It's Only February, but We're Already Calling This French Perfume the Defining Scent of the Year

As a beauty editor, I have tested hundreds (if not thousands) of fragrances over the years. Yep, ask me to list the best perfumes on the market and I could give you every recommendation you could ever need, from the best rose scents to the best gourmand scents and even the best spring scents. In fact, I talk about fragrances and perfume trends so much that I've gotten pretty good at predicting what the most popular perfumes will be for the year ahead.

While light, skin scents and fruity fragrances will definitely be trending this spring, there's another, slightly more sophisticated perfume that I can't stop thinking about. As it turns out, the whole of the Who What Wear UK beauty team is obsessed—just last month our beauty director, Shannon Lawlor, predicted it would be one of the biggest, most worn perfumes of 2025. Yes, it's Diptyque Orphéon.

If you're not yet familiar with the luxury French fragrance house that is Diptyque, then let me introduce you. Founded in 1961, this chic brand is every beauty insider's secret to smelling expensive. In fact, celebrities love it too. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss all count themselves as fans. Although there are so many incredible scents to try, Orphéon is easily one of the best Diptyque perfumes and one of the most elegant fragrances around—and it's set for huge things this year with an all-new, limited-edition collection.

Diptyque Orphéon, Reviewed by Fragrance Editors

The Scent

If you've clicked on this article, then you probably want to know what this perfume smells like. While all the fragrances from the brand smell incredibly stylish, this particular scent oozes French-girl charm. The notes include juniper berry, cedar, tonka bean and jasmine. On first spritz you will be hit with a fresh, crisp, sparkling aroma, but as the perfume develops on the skin, your senses will be enveloped in the fragrance's warm, heady and powdery notes.

Inspired by a bar in the Latin Quarter of Paris where the founders of Diptyque liked to meet back in the '60s, Orphéon transports you to an unforgettable night in the city, complete with gin cocktails, jazz music, red velvet barstools and swirls of cigar smoke. The exhilarating scent is both rich and delicate, and I've truly never smelt anything else like it.

The Longevity

Now, it's no secret that Diptyque fragrances don't come cheap, but you can trust that Orphéon will last all day on the skin. The rich but soft aroma lingers beautifully on the skin, so one application can easily take you from day to night. The scent projection is also pretty powerful, so you don't need to apply a lot in order to make an impact.

The Packaging

The brand's packaging is somewhat iconic. Diptyque's candles have become the ultimate status symbol to have in your home, and the perfume bottles are just as stunning. Orphéon comes housed in the brand's signature oval bottle, with the fragrance name and brand logo front and centre. However, fans of the fragrance will be pleased to hear that you can currently get your hands on a blue-labelled, limited-edition bottle, and can even purchase a fine oak case to house your scent. This case was inspired by a cocktail cabinet and comes hand-carved with illustrations designed to evoke the magic of Parisian nights.

And look, I get it, perfume choices and preferences are really personal, but if you're still not sold on the universal appeal of Orphéon, know that all three of our Who What Wear UK beauty editors are head over heels for it. Don't believe me? See their reviews for yourself.

A Beauty Director's Orphéon Review

"There is, truly, no fragrance out there quite like Orphéon," says Who What Wear UK beauty director, Shannon Lawlor. "It will certainly go down in history as one of the greatest olfactory creations ever made. I have worn it religiously since it first launched back in 2021, and it is without question the closest thing I have to a signature scent—which, by the way, is a big deal seeing as fragrance is my specialist subject and I own well over 100 bottles of perfume.

"To me, Orphéon’s beauty lies in its softness. It has an unruffled, blasé nature that wafts its way towards your skin, binds to it and becomes one with your being. Sure, it is velvety and powdered, but it's no good me harping on about notes and fragrance families, because what Orphéon encompasses goes so much further than just its scent. It is the trench-wearing, bob-donning French girl grabbing her morning baguette, it is the suave Parisian businessmen talking shop over a cocktail-fuelled lunch, it is the nonchalantly cool mood of Paris at dusk as the bars start to fill with effortlessly chic gin-and-tonic-drinking, cigarette-smoking locals.

"In essence, Orphéon is the cool girl I so long to be."

A Beauty Editor's Review

"To me, this smells like stepping into an old-fashioned ladies powder room," says Who What Wear UK beauty editor, Eleanor Vousden. "Think marble basins dotted with ornate bars of pale pink French soap, while elegantly dressed women with oversized powder puffs send clouds of cosmetic powder dancing into the air as jazz music plays from the bar. I have a soft spot for earthy yet fresh, chypre scents such as this one, which remains cosy and warm as it unfurls on your skin.

"I'll admit, on the first spray I wasn't initially keen on it. But once it dried down onto my skin, I couldn't stop smelling it. I enjoy the cedarwood dry-down with the smooth, creamy tonka bean that makes it oh-so addictive. If you want to smell sophisticated and unlike anyone else, this Diptyque scent is for you."

The Limited-Edition Collection

As mentioned above, this February the brand is celebrating Orphéon with a limited-edition collection that is quite simply a work of art. In the collection you will find a limited-edition blue bottle alongside a new 30ml size bottle of the scent, which is perfect if you are new to the fragrance and want to try it out before investing in the full-size. If you really want to treat yourself, you can also purchase the illustrated oak case.

Not only that, but the brand has created a limited-edition candle duo that features both the Narguilé and Genévrier scents. This duo has been designed to recreate the atmosphere of the Parisian bar where the Diptyque founders would meet, and acts as a beautiful ode to the story behind the fragrance. I have no doubt that this collection will fly off the shelves and fully cement Orphéon's place in the perfume hall of fame.

Shop the Diptyque Orphéon Collection