What Do Vogue Editors Smell Like?

Few things are quite as personal in beauty as the quest to find the ones signature scent. With such a vast fragrance marketplace, it can become tiresome to find an option that leaves a lasting impression. Through our journeys to find something suitable to our sensory preferences, we’ve fortunately found some options worth buying again and again whether it be a best-selling classic or a current obsession. Below, 27 Vogue editors reveal the perfumes and colognes they can’t stop wearing.

Vogue Editors’ Favorite Fragrances:

• The Woody, Spicy: Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club, $160
• The Reinvented Floral: Yves Saint Laurent Libre, $130
• The Vanilla Spice: Diptyque Eau Duelle, $115
• The Cult Craze: Costa Brazil Aroma, $198
• The Desert Flower: Byredo Mojave Ghost, $200
• The Fresh Berry: Jo Malone London Blackberry & Bay, $155
• The Warm & Sensual: Fenty Eau de Parfum, $140
• The Sweet Cognac: Kilian Angels Share, $230
• The Suede Osmanthus: Dries Van Noten Fleur Du Mal, $280
• The Dusky Citrus: Acqua Di Parma Yuzu, $309

Kiana Murden, senior beauty commerce writer

As someone who does not have a signature scent, I enjoy changing my fragrances with the seasons. However, my go-tos share similar characteristics: a little warm, a tad spicy, with just hint of brightness—maybe a floral or citrus composition. For example, Jo Malone London’s new Hinoki & Cedarwood Cologne Intense has been on constant rotation since it launched in September—it has a subtle richness to it that I liken to a warm chai latte. Diptyque’s Lunamaris has a similar feel, but leans into pink peppercorn, incense, and rockrose for a scent inspired by a mother of pearl.

Hannah Jackson, fashion writer

I’ve always had a difficult time articulating what I want in a fragrance—aside from the fact that you will never catch me dead in a gourmand. (I will never forget the horrors of a vanilla body spray-filled middle school locker room.) But I think I’ve finally unlocked my perfume trifecta: It needs to have musk, florals, and amber. Like everyone else on earth, I love Glossier You for the way that it mingles with my skin without feeling overpowering. Earlier this year I used my Glossier You roller ball until the day it ran dry—and what a sad day it was. For that same reason, I’m obsessed with Byredo’s Mojave Ghost, which I first discovered thanks to my friend Erin, who always let me steal a spritz when we went out dancing.

Christian Allaire, fashion & style writer

I love spritzing Margiela’s Jazz Club fragrance for a night out—and it’s by far my most complimented scent from strangers. It has sweet notes of honey and woody notes of cigar boxes. As for Gucci’s The Last Day of Summer, I love this breezy, forest-inspired scent for the summer. There are notes of cedarwood, cypress, nutmeg, patchouli, and vetiver. It’s woodsy, yet fresh and light at the same time.

Margaux Anbouba, senior beauty editor

I had faithfully worn the Costa Brazil body oil as a base layer or substitute for a fragrance for years, so when the fragrance version was released it became an instant favorite. The aroma is the most recognizable, if-you-know-you-know scent I know of (and not many people know!) that smells incredible on everybody—the natural notes of citrus, spices, and waxy leaves interact with each body’s natural chemistry to smell completely sexy.

My father has worn the original Dior Sauvage fragrance for as long as I can remember. The OG smells so perfectly him and I could spritz it on without feeling overcome with emotion—but Dior’s genius perfumer, Francis Kurkdjian just released a new version has been slightly reimagined with a heavy dose of lavender. It feels lighter and a bit more modern but still has a touch of notes that smell just like my dad. I wear it in moments when I need to feel him close.

Chloe Malle, editor of Vogue.com

Any Frederic Malle scent is a favorite for me but the unisex Cologne Indelible is the scent I’ve been wearing every day for the last few years. I’m also charmed by this Liis Virginia Woolf–inspired fragrance, just bookish and brooding enough for fall.

Florence O’Connor, associate content manager & app news editor

I have always been a huge fan of the Le Labo fragrances but know far too many people who have claimed Santal 33 as their “signature scent” for me to dare to wear it. However, last year, I received the Le Labo The Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum tester bottle in the Liberty Advent Calendar and instantly fell in love with the subtle musky scent. After I finished my bottle I stole the one out of my mum’s advent calendar (she wasn’t going to use it—I promise!) and used up every last drop. I am also a huge fan of the Vilhelm Parfumerie Dear Polly Eau de Parfum scent (another Liberty Advent Calendar find) and it quickly became a staple in my perfume rotation. It’s a lovely woodsy smell that somehow lingers on your clothes all day all without making you feel like a walking car diffuser.

Chloe Schama, senior editor

I do not consider myself a “rose” person, which to me always has a whiff of grandma’s closet about it. But this one, from Maison Crivelli, has changed my mind. It’s rose with layers of Sweet Tart—sugary with just the slightest acidic undertone. When it’s on your skin, it’s less overtly sweet and overwhelming, more like a warm hug, a place you can settle into. A friend described it as a cashmere sweater of a scent, cozy, comfortable.

Eliseé Browchuk, production and marketing manager of experiences

Someone on the street stops me to ask what kind of perfume I’m wearing at least once a week, no exaggeration! I swear by Yves Saint Laurent Libre and don’t see myself straying from this bold scent any time soon.

Molly Barstein, content operations associate

My perfumes are seasonal and, at the moment, I’ve been alternating between Jo Malone Myrrh Tonka and Diptyque Eau Duelle. I love a vanilla-based scent, especially during the colder months, as it adds a bit of warmth.

Naomi Elizée, market editor

I currently have two go-to scents. First up is a fan favorite and its none other than Mojave Ghost by Byredo. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever get tired of this scent. More recently, I’ve been wearing Diptyque’s floral and flirty scent Eau Rose. I love how light and easy the smell is, it’s not too overpowering!

Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick, creative development senior associate

Just because half of New York City wears Santal 33 doesn’t mean you have to skip the other scents from Le Labo! I’m no nose, but for the folks who like a sophisticated, smoky, and comforting scent, Neroli 36 is for you. I don’t know what to say except that I love Blackberry & Bay and real scent heads know it’s one of the best from Jo Malone. Already wear a different Jo Malone perfume? Step up your scent game and start layering; these scents have a low alcohol percentage which means they’re made to be layered. Fine, I won’t gatekeep. Use this one along with Wood Sage and Sea Salt.

Chloe Schama, senior editor

For most of my life, I have been on the hunt for the perfect, effervescent citrus fragrance. The thing about citrus, though, is that it can lead you fairly quickly into adolescent, lemonhead candy territory, leaving you smelling a bit like the malls of your youth. This Acqua di Parma Yuzu fragrance avoids that pitfalls by layering the bright tang of yuzu over more complex and duskier notes—it’s a scent that shines brighter because of the darkness underneath.

Laia Garcia-Furtado, senior fashion news editor

I used to just wear one perfume all the time—it was D.S. & Durga’s Cowboy Grass before the pandemic, and then I switched to Rose Atlantic about a year in because Cowboy Grass smelled like, well, my old life, but I miss it and have been considering slowly bringing it into my rotation. Anyway, these days, I’ve been doing a seasonal thing; it feels very luxurious to have a little perfume wardrobe. In the fall, I was wearing Tory Burch’s Mystic Geranium; it’s light, a little sweet, but still a little bit musky.

My “winter” scent is No. 12 Bousval by Maison Louis Marie. On bare skin, it felt weirdly too intense and a little masc, but somehow under layers of knits and sweaters, it’s exactly right. If I ever go out at night—which is rare these days since I have a one-year-old at home—then I do Dries Van Noten’s Fleur Du Mal. It’s intoxicating and sensual, and I love it. I bought the “discovery kit,” which had all the fragrances and turns out there are a few that I really like, but that one’s my favorite. When it got close to running out, I decided to save the little bit that’s left for special occasions. Maybe I’ll ask for a full-size bottle for my birthday this year.

Virginia Smith, fashion director

I’ve been a fan of Jo Malone Red Roses fragrance for many years. I typically layer the cologne and body creme, which is a rich creamy texture. The scent reminds me of a summer garden—a memory I never get tired of.

Alexandra Gurvitch, manager, creative development

I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect rose scent and currently, I am oscillating between Byredo’s Rose Noir for my day scent; it is a bit light and feminine on me and I use Aesop’s Rōzu for a musky evening scent.

Willow Lindley, fashion market and collaborations director

I’ve been using this Caudalie scent for years and always get compliments on it. It’s just the right amount of scent for me–powerful enough to have presence but light enough not to overwhelm. I’ve also just bought this Molecule scent after complimenting it on someone else. Very excited to start using it.

Mai Morsch, editor

I love a natural, musky fragrance that smells like clean skin. My recent obsession is DedCool’s “Milk” fragrance, it is super light but I’ve gotten more compliments on it than I can count. I’ll often layer it with Santa Maria Novella’s “Melagrano” fragrance—a true classic that is clean and soapy in the best way possible.

Concetta Ciarlo, associate manager of events

I unapologetically love a delicious vanilla fragrance or a musk- and spice-forward scent...even better, give me a combination of all three! Simone Rocha once said she identifies her eponymous brand as “hardcore femininity,” and that is exactly how I identify the ambiance of my preferred perfumes. If I’m leaning towards a vanilla fragrance, it has to be sophisticated—not something juvenile like the body spray you dosed yourself in during middle school in the locker room after P.E. At any given time, I’m wearing one, or a layered combination of my top four favorite perfumes in rotation. Commodity’s Milk+ Bold and Plur Vanilla Skin is a gorgeous gourmand with an enviable scent trail that always collects compliments. On the edgier side, Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille are floral-free formulas, with musky bases—they’re spice-forward, warm, and all-around sexy.

Arden Fanning, contributor

I followed my nose around France again this season and first found myself at a conference room table in Monaco filled with dozens of fragrances where more than one editor mentioned that Eisenberg Paris Young Eau de Parfum was a favorite not only for its sandalwood and cardamom notes but also the thrill of spritzing on a daily fountain of youth.

Then in Paris, I met the Matière Premiere team (on my radar thanks to Mateo designer Matthew Harris, who discovered Falcon Leather at Dover Street Market) to experience their new bestseller Crystal Saffron, which bottles the scent of Grecian saffron oil and “addictive” ambroxan. It has all of the makings of a runaway hit: Gender fluid, sharp like a knife, and when I wore it straight to a Fashion Week dinner hosted by Nomasei and Julia von Boehm, style writer Ty Gaskins wafted my essence toward him and described it as having “that something.”

Irene Kim, production and editorial coordinator

I first tried out Gypsy Water at the perfume counter and walked away due to the hefty price tag. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful yet mellow vanilla, citrusy, and sandalwood scent that I had to return back to Nordstrom the following day to immediately purchase it. They also have a roll-on perfumed oil version of it as well, which I love as I often find spray-based perfumes smelling very alcohol-like on me.

Clarissa Schmidt, marketing & production manager

I’ve been wearing YSL’s Black Opium for years! It became my all-time go-to rather quickly, and I love to spritz it year-round. With an intoxicating combination of rich caffeine, sweet vanilla, and fresh flowers, it’s the perfect balance of sensual and edgy—ideal to take with you day to night, no matter the occasion.

Elise Taylor, senior living writer

I’ll be a Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay girl until I die.

Madeline Fass, fashion market editor

I have never been the type to have a signature scent or wear perfume every day so I prefer to keep discovery sets from fragrance brands around in my vanity so I can spritz a little on whenever I feel like it. For reasons I don’t have the answers to, I haven’t committed to any particular scent for myself. I like to keep it a surprise I guess! Plus the tiny size is perfect for traveling!

Laniya Harris-Pringle, fashion assistant

Gucci Guilty has become my go-to perfume because it has a very airy and sensual scent that lasts all day and can be worn in any setting. Absolutely love it!

Emma Specter, culture writer

I was recently sent Vacation’s new scent and absolutely love it (summer never has to end!), but the perfume I’m most actively hoarding samples of right now is Byredo’s Mojave Ghost, which smells like the coolest girl in your college sociology seminar who always comes in ten minutes late in a gorgeous vintage dress clutching a coffee and somehow gets away with it. That makes sense, right?

Kylee McGuigan, associate commerce producer

I’ve been on the hunt for a signature scent for a while now, yet haven’t committed to splurging on one just yet. Recently, my friends put me on Dossier to essentially “sample” perfumes that are similar to their designer counterparts. I’ve been loving the Fruity Almond perfume that’s inspired by Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl; it’s a subtle, yet sweet scent that’s been perfect for the winter, and has convinced me to invest in the real thing!

Laird Borrelli-Persson, senior archive editor

Scent is so personal, I’m almost reluctant to share what I wear, but I will, to pass on the good karma. One day on the Metro North, I was seated in the middle seat between two businessmen, one in formal dress, and the other sharp business casual, and one of them was wearing a fragrance that was/is out of this world. Intrigued, but embarrassed, I asked both of them what they were wearing. The tailored gent said he was using a new soap (sharp, lean), but the trail led to the fellow at my right who was wearing ODIN 03 Century. He said he was constantly asked about it. I never imagined myself liking an amber-y perfume, but three is the magic number as, on me, it dries to a warm powdery scent that I can’t get enough of.