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 daily. When I want a beachy smell sometimes, 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 different types available, such as solid perfumes, body mists, and hair perfumes. This list, which I put together, has a little bit everything, so you can wear fresh flowers however you want.
Cologne with Wood Sage and Sea Salt
Best Fresh Floral with Water Notes
Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne $90 at Nordstrom and $92 at Bloomingdale’s165 Neiman Marcus
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I love BBC period pieces, and when I wear this scent feels like I’m in one, walking along a windy beach alone 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 feeling. It’s one of my all-time favourites ever.
Sage, sea salt, and ambrette seeds notes are some of the scent notes.
Le Parfum Hair Rituel
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 made for hair. Sisley put their signature scent 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.
Alto Astral Perfume
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 sunny Brazilian feel to it that makes me want to go to Rio.
Notes: coconut water, incense, jasmine petals, milky musks scent, sandalwood, cashmere wood notes, and salted amber
‘Til Death Solid Perfume Box
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 gothic mind. That’s why he was the perfect person make a scent based on “The Bride!” This is a new version movie of the 1935 movie “The Bride of Frankenstein.” The perfume has a complex 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 floral note, and musk scent note are some of the notes.
You Fleur Eau de Parfum
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 scent note are some of the notes.
White Tee Body and Hair Mist
The Best Fresh Floral Body Mist
Rosie Jane White Tee Body and Hair Perfume Mist, $32, at Nordstrom Also think about Sephora for $32.
Yes, it really does smell like a T-shirt just 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 daily.
Notes: soft rose, cotton blossom note, and lily water scent
Delina Perfume
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. It looks and smells fancy with its tasselled top design, which makes it a little too fancy. The juice has notes of rhubarb, lychee, and vanilla that remind me of all the fancy desserts the queen is always eating in the movie. It also has Turkish rose musk for extra romance.
Notes: cashmeran, musk, vetiver, rhubarb, lychee, bergamot essence, Turkish rose peony, and vanilla sweet note
Why should you believe Cosmopolitan?
Celia Shatzman is a journalist who lives in Brooklyn and has written about beauty for 20 years. She has a collection of perfumes to prove it. (We don’t want to brag, but there are hundreds of bottles.) She loves the smell of desert after a rainstorm, which is called petrichor for people who like scents.
