The 18 Best Floral Perfumes of 2023
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All of these fragrances will transport you to a blooming garden.
InStyle / David Hattan
If there’s one perfume category we’d describe as classic, it would be floral. After all, people have admired the scents of flowers for millennia (remember Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: ”a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”). And while you can always mash a blossom into your wrist so it releases its essential oils, it’s a lot easier, tidier, and more fun to shop for perfectly-blended floral perfumes.
Whether you’re looking to capture the essence of a freshly-picked bouquet, the crispness of an herb garden, or exude pure sex appeal, keep reading. Ahead, we rounded up the 18 best floral perfumes to wear all year round.
Related:The 19 Best Gourmand Perfumes of 2023 That Smell Good Enough to Eat
Best Overall: Ellis Brooklyn FLORIST Eau de Parfum
What We Love: The name of this perfume is spot on — it smells like walking into a flower shop.
What We Don’t Love: This scent wears differently on some, so it’s not a blind buy.
We’re fans of nearly all Ellis Brooklyn perfumes, so when this one hit our desks, we were amped to try it — and it was an instant winner. Inside the frosted pink glass bottle is a fresh, full bouquet of a scent.
Lily of the valley (an underused floral note in our opinion) positively sparkles here with pear and lemon. The heart notes of tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, and honeysuckle create a lush aroma you’d find when selecting the perfect arrangement at your local flower shop, while a touch of cedar and sandalwood add warmth that helps the scent stick around for many hours.
If you’re a floral-shy fragrance wearer, though, be sure to test this one in person before you commit to a full bottle (or start with the travel-size option). Florist can lean sweet, crisp, or even a little bitter depending on skin chemistry, so you want to make sure it wears the way you want it to.
Price at time of publish: $108
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Lily of the valley, pear, honeysuckle｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Budget: Fine’ry Magnetic Candy Perfume
What We Love: This vibrant fragrance smells like a dupe for a much pricier scent.
What We Don’t Love: Not everyone’s body chemistry amplifies violet in a flattering way.
From the bottle to the juice inside, we were instantly hooked on this Target-exclusive scent. Notes of cotton candy and pomelo instantly create a festive, carnival-like ambience with a sweet and juicy aroma that’s not overly saccharine, while the drydown boasts a sugared violet note that grounds the scent with a clean, almost laundry-like finish. Keep in mind that on some skin, this may be a little too powdery or detergent-like. Overall, though, it reminds us of a luxury fragrance — at a fraction of the price.
Price at time of publish: $34
Size: 2.02 oz｜Key Notes: Sugared violet, pomelo, cotton candy｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Splurge: Creed Spring Flower Eau de Parfum
What We Love: This is the pinnacle of sophistication when it comes to floral scents.
What We Don’t Love: It’s a little heavy, so it’s not the best day time perfume.
Creed is one of the most luxurious fragrance houses around, so we’re not surprised by the elegance of this scent, which is housed inside an equally gorgeous pink glass bottle. Inspired by Flora, the Roman goddess of spring, the heady perfume opens with a soupçon of sparkling citrus, evolving into its namesake — bold white flowers. This is all beautifully balanced with a whisper of peachy-apricot and wood notes, making for a very well-rounded and sophisticated floral perfume.
Like many from Creed, this fragrance is rich, so it has excellent lasting power and a bold sillage, which can be a double-edged sword — because of its intensity, you might not want to make this your everyday scent. We recommend reserving it for cooler spring days, evening wear, or adding it on as the perfect event accessory.
Price at time of publish: $425
Size: 2.5 oz｜Key Notes: White florals, peach, woody notes｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Fruity Floral: Versace Dylan Purple Eau de Parfum
What We Love: This scent is positively juicy and delicious.
What We Don’t Love: We wish the packaging was a bit sleeker.
Two words: Fruity shampoo. A spritz of this perfume smells like exactly that — a clean, crisp, juicy floral that you want to bathe in. Pear, bergamot, and bitter orange notes evolve into the star of the show (and the inspo behind the purple bottle), freesia, which offers its own fruity, strawberry-like aroma. But never fear, the juice doesn’t smell like a candy shop — it’s all grounded by cedarwood for an added touch of class.
While we love the color of the glass bottle, we wish that it wasn’t quite so heavy or bulky (read: Don’t plan on traveling with it).
Price at time of publish: $96
Size: 1.7 oz.｜Key Notes: Bergamot, freesia, cedarwood｜Type: Eau de parfum
Related:The 13 Best Hair Perfumes That Will Give You Luscious-Smelling Strands in 2023
Best White Floral : Kai Eau de Parfum
What We Love: The clean, tropical white floral fragrance is perfect for all occasions.
What We Don’t Love: The scent is a very simple one, so if you’re looking for something more complex, you may not be a fan.
This has been one of our favorite scents for over a decade and we’re not alone — celebrities ranging from Lily Collins, Mila Kunis, and even Oprah are fans of this lush white floral, which was inspired by brand founder Gaye Straza’s childhood summers in Hawaii.
We love this perfume for its fresh and clean qualities; it comes in many iterations, including a candle, room spray, and diffuser to incorporate the gorgeous fragrance into every aspect of your lifestyle. We find ourselves reaching for it often because of its simplicity, but if you like your white florals to be more complex, you may want to consider something like Creed Spring Flower.
Price at time of publish: $80
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Gardenia, white floral notes｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Powdery Floral : Phlur Missing Person Eau De Parfum
What We Love: This cult-favorite falls into the “skin scent” category, meaning it’s pretty wearable by all.
What We Don’t Love: The longevity leaves something to be desired.
Missing Person is one of those scents that lie close to the skin and smell like you, but better. Delicate cyclamen and neroli blossoms are blended with soft musks and woods to make a lightly powdery, subtly sexy, and wholly intimate perfume. However, because it’s such a soft and sheer scent, it doesn’t last for very long. If you end up being a fan, we suggest snagging a travel-sized bottle so you can touch up throughout the day.
Price at time of publish: $96
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Cyclamen, neroli blossom, skin musk｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Rose: Initio Parfums Atomic Rose Eau de Parfum
What We Love: If you’ve never liked rose fragrances before because you find them powdery and mature, you’ll love this.
What We Don’t Love: The packaging is a bit bulky.
This isn’t your grandma’s rose perfume. Atomic Rose is a full-on sex bomb, pun intended. It uses two kinds of rose (Bulgarian and Turkish), Egyptian jasmine, and vanilla to create a heady, velvety scent that’s warm, rich, indulgent, and a little cheeky, thanks to the addition of sparkling bergamot. It’s a seriously sultry scent that makes for the perfect pre-date night spritz. Be prepared for some potential sticker shock at the price tag, but also keep in mind that you’re getting a lot of juice when you invest in this gorgeous fragrance — a full three ounces.
Price at time of publish: $360
Size: 3 oz｜Key Notes: Rose, Egyptian jasmine, vanilla｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Jasmine: Kayali Déjà Vu White Flower 57
What We Love: If you’re looking for an indulgent floral gourmand, this is it.
What We Don’t Love: This is a heavier scent that’s best reserved for evening wear, not the office.
We wouldn’t classify many florals as warm and cozy, but this one from influencer and brand founder Mona Kattan is just that. This is due to notes of jasmine, gardenia, and tuberose blended with vanilla, sandalwood, and cashmere, which envelopes you in a rich, floral hug.
These heavyweights are sweetened up with a bit of nectarine and pear to create an overall indulgent and slightly animalic perfume. Because this fragrance is packed with bold notes, be prepared for an equally bold scent that you may not want to reach for when it’s hot out or when in confined spaces, like a small office.
Price at time of publish: $89
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Nectarine, jasmine, vanilla｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Lightweight: Sisley Paris L'Eau Rêvée d'Alma Eau de Toilette
What We Love: This sheer, delicate fragrance is perfect for every occasion.
What We Don’t Love: Like most lightweight fragrances, this one won’t last very long without touch-ups.
This newcomer from luxury brand Sisley Paris is part of a collection of fragrances that were specifically designed to be layered. It instantly captivated us because it’s the perfect way to add a watery vibrancy to any of the existing perfumes in your collection.
It opens with unexpected notes of ice, basil, and cardamom that meld into powdery iris and creamy jasmine, drying down into vetiver and cedar. Go ahead and layer it over a rich floral, or just wear it solo. As an Eau de toilette it is very light, so it won’t last for hours like some others on this list, but we don’t mind as it’s one of the most versatile options in our fragrance wardrobe.
Price at time of publish: $115
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Iris, cedarwood, cardamom｜Type: Eau de toilette
Best Fresh Floral: Jo Malone London Basil & Neroli Cologne
What We Love: This scent is clean and simple, making it perfect for everyday wear.
What We Don’t Love: Colognes, including this one, lack lasting power.
We love Jo Malone London scents for their simplicity — we can spray a lot to wrap ourselves in a sheer, gauzy layer of sophistication. (And because there’s a lot of juice in this bottle we don’t hold back!)
This scent in particular is exactly what it sounds like: A blend of herbaceous basil and sweet neroli flower, that smells like a fresh, crisp garden. Keep in mind that it will not last particularly long because colognes are one of the lightest fragrance blends, but that just gives you an excuse to spray it on multiple times throughout the day.
Price at time of publish: $155
Size: 3.4 oz｜Key Notes: Neroli, basil, white musk｜Type: Cologne
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Best Woody Floral: Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche
What We Love: This scent masterfully mixes different notes to create an aroma that smells clean, fresh, floral, and woody all at once.
What We Don’t Love: It leans a bit unisex, which isn’t for everyone.
From the moment you slide this sleek flanker fragrance out of the box, you know that it’ll be a greener take on the original — literally and figuratively. While the original Chance is fruity (and pink), this green scent leans more, well, fraîche. Water hyacinth, jasmine, and lemon give the opening a crisp and cool edge, which melds into woodsy notes of cedar, teakwood, and vetiver that lend a subtle masculine, almost cologne-like vibe. If you prefer a more feminine floral, this may not be for you, but those who appreciate a unisex perfume that’s inobtrusive with impressive longevity, grab a bottle and enjoy.
Price at time of publish: $100
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Jasmine, cedar, teakwood｜Type: Eau de toilette
Best Citrus Floral : Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum
What We Love: It’s fresh, effervescent, and the perfect everyday perfume no matter the season or your gender.
What We Don’t Love: It’s easy to burn through a bottle of this scent within months.
This perfume is one of our all-time favorites due to its sheer wearability — even when we’re feeling particularly sensitive to fragrance, we know we can rely on this scent to be comfortable, elegant, and pleasing to the nose (our own and others). The zippy notes of citrus include bergamot, mandarin orange, and lemon, which are tempered by soft neroli and jasmine. We tend to spritz on a lot because its fresh quality lends itself well to a heavy wear, and we just love it that much. As such, we tend to use up bottles pretty fast, which is always a bummer.
Price at time of publish: $180
Size: 1 oz｜Key Notes: Bergamot, orange flower, neroli｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Warm Floral: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum
What We Love: The edgy, grenade-inspired packaging hints at the explosive floral inside.
What We Don’t Love: This is a cult-favorite fragrance, so don’t be surprised if you find other people rocking it wherever you go.
This scent launched in 2005 and it instantly became a classic. It’s definitely a “big” perfume, which is pretty clear from the name (and packaging). Flowerbomb positively bursts with florals, like jasmine and rose, which are warmed up by patchouli and vanilla for a sweet, sensual gourmand that’s a hit with most who have smelled it.
That’s important to keep in mind: If you like smelling unique, this perfume won’t be for you as it’s one of the most popular scents out there — not a week goes by that we don’t get a whiff of it on public transportation.
Price at time of publish: $142
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Jasmine, rose, patchouli｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Sweet Floral : Kate Spade New York Chérie Eau de Parfum
What We Love: This scent is vibrant, sweet, and playful — just like the brand.
What We Don’t Love: It’s a younger scent, so if you want to convey a more mature vibe, this may not be for you.
From the moment we popped this fragrance out of its box, we knew we were in for some fun! The bright red and pink bottle hints at the notes of the juice inside — sweet pea, redcurrant, and raspberry — while adding a pop of color to one’s vanity. If you’re a Kate Spade fan, you’ll love this sweet scent because it truly has the personality of the brand (plus, the bottle is enormous with a very satisfying price tag). That said, while the fragrance is definitely a crowd pleaser, it is on the youthful side. Though it’s by no means childish, we don’t know that more mature women would reach for this scent often.
Price at time of publish: $95
Size: 3.3 oz｜Key Notes: Redcurrant, raspberry, sweet pea｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Aquatic Floral : D.S. & Durga Rose Atlantic Eau de Parfum
What We Love: This scent transports you to the seaside with just one sniff.
What We Don’t Love: We wish its longevity was better.
If you have a fondness for aquatics like we do, this perfume from D.S. & Durga is not to be missed. With just a few spritzes, the scent’s storytelling (and its coordinating Spotify playlist) makes it a breeze to envision a day spent at the seaside. You’ll smell a blend of citrus and light rose petals at first, then a delicate green note courtesy of linden trees blends with bolder rose and dune grass. At the base, salt water and moss peek through for an earthy and truly marine scent. Our only regret is that — just like a summer breeze coming off the ocean — this perfume doesn’t last as long as we’d like.
Price at time of publish: $190
Size: 1.7 oz｜Key Notes: Rose, dune grass, salt water｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Designer : Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum
What We Love: This is a beautiful floral gourmand in a fabulous bottle to match.
What We Don’t Love: We wish the projection was stronger — despite the rich fragrance, it lays very close to the skin.
While a lot of Gucci’s fragrances are very strong florals that are best reserved for evening wear, this one is more jovial, making it ideal for daily use. The fruity red berry notes deliver a sweetness that’s tempered by the fragrance’s namesake, a lovely gardenia. Unexpected sweet notes of pear blossom, frangipani, and brown sugar are masterfully blended to give a bit of a syrupy aroma that isn’t juvenile.
“This scent [combines] flowers that aren’t commonly used, so it provides a very unique floral experience,” says Alexis Grugeon, a fine fragrance perfumer at Firmenich. Though it’s an Eau de parfum, you can overspray it without feeling suffocated because it stays close to the skin — which may not be ideal for those who love a big sillage.
Price at time of publish: $155
Size: 3.3 oz｜Key Notes: Gardenia, red berries, brown sugar｜Type: Eau de parfum
Best Perfume Oil : Riddle Poppy Roll-On Fragrance Oil
What We Love: A little goes a long way as this lasts forever on skin.
What We Don’t Love: It’s pretty bold right out of the bottle.
While Riddle’s signature pheromone-inspired scent gets all the hype, this citrusy floral is definitely worth a sniff. The travel-friendly rollerball is a wearable blend of lemon, rose, and ylang ylang that reminds us of a relaxing sunny day spent in a garden. Because it’s a fragrance oil, it’s ultra-concentrated, so you won’t need much to get a lasting aroma, but that also means the scent is “loud” at first. Don’t be put off — once it dries down, the perfume takes on a subtler quality.
Price at time of publish: $58
Size: 0.27 oz｜Key Notes: Lemon, rose, ylang ylang｜Type: Perfume oil
Related:The 10 Best Perfume Oils of 2023
Best Travel Size : Snif Natural Talent
What We Love: This scent features osmanthus, a beautiful and uncommon floral note.
What We Don’t Love: Snif fragrances tend to be limited edition, so if you like this one, stock up.
This pocket-sized mini holds a big, leathery floral that is perfect for sweater weather, all thanks to notes of suede and sandalwood. The florals here are jasmine and osmanthus, the latter being a rarely-seen note that deserves to be on your radar. It provides a leathery yet apricot-like aroma for a sensual but not overly sultry vibe.
Though you can buy the fun-sized bottle on its own, we highly recommend pairing it with the brand’s travel case, which is refillable and has a magnetic cap, so it won’t open in your bag. Also, keep in mind that this Instagram-beloved fragrance brand often pulls scents from the regular lineup to refresh it with new ones, so you’ll want to buy multiple bottles if you find yourself falling in love with this product.
Price at time of publish: $25
Size: .33 fl. oz.｜Key Notes: Jasmine, osmanthus, sandalwood｜Type: Eau de parfum
What to Keep in Mind
Notes
Shopping for perfume is deeply personal, and choosing a floral fragrance depends not just on preference, but also the experience you want from it. “For example, if [you] are looking for a light, airy, and transportive floral, then [you] should look for scents that contain white florals like orange flower and tuberose,” says Grugeon. (One of our favorite white floral fragrances is Tom Ford Neroli Portofino.) “If [you] want a more prominent, intense, and sexy scent, then look for fragrances that have florals like rose or magnolia,” he adds. Initio Parfums Atomic Rose is a great example of this.
Seasonality and where you live can also play a role. If you want a spring-like freshness, seek out scents that have fresh, watery, green, and citrus notes, says Nicole Eckels, CEO and founder of Glasshouse Fragrances. You can find notes like this in Sisley Paris L'Eau Rêvée D'Alma. “If you’re looking for a perfume with more longevity that won’t necessarily smell like a bouquet of flowers, those would be warmer scents, wrapped with woods or patchouli and spicier notes that tend to last longer,” she adds.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that just like flowers themselves, no one floral fragrance is the same. “Florals are versatile like chameleons,” says Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside. “They can soften a sultry scent, add depth to a citrus scent, lighten a spicy scent, or give a heady bouquet effect.” Finding the right perfume for you will take some trial and error — but that’s half the fun!
Size
Where, when, and how often would you like to wear your perfume? These will all determine the best size for you when investing in a new fragrance. If you love a scent and want to wear it day in and day out, Eckels recommends buying the biggest size you can. “Better value usually comes when you select the larger size,” she explains.
If you’re new to a scent and prefer to dip your toes in the water than dive in, so to speak, look for testers or travel-sized bottles, like Snif Natural Talent. “Check for discovery kits, so you can test the fragrance on your skin and see how it interacts with your body, since scent smells different on each of us,” suggests Burke-Williams. These smaller sizes are also ideal for perfumes you plan on traveling with or reserving for special occasions, says Gurgeon, who adds that they can even be a nice pick for those who are an everyday user of a scent — that way you can carry it in your purse.
No matter what, though, don’t commit to a larger size unless you know you’ll burn through it, as perfume doesn’t last forever, Eckels points out. “Choose a bottle size you are going to use within two years,” she says. “Otherwise, I recommend keeping the fragrance in a refrigerator to preserve the olfactive integrity.”
Your Questions, Answered
What does floral perfume smell like?
All floral perfumes feature notes derived from flowers, but that doesn’t mean they all smell the same. Think about how different a powdery violet smells from a sweet neroli blossom, then how those both differ from heady jasmine and velvety rose. That, as well as the other notes mixed into the fragrance, may result in a perfume that doesn’t immediately smell floral. “Sometimes it’s not obvious to the person smelling it because [floral perfumes] often contain other notes that mask the flowery smell,” explains Eckels. “I liken this to a mojito, which is full of rum, yet when mixed with lime and mint, a mojito no longer smells of rum.”
To know for sure what you’ll be getting from a floral perfume, read the description provided by the brand. “Do they focus on the experience of blooming bouquets when they talk about the scent, or do they mention the floral as one of the many notes?” says Burke-Williams. This sneak peek into the bottle is a good jumping-off point when shopping.
Why Shop With Us
Emily Orofino is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant with over a decade of experience in the beauty industry. She considers herself a fragrance nerd and can’t resist a new perfume launch, especially if it features bergamot, marine notes, or lily of the valley. For this piece, she interviewed Alexis Grugeon, fine fragrance perfumer at Firmenich; Nicole Eckels, CEO and founder of Glasshouse Fragrances, and Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside to learn more about floral fragrances.
Related:The 14 Best Vanilla Perfumes of 2023 for Every Type of Preference
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