfume. Under the lemon trees is not overpowering in its citrus scent, making it a good everyday, lightweight.

Amazing Grace is a popular daily perfume for women who like a subtle, long-lasting floral scent with bergamot, lily of the valley, and musk. One reviewer said: “It smells like you're having your best day ever, and then you found money on the sidewalk.” It’s hard to beat that description, but we also found it a wonderful perfume to layer with other scents or wear independently. And if you love the scent, it also comes in a three-in-one bubble bath, shower gel and shampoo, plus a scented firming body cream.

An affordable designer perfume that smells like a garden, Gucci Bloom offers all of this and more. Natural tuberose and jasmine scents create a lightweight white floral scent on the skin, but doesn’t lack staying power. One reviewer said it is a recent revolving standard in her perfume rotation because of its flowery scent, which can be worn day or night.

A fashionable friend told me once that perfumes by Frédéric Malle are all she ever wears, and there are a lot to choose from. Visit his website to find your new favorite scent based on creations and mood. You can also find an olfactive map to help you understand the different compositions of his collection of perfumes created by a variety of perfumers. I love Synthetic Jungle's nod to scents like patchouli and black current. If you want to get your Daisy Jones and the Six vibes on, this scented homage to the ‘70s is the perfect (perfume) accessory.

This adorable bundle of three bestsellers from scent-master Snif (Tart Deco, Sweet Ash, and Way With Woods) is a great way to introduce new scents to yourself (or the one you love). These genderless scents are small enough to get through security at the airport or tuck into your smallest clutch when you head out for the night. All of Snif’s products are vegan and meet industry clean standards, without parabens, preservatives, or synthetic dyes. Packed into a cute min case, you can wear each one alone or mix and match if you must to find your new favorite scent.

If you want to surprise your sweetheart with Valentine with lotions and potions, this floral-forward smelling gift set comes with body wash, body cream, and perfume mist all in one pretty-in-pink package. Good for all skin types, too. Featuring Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 68 scent, if you like tropical smells, this has notes of Brazilian jasmine, pink dragonfruit, ocean air, and a touch of Tropicalia vanilla.

Skip the chocolates and seriously indulge in a box of sweet smells when you purchase these bonbons. If you can afford it (this is a big splurge) Bond No. 9 Grand Bon Bon Box is packed with 30 brightly wrapped foil perfume samples in a gold-lined coffret. They look pretty enough to eat, but these sweets span a wide range of Bond No. 9’s most popular eau du parfums, many named after New York streets and neighborhoods, from Madison Avenue (which includes notes of apple, bergamot, blackcurrant, rose, jasmine, magnolia, patchouli, ambroxan and praline) to Coney Island (lime, tequila, melon and guava; caramel, dark chocolate and cinnamon; cedar, musk, vanilla and sandalwood). The other 28 are too numerous to name here, but if you love Bond No.9 or are curious about it, this is the box for you.

This clean, citrusy scent reminds me of high summer and comes in an easy-to-tuck away mini size (.34 ounces) of perfume from OUAI. North Bondi has a long-lasting scent. So a little roll-on goes a long way, which is exactly what you need when you are away from your full-size beauty products. And if you love the fragrance, you can also pick up shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products with the same scent.

Chances are you could find generations of family members who adore or wore this scent created in 1921. A heavier perfume than some of the lighter Chanel offerings, but this scent has been beloved by millions since the Roaring Twenties. Sophisticated but not overpowering, the scent is recognizable and relatable. Dab it on your pulse points—a little or a lot—depending on how you like to wear it. If you are not sure of what to buy your mom, this classic may be on the mark.

Called a mini-fragrance wardrobe, this collection of scents makes a great gift for someone you are still getting to know. A collection of eight minis (.002 ounces), you are likely to find something that appeals, with a mix of notes from woodsy and earthy to floral and musk. With all the lovely scents, if you want to keep it for yourself, I won’t be surprised.

If you love to get monthly surprises and scents are your favorite thing, Scentbird is a subscription service offering a wide variety of perfume and colognes in sample sizes small enough to throw into your carry-on bag or clutch. Create a profile online with Scentbird and choose your subscription—12, 6 or 3 months of products you pick delivered to your door in an 8 ml spray bottle.