These 9 perfumes are so good that strangers have genuinely stopped me on the street to ask after them

As a beauty editor with an affinity for all of the best perfumes, receiving a compliment from a stranger on my fragrance is up there as one of the best mood-boosters in existence. If you can relate, I'm going to let you in on a little secret—I've got a fool-proof formula for getting people to compliment my fragrance and it's down to opting for a particular genre of fresh perfumes. 

You see, while there's no doubt that the secret to some of the most popular perfumes and best perfumes of all time is a crowd-pleasing juice that appeals to all, the key to getting perfume compliments is in selecting a scent that piques someone's interest. And as somebody who owns nearly 100 perfumes (don't judge me, it's my job to test them all out—at least that's the excuse I tell myself), I have discovered that the perfumes that earn me the most compliments are fresh perfumes that have a musky, powdered base.

And this isn't some sort of sweeping statement, either. I've got proof to back this theory up. Out of all the perfumes I own and wear, there are nine that consistently get me stopped in the street. Seriously, I'm regularly stopped by strangers asking after my perfume when I've spritzed one. In fact, just last week a waitress pulled out her phone after taking my order and bought a certain Byredo perfume on the spot.  The thing these perfumes all have in common? They're fresh, uplifting scents that possess enough depth to prove totally captivating.

Sound like something you could get on board with? Here are the nine fresh perfumes I consider guaranteed hits.

1. Zara Fleur D'Oranger

I'm yet to wear this perfume and not receive a compliment on it. Seriously. In fact, several people have asked whether I'm wearing a particularly iconic scent with similar notes that costs a cool £150. The thing that's great about that is this couldn't be considered a dupe—in fact, I prefer Zara's £25.99 version. It's sweet and citrusy but beautifully delicate and floral at the same time. While so many orange flower perfumes settle to become creamy and sickly, this one dances over the skin delicately all day—like a warm ray of sunshine on a cool spring day.

2. Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt

Okay, I know a lot of people wear this perfume—but considering how often I receive compliments on it, that says a lot. Despite Wood Sage & Sea Salt's popularity, it's still a conversation starter. It's cool, crisp and totally sense-clearing—much like breathing in a lungful of sea air. Unlike other marine scents that risk feeling chilling, this perfume is earthy and salty. It serves Hamptons housewife opposed to coastal Grandma. 

3. Diptyque Do Son

Diptyque's Do Son is probably one of the most talked about fragrances right now. Not because it's new but because the brand has recently launched this Limited-Edition bottle (and expanded its offering), and it's exquisite. I've long adored Do Son for its warming freshness—like sticking your nose into a bouquet of white florals at a beach-side wedding on international shores. The fresh powderiness comes from the floral notes, but it achieves a sort of sun-drench skin result thanks to woods and musk.

4. Serge Lutens L'Eau

If you've ever come across this perfume before, I'd be surprised. Serge Lutens is a relatively niche French fragrance brand that beauty editors and fragrance fanatics like to gatekeep. Truly, there isn't a Serge Lutens scent out there that I'd consider a dud—each one is equally as exquisite as the next. And while I get compliments on all of them, it's this surprising guy that wins me the most. It's reminiscent of warm fluffy towels and freshly bathed skin—like bubbles and unctuous body creams. However, with a water-like freshness, it's the sort of perfume that leaves people wondering whether you just smell that good, you know, naturally. As soon as someone catches me spritzing it, they want in.

5. Maison Margiela Replica Lazy Sunday Morning

Of all the fresh perfumes on this list, this is the one that surprises me the most. It's not that it's not absolute perfection, it's that I consider it to be such a well-known scent that I'm always a bit taken aback at the fact people still ask after it. If you're yet to experience the joy of Lazy Sunday Monday, it smells like the most expensive cotton shirt you own after it's been freshly washed, hung outside to dry and ironed. It's the sort of perfume that makes you want to throw open the windows and spring clean the entire house.

6. Chanel 1957

It pains me to write about this perfume because I want to keep it all for myself. When I wore it to a girls' lunch a few months ago, the whole table wanted a spritz (and this pains me because it's expensive). Once it had done the rounds on the table, a lady sat on the next table along asked to take a picture of the bottle so that she could buy it herself. It's effervescent and undeniably clean smelling—like one of the most expensive soaps money can buy. At the same time it's understated, skin-like and entirely effortless. It's Chanel to its core.

We've got a Fenwick discount code, if you need. 

7. Escentric Molecules M+ Molecule 01 + Iris

The last time I went to the hair salon, my stylist made me pull this out of my bag so that she could hunt it down. The beauty of this scent is that it's unlike anything you've ever smelled. It possesses all of the understated, skin-like beauty of Molecule 01 (if you've never smelled Molecule 01, it's incredibly difficult to describe—just know it's exceptional), but this variation has the added soapiness of iris. As a note, iris is totally unique—it's punchy, soapy and earthy all at once. When it comes to iris, you either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it, and the good news is that countless other people seem to as well.

8. Byredo Blanche

This is the fresh perfume I mentioned earlier that had a waitress ordering it over my shoulder after asking what fragrance I was wearing. Blanche is like warm cashmere blankets and washing detergent. It's sweeter than others on the list, but as soon as it hits the skin it melts into one of the freshest and most comforting perfumes in existence. 

9. Dior J'adore d'Eau

If you think you know Dior's classic J'adore perfume, think again. This new variation of the perfume is unlike anything out there. The juice itself is creamy, rather than watery. You spritz it onto skin and rub it in to fuse and blend. As a result, the soapy freshness of J'adore gets a warming update that becomes one with the skin. J'adore is the sort of perfume a lot of people could pick up a mile off, but this version even had a fellow beauty journalist ask after it.