Floral perfumes aren't for everyone—I get it. But I want you to hear me out for just one minute because as a beauty editor of nearly a decade, I can tell you for certain that floral perfumes have an unduly bad reputation. In fact, every floral perfume hater that I've met has got it all wrong. The truth is, the best perfumes in existence are mostly blends that include petals from the most beautiful-smelling flowers.
When you hear the terms 'floral perfume' or 'floral fragrance', I want you to rid your mind of any negative connotations. Forget the strong, powdered roses and powerful, heady championing of lily of the valley, and instead think about burying your nose into a crisp bouquet of crunchy greens and delicate petals. Yep, flowery fragrances in 2024 are totally wearable—they're fresh fragrances that please every nose. Oh, and they're long-lasting, too.
And, as somebody who typically leans towards musky, skin-like scents, even I appreciate the beauty of a great floral. You see, having done this job for many, many years, I'm now somewhat of a perfume aficionado. I refuse to wear any perfume that doesn't earn me a compliment on first wear and it has to be unique enough to pique interest—and there are only 19 predominantly floral perfumes (of the hundreds that I've tried over the years) that fulfill my brief. So trust me when I say these are the 14 best floral perfumes in existence (even the most avid of floral-perfume haters will like something on this list).
1. Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle
This perfume is, without doubt, one of the most coveted in my entire collection. It is the perfume equivalent of a freshly-pressed white cotton shirt and jeans outfit. It's fresh, laid-back and exceptionally elegant. Like walking past a shrub of fragrant honeysuckle in the Mediterranean sunshine—it's a light, delicate floral that oozes sunshine and joy.
2. Byredo Rose of No Man's Land
I might have dubbed this rose perfume 'traditional' but I say that in a modern way. It's not powdery or heady in any way, shape or form. It's traditional in the sense that it is, clearly, a rose-based scent upon first sniff, but it's also fresh, sense-clearing and a little bit fizzy on the nose.
3. Chloé Naturelle
Chloé perfumes are some of my favourite out there. The thing which sets them apart from others is their distinct uniqueness—they're strong and long-lasting in the sort of way that would have people chasing you down the street asking after them. And of all the Chloé perfumes, Naturelle is, I believe, the most endearing. Although a rose-based scent, it smells less like the powdered petals and much more like the green, crunchy stems. With an added hit of neroli, it's airy and breezy in a spring-time sort of way, while the woody base notes are what keeps it lingering on the skin for hours upon hours without fading.
4. Diptyque Fleur de Peau
Diptyque's Fleur de Peau champions the powdery, unique scent of iris. If you've never smelled iris before, you might consider it a Marmite sort of note—while some love it, other's hate it. Personally, iris is a firm favourite. It's powdery, for sure, but it possesses a soapiness that makes it uniquely distinguishable from other floral scents. With added musk and ambrette, Fleur de Peau becomes a skin-like floral that has everyone asking after it.
5. Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia
Forget everything you think you know about floral perfumes being 'delicate' and 'pretty', this perfume packs a sweet, fruity punch and has a hardness to its dry down that puts it on a different playing field entirely. What's so perfect about Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is that although it's unlike other floral perfumes out there, it remains indisputably crowd-pleasing. In fact, I'm yet to come across a soul who doesn't see its appeal.
6. Mon Guerlain
For those who have a more mature taste in floral fragrances, Mon Guerlain will likely be for you. It has a classic intensity to it which makes the perfume impossible to ignore. Whereas some floral perfumes dance delicately through the air, Mon Guerlain wafts through with a sense of purpose and pride. It's floral, a little bit powdery and also truly intense. Its power is unquestionably one of the reasons it's one of the most popular perfumes around.
7. Issey Miyake L'Eau D'Issey Pivione
L'Eau D'Issey is a fragrance that has become adored all over the world for its water-like freshness. Not in any way salty or marine, it is instead fresh and quenching, like a glass of ice-cold water on a sweltering day. Pivione is the latest iteration of the classic, incorporating delicately floral notes of peony and juicy berries. It is fresh, crunchy, crisp and totally mouthwatering.
8. Jo Loves White Rose & Lemon Leaves
If you're looking for an ethereal sort of wedding scent, Jo Loves White Rose & Lemon Leaves is a great place to start. The best way I can describe this scent is like burying your nose into a freshly cut wedding bouquet of velvety roses and green stems. It's fresh, lightweight and absolutely beautiful.
9. Lancôme La Vie Est Belle
There are few perfumes as instantly recognisable as Lancôme La Vie Est Belle. Much like Mon Guerlain, it packs one hell of a floral punch. It's deep, it's powerful and it lasts all night long. While some of the other floral perfumes on this list might cater to those who are looking for a way to wear reinvented florals, La Vie Est Belle is a classic floral scent to its core—just more wearable.
10. Maison Francis Kurkdjian L'eau À La Rose
If you're asking me, few perfumers know how to work with rose quite as expertly Francis Kurkdjian does. Created with two types of rose, both Centifolia and Damescena, you'd assume this perfume might be heady and hard to get away from, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's juicy, quenching and undeniably light and breezy. Plus, it clings to the skin and merges with it in a way that rose perfumes typically struggle to. If I could only wear one rose perfume for the rest of time, I'd make it this.
11. Dior Miss Dior
Miss Dior is probably the most worn perfume amongst my group of friends. In fact, I'm not sure I could name you one person I know who doesn't own a bottle of this right now. Although it's technically a floral, it's also sweet, creamy and skin like, in the sort of way that just invites you in. In my opinion, Miss Dior masters the art of being universal enough that it's impossible to dislike and unique enough that it's guaranteed a compliment or two.
12. Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir For Her
Chances are, you've seen this perfume blowing up on TikTok thanks to its popularity amongst the chicest of French women. True to the French-girl way, this perfume oozes laid-back elegance. With musk and leather suede accord, it's skin like in a way that makes people think you just smell that good, while the floral addition of heliotrope is unique enough to secure that first hint of intrigue.
13. Tory Burch Mystic Geranium
New on the floral fragrance scene is this from Tory Burch—and it smells every bit as good as it looks in the bottle. Think of it like a fresh, English garden in summertime, complete with a fruit-filled picnic basket and gingham blanket. It's fresh, sense-clearing, delicate and expertly comforting.
14. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb
While I haven't worn Flowerbomb for many, many years (it's just too gourmand for my tastes nowadays), I know it would be wrong to compile a list of the best floral perfumes ever and have it missing. Flowerbomb is creamy and warming in an edible sort of way—like freshly baked goods, just without the sugary sweetness. The florals give it a powdered finish that drapes the skin in a fragrance you just want more of.
Best new floral perfumes for 2024
15. Jo Malone London Red Hibiscus
If you're a lover of warming, creamy florals, this one is for you. Vanilla makes it a nuzzling sort of scent, while mandarin ensures it doesn't turn heady or feel like too much. Having said that, the red hibiscus is, hands down, the most prominent aspect, meaning this fragrance doesn't risk turning too sweet or cloying—it's just a powerful, punchy floral that melts into the skin.
16. Serge Lutens La Fille Tour de Fer
This rose fragrance is truly outstanding. Totally void of any powerful creaminess or dustiness that so many rose fragrances are typically associated with, it's fresh and biting—like a zingy hit of angular rose that slowly develops a soft, skin-like soapiness to keep you going back for more.
17. Kenzo Flower Ikebana Mimosa
The best way I can describe this feat of a floral fragrance is like holding a bouquet of colourful flowers under the midday sun. It has a sparkling warmth that is undeniably enticing, but the hero mimosa keeps things powdered and fresh in the most grounding of ways. Truthfully, I haven't picked up a bottle of Flower for years, but this one has won a place in my collection.
18. Dior Miss Dior Parfum
Similar to the aforementioned Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, the latest iteration of the fragrance, a hard-hitting Parfum, has been created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian. It contains a newly created jasmine note that has punchy, fruity accords. The best way I can describe Miss Dior Parfum is like peeling back the layers of soft tulle that shroud the EDP, leaving the carnal, floral core of Miss Dior.
19. Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle Tiare
This is an effervescent, sparkling, white floral delight. It is sherbety and nose-tickling on first spritz, delivering an instant boost of invigoration. Quickly, it diffuses into a soft white floral scent that smells like the softest, most expensive petals you've ever encountered.
