An Ode to My Most Complimented Perfumes

Is it vain to think that I wear fragrance well? That my skin’s natural scent mixes so perfectly with fragrance that when I spritz on my parfum du jour, it’s sure to impress passersby? Heads turn, people stop me on the street to inquire what exactly it is that I’m wearing. A great scent has an undeniable star power that’s energizing, confidence boosting, and self-assuring. Narcissistic or not, I know I smell good.

I started toying with the idea of writing about my most complimented perfumes over a year ago. To be fair, I’ve never been one for a signature scent. Growing up, my idea of a great fragrance was what my mom and I picked up on our monthly trip to Bath & Body Works. My go-to scent changed with each purchase—and often mirrored what my friends were buying. We’d ogle the same aromas (looking at you, Japanese Cherry Blossom) distilled into a body mist or whipped into lotion. We all pretty much smelled alike; looking back, individuality was important, but scent was, to a great extent, really about fitting in.

A decade later, with a beauty-writing gig at Vogue, I was inspired to reimagine my relationship with scent. I began to study perfume and cologne as if it were a college course: smelling every single bottle, new and old, that hit the beauty closet and jotting down what I liked and didn’t like. When you apply this methodological approach to scent, you learn quickly which kinds of perfumes you gravitate toward. If my fragrance profile were a Myers-Briggs test, the results would be FSVO, standing for fresh, spicy, vanilla, ouds—though the perfumes I get the most compliments on don’t fit this mold. From Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu to Chanel Chance Eau Vive, it seems fruity florals wear well on me—or at least these are the kinds that get the most praise.

I like to think that learning about your fragrance preferences is a way to learn about yourself—or, in this case, how others see you. Below, a look at my six most complimented perfumes, according to everyone who has ever told me I smell great.

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu Eau De Parfum

• Why I Love It: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu has to be my most complimented scent on this list. Shout out to my Vogue colleagues who hype me up when I strut in from the beauty closet wearing it. I often think I’ve worn it so much throughout our busy workdays that they would get used to it, but no, they continue to delight in its sweet, fruity signature. This is from the featured fig and black currant, but it’s truly an iris scent that balances this fruitiness with a sort of earthy floral. I like that it’s warm and delectable without being overpowering.
• Key Notes: Iris pallida, jasmine sambac, patchouli essence, fig, black currant

Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede Cologne

• Why I Love It: I swear by this Jo Malone London scent when I want to feel sweet and feminine. It’s one of those fragrances that’s undeniably girly via peony mixing with rose and honey accents at its heart, balanced by a soft suede. Red apple as a top note gives it a fruity crispness, enlivening its wearer til the floral notes take hold. Like any good fruit, or any good floral, this always leaves you wanting more of it.
• Key Notes: Red apple, peony, rose, honey, suede

Hermès Barénia Eau de Parfum

• Why I Love It: In an Uber the other day, seconds after saying hello, my lovely driver remarked, “You smell amazing! May I ask what you’re wearing?” He hadn’t yet heard of the new Hermès Barénia, so I spelled it for him. Though Hermès’s latest EDP only just launched earlier this month (with a star-studded NYC launch party, no less), Barénia has become a mainstay in my fragrance rotation. “When you put Barénia on your skin, it feels like a caress,” perfumer Christine Nagel told a group of editors. A true chypre, this embodies the Hermès woman: elegant, bold, and unforgettable.
• Key Notes: Butterfly lily, oakwood, miracle berry, patchouli

La Bouche Rouge Nude L’Extrait de Parfum

• Why I Love It: A subcategory of my most complimented scents is light and easily layered, thanks to their skin-enhancing qualities. My long-held favorite is La Bouche Rouge’s Nude. Described by the brand as a silken caress, it smells soft and sensual on the skin. Refreshing bergamot and fig are balanced by a velvety, gentle wood base that pairs excellently with other scents.
• Key Notes: Fig, bergamot, rose, iris, cedarwood, guaiac wood

Chanel Chance Eau Vive Eau de Toilette

• Why I Love It: Eau Vive is a fitting name for this Chanel perfume; vive, after all, means “long live” in French. One of four scents from Chanel’s Chance collection, I’ve found this one the most invigorating. It leads with zesty blood orange and grapefruit, rooted with jasmine and a cedar-iris accord. I mostly wear it when I have a big day ahead and need an energy boost.
• Key Notes: Grapefruit, blood orange, jasmine, cedar-iris accord

Costa Brazil Aroma

• Why I Love It: The allure of the jungle is that it engulfs you, making you one with nature. The same can be said for Costa Brazil’s Aroma, which leaves you wanting more after each wear. Natural ingredients sourced from the Amazon (white jungle flora, Brazil orange oil) activate its captivating aroma. Its woody, herbaceous qualities are enlivened by pink pepper and grapefruit zest then grounded by bourbon, nutmeg, and plant-based musk for an EDP that makes one (read: me) feel wild and free. Maintaining a bit of IYKYK status among industry insiders, I know one of my peers will ask if I’m wearing it.
• Key Notes: White jungle flora, Brazil orange oil, pink pepper, and grapefruit zest with opposite notes of bourbon, vetiver, musk, and patchouli