Who What Wear beauty editors agree there's one question that tends to come up when people find out what we do for a living: What inspired you to want to write about beauty? Our answers differ, of course, but our shared interest in beauty is what drives us to test and review products and trends and write about our findings on the internet. We've landed in a career that allows us to tap into those obsessions. And one of my favorite parts of the job are the constant conversations in our group chats about the rare standout product picks.
It's literally our job to be picky about products, but there are certainly some that we can't get enough of. Luxury fragrances are a prime example of a subject that comes up often and leaves each of us with a list of scents to try for the first time or start wearing all over again. Since I can't leak our super-secret beauty conversations, I've chosen the second best option and pulled together an edit of a few from brands such as Byredo, Parfums de Marly, and Tom Ford.
Byredo
If you're an avid social media user like every single member of Who What Wear's beauty team, there's a high chance you've come across a viral fragrance by this modern luxury European brand. Founded in Stockholm by Ben Gorham in 2006, the brand takes a cutting-edge approach to creating timeless scents that will be in our fragrance collections for years to come.
Fragrance Family: woody aromatic
Key Notes: ambrette, Jasmine nessberry, violet, sandalwood, magnolia, chantilly musk, crisp amber, cedarwood
It's no surprise this classic Byredo fragrance immediately came to Senior Beauty Editor Jamie Schnieder's mind when asked about her favorite signature luxury scent. Drawing from the rare ghost flower's ability to thrive year after year in the Mojave Desert, Mojave Ghost combines ambrette and Jamaican nessberry with notes of violet and cedarwood for a fragrance that's utterly enchanting.
Fragrance Family: warm and sweet gourmands
Key Notes: vanilla, cashmere, ciste, musk
While I'm not usually a fan of gourmand scents, associate beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock has fully convinced me to get my hands on this one. Vanille Antique is the be-all and end-all of elevated, warm gourmand fragrances with a sweet side. Centered on perfumery's rarest raw ingredient, the perfume leads with smoky vanilla before transitioning into earthy cashmere woods and ends with a daringly sensual musk.
More Favorites by Byredo
Fragrance Family: amber floral
Key Notes: bergamot, lemon, violet, mimosa, suede, tobacco leaf, amber
Fragrance Family: warm floral
Key Notes: wild gardenia, black plum, carnation, Indian tuberose, palissandre wood
Guerlain
For nearly two centuries, Guerlain has been a House of High Perfumery and High Cosmetics redefining the meaning of luxury. The brand's collection of timeless yet contemporary scents offer olfactory creations with a signature style anyone with a love for luxury can appreciate for men, women, the home, and beyond.
Fragrance Family: oud floral
Key Notes: oud wood, white almond, raspberry accord, Atlas cedar, rose, Madagascar vanilla, sandalwood
Leave it to associate beauty editor Shawna Hudson to completely sell me on this one. Oud Nude Eau de Parfum, part of Guerlain's acclaimed L'Art & La Matiere collection, is the grown-up (but not overly mature) sultry rose fragrance I've been waiting for. Described by the brand as "a luminous and skin-soft oud wood," the perfume blends a beguiling raspberry accord with Atlas cedar and delicate rose. It's like something out of a romance novel.
Fragrance Family: warm and fresh floral
Key Notes: bergamot, mandarin, pear, French lavender, sambac jasmine, sandalwood, neroli, vanilla, iris, sandalwood
Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum is a tribute the modern woman and one of our absolute favorites to wear on the daily. It's produced with exceptional raw materials and uses powdery fresh notes of jasmine, mandarin, and French lavender set against a bold background of sandalwood, neroli, and vanilla. It's an unforgettable fragrance that provides a memorable olfactory experience for its wearer.
More Favorites by Guerlain
Fragrance Family: sheer amber
Key Notes: bergamot, lemon, iris, jasmine, rose, vanilla, balsam notes, incense, tonka bean
Fragrance Family: fresh citrus
Key Notes: mandarin, lemon, basil, orange blossom, blackcurrant, green tea, cedarwood
Perfumehead
Founded in Los Angeles by Daniel Patrick Giles, Perfumehead is a luxury brand the specializes in handcrafted extrait parfum featuring the world's finest essential oils, natural extracts, and safe synthetics. The brand's audacious visual style and a distinctive use of typography are as memorable as the scents they decorate.
Fragrance Family: citrus floral
Key Notes: tuberose, blood orange, orange flowers, night-blooming jasmine, moonflower, patchouli, musk
I would say this one is a solar floral, but in truth, it's exactly how I would imagine a flower blooming in the moonlight to smell. Featuring notes of powdery fresh trumpet-shaped tuberose, blood orange, orange flowers, and night-blooming jasmine, this perfume is a new favorite of mine. Moon Flower is also a extrait de parfum, meaning it's formulated with a high concentration of absolute oils for long-lasting wear.
Fragrance Family: amber vanilla
Key Notes: galbanum, cinnamon bark, cacao, orris butter, tobacco leaf, amber, suede, black musk
Okay, I'll say it—I'm still 100% in my Cowboy Carter era and have been wearing this perfume to lean into it. Our beauty director, Erin Jahns, is also a huge fan of this one. Inspired by the Sunset Strip in the '70s, the perfume uses an addictive blend of cacao, galbanum, tobacco leaf, and smooth black musk that's sensual and mysterious with just a hint of sweetness.
More Favorites by Perfumehead
Fragrance Family: amber gourmands
Key Notes: sandalwood, saffron, musk, vanilla absolute, cognac, smoked amber, Peruvian balsam, tonka bean
Fragrance Family: sparkling floral
Key Notes: jasmine, cumin, orris butter, vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, bergamot, neroli, red mandarin
Parfums de Marly
Fragrance Family: fresh floral
Key Notes: pear, lychee, grapefruit, damascena rose, incense, vetiver, vanilla, musk, evernyl
Hudson says this best-selling fragrance by Parfums de Marly has earned her nonstop compliments from family and friends, and I definitely see why. Fresh and fruity with a sprinkle of musk, Parfums de Marly Delina Exclusif Parfum opens with a trio of pear, lychee, and grapefruit notes before shifting into a bouquet of florals and finishing with soft musk.
Fragrance Family: fruity floral
Key Notes: red currant, Bulgarian rose, bergamot, transparent white flowers, plum accord, mimosa absolute, plumeria, sandalwood, tonka beans
Here's a sophisticated fruity floral scent for anyone who feels some hesitation around sweet-scented perfumes. While I like wearing this one alone during the spring and summer months, it also pairs incredibly well with my other perfumes with sweet and fruity fragrance profiles. Plus, how gorgeous is the peach color of the bottle?
More Favorites by Parfums de Marly
Fragrance Family: sheer floral
Key Notes: bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, nymphea, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix musk
Fragrance Family: fresh floral
Key Notes: red berries, raspberry, lemon essence, rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine tea, vanilla, musk, cedarwood
Tom Ford
Fragrance Family: warm floral
Key Notes: black truffle, bergamot, bitter orange, black plum, black orchid, patchouli, vanilla
Who What Wear's beauty team loves this one so much we dedicated an entire Deep Review to it. To me, it's the TikTok-viral office siren trend in a bottle. The fragrance features narcotic ylang-ylang, black truffle, and bergamot set against warm and sensual notes of dark florals and rich fruit accords. I wish I knew about this one in high school when I was basing my personality on The Devil Wears Prada's Emily Charlton.
Fragrance Family: woody spices
Key Notes: dark cherry, saffron, osmanthus, apricot, olive, leather, woods
If you've ever doubted the magic of woodsy notes combined with syrupy dark cherry, Tom Ford's Cherry Smoke will change your mind. Bold and smoldering, this chic fragrance features dark cherry ignited by osmanthus, saffron, and smoked woods for a result that smells like the perfect night out at your favorite cocktail lounge.
More Favorites by Tom Ford
Fragrance Family: sweet gourmands
Key Notes: Indian vanilla tincture, florals, bitter almond essence, vanilla absolute, sandalwood essence
Fragrance Family: warm gourmands
Key Notes: mahogany wood accord, roasted barley orpur, vanilla resinoid
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