29 best floral perfumes that are too good to gatekeep
Floral perfumes are one of the biggest fragrance categories for a reason – we’re naturally hard-wired to find them irresistible. Before there was iCloud or Netflix, there has always been flowers. So really, they’re a gift from nature – wrapped in soft petals rather than silky ribbons – and who doesn’t love a gift?
Despite their popularity, in a world where we all want to find our own individuality, flowers pose an interesting offering. Different blooms project different moods. Given the variety and species of flowers are endless, it means there are floral notes out there to suit all different aspects of our personality.
And, we've seen a bit of an olfactory revolution in recent years. While floral perfumes have a reputation for being feminine and soft, contemporary fragrance pairings mean they don’t necessarily need to lean into old tropes. Florals can be brash, masculine and sultry, just as easily as they can be pretty, light and sweet. Just look at our gal, rose. Modern scents have helped shift the old-lady reputation of rose perfume in a different direction. These days, you can find her hanging with leather, lychee, patchouli and a whole new squad of co-conspirators.
Elsewhere, B-list flowers are making their way off the bench and onto the A-team. While jasmine and rose have emitted Main Character Energy for years, recent perfumes have given pretty florals like neroli (an essential oil hailing from orange blossom) the opportunity to shine. Prada's Paradoxe, Dior's J'Adore Parfum D'Eau and Phlur's Missing Person all tapped up the delicate bloom to be a star of the scents.
So, if you're in the mood to discover a new floral favourite, we've pulled together our edit of classic, trending and unexpected scents to add to your collection.
After more fragrance content? We’ve got the best perfume for springtime, the best new perfumes, zesty perfumes for all the fruity notes, unisex perfumes that smell good on anyone and the most popular perfumes for women of 2022 – from Flowerbomb to Diptyque and Dolce & Gabbana.
Scroll for our full edit of the best floral perfumes in 2024.
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Clean rose
Ouai Melrose Place Eau de Parfum, £54 for 50ml, Sephora
This has a clean, fresh '90s vibe about it, like a misted white rose, mixed with sparkling champagne. It has an uplifting bubble bath feel that makes is a pretty everyday option.
The floral musk
Phlur Missing Person Eau de Parfum, from £26 for 9.5ml, Selfridges
Phlur is the TikTok-famous sensation that has picked up over 50 million views and Missing Person is its star player. The idea is that it evokes the lingering scent of someone you love. It’s divided parts of the internet with some saying that it smells like a musty older relative and others convinced that it emits pure cuddly and warm vibes. It opens with a burst of florals, courtesy of neroli, orange blossom and jasmine, but quickly becomes a skin scent thanks to white musk and delicate woody notes.
The TikTok favourite
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Perfume Mist, £24 for 90ml, Sephora
Sol de Janeiro's uplifting but affordable scents have captured a whole generation, which is why retailers are reporting that the brand's scents are their top-sellers. Of course, TikTok has had a little sway with getting everyone on to beauty's worst-kept secret. This beachy floral scent gives daiquiri vibes and blends litchi, jasmine, hibiscus, sea notes and vanilla with musk.
The balletcore floral
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum, £145 for 100ml, Sephora
If you're looking for a soft, chiffony floral, Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle is a perfect match. It's elegant, delicate and romantic but still feels fresh and youthful. The rose, ylang ylang and orange blossom give a dewiness but the patchouli in the base leaves an alluring trail.
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The naughty floral
Tom Ford Beau de Jour Eau de Parfum, £106 for 50ml, Space NK
You know the whole ‘sex in a bottle’ thing that TF does so damn well? This is ‘outdoor sex in a bottle’ where misty, tangled botanical greens pin you against a glasshouse wall and psychedelic clouds of lavender give you an oxytocin high.
The throwback floral
Miss Dior Parfum, £126 for 80ml, Boots
Created by the nose behind TikTok’s cult Baccarat Rouge 540, Francis Kurdjian, alongside Dior's long-time perfumer François Demachy, the new Miss Dior parfum was designed with some heavy nostalgia. For those familiar with the much-loved and much-missed 2012 version of the scent, this moves closer, thanks to the re-introduction patchouli. And if you look at the notes of the 2012 and 2024 blends, there's plenty of overlap: mandarin, jasmine, floral notes and patchouli. But, it also keeps some of the cutesy quality of the 2021 rendition with apricot and peach, though the vanilla and tonka bean have been swapped out. The result is a gorgeous floral that's recaptured that sexy element of Miss Dior 2012.
Spicy rose
Aesop Rōzu Eau de Parfum, £145 for 50ml, Sephora
This is a “grown” “self-assured” spicy rose that's meditative and composed. This is the sort of scent you'd want to wear when you want to smell low-key pulled together. It's calming and classy.
The cool-girl rose
Le Labo Rose 31 Eau de Parfum, from £60, Cult Beauty
For a niche brand, Le Labo is an open secret in perfumery, but, you can’t deny, the scents are cool, considered and considerate. Sustainability is woven through the brand, from the refillable bottles to the carefully sourced ingredients and hand-formulated scents. Rose 31 is a self-assured scent clash of fun, jammy rose, with edgy spices that add warmth and some subtle toughness. She’s a layered babe, this one.
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A sugary floral
Kilian Love Don't Be Shy Eau de Parfum, £220 for 50ml, Cult Beauty
This is a syrupy gourmand floral that smells like cream soda, fluffy marshmallows and clouds of candy floss, blended with a glug of sensual vanilla. It's ambrosial, warm, sweet, creamy and intoxicating (and it's said to be a favourite with Rihanna). Juicy honeysuckle and plush rose are cocooned with a sugary accord for a seriously statement sweet floral.
The rich girl floral
Ex Nihilo Fleur Narcotique Eau de Parfum, £180 for 50ml, Harvey Nichols
This smells modern, sophisticated and expensive. It blends a peachy white floral up top with a sexier musk in the base. It's playful and sexy with a beast mode projection.
A sweet floral with a bit of an edge
Prada Paradoxe Eau de Parfum, £59 for 30ml, Look Fantastic
The campaign shots for this new perfume saw Emma Watson rock a pixie cut and it pretty much epitomises the fragrance: sweet, but strong, cute but kooky. It’s a bright, sweet floral with a musky trail that develops throughout the day.
The sexy rose
Narcisso Rodrigues Musc Noir Rose Eau de Parfum, £78 for 50ml, Boots
This sexy little number is rose stripped down to her negligee. Rather than feeling vulnerable though, she’s in full goddess mode. Naked, nonchalant and radiating heat. Suede and musk give this a skin-like sensuality, while plum and vanilla add richness. And thanks to the staying power, it lasts all day, and all night.
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The earthy rose
Byredo Rose Noir Eau de Parfum, £130 for 50ml, Byredo
Remember what we said about rose not having to feel prissy? The brand describes this rendition as “decadent and dirty”. Literally speaking, it delivers this with damp, earthy notes that are odd and offbeat, but weirdly sexy, too.
The easygoing floral
Lancôme Idôle Eau de Parfum from £52 for 25ml, The Perfume Shop
Dewy rose fumbles with creamy jasmine which warms up throughout the day. There's a ‘Clean & Glow’ accord designed to evoke sun-warmed laundry and the overall effect is happy, splashy, soft and easygoing. No wonder it's already become a cult classic.
A delicate creamy floral
Dior J’Adore D’Eau, from £63 for 30ml, The Perfume Shop
This beautiful scent describes itself as simply flowers and water. The formula is alcohol-free which means the harsh chemical scent that most fragrances have when first spritzed is axed and you can skip straight to the good part – which in this case is a delicate, creamy floral with notes of neroli, jasmine and magnolia (like a sun cream scent you could wear all year round).
The mood-boosting floral
Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette, £59 for 50ml, Look Fantastic
Marc Jacobs Daisy is as fun-loving and light-hearted as the day we first met her. A millennial icon, the flirty blend of tangy berries, whimsical white flowers and grounding sandalwood are instantly recognisable and beloved, which may be why it's a bona fide GLAMOUR favourite. On a summer day, classic Daisy feels like joy bottled.
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The soft floral
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Parfum, £86 for 50ml, Boots
This scent is a smooth operator. Individual notes are inconspicuous and instead it’s a soft, pretty embrace of silky sheer pink. It’s sweet and fresh but it’s perfectly tempered into a dreamy, creamy, low-key soapy spritz that’s quite honestly stunning. It’s well rounded, with no sharp edges, which is surprising when you consider the notes blend jasmine, rose, amber and cedar with a squeeze of grapefruit.
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The smoky floral
Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Eau de Parfum, £66 for 30ml, Look Fantastic
This scent simmers with low-key confidence. It’s strong, but it’s intimate, so friends have to lean-in to get the full hit of its power. You’ll find her a little bit tipsy, in the smoking area, chilling with a fag in her hand while coaxing others in for a DMC. As for the scent itself, sweet orchid, rose and heliotrope petals are soaked in honey and rum. Leathery labdanum and hazy myrrh add smokiness, but vanilla keeps things creamy.
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The anti-wallflower
This scent may be floral, but the perfume is no wallflower. It's a powerful, ultra seductive and totally moreish combination of intense tuberose (which is basically an aphrodisiac) and white musk.
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The subtly sensual floral
Jo Malone London Tuberose Angelica Cologne, £135 for 100ml, Jo Malone
This fragrance has been a staple in web director, Ali’s beauty cabinet for years. Tuberose gives a heady white floral scent while angelica and amberwood balance it out with spice and warmth. “It's sensual without being overpowering. It makes me feel confident and lifts my mood whenever I wear it. I'll be buying it for years to come,” Ali says.
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The green floral
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver Eau de Toilette, £83 for 75ml, Sephora
If trad overly sugary florals don’t do it for you, this lush, verdant take feels much more grounded and serene. This one leads you down the garden path and out to a sun-soaked clearing, with clear, fresh aromas that feel like you’re soaking up some rays in an Italian giardino on the med (si, grazie). Sweet breathy neroli, nestles next to earthy vetiver and sunny basil, with a glorious whisper of fresh fig.
The friendly floral
Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum, £77 for 50ml, Boots
Approachable, mellow and totally breezy. Gucci’s OG Bloom is the epitome of a pretty, spring floral. The white flowers work beautifully whatever the season, but they really come into their own when warmed up by spring and summer weather. It’s sweet but with a fluffy, sheer cloud of creaminess in there, too.
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The dewy rose
Maison Francis Kurkdijian L’Eau A La Rose Eau de Toilette, £95 for 35ml, Harvey Nichols
This dewy rose smells like pretty petals, made heavy with rain drops. It has a lush, soft innocence, but the rose itself is clear and heightened. As the scent develops, delicate notes of pear and musk emerge, warming the scent up like sunshine after rainfall. It’s sweet, fresh and youthful, but still very elegant.
The silky chiffon floral
Chloe Nomade Eau de Toilette, £36 for 30ml, LookFantastic
Fan of the original Chloe Nomade? Here’s the light version, like your favourite wool winter wrap dress but in a sheer chiffon texture to transition seamlessly into warmer climes. The star flavours of silky freesia petals and earthy oakmoss are still there, this time with an added shot of juicy lychee to bring a refreshing, mouth-watering hit.
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The quirky powdery floral
Miller Harris Violet Ida Eau de Parfum, £85 for 50ml, LookFantastic
Despite the name this isn’t a sugary overdose at all; it’s a love letter to Ida Arnold, the detective heroine from Graham Greene’s book, Brighton Rock. And this is what she smells like: skin-hugging vanilla, buttery iris root, soft petals and liquid-gold amber, with lasting effect of velvety talcum-powder that makes us feel strong, empowered and ballsy – but still super glam and feminine.
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The frosé rose
L’Occitane Rose Eau de Toilette, £46 for 50ml, Amazon
Rose: you tricksy little thing. You can be dark and twisted like a deep red thorny bud from a creepy Tim Burton movie. Or you can be wet and dewy and fresher than a glass of icy frosé on a Friday night after work. Soz Tim, this time we’re toasting to team frosé and downing L’Occitane’s perfect Rose eau de toilette by the bucket.
The bowdacious floral
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Bowdacious Eau de Parfum, £42 for 30ml, Amazon
So long subtle. Juicy’s in town. Bowdacious is as big and bold as the giant bow on this bottle and if you like your perfumes pink, powerful and punchy this is right up your strata. Think balmy island flowers, fleshy coconut and jasmine, drizzled with honeydew melon and sticky mandarin juice. It’s the massive neon flamingo inflatable at the chic little pool party and it’s not apologising for being born fabulous.
The citrus floral
Tiffany & Co. Sheer Eau de Toilette, £52 for 50ml, LookFantastic
We’ve actually found the perfume equivalent to tinted moisturiser: fresh and glowing (that’ll be the glimmers of mandarin), pumped with wellness (hello sharp twangs of tart, sweet blackcurrant) and whisper-soft on the senses (imagine rose-infused baby powder). Easy, breezy, luminous: we’re sold.
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The spicy floral
Mademoiselle Rochas Couture Eau de Parfum, £25.94 for 50ml, Amazon
Spicebomb lovers unite: there is finally an option for spring that won’t spread migraines across the office. It’s warm and nuzzly but not suffocating (that’s thanks to sharp pings of pink pepper and juicy slices of fresh pear). There’s a massive dose of orange blossom and lily of the valley, all swirled up with musks and tonka bean so the final effect is creamy and warm like fresh patisseries delivered to your local flower shop. Salivating much?
The optimistic floral
Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey Eaux & Magnolia, £65 for 50ml, Issey Miyake
Light, luminous and uplifting, this is the scent of fresh optimism. It’s quite light but softly enveloping with lemony magnolia dampened by splashes of water. It’s sheer, slippery and refreshing, like taking a dip on a hot day, then warming off on the grass with a sprite.
