Perfume: Time Top Scents

Le Labo Santal 33

Many perfumes are designed to last all day into night, but most scents will fade after seven to nine hours. While we can’t guarantee it because factors like sweat may impact the life of your first spray, this Le Labo Santal 33 Eau De Parfum is a notably (according to reviews) lasting fragrance that won’t let you down. Described as the “spirit of the American West,” this perfume is a unisex scent with notes of cardamom, violet and iris, sandalwood, and leather, among others.

Specifications:
Size: 3.4 ounces
Notes: Top: Violet accord, cardamom; middle: iris, ambrox; and base: cedarwood, leather, sandalwood.
Price on publish: $322
What we like:
Can be worn by anyone, not just women
Long-standing scent
What we don’t like:
It is very expensive

Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk

Founder Bee Shapiro created the Ellis Brooklyn line of cruelty-free and vegan fragrances known for its complex scents from 9 different fragrance families described as citrus, aquatic, and woods, among others. Vanilla Milk wins our choice for the best vanilla fragrance that’s warm and sweet but not too cloying, which occurs with some vanilla scents.

Specifications:
Size: 1.7 ounces
Notes: Top: Dark rum, davanal; mid: honey (vegan), bran absolute, cinnamon; base: sandalwood, vanilla bean, and cocoa absolute.
Price on publish: $108
What we like:
Sweet scent and we love Ellis Brooklyn’s long list of fragrances
What we don’t like:
May be too sweet for some folks

HERETIC Florgasm

The original musk scent probably isn’t something you want to wear (hint: it came from the sex glands of a Tibetan musk deer, now a protected species), but today, many of these earthy, sensual scents capture smells like dark green woods or rich spices with exotic floral undertones. We love Heretic Florgasm because it smells like crushed flowers and damp leaves—like a walk in a forest after a rainstorm when everything is damp and heavy with botanicals.

Specifications:
Size: 1.7 ounces
Notes: Top: Coriander, bergamot, bitter orange, pink pepper, lemon, and pimento berry; middle: jasmine, linden blossom, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, and tuberose; base: hibiscus seed
Price on publish: $165
What we like:
The orange blossom notes
What we don’t like:
High price

Kensie So Pretty

Sweet but not cloying, Kensie So Pretty is a lightweight, sweet perfume that doesn’t overpower. Some users say they catch a whiff of vanilla, but this perfume is built on fruity flavors like apples, bergamot, and tangerine. The bottom fragrance notes are white cedar and musk that help balance out the sweetness.

Specifications
Size: 3.4 ounces
Notes: Top Fragrance Notes: Bergamot, Pink Lady apple, tangerine, and anise; middle fragrance notes: Iris and green florals; bottom fragrance notes: musk and white cedar.
Price on publish: $55
What we like:
It’s affordability and fruity scent
What we don’t like:
It may not be sophisticated enough for musk lovers

Carter+Jane Surfer Girl Roll-on Aroma

The essence of summer by the sea and in the surf can be obtained in a bottle. While you won’t find saltwater in the ingredients, it smells like wild grasses or beach flowers in the sand and reviewers say it smells like the shore. If you want to be a surfer girl, but can’t get to the beach, try this summery scent and let your imagination do the rest.

Specifications:
Size: 1.7 ounces
Notes: Top notes: Blue tansy and lemongrass; middle notes: honeysuckle and bergamot; base notes: rosewood
Price on publish: $28 for the roll-on
What we like:
Affordable and smells like the beach
The roll-on option
Eco-friendly
What we don’t like:
Scent is on the lighter side

Gourmand White Flowers

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this affordable, best-selling perfume by Dossier was created with this adage in mind. It was inspired by the best-selling scent, Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. While many teens (and adults) can’t afford its price tag (over $100), they can indulge in a similar explosion of scent for under $30. And if you don’t think it comes close enough to the original, all returns are free.

Specifications:
Size: 50 milliliters
Notes: Top: Bergamot, green tea, freesia, and berries; middle: white flowers, orchid and rose; base: musk, patchouli, caramel, and vanilla.
Price on publish: $29
What we like:
Affordable but smells expensive
Returns are free
What we don’t like:
Some reviewers say it doesn’t come close to Flowerbomb

QUEENS & MONSTER

This perfume is made to be worn by men or women. We chose it for mature women because it’s sophisticated with musk and woodsy base notes that balance the sweet freesia and jasmine in the middle ones. It’s also EWG-verified and Cradle to Cradle certified, which means the ingredients in this perfume “meet the strictest standards of health, safety, and transparency known today,” making it a smart choice for mature and sensitive skin. Plus, you can share it with your partner—it’s made for everyone.

Specifications:
Size: 50 milliliters
Notes: Top: Violet leaf, neroli and petitgrain; middle: freesia and jasmine; base: vanilla, coco musk and sandalwood
Price on publish: $120
What we like:
Eco-friendly and safe for all skin types
What we don’t like:
Scent is on the “sweeter” side
Get it here: Henry Rose Queens and Monsters

Jo Malone London Basil & Neroli

This perfume is like smelling a late spring garden with top notes of aromatic basil rounded off with neroli smelling of bitter orange blossoms. While there are more floral perfumes full of roses and gardenias, we love this one for its fresh, clean scent. Some reviewers say it doesn’t last as long as other perfumes, but that’s because it is a cologne, which unlike a perfume (which has more oils), doesn’t hold its scent for long periods. And it’s expensive, so if you are on a budget, we recommend skipping this perfume. Shopping tip: Jo Malone’s Wood Sage Sea Salt scent made our list of the best colognes for men.

Specifications:
Size: 3.4 ounces
Notes: Top: Basil grand vert; middle: neroli; base: white musk
Price on publish: $165
What we like:
Simple list of ingredients
What we don’t like:
The scent doesn’t hold as long as a perfume
Expensive

Replica Under the Lemon Trees – Maison Margiela

If you dream of strolling among the lemon trees in Sicily, this fruity perfume may be your new favorite. A nice departure if you want a break from grapefruit and lime notes (equally nice) often found in fruity perfume. Under the lemon trees is not overpowering in its citrus scent, making it a good everyday, lightweight

Specifications:
Size: 3.4 ounces
Notes: Top: Lime, petitgrain and cardamom; middle: green tea, mate and coriander; base: white musk, cedar and Rock rose.
Price on publish: $160
What we like:
Smells like lemons (even though it is made from lime)
Good everyday scent
What we don’t like:
If you don’t like the smell of citrus, skip it
Expensive

Philosophy Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is a popular daily perfume for women who like a subtle, long-lasting floral scent with bergamot, lily of the valley, and musk. One reviewer said: “It smells like you’re having your best day ever, and then you found money on the sidewalk.” It’s hard to beat that description, but we also found it a wonderful perfume to layer with other scents or wear independently. And if you love the scent, it also comes in a three-in-one bubble bath, shower gel and shampoo, plus a scented firming body cream.

Specifications:
Size: 2.0 ounces (comes in three sizes: .05, 2.0, and 4.0 ounces)
Notes: Top: Bergamot; middle: muguet blossoms; base: lasting musk
Price on publish: $60
What we like:
Affordable and comes in three sizes
Lightweight scent
What we don’t like:
May not last as long all day

Gucci Bloom

An affordable designer perfume that smells like a garden, Gucci Bloom offers all of this and more. Natural tuberose and jasmine scents create a lightweight white floral scent on the skin, but doesn’t lack staying power. One reviewer said it is a recent revolving standard in her perfume rotation because of its flowery scent, which can be worn day or night.

Specifications:
Size: 1.6 ounces
Notes: Top: Jasmine; middle: tuberose; base not: Rangoon creeper (a vine and flower native to tropical Asia)
Price on publish: $123
What we like:
It’s a versatile day-to-night scent
What we don’t like:
May be too floral for some wearers

Frédéric Malle Synthetic Jungle by Annie Flippo

A fashionable friend told me once that perfumes by Frédéric Malle are all she ever wears, and there are a lot to choose from. Visit his website to find your new favorite scent based on creations and mood. You can also find an olfactive map to help you understand the different compositions of his collection of perfumes created by a variety of perfumers. We love Synthetic Jungle’s nod to scents like patchouli and black current. If you want to get your Daisy Jones and the Six vibes on, this scented homage to the ‘70s is the perfect (perfume) accessory.

Specifications:
Size: 50 milliliters
Notes: Top: Lily of the valley; middle: jasmine; base: patchouli
Price on publish: $225
What we like:
The simple ingredients that deliver a subtle, sultry smell
What we don’t like:
It is extremely expensive