Editor Favourite Fragrances
The All-Time Favourite Fragrances Our Editors Can’t Live Without
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You may not have known it when the eager scent peddlers were spritzing you in clouds of perfume with names like Sweet Sunshine and A Woman's Desire, but there can be an upside to surviving the telltale department store fragrance counter experience: when you discover one you love — it could be with you forever.
That said, much like finding the perfect fitted jeans or the right dermatologist, a signature scent can take years of trial-and-error. So, to streamline the process — and because the human nose can only handle so many sandalwood varietals — we asked POPSUGAR beauty editors to share the classic fragrances they'll continue to buy time and time again. Call it the light at the end of that perfume cloud.
Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum
"When I was in high school, I had a very mystifying crush on a boy who was pretty much terrible in every way except that he smelled like sandalwood. The day that I discovered that I didn't like him, but rather his cologne, was the most freeing moment in my young adult life. So now, I wear the Guerlain Eau de Parfum ($124) to get the same hint of sandalwood. There's something about the unisex, musky scent that appeals to the vanilla-lover in me. This fragrance mixes that note with lavender and jasmine, and despite being 100 years old this year, it still manages to smell deliciously modern." - Alaina Demopoulus, beauty writer
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme
"Much like 92 percent of dads out there, mine drenched himself in Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue ($68) incessantly growing up, meaning I've grown quite the odd attachment to a scent intended for the opposite sex. Now because we live approximately 1,192 miles away, I keep a bottle of it in my closet and pull it out any time I'm feeling particularly homesick — although, in hindsight, it smells way more like what you'd expect from the crisp Cinque Terre air as opposed to Kansas." — Kelsey Castañon, senior beauty editor
Moschino Fresh Couture Eau de Toilette Spray
"I have dozens of perfumes, but my favourite by far is Moschino Fresh Couture ($62), which comes in the cutest Windex-shaped bottle I've ever seen. I love watching my friends pick it up in my bedroom thinking it's actually a window cleaner. Fortunately, it does not smell anything like a cleaning product. The perfume smells like an intoxicating combo of bergamot, mandarin, Ylang Ylang and patchouli. I've gone through every bottle very quickly and constantly get compliments when I wear it." – Sarah Siegel, assistant editor, beauty and shop
Lavanila The Healthy Fragrance in Pure Vanilla
"I've been wearing Lavanila's Pure Vanilla Fragrance ($48) every day for over a decade. I've always loved warm vanilla scents, but once I was out of college, I decided it was time to graduate from the overly sweet Bath and Body Works-style fragrances and move onto something more subtle. Lavanila is a clean, non-musky vanilla; it smells like warm cookies and vanilla extract. Plus, the fragrance is all natural — it uses organic sugar cane alcohol and essential oils, and leaves out the parabens, phthalates, and other icky unpronounceables." - Mandy Harris, manageing editor
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
"I've worn Tom Ford Neroli Portofino ($235) since I could afford — and justify — buying it. It reminds me of a carefree summer in the city, where the beach is close and there isn't a worry in the world. Yes, I know it's supposed to transport you to the Mediterranean, but it reminds me so much of LA and my childhood longing to live here. I remember smelling it at a department store and thinking I had to have it — then I saw the price tag and cried. It was one the big splurges I treated myself to when I started moving up in my career. Now I know that I run out, like clockwork, every six months, so I make sure I ask for it for my birthday and then pick up a bottle every summer. I pray for the day the brand makes a rollerball version so I can travel with it, but until then, I'll continue asking the Nordstrom sales associate to keep filling tiny sample bottles to keep in my purse." - Kirbie Johnson, beauty host and senior video reporter
Marc Jacobs Daisy
"Someone gifted Marc Jacobs Daisy ($102) to me a few years ago, and I have worn it religiously ever since. It has sultry floral notes like violet and strawberry that make me feel fancy and sexy — almost like I'm spraying on confidence. I even walk with my chin a little higher when I have it on. Plus, it isn't too overpowering, so I am able to wear it every day without feeling like I am drowning in perfume. It still, to this day, prompts unsolicited neck sniffs from my boyfriend, which is proof of its power if you ask me." — Aimee Simeon, assistant beauty editor
Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne
"I'm incredibly picky with fragrance — I can't tell you how many perfumes I sampled through the aisles of Sephora and Ulta before my wedding. It was by chance that I wandered into a beauty shop that carried Jo Malone's perfume line, and I fell in love with the Nectarine Blossom and Honey ($136) scent. Fruity and refreshing, it was the ideal choice for my big day . . . and every day since." Maggie Panos, Voices editor
Carolina Herrera 212
"I've been wearing CAROLINA HERRERA 212 ($82) for years. There's a reason it's my signature scent: it's fresh, feminine but not too sweet, and it last all day long. I have tried other perfumes, but nearly every time I pick up 212 again, someone will stop me to ask what I am wearing." — Lauren Hendrickson, director of editorial product management
