I Tested 60 Vanilla Perfumes, and These Are the Absolute *Best*

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As someone who spends both her workday and free time pursuing #perfumetok, there’s one thing I know for sure: Vanilla perfumes are back (with our long denim skirts and lip gloss, ofc). Gone are the days of pretending we don’t want to smell like we just doused ourselves in cake batter. And don’t get me wrong, some of the best perfumes are fruity and citrus and fresh. But, personally, I like my perfume to have a hint of vanilla to balance them out, even if it’s primarily a rose, sandalwood, floral, or patchouli perfume.

So, because I’m obsessed with perfumesI did the very-hard work of going through all of my fragrances (all 89 of them—for real) to compile a full list of the absolute best vanilla perfumes I’ve ever tested. I found summer scents, cheap perfumes, new perfumes, and long-lasting fragrances that all have a vanilla note—and not all of them are sweet, tbh! Peep all of my faves here:

✔️ FYI: We updated this article in June 2023 to give you the most up-to-date info on vanilla perfumes, including two tried-and-tested formulas going viral on TikTok, the one our entire office couldn’t stop sniffing, and how to choose the best vanilla perfume yourself.

Our top picks for vanilla perfume in 2023:

Keep scrolling for all of the best vanilla perfumes, from spicy-sweet takes on vanilla, to fresh and floral variations. Truly, I’ve got an option for every preference. Then, I’ll help you pick the right one for you, if you’re still not sure.

Vanilla 28

At first, I thought this was just the corporate version of Warm Vanilla Sugar by Bath and Body Works, thanks to its warm brown sugar and amber notes. But she has range, y’all. It has hints of vanilla orchid and jasmine that give it a slightly floral edge, helping to keep it from smelling like food-grade vanilla (iykyk). If there was a well-rounded vanilla perfume, it would be this one.

• Other key notes: Vanilla orchid, jasmine, brown sugar, amber, musk

THE REVIEWS: “This is not your normal vanilla,” writes one tester. “It’s rich, slightly deep, and has a soft, warm feeling. It’s sweet but the right amount. Perfect for layering.”

Crème Vanille Eau de Parfum

I’m legit obsessed with Le Monde Gourmande, an affordable line of fragrances that includes this light and sweet vanilla perfume. It’s definitely decadent—hello, vanilla, brown sugar, and apricot—but the amber and jasmine help tone it down a bit from being too rich and heavy. I actually wear this in big crowds a lot without worrying it’ll give someone a headache.

But although this is an eau de parfum (which usually means it’s denser and has a stronger scent profile, meaning it’ll last longer), this perfume is fairly weak, which I actually prefer for days when I just want a slight waft of my fragrance. But if you like a stronger scent, dab a little Vaseline or Aquaphor on your wrists before spritzing this on to give the perfume something to grip onto and increase the longevity a lil bit.

• Other key notes: Brown sugar, amber, jasmine, apricot

THE REVIEWS: One reviewer writes, “I love this perfume so much! My friend had it, and I wanted to try it because she always smells good, and it did not disappoint! It smells warm and fresh, and I keep getting complimented on how good I smell!”

Love, Don't Be Shy

When I heard Rihanna wore this perfume (before she launched her own Fenty Perfume, ofc), I ordered it without ever smelling it. And now I see why people say Rihanna is one of the best-smelling celebs. When I first sprayed it on my skin, it kind of smelled like a bubblegum-flavored marshmallow—but once it dried, I got hints of spicy pink pepper, coriander, and musk that gave it some rich depth. I ever-so-slightly get a whisper of the orange blossom, but it essentially just supports all the sweet goodness throughout.

• Other key notes: Pink pepper, orange blossom, coriander, sugar, caramel, musk

THE REVIEWS: “I’m not usually a fan of sweet scents, but I CANNOT get enough of this perfume,” writes one tester in a review. “It’s a blend of delicate orange blossom and gourmand vanilla that settles into a lush and warm musky vanilla that lingers all day long. A few spritzed in the morning and I never have to touch it up! Absolutely lives up to the hype.”

Dulce Eau de Parfum

Out of my ~90 perfumes, this is one of the few scents I actually sprayed on every single day in the fall and winter last year (like, the bottle is half gone right now) because it’s that good. The chocolate and vanilla perfume seemed to envelop my body on super-cold days and somehow made me feel warmer after spritzing it on. And if a chocolate and vanilla perfume sounds artificial to you, don’t worry—it’s also filled with musk and hinoki wood that make the chocolate notes smell like warm and spicy cinnamon to me.

• Other key notes: Chocolate, musk, hinoki wood

THE REVIEWS: According to a reviewer, “I’m not kidding you, I still smelled this in my hair the next day. I feel like fragrance never lasts on me, and I smelled this on my skin even after a 12-hour shift at a hospital! It smells so sweet and delicious like vanilla-bean ice cream. Obsessed and a new go-to!”

Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray

I will never stop singing the praises of Ariana Grande’s perfumes, particularly her most popular one, Cloud. It’s a creamy, sweet fragrance with a hint of fruitiness that makes it slightly fresh and fizzy. FWIW, whenever anyone asks me for a safe blind-buy perfume or perfume gift, I always suggest Cloud, because I legit haven’t met a single person who didn’t like it. (And it’s often compared to the $$$ Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540—IMO, it’s a bit sweeter and missing the jasmine, but a fab, much-less expensive option I love just as much.)

• Other key notes: Lavender, pear, bergamot, coconut, praline, vanilla orchid, musk

THE REVIEWS: “I love this one!” writes one tester. “Sweet but airy just like a cotton candy cloud! It’s my go-to, and everyone from my fiancé, friends, and clients compliment me on it!”

Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum Spray

You’d think this fragrance would leave you smelling like an explosion of flowers because, well, that’s how it’s marketed. But lemme tell ya, it’s much more complex than that. Sure, you get a fresh orchid, freesia, jasmine, and rose scent, but what makes it interesting (and oh-so-yummy) are the subtle notes of sweet vanilla and spicy patchouli.

• Other key notes: Bergamot, freesia, orchid, jasmine, rose, patchouli

THE REVIEWS: “I'm normally a gourmand girl, but as soon as I gave this a sniff, I knew I had to have it,” writes one tester. “This is a sweet floral scent, with touches of vanilla. SO GOOD!”

Lost Cherry

Here’s the thing: Cherry, almond, and vanilla notes have such a lovely nostalgic scent profile, although they can easily smell artificial and cheap. But that’s not the case with Lost Cherry by Tom Ford. Instead, this perfume combines the three notes with woods, spices, and rich liquor to give it a ton of depth, making it smell ~expensive~. Yes, I’m aware it’s also actually pricey, but I do wear mine constantly with other perfumes to make them smell a bit sweeter (and I legit always opt for the mini size or pick up a bottle during sales to protect my wallet a lil).

• Other key notes: Liquor, plum, tonka bean, cinnamon, sandalwood, cloves, vetiver

THE REVIEWS: One review reads, “I love this perfume! It is so original and smells like luxury. It gives me so much confidence when I wear it. I would definitely recommend this to someone! it is not overpowering but still strong and lasts.”

Herod Eau de Parfum

This is technically marketed for men, but fragrance has no gender, which is why I proudly wear this spicy perfume myself. But tbh, I actually gifted this to a guy I was dating once because I wanted my partner to smell like it too. Why? Because it’s filled with a blend of v-spicy notes—cinnamon, pepper, incense, patchouli, tobacco—that are all blended with ultra-sweet vanilla to make this scent practically ~irresistible.~ (Fyi, we did break up, but he def still remembers me every time he smells this rich fragrance).

• Other key notes: Cinnamon, pepper, musk, patchouli, incense, tobacco leaf

THE REVIEWS: One tester writes, “This is primarily marketed as a men’s scent, but as a woman I love it SO much! I spritz myself day & night. It feels rich & luxurious while I’m wearing a nice top and sweatpants on my Zoom calls, and it’s super cozy when I spritz myself and slip under my duvet at night.”

Bo Eau de Parfum

If you love how your hair smells after you go camping, then I guarantee you’ll love this fragrance. It combines all those earthy notes you love (tobacco leaves, pine, incense, and cedarwood) with warm vanilla. But trust: This fragrance isn’t actually sweet at all—instead, it’s actually very sheer and meant to be a skin scent, meaning it sits really close to your skin and smells like you, but better.

• Other key notes: Tobacco leaves, redwood pine, incense, white cedarwood

THE REVIEWS: “Easily my favorite discovery of the past year or so, and my favorite from Liis,” writes one reviewer. “Love at first sniff, thanks to the woodsy vibes. Try this one.”

Vanilla Embers

Not all vanilla perfumes have to have a strong, projecting sillage. Enter: Eauso Vert’s Vanilla Embers, which combines sweet vanilla bean with a mix of woodsy and spicy notes to tone down the sugared factor. It makes this perfume so low-key and chill to wear every day. But you could easily layer it with other stronger perfumes to pump up the sweetness when you want it.

• Other key notes: Cardamom, jasmine, sandalwood, turmeric Root

MY REVIEW: Every single time I wear this around my best friend, she asks me what I’m wearing. And when I tell her, she’s shocked, because she can’t believe a vanilla perfume is so light. I love how smooth and simple it is for every day, but I also mix it with deeper woodsy perfumes in my collection to make it a bit more intense too.

Vanilla Milk Eau de Parfum

If you want to legit smell like you doused yourself in the purest of vanilla extracts, try this creamy vanilla perfume from Ellis Brooklyn. TBH, the first thing you’ll smell is milk, but with the addition of vanilla and cacao pod, you’ll get a sweet, condensed-milk vibe, not a cold, sour-milk scent. And it lasts forever—spritz this syrupy fragrance on your clothes, and they’ll be covered until you throw them in the wash.

• Other key notes: Milk, frangipani, cacao pod, sandalwood, musk

THE REVIEWS: “I can't stop smelling myself, this is so wonderful,” writes one reviewer. “It's a warm, smoky vanilla. I definitely smell the milkiness, and it's so pleasant. I want to bathe in this, I'm OBSESSED!”

Lust For Sun Eau de Parfum

I’m already planning to bring this vanilla perfume on a tropical vacay this summer because it smells exactly like the person I want to be on the beach: breezy, bright, fun, and fresh. It’s filled with tropical white florals (like freesia, gardenia, and orange blossom), along with fresh bergamot and creamy vanilla and coconut that blend together to basically smell like grown-up sunscreen.

• Other key notes: Coconut, freesia, gardenia, and orange blossom, bergamot

THE REVIEWS: “I really like this fragrance,” one reviewer writes. “It reminds me of summer time at my grandmother’s house in the country. It’s a very in-your-face gardenia and magnolia-floral fragrance at first—but in a good way. It’s a very warm, sweet floral, but after a few hours of it drying down, I can smell the slightly sweet coconut and vanilla notes.”

Somebody Wood Eau de Parfum

When this sample first arrived at the Cosmo office, I spritzed it on at my desk, loved the scent, and went on with my day. Throughout the next few hours, five different staffers crowded my desk asking what I was wearing. Someone raved about how it smells like what they imagine a “rich person’s living room” to smell like, probably due to the mix of sandalwood, musk, and vanilla. And ya know what, I have to agree—the woodsy vibes def smell like a cabin Airbnb I couldn’t afford.

• Other key notes: Sandalwood, musk, cedar, jasmine, bergamot

THE REVIEWS: According to a review, “It has a pleasant woody scent with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spice. It just makes me want to cuddle next to a warm fire. I’ve gotten many compliments when I wear it!”

How to choose the best vanilla perfume:

Consider your fragrance preference

Vanilla perfumes are most often thought of as gourmands (i.e., sweet perfumes that smell good enough to eat), but they can also be floral, fresh, tropical, clean—you name it. If you know you hate a sickly-sweet scent but like the warmth of a vanilla note, opt for a vanilla perfume with a lot of fresh citrus or bright florals in the opening notes. But if you do like an ultra-sugary vanilla fragrance, look for a perfume with supporting notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and honey.

Determine the intensity level

Do you want a perfume that smells strictly of vanilla or has a faint whisper of sweetness from a vanilla note? If the vanilla notes in your perfume are in the foundation with eight other base notes, it likely won’t have that strong of a vanilla scent. But on the other hand, if you want to really smell the vanilla, look for a perfume with only a few other notes throughout, one that only includes one or two other base notes, or that includes vanilla in the middle or opening. You can also look for a vanilla perfume that combines a few types of vanilla, like vanilla orchid or vanilla bourbon.

Decide on the type

If you want a perfume that will smell strong for hours and hours, you should definitely opt for an eau de parfum (EDP), which has a stronger concentration of perfume oils than an eau de toilette (EDT). For reference, all of the perfumes above are EDPs, whereas body sprays and light-vanilla perfumes are often EDTs.

Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with nearly five years of experience researching, writing, and editing perfume and beauty stories that range from stretch-mark creams to hair-removal creams. She’s an authority in all perfume categories, but is an expert when it comes to vanilla perfumes after sniffing, testing, and reviewing nearly every perfume launch over the last year.

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan and has three years of experience writing about beauty, like the best luxury candles and retinol body lotions. She compiled this list after researching makeup bags, testing tons of them for herself, and reading reviews.

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