There are a lot of ways to use flowers in perfume, but I always like fresh flowers best because they are pretty and classic. Mixing the power of the petal with light and crisp notes is always a good idea, and these are great for daytime wear.
But I don’t limit the category; there are many ways I like to wear fresh flowers. When I want a beachy smell, I sometimes go aquatic. When I want something unexpectedly rich, I go creamy. And when I want to be subtle, I go skin. There are many types of perfumes, including solid perfumes, body mists, and hair perfumes. This list, which I put together, has a little bit of everything, so you can wear fresh flowers however you want.
Best Fresh Floral with Water Notes
Sephora sells Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne for $80. Also think about $90 at Nordstrom and $170 at Bloomingdale’s. I love BBC period pieces, and whenever I wear this scent, I feel like I’m in one—specifically walking along a windy beach on a deserted British coast. Maybe looking for seashells or fossils. The unique blend really does transport you to a place that smells like salt air and driftwood. It makes me feel good and gives me energy, like a fresh breeze. It’s one of my all-time favourites.
Sage, sea salt, and ambrette seeds are some of the notes.
Best Hair Mist with Fresh Flowers
$135 for Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Le Parfum at Nordstrom. Also think about $135 at Neiman Marcus. Bloomingdale’s. A hair mist makes any scent more interesting in some way. Just think about it: when you toss your hair, you leave a trail of perfume behind. I used to love spraying perfume on my hair, but then I found out that alcohol can dry out hair. This is why I only use hair perfumes that are made for hair. Sisley put their signature scent in a bottle for that reason, and it is a bright, fresh citrus-floral blend that is good for the hair and scalp. Every time I flip my hair, I feel like I’m giving off the smell of a sunny road trip along the Italian coast.
Lemon, lavender, verbena, mimosa flower, aromatic plant accord, and woody amber accord are some of the notes.
Best Creamy Fresh Flower
$235 for Byredo Alto Astral Eau de Parfum at Nordstrom. Also think about $230 Bloomingdale’s $235 Saks Fifth Avenue. It’s not easy to find a scent that is both fresh and cosy, but this one is both. The name comes from a Brazilian Portuguese phrase that means “good vibes, happiness, and optimism,” and this perfume captures that feeling perfectly. It has a warm and sunny Brazilian feel to it that makes me want to go to Rio.
Best Solid Fresh Floral Scent
$75 for the Heretic Parfum ‘Til Death Solid Perfume Compact from GOOP. Okay, I know what you’re thinking: How can a perfume called “‘Til Death” smell like flowers? But please stay with me; it really is. Douglas Little, the founder of Heretic, the perfumer, and the executive creative director, has a wonderfully dark and gothic mind. That’s why he was the perfect person to make a scent based on “The Bride!” This is a new version of the 1935 movie “The Bride of Frankenstein.” The perfume has a complex and romantic scent that is both earthy and soft, and it smells mysterious and interesting. Also, I want to show off the stylish mirrored compact as much as I can.
Cedar, frankincense, jasmine sambac, rose, cypriol, orris, and musk are some of the notes.
Best Skin Scent with Fresh Flowers
$82 for Glossier You Fleur Eau de Parfum at Sephora. When Glossier You came out, it made scents for skin a thing. (If you didn’t know, that’s a type of fragrance that is known for being soft and comforting and smelling a little different on everyone.) Fleur steps it up a notch with a hint of flowers that is just strong enough to be noticed without going too far outside the category. I love how soft and cosy it is, like a blanket you love to curl up with.
Ylang-ylang, apricot skin, and ambrox are some of the notes.
The best fresh floral body mist
$32 for Rosie Jane White Tee Body + Hair Perfume Mist at Sephora and $32 at Nordstrom. This really does smell like a T-shirt that has just been washed. Think of it as the smell of clean laundry, but better and with more personality. It’s soft and powdery, but not like your mom’s laundry detergent. I like to spray it on when I want to feel fresh.
Best Fresh Floral Perfume for Romance
Parfums De Marly Delina Eau de Parfum $250 Nordstrom. Think about $250 too $220 at Neiman Marcus. Bloomingdale’s. This cute little bottle always makes me think of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. It would look good and smell good in the same way. Its tassel-topped design makes it look and smell fancy, but it’s a little too fancy for my taste. The juice has notes of rhubarb, lychee, and vanilla that remind me of all the fancy desserts the queen is always surrounded by in the movie. It also has Turkish rose and musk to add to the romance.
