Hair Perfume Is My Secret to Always Smelling Good

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No matter how much dry shampoo I use, I'm just one of those people whose hair starts to smell not-super-great halfway through the day. To mask any unwanted odors, I used to just coat my hair in my regular perfume, but then I realized many perfumes contain alcohol, making them hella drying for your hair. That's where hair perfumes come in. Hair perfumes don't just make your hair smell amazing, they can actually help moisturize and strengthen your hair strands too. Pretty genius.

Just know that not all hair perfumes are created equal, which is why I rounded up the 15 best options (based on years of testing and reviewing countless hair perfumes) for you to choose from. Here's a sneak peek:

Now, keep scrolling for all of my top hair perfume picks, plus how to choose the best hair perfume for yourself:

Cheirosa '62 Hair & Body Fragrance Mist

You probably know Sol De Janeiro for their best-selling butt cream, but all of their products—this hair and body mist included—honestly smell so good. Inspired by the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, it's filled with decadent salted caramel, pistachio, and vanilla notes. And this mist isn’t limited to just the body and hair; the brand claims it’s suitable even for your clothes, making every dollar spent worthwhile.

THE REVIEWS: “This is the best scent ever!” one tester writes. “It smells like summer and gives warm beach vibes!”

Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Hair Mist

Baccarat Rouge 540 blew up on TikTok, and this hair-friendly version of the luxe fragrance is a great way to try the scent for less $$. It costs less than a third of the regular perfume but smells just as rich and sweet. In fact many tester, myself included, prefer the lighter hair perfume version for daytime since the OG eau de parfume can be a bit heavy.

THE REVIEWS: “I was afraid that it would be as intense as the perfume which gave me a headache, but this is amazing!” one tester writes in their review. “This stays on my hair forever and wears off beautifully.”

Hair and Body Fragrance Mist

We guarantee that everyone’s going to scream “someone here smells good” the second you enter a room with this spicy amber-meets-sweet floral perfume on your hair. If you're a big fan of Morrocanoil products, you'll actually recognize this scent, as it matches all of the other treatment and styling products in the line. It only takes one spray for you to experience the illusion of freshly styled hair, as if you’ve just stepped out of a salon (without the $$$ blowout).

THE REVIEWS: “Smells divine! Just like the Moroccan oil but in a spray,” comments one reviewer. “It’s not overpowering, but subtle. Love it!”

Protective Hair Perfume

I’m obsessed with this hair perfume—like I've already gone through four bottles obsessed. It actually uses a mix of sunflower seed oil and olive oil esters to help coat my hair. But what I love most is the light fruity scent, thanks to notes of green apple, peach, rose, cedar, and white musk. And the brand has just released a new iteration, Sachajuan Protective Hair Perfume Bois Noir, that dives a bit deeper with top notes of white honey, cardamom, and ciste oil. So, pick your poison! Either way, your hair will smell great.

THE REVIEWS: “Love the scent and good product for hair,” writes one tester.

Honey Infused Hair Perfume

Some hair perfumes can be a bit drying and make your hair look a bit dull (thanks a lot, alcohol). But! Not this one from Gisou. It's actually infused with honey and argan oil to give your hair a shiny coating. Plus, it'll make your hair smell like you legit dipped it in a honey pot. Yummm.

THE REVIEWS: “Buy it, it smells like generational wealth. I waited a few years before finally taking the plunge and I shouldn’t have stalled,” one tester writes. “I get compliments every single day! Coworkers, students, and even total strangers in passing!”

Relative Paradise Fragrance Spray

Seriously, I spray this on everything I own when guests come over, because it's practically a four-in-one mist you can spritz on your body, hair, linens, and more. It smells like the Italian summer trip you keep seeing on all your feeds, with notes of Sicilian lemon, tangerine, eucalyptus, green tea, tree moss, and amber.

THE REVIEWS: “Smells clean, earthy and bright! Love it on linens, clothes and furniture,” one reviewer writes. “Worth the price- everything you want it to smell like if you like the smell of R+Co products.”

Cote d'Azur Hair Refresher

This hair refresher perfume spray from Oribe has notes of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower that's reminiscent of the beaches in the Cote d'Azur region of southern France. Not only is the scent tres chic and tropical, but the formula also adds a beautiful shine to your hair and helps smooth down static and flyaways too.

THE REVIEWS: “I really like it and it refreshes my hair when I cannot be bothered to wash my hair and just want to put it up in a bun,” according to one product tester. “Does not leave your hair with any residue and seems to tame my little strays away.”

Mojave Ghost Hair Perfume

Have you ever been to the Mojave Desert? No? Me neither. But Byredo’s Mojave Ghost hair perfume is the next best thing. It’s a mixture of woody, musky ambrette combined with Jamaican nesberry. Oh, and there’s also a hint of sandalwood—one of my favorite notes to lure in the “I love camping” crowd, all without ever stepping a foot outside.

THE REVIEWS: “It is a really fine mist that leaves such a lovely scent in your hair,” reads one tester’s review. "You don't need to use much at all for a noticeable, long lasting scent that surrounds you all day long.”

English Pear & Freesia Hair Mist

There’s nothing like realizing your favorite scent comes in a variety of formats, whether it be lotion, body oil, or hair perfume like this Jo Malone Hair Mist. I already use the English Pear and Freesia cologne on my body, so it’s nice to be enveloped in one scent from head to toe to avoid confusing innocent bystanders. Like the name implies, it contains notes of pear and freesia, but there’s also a hint of woody patchouli to make it smell a bit less green.

THE REVIEWS: “Seductive, sexy, feminine, elegant, fresh!!!,” says one tester. “And the hair mist is a beautiful addition to my English Pear and Freesia collection because it scents my hair with my favorite scent while making it shine and look incredibly healthy!!!”

Hair Perfume

This Balmain perfume not only guarantees clout when people come over, but it’s super strong, with notes of raspberry, orange blossom, cedar, and pine. And because it’s a perfume rather than a light mist, it’ll linger on your hair legit all day long. The formula also contains silk protein and argan elixir, so it’s not just surface-level; it strengthens and protects your hair from damage a lil bit too.

THE REVIEWS: “I am IN LOVE with this product. It doubles as a perfume and a silky, smoothing hair treatment,” writes one tester. “Whenever I apply this, my hair is oh-so-soft to the touch and the compliments on scent are endless.”

Ilio Summertime Hair Mist

This super fragrant hair mist from Diptyque comes in the line's newest scent, Ilio, which not only has the cutest packaging designed by American artist Erik Winkowski, but also smells like summertime—think: prickly pear, bergamot, jasmine, and iris. One spray, and you’ll seriously be so irresistible that it’s only a matter of time until you delete Hinge forever.

THE REVIEWS: “A super lovely and light summery scent that would suit anyone—not too floral or aquatic,” writes one reviewer.

HoliRoots Hibiscus Hydrating Hair Oil Mist

If you want shampoo commercial hair, you’re going to need to try this hair perfume/oil hybrid. Made by TikTok-favorite beauty brand Fable & Mane, each bottle contains shine-boosting red hibiscus flower, antioxidant-rich amla oil, and hydrating squalane. Consider it a smoothing, shine-boosting hair serum that you can easily spritz on (and also smells legit fabulous).

THE REVIEWS: “I’ve used this product for the past couple of weeks and so far I’ve been loving what I have been seeing,” one reviewer writes. “It is super lightweight and doesn’t have any oily feeling texture to it when I put it in my hair and it is light enough so I feel like I can reapply it throughout the day without feeling any weight added.”

Chance Hair Mist

Why deny yourself Chanel? Not only does this hair mist look great on your nightstand, but it also smells impeccable. It's got Chanel's classic warm, spicy patchouli, but it also features some pink pepper and jasmine to make it a bit more fresh.

THE REVIEWS: “I have been liberally spraying this for a couple of days and for a hair mist, the longevity is amazing. If accidentally sprayed on clothes, the scent lasts until the next day and then some,” one reviewer writes.

Mane Magic Hair Fragrance

There’s no scent I love more than jasmine flowers, as they take me back to my childhood memories. If you also have a soft spot for garden blooms, you’re in for a treat with this hair fragrance from Eva NYC. It’s infused with the trifecta of floral notes: jasmine, magnolia, and gardenia. Friendly tip: Maintain a distance of three to six inches from your hair while spritzing for a perfectly balanced application.

THE REVIEWS: “The smell is so delicious,” according to one tester’s review. “Bf can't stop sniffing my hair 🥴”

Signature Citrus Hair + Body Mist

Dae’s hair products are not only effective but also smell so chill and vacation-y, like you went on an OOO trip and decided never to come back (my dream). Thankfully, they developed this hair and body mist so I can always smell like their products. The brand’s signature scent has notes of citrus, orange blossom, and vanilla that smell a little fruity and sweet.

THE REVIEWS: “Smells like you are walking through a beautiful orchard of blooming orange blossoms in the spring, wrapped in warm vanilla sipping on a bubbly drink,” one reviewer writes. “So heaven, basically.”

What separates hair perfume from regular perfume?

The difference between hair perfume and regular perfume is that hair perfume contains less alcohol and is generally less potent, says Ashley Balavoin, senior perfumer at Firmenich. Your hair absorbs scent much better than your skin, though, so hair perfume sometimes lasts longer.

When compared to regular perfumes, hair perfumes are often filled with more conditioning ingredients, like moisturizing oils, strengthening proteins, and hydrating humectants.

Is hair perfume good for your hair?

Hair perfume isn't either "good" nor "bad" for your hair, necessarily. If you have very-dry hair and reach for a hair perfume with alcohol as its first ingredient, it could potentially dry out your hair. Which is why you have to consider your hair type when choosing a hair perfume (more on this below). But hair perfumes can also be very moisturizing if they're filled with oils, which can potentially offset some of the dryness. It really all depends on the specific formula.

But most people love hair perfume for the same reason they love fragrance: As a self-care ritual. “Hair is very porous, which makes it great for holding onto fragrance, but the biggest benefit of hair scent is that it creates a pleasant experience and allows for an extra moment to extend your enjoyment of your favorite fragrance,” says Balavoin. The scent of your hair product is often what brings you back to that particular product, making it a lovely additional step in your beauty and fragrance routine.

How to choose the best hair perfume:

Consider your hair type.

Remember, hair perfume can potentially be drying if it contains alcohol. If you have dry hair, look for alcohol-free hair perfumes (testers love Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Hair Mist). Or opt for hair perfumes that are filled with oils to make your hair shiny and smooth, like Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hibiscus Hydrating Hair Oil Mist. But, similarly keep in mind if you have oily hair, as these mists can make your hair a bit greasy if you spritz on too much.

Assess your scent preference.

If you want a light, fresh hair perfume that won't clash with your daily perfume, consider one like Gisou's Honey Infused Hair Perfume, which has a sweet scent that isn't too overpowering. However, if you want something to act as your overall perfume, then try something more potent (I love Chanel Chance Hair Mist).

Meet the experts:

• Ashley Balavoin is the senior perfumer at Firmenich and has over 27 years of experience developing consumer and fine fragrances for North and South Americas, Asia and Europe.

Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?

Iman Balagam is a beauty contributor at Cosmopolitan with nearly three years of experience writing beauty stories that range from curling irons to mini flat irons. She’s an authority in all hair categories, but is an expert when it comes to hair perfumes, thanks to years of personally researching and testing different scents and brands.

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