Best Floral Perfumes For Women

 

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-cut flowers, but, when you don’t have access to your garden or local florist? Floral perfumes are your next best option.

When it comes to florals, there’s no shortage of stellar scents. From the freshness of lily and the sensuality of rose to the exoticism of orchid, there are countless floral options that have us swooning. One of the most notable aspects about floral perfumes is how universally appealing they tend to be. That’s because these fragrances are intended for all types of people, whether you’re into blooming flowers or not, and regardless of gender.

Floral fragrances have been part of perfumery for centuries, and have become an important part of many cultures thanks in part to the first-century Roman emperor Claudius’ love of perfume.

Today, more than ever, people are looking for fragrances that expresses who they are. Perfumes have become a trend in recent times, in fact, I feel that fragrances are living their “golden age” thanks to social media, and people are more conscious than ever about what the perfume world has to offer.

What is a Floral Perfume?

 

“Floral” is an olfactory group that includes several sub-categories that have flowers as the main component in the composition. This olfactory group includes woody florals, fruity florals, musky floral, and green florals. Usually, floral perfumes include a variety of notes and accords although in some cases we also find “soliflores” which are perfumes created around one single floral note that could be rose, gardenia, jasmine, etc.

The most common flowers used in perfumery are rose (Rose de Mai or Centifolia,  Damascena or Turkish rose), tuberose, peony, lily of the valley, jasmine, gardenia, and orange blossom just to name a few.

When many people think of florals, they think of beautiful, delicate scents for spring and summer, but this is not always the case. Although floral perfumes are typically light and sweet smelling, making them a great option for those who like to exude feminine energy, they can be heady, strong, and even animalic depending on how the floral notes are blended, making them also suitable for colder weather, especially amber florals and woody florals.

Floral fragrances fragrances are age-less, and that’s what makes them so versatile and a great option when it comes to make a gift. Now, that being said, given the huge variety of flowers used in perfumery, there are a few things to take into account before buying a floral fragrance.

When it comes to floral perfumes, there’s no one size fits all. We all have different tastes and we don’t have to like what everyone likes or what’s hyped on social media.

You might love the smell of a clean jasmine while your friend can’t seem to get enough of aldehydes in their perfumes. Some people are always in the hunt for the best clean floral perfume while others love the intoxicating, indolic and even animalic smell of white florals. However, there is one thing that everyone can agree on: floral scents are universally intoxicating, and are among the most seductive perfumes you can find. From soft and delicate to sexy, vibrant, and lively, floral perfumes are a joy for your senses.

Now, before buying I want you to take a few things into consideration.

In the last few years I became aware of a huge misconception when it comes to floral fragrances: I’m talking about aldehydes. For many people aldehydes smell like “your grandma’s fragrance” (btw, a friend of mine became a grandma in her early 40’s and no true fragrance lover will ever refer to a fragrance in such a derogative, negative way), but back to my point, thinking that all fragrances with aldehydes smell like an old curtain or a piece of Victorian tapestry, would be the same as saying that all people from certain origin have blue eyes.

Aldehydes smell different depending on how they are blended, for example, Byredo is a very modern, urban chic perfume house from Sweden, with an incredibly clean and minimalist aesthetic from the design of their bottles and  lids to their fragrances.

Byredo uses aldehydes in their fragrances and if you’ve ever smelled their perfumes, they are anything but vintage, conversely, most of their fragrances are very modern and contemporary as I mentioned above.

Conversely, other houses use aldehydes blended in a way that could smell vintage depending on the fragrance, for example, Chanel, but not all Chanel fragrances smell vintage.

Vintage is neither wrong nor negative, conversely, many perfumes that have a vintage vibe are very elegant, classy, and sophisticated, and exude an unbeatable “old Hollywood” glam.

Aldehydes can smell sparkly, bubbly, clean, and even soapy so please next time you hear that a fragrance has aldehydes and it’s said in a negative way, think twice before trusting that review and always try it first before making any decision. You don’t have to like aldehydes, but let your own judgement say that, not someone else’s.

Best Floral Perfumes for Women

 

A floral perfume is not just for women. In fact, in the Middle East it’s very common that men wear rose perfumes and there are many other options for men looking for a subtle, yet pleasant floral scent. Furthermore, floral perfumes are ideal for anyone who wants to wear something sweet and light, but also wants to avoid fruity, “barbie-like” type of scents. These are just a few reasons why floral perfumes are such a great option and in my opinion are gender-less.

If you’re looking for the best floral perfumes, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of the top floral perfumes on the market, so you can find the one that’s right for you. # Green Irish Tweed by GIT Green Irish Tweed is a classic floral perfume for both men and women. This scent is derived from the Irish Mist soap, which is based on an old recipe. The perfume is a blend of green notes that are complimented by white flowers, vanilla, and tonka bean. What makes this fragrance so unique is that its notes are blended together in a unique manner, resulting in a floral perfume unlike any other.

# Flora by Shiseido If you’re looking for a floral perfume with a bit more oomph, then consider Shiseido’s Flora. This light and sweet scent is derived from Bulgarian roses and Japanese yuzu, which give it a fresh and fruity scent. What makes this perfume so appealing to women is its gentle pink flowers, which are perfect for complementing Flora’s fruity scent.

Tips for Buying a New Floral Perfume

 

When shopping for the best floral perfume, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you want to consider the scent itself. What is the scent like? Does it smell like fresh flowers? Does it smell clean? Or does it smell fruity sweet and candy-like? Once you’ve taken a closer look at the scent itself, you’ll want to consider what are the brand’s other scents like? These are just a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when taking a closer look at which floral perfumes are best for you.

Although floral perfumes are one of the best types of scents for everyone to wear, there are some floral scents that are better for certain people. If you’re looking for the best floral perfume for you consider these questions:

• Do you like smelling flowers at all? If the smells of flowers in general is off-putting, then floral fragrances are just not for you. Even though there are synthetic notes in the mix and usually floral fragrances have other notes involved unless we’re talking about soliflores, you’d still smell the flowers at some level and you won’t enjoy it so as basic as it sounds, ask yourself if smelling flowers is something you truly enjoy.

• What type of woman are you? Are you a bossy woman? Are you shy? Do you want to feel confident through your scent? Are you a sassy woman who wants to wear something that is a little more flirtatious? Do you want to smell sweet, floral, and feminine?

• Do you prefer delicate white flowers like gardenia, tiare, tuberose, orange blossom, magnolia, and jasmine, or are you more a rose type of person who also enjoys orchid, tulips, and other velvety and “fleshy” type of flowers?

I’ve compiled a list of what I consider five of the most beautiful floral perfumes for women. I’m not reviewing each fragrance individually; I’m just giving a brief overview of each one so you have an idea what they’re about. This is just my opinion and I’m sure I’m leaving out thousands of amazing options. Here are my suggestions in no particular order:

• Delina Exclusif

An exquisite and intoxicating rose fragrance from Parfums de Marly that will make you feel sexy, feminine with just one drop. This is one of my top head turners and for a good reason, it’s a mass appealing type of fragrance and especially men love it. There’s not one single time when I wear this fragrance that I don’t get asked what I am wearing.

• Rouge Malachite by Armani Prive

Even though I don’t like tuberose, this is one of the very few fragrance with tuberose in the composition that I truly enjoy and if you like tuberose, this is a must-have. Creamy and intoxicating, this fragrance smells luxurious and will make you feel ten notches above.

• Terracotta Le Parfum by Guerlain

Guerlain Terracotta is an absolute must for those (like me) who enjoy tropical, creamy, addictive, and intoxicating scents. Usually fragrances in this category tend to smell cheap and synthetic. Guerlain nailed it here because this fragrance smells anything but cheap. It’s perfect for extreme weather conditions like high heat and high humidity because it’s when this gorgeous scent truly blooms. This is vacation in a bottle.

• Déjà Vu White Flowers | 57 by Kayali

Déjà Vu is hands down one of my absolute favorite floral perfumes in my collection (can you see the dent? 😉 ). It has several of my favorite notes including gardenia and patchouli, and it has the right amount of sweetness I like in floral perfumes just enough to make it addictive without making it tooth-achingly sweet and gourmand. It’s very sexy and intoxicating, and this is one of those fragrances I’ll always keep in my collection (I hope the beautiful Mona Kattan never discontinues this beauty! ).

Fun fact: the number 57 means the number of formulations this fragrance went through until they got the final and glorious juice we find today.

Kayali offers this beauty in 10ml sizes and the nicest thing is that it’s not a sample, it’s a miniature, it looks just like the bigger bottles. Click here to check it out! . (Disclaimer: this is not an affiliate link. I’m linking the website to help my readers discover this amazing floral fragrance).

• Rolling in Love Kilian

Rolling in Love is an amber floral fragrance. This is a floral perfume, no doubt, but it doesn’t smell like a fresh bouquet of flowers so it’s a bit tricky and I highly encourage you to try it before committing to a full bottle. It’s very creamy, nutty, lactonic, and sexy, absolutely gorgeous! But I wouldn’t say it’s a typical floral perfume. It has moderate projection and an incredible sillage which is the trail you leave behind when you walk.

Final Words

 

Floral perfumes are a great option for men and women, however, most floral fragrances lean on the feminine side unless they’re combined with oud and woodsy notes, and this olfactory group offers a huge variety to choose from.

These are just a few things you’ll want to consider when taking a closer look at which floral perfumes are best for you, the rest is just trial and error, testing testing and testing! Even within the same type of flowers you might like some while you might dislike others. Personally, I struggle with tuberose.

I do have a few fragrances with tuberose that I enjoy, but for the most part, as much as I love white flowers, tuberose is my nemesis. Same with jasmine, I love jasmine, but the jasmine that’s clean and more like tea jasmine rather than the indolic, thick, and heavy jasmine, so as you can see, this olfactory group is very uneven and offers a lot of options to choose from and this is the good part: if you like floral scents but you haven’t found the perfect perfume for you, just keep testing because I’m sure sooner or later you’ll find the best floral perfume that fits your taste, lifestyle and personality.

If you want me to make lists of more floral perfumes and/or review them in more detail, please let me know in the comments or send me an e-mail.

In case you want to learn more about floral fragrances, here are a couple of links to floral perfumes I’ve reviewed:

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense

Parfums de Marly Delina