Fact: No Perfumes Are More Popular or Sell Faster Than These 20
Perfume can be an incredibly personal concept. Not only does fragrance have the ability to set your mood or intention for the day ahead, but it can be a way to bring back memories. But sometimes, we love a scent just because it smells incredible. That's why you might find that some people are reluctant to share their signature fragrance—we all want to keep a brilliant scent to ourselves.
There's nothing like a personal recommendation from someone who is happy to let you in on their scent. However, the way we shop for fragrances has changed recently. It used to be risky to blind-purchase a perfume online—it could be a hit or miss. But nowadays, it's so much easier to get a sense for a fragrance online. Retailers will often list the specific notes in a scent's description, and some will provide a sample size so you can try the scent before committing to the full size. You can even order fragrance discovery sets to find your next fragrance from your favourite brand. So basically, it's never been easier to buy perfume online.
However, there's one surefire way to find a brilliant fragrance, and that's by looking at retailers' best-selling perfumes. Yes, they may be popular and more obvious than the niche fragrances out there, but you can guarantee you'll receive a crowd-pleaser that's bound to get you all the compliments. And who doesn't love that feeling?
I scrolled through the websites of some of my favourite retailers to find the most popular fragrances that sell out fast. I looked at Liberty to find the cool-girl scents that its customers flock to, Harvey Nichols for it's incredible fragrance selection, Net-a-Porter for its premium scents and Cult Beauty for those perfumes that everyone should have in their fragrance wardrobe. Scroll below to see the best-selling fragrances from each. From Byredo to Le Labo, the best perfumes are all here. Happy shopping!
Liberty London
The Best Sellers
Le Labo Santal 33 has officially reached iconic status. In fact, it became so popular that the New York Times even wrote a story on how the entire city appeared to be wearing it. I can totally see its allure and why it's one of the best-selling scents in Liberty London. Sandalwood is the key note, accompanied by spicy and musky notes of cardamon and leather.
Diptyque makes so many incredible fragrances, but this is one of its most popular perfumes. Eau de Send embodies the orange tree—not just the sweet yet bitter notes of the fruit, but the powdery orange blossom and the herbaceous scent of the leaves and tree itself.
Like Le Labo Santal 33, this is another fragrance that deserves its own moment. Its only note is molecule Iso E Super, which smells a little bit different on everyone, but it makes you smell really good. "Iso E Super is one of those skin-sexy scents that makes you want to nestle into it. It's comforting, cocooning," says perfumer Geza Schoen of the scent. I'll take two bottles, please.
If you're a fan of amber and rose, then you'll adore Portrait of a Lady. Far from frivolous or powdery, this scent is grown-up, mature and sultry. Each 100ml bottle contains 400 Turkish roses as its hero note, but the sandalwood, patchouli and clove shine through. It's the type of fragrance that really pulses off the skin and will have everyone in your vicinity dying to know what you're wearing.
This is one of Byredo's most well-known scents. For me, it smells almost a bit too light and breezy—I have to try quite hard to smell it on my skin. But I know many love it for an easy, breezy, everyday perfume. The pine note is most noticeable (think walking in a fir-lined forest on the crispest winter's day) followed by subtle amber, sandalwood and an uplifting pinch of citrus.
Harvey Nichols
The Best Sellers
You'll know doubt have heard of this fragrance somewhere or other, and if not, you've most definitely smelled it unknowingly. It went viral on TikTok as one of those fragrances that makes you smell utterly rich and unbothered. What does rich and unbothered smell like, I hear you ask? Think jasmine, saffron, cedarwood and ambergris. It's divine.
Baccarat Rouge is so popular, in fact, that its next best-selling fragrance is actually the more intense Extrait de Parfum—just in case you want to smell extra, extra luxurious. It smells just like the original but turned up an extra notch for more longevity and intensity.
If you want a fragrance that makes its way into the room before you do, then this has to be it. The sultry heaviness is balanced out by sweet nutmeg and comforting lavender.
It would not be a list of best-selling perfumes without Chanel No5. Possibly one of the most iconic scents of all time, it's also one of the top sellers. Its powdery scent reminds me of a luxurious vanity table with a vase of jasmine, rose and lily-of-the-valley on its countertop.
If you're looking to tap in to a powerful mindset, then it doesn't get much better than Creed Aventus for Her. It was inspired by powerful female figures throughout history such as royalty, artists and writers, and it's based on the best-selling counterpart in the men's collection. Apple notes open this scent, paving the way for radiant rose and ylang-ylang before settling into a moodier base of sandalwood, musk and ambergris.
Net-a-Porter
The Best Sellers
Picture this: You're dozing on a gently swinging hammock underneath sun-dappled orange grove. In a daze from the sun, you take a sip of the coldest Fanta lemon clinking with ice. To me, that sums up Sundazed. As well as being a zesty fragrance, it also has a hint of a sunscreen scent about it, which only helps tap into those happy holiday memories.
The name really does say it all. So many notes come through in this scent, but in a beautifully composed way. It's woody yet aromatic and unusual. "We're in the business of bottling up emotions," said Ben Gorham, founder and creative director of Byredo. "I hope that people read the label and identify with that sentiment in its simplest form, and then find something deeper to relate to: the juxtaposition between the familiar and the unfamiliar."
Another of Net-a-Porter's fragrance best sellers is this nifty little discovery set. Le Labo's fragrances don't come cheap, so if you want to try some of its most iconic scents, you can try five of them for £25.
Aside from Santal 33, this is another of Net-a-Porter's best sellers from Le Labo. Thé Noir 29 plays on the notes of black tea, which is woody yet spicy and fresh. Just my cup of tea.
There isn't a member of the Who What Wear team who doesn't love Jo Malone London—there's a scent for every mood and taste. I'm a big fan of its cologne-intense collection, which is slightly punchier than its core collection of scents. This discovery set has five of them, including Scarlet Poppy, Velvet Rose & Our, Our & Bergamot, Cypress & Grapevine and my personal favourite, Myrrh & Tonka.
Cult Beauty
The Best Sellers
This is a scent that transports you directly to the beach. Inspired by the sun-drenched beaches, it smells of caramelised vanilla, sea salt, toasted macadamia nut, white chocolate and coconut blossom. Better yet, the Brazilian name "Cheirosa" means someone who smells really, really good. I'm stocking up.
This scent was initially a limited edition fragrance in collaboration with Another Magazine. However, it proved to be so popular that it now has a permanent place alongside the rest of the fragrance collection. Its star notes are Iso E Super and ambroxan, which has an addictive, musky scent.
If you grew up wearing DKNY Red Delicious, then you'll love this apple-based scent that has become one of Cult Beauty's best sellers. Juicy red apple is the most apparent note of the first spritz, but it mellows down into raspberry blossom and lychee before drying down to a warm vanilla base. If fruity perfumes are your bag, then you'll want to try this.
This is one of my all-time favourites from Byredo, and I know many other editors who share the same sentiment. You absolutely must smell this if you love musky fragrances. It features ambrette, powdery violet, crisp amber and cedarwood, and it lingers on the skin beautifully.
This has so many five-star reviews on Cult Beauty, and while I haven't smelled this scent, I can see its appeal. It's described as a luxurious, layered scent of vanilla, sandalwood, amber resin, cypriol, musk and patchouli. In a nutshell, it's all the favourite fragrance notes rolled into one.
Next: My Favorite Perfumes Are French—These 27 Are Truly Special
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.