Best perfume for women 2023: Most popular and hidden gems

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I’ve been searching for a new fragrance for years, as I still default to White Must from The Body Shop which I’ve worn since the ‘90s. I set out to find the most popular perfumes as well as some hidden gems and new winners on the scene. Nordstrom seemed like a great place to start because they carry many popular brands and encourage sampling. And sample I did.

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I’m quite sensitive to fragrances and strongly believe that it should be illegal to have perfume in taxis, planes and other confined areas. Which highlights how subjective perfumes are. One person’s treasure is another person’s nausea.

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Through a mix of data on the most popular perfumes of the year, anecdotes from the people who work at beauty counters and endless spritzes and wafts here’s the best of fragrance.

Best perfume summary

Most popular, like ever: Chanel No. 5 – Chanel
New and a complete winner: Cherry Smoke – Tom Ford (daytime alternative: Lost Cherry – Tom Ford)
Most trendy: Santal 33 – Le Labo (runner up: AnOther 13 – Le Labo)
Most outdoorsy: Rozu – Aesop
Most neutral but still interesting: English Pear & Freesia Cologne – Jo Malone (spicier alternative: Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense – Jo Malone)
Most elegant and classic: J’adore – Dior
Most reliable gift: Miss Dior – Dior
Most sweet and spicy: Vanille Fatale – Tom Ford
Most floral and deep: Flora Gorgeous Jasmine Eau de Parfum – Gucci
Most sweet and powdery: Paradoxe Eau De Parfum – Prada

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The perfumes

Most popular – Chanel No. 5 – Chanel

Why we love it: It’s a classic, top-selling perfume that has proven to top the fragrance charts since its founding in 1921. The name of the perfume comes from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself who considered five a lucky number. I don’t particularly love the scent, but who am I to argue with data.

Price: Starting from $137
Where to buy: Nordstrom | Chanel

New and a complete winner –  Cherry Smoke – Tom Ford

Why we love it: This is the hidden gem. It’s new, so it didn’t really have a chance to hide, but Cherry Smoke is here and hot. It’s such an interesting, deep, surprising fragrance that I’ve never smelled before. It’s sour, smokey and sultry. It’s expensive, but one spritz goes a long way. I feel like Cherry Smoke is the nighttime version of Lost Cherry, which I also fell hard for. Lost Cherry is sour and sans smoke, but it’s equally alluring and addictive. 

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Price: Starting from $310
Where to buy: Nordstrom

Most trendy – Santal 33 – Le Labo

Why we love it: Le Labo is newer to the fragrance scene, launching in 2006, but it’s one of the most popular and trending brands. Santal 33 is Le Labo’s most popular scent. It’s bold and sophisticated and is really good at blending into people’s natural pheromones. Le Labo’s naming convention reflects the number of ingredients in the fragrance. So, Santal 33 is made from 33 ingredients. I get why it’s so popular, but it’s really fragrant; I’d suggest AnOther 13 as a subtler alternative. 

Price: Starting from $117
Where to buy: Nordstrom

Most outdoorsy – Rozu – Aesop

Why we love it: The story of Aesop dates back to 620 BCE, but the Rozu scent is fresh and up-to-date. Rozu is one of Aesop’s most popular scents, which makes sense, as it’s subtle but it still says something. Maybe that something is “I just left a spa” or “this is a nice smelling spa.” Spoiler alert: it smells like a spa. 

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Price: Starting from $235
Where to buy: Nordstrom | Aesop (currently sold out)

Most neutral but still interesting – English Pear & Freesia Cologne – Jo Malone 

Why we love it: This is a Jo Malone favourite. It’s warm, summery and understated. Like a sophisticated introverted powdery flower. I do not envy the people who have to write perfume descriptions. It’s not easy, like English Pear & Freesia Cologne. I prefer something a bit bolder and spicier, so I gravitate to Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense.

Price: Starting at $99
Where to buy: Nordstrom | Jo Malone

Most elegant and classic – J’adore – Dior

Why we love it: I will not fall for marketing, I will not fall for marketing. But Charlize Theron is J’adore’s spokesperson and I’m only so strong. I appreciate this scent even through a blindfolded smell test. I imagine it on someone over 45 because I think it requires some wisdom to wear, but it’s soft and inviting. An invitation that suggests, “come here, but not too close.”

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Price: Starting from $115
Where to buy: Nordstrom | Dior

Most reliable gift – Miss Dior – Dior

Why we love it: Miss Subtle. I like this fragrance because it’s a clean, subtle and fresh scent that shows that you care about how you smell but without any pretension.

Price: Starting from $115
Where to buy: Nordstrom | Dior

Most sweet and spicy – Vanille Fatale – Tom Ford

Why we love it: Tom Ford does a really good job of making unique fragrances and naming them precisely. If you like vanilla but don’t want to smell vanilla, Vanille Fatale is here for you. It’s like vanilla grew up to be a C-level executive. It still smells like vanilla, but it’s deeper, more layered and complicated. Sweet, but not naive.

Price: $360
Where to buy: Nordstrom

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Most floral and deep – Flora Gorgeous Jasmine Eau de Parfum – Gucci

Why we love it: This one is a grower, which makes sense for jasmine. It’s floral, but also a bit citrusy. When I first put it on, I was underwhelmed, but it blossomed throughout the evening. It makes me feel fresh, put-together and kind of fancy.

Price: Starting from $149
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart

Most sweet and powdery – Paradoxe Eau De Parfum – Prada

Why we love it: Is there such a thing as sweet soap? But not sugary. Maybe something like what Oprah’s soap would smell like. It’s elevated and clean and it knows it.

Price: Starting from $139
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart

All of the fragrances above are pretty pricey. If you’re not ready to jump into the deep end of 100 ml of a new scent, I’d suggest starting with a smaller bottle or even a lotion or candle. I also appreciate the more affordable Solinotes fragrances. They’re uncomplicated, simple scents but they’re made in France and really smell like their name. I like a blend of Cotton and Yuzu. And Nemat has wonderful-smelling fragrances, like Vanilla Musk.

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rmann@postmedia.com

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