If you’re like most women, your perfume is a crucial finishing touch to your daily look. Not only does a well-formulated fragrance add an instant boost of confidence and elevate your mood, but it leaves an olfactory imprint on those who encounter you.
Perfumes have a unique power to trigger happy memories and evoke emotions—it’s no wonder we all associate certain smells with our childhoods, vacations, and even first loves. As a result, it’s important to find the right women perfume that captures your personality and suits the occasion. Whether you prefer a light and fresh scent that’s reminiscent of a just-picked lemon or an intense floral that resembles a flowery valley, the Belk collection offers plenty of options for everyone.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up 46 of the best perfumes for women—whether you want to feel like a princess for date night or are looking for a long-lasting signature fragrance. The selection includes eau de parfum and eau de toilette options, as well as gift sets that make it easy to try many of the newest scents.
While there is no scientific proof that a particular scent can influence one’s mood, it has been reported that scents are perceived as a sign of cleanliness and social status in many cultures. As such, it’s no surprise that we spend so much time determining what we smell like and spritzing on a little extra fragrance.
Choosing the perfect perfume can be daunting, but a few simple guidelines can help you narrow down your options. Start by determining which fragrance profiles you tend to gravitate towards: Do you prefer light and fresh or deep and musky? Once you have an idea of what type of fragrances appeal to you, it’s also helpful to think about the scents that are important to your everyday lifestyle.
For example, if you love to go out hiking, try a woody and earthy fragrance, such as the iconic Dior Homme’s La Vie Est Belle Intensement. Or, if you’re a modern minimalist who loves to travel, opt for a clean and fresh fragrance that’s formulated without synthetic ingredients like neroli and petitgrain from Kilian’s Love, Don’t Be Shy.
While you’re shopping for the best perfumes for women, check out these beauty stories to discover new skincare, makeup, and haircare products you’ll fall in love with. Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with nearly 10 years of experience researching, writing, and editing everything from cystic acne treatments to best magnetic eyelashes. She chose the perfumes above based on her own personal testing and expert reviews.
To learn more about the most popular perfume notes, OnBuy analyzed the top fragrances on the market and found that green apple, berries, black currant, and pineapple were some of the most common. They also found that lavender, iris, and Bulgarian rose were some of the most popular fragrance notes among women. Regardless of what your favorite fragrances are, remember that the scent attaches to the skin best when you’re hydrated.