In this article, we take a look at the 20 best smelling perfumes for women that men love. You can skip our detailed analysis of the perfume industry, and go directly to the 5 Best Smelling Perfumes for Women that Men Love.
For thousands of years, perfumes—which are typically made up of fragrances and different oils to produce a pleasing aroma—have been a part of the self-grooming ritual. Perfumes are generally classified into five main categories, parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, and eau de fraiche, depending on the concentration of fragrance oils in their formula. Stronger scents are typically associated with a higher concentration of fragrance oils.
The concentration of fragrance oils in parfum is the highest, usually ranging from 15-30%, followed by eau de parfum (15-20%) and eau de toilette (5-15%). On the contrary, eau de cologne (2-4%) and eau de fraiche (1-3%) are the least concentrated types of perfumes.
Perfume Industry: An Analysis
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global perfume market was valued at $50.85 billion in 2022. The market is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2023 to 2030, reaching a value of $80.16 billion at the conclusion of the predicted period. The key factors influencing the market's expansion are the rising trend of personal grooming, the growing demand for both youthful and exotic scents, and the increasing consumer spending on luxury fragrances on account of high-income levels and improving living standards. Additionally, the report states that although women end-user segment accounted for the largest share of the perfume market in 2022—more than 62.85%—men end-user segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the projected period.
Similarly, another report by Fortune Business Insights estimates that the worldwide perfume industry was valued at $45.85 billion in 2022. The industry is expected to grow from $48.05 billion in 2023 to $69.25 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.36%. One of the factors propelling the industry’s growth is that major players in the space are prioritizing the creation of innovative and high-quality ultra-personal formulas using AI. These fragrances are unique and one-of-a-kind because they are customized to each customer’s tastes and personality. One example is MAISON 21G, an AI-driven solution that enables scent personalization, which was introduced in 2021 by LVMH-owned multinational retailer Sephora. An additional factor is the growing trend of consumers favoring online shopping. Furthermore, the report states that with China holding the major share, the Asia Pacific market will grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the growing number of young population, rising disposable income, expanding working class population, and growing knowledge of the advantages of perfumes.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) and Inter Parfums, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAR) are among the key players in the global perfume market.
Inter Parfums, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAR), founded in 1982, develops, manufactures and distributes prestige perfumes and cosmetics through license agreements with leading brands such as Coach, Jimmy Choo, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Spade, and Montblanc among others. On November 7, Inter Parfums, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAR) posted earnings for the third quarter of 2023, reporting a GAAP EPS of $1.66, beating market estimates by $0.40. The revenue over the period was $368 million, up 31.4% compared to the revenue over the same period last year.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL), with offices across more than 50 nations and territories, engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. Under brand names like Estée Lauder, Clinique, Jo Malone London, Too Faced, TOM FORD, Smashbox, Le Labo, and Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, among others, the company's products are sold in about 150 countries and territories. According to Insider Monkey’s second quarter database, 44 hedge funds were bullish on The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) and disclosed positions worth $1.6 billion in the company.
Here are some of the comments from The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL)’s, Q1 2024 Earnings Call:
“We delivered our outlook for organic sales and exceeded the expectation for adjusted diluted EPS. Organic sales decreased 11%. Our global travel retail business drove the decline, as expected, with organic sales lower by 51% given the combination of trade inventory reduction and a structured market containment. The entire rest of our global business rose 4% organically, led by mid- to high single-digit growth in the Americas and the markets of EMEA and double-digit growth in Asia Pacific, excluding Mainland China. The excellent performance in these regions enabled us to deliver our sales outlook despite a slower-than-expected recovery of overall prestige beauty in Mainland China. Adjusted diluted EPS of $0.11 was ahead of the outlook as we achieved a better-than-expected adjusted operating margin.”
Having said that, today we will take a look at the best smelling perfumes for women that men love. You can also check our article on 21 Best Smelling Colognes for Men.
20 Best Smelling Perfumes for Women that Men Love
Our Methodology
We utilized a consensus opinion-based rankings approach for this piece. We gathered information from relevant Reddit threads, where users not only share their experiences but also inquire about various perfumes each month. The subreddits we included in our search were r/fragrance, r/Perfumes, r/AskReddit, r/dating_advice and r/AskMen.
Each perfume received a score based on the number of mentions, so each time a perfume was mentioned, it received a score of 1. Consequently, the more mentions and references, the higher the score and rank in our article. The price of each perfume is also listed below.
It's imperative to keep in mind that lists like this one, which feature men's favorite perfumes on women, are always subjective. We do, however, hope to produce a more comprehensive list of the 20 best smelling perfumes for women that men love by combining the opinions of the aforementioned Reddit threads.
Best Smelling Perfumes for Women that Men Love
20. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau De Parfum
First up on our list of best smelling perfumes for women that men love is Baccarat Rouge 540 by a high-end fragrance brand, Maison Francis Kurkdjian. This amber floral fragrance, launched in 2014, can be worn by both men and women. Besides, depending on your skin type, the perfume will last an average of 10-12 hours after application due to its remarkable longevity. It is priced at $325 for a 70ml bottle.
LVMH, a French multinational holding and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, acquired a majority share of Maison Francis Kurkdjian in 2017.
19. Ariana Grande Cloud Eau De Parfum
Cloud by Ariana Grande, launched in 2018, is a women's fragrance. This floral fruity gourmand scent features top notes of lavender, pear and bergamot, middle notes of whipped cream, praline, coconut and vanilla orchid, and base notes of musk and woods.
The perfume comes at an affordable price tag of $68 .
18. Gucci Bloom Eau De Parfum
Launched in 2017, Gucci Bloom is a floral fragrance for women by the Italian luxury fashion house Gucci. It has top note of jasmine, middle note of tuberose, and base note of Rangoon creeper. A 100 ml bottle of Gucci Bloom costs around $170.
Gucci is owned by Kering SA (EPA:KER), a French-based multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods.
17. Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum
La Vie Est Belle is a women’s fragrance from Lancôme, a French luxury perfumes and cosmetics house owned by Loreal since 1964. This floral fruity gourmand fragrance was created by two of the most renowned French perfumers, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo.
It is one of the best-smelling perfumes for women that are popular with guys, and is priced at $150 for a 100ml bottle.
16. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau De Toilette
Light Blue is a fragrance line, launched in 2001, by Dolce & Gabbana, an Italian luxury fashion house. The women’s version, which costs $116 for a 100ml bottle, is a floral fruity fragrance.
15. Prada Paradoxe Eau De Parfum
Prada Paradoxe, launched in 2022, is an amber floral fragrance for women. It features top notes of pear, tangerine and bergamot, middle notes of orange blossom, neroli essence, neroli and jasmine sambac, and base notes of bourbon vanilla, white musk, amber and benzoin. Emma Watson is the face of this fragrance by Prada, a luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy. Last year, Prada’s global sales amounted to 3.74 billion euros.
A 90ml bottle of Prada Paradoxe costs around $160.
14. Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau De Parfum
Mon Guerlain, an amber woody fragrance for women, was created by perfumers Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk. It is priced at $155 for a 100ml bottle.
Angelina Jolie was chosen as the face of this perfume from the house of Guerlain, a renowned French perfume, cosmetics, and skincare brand owned by LVMH.
13. Dior J'adore Eau De Parfum
J'adore is a glamorous floral fruity fragrance for women. It was released in 1999 by Christian Dior, which is one of the highest-grossing luxury brands under the umbrella of LVMH.
J'adore, priced at $160 for a 100ml bottle, is one of men's favorite perfume on a woman.
12. Thierry Mugler Angel Eau De Parfum
Angel, a 1992 perfume from Thierry Mugler, was created by Olivier Cresp and Yves de Chirin. This amber vanilla fragrance tailored for women is housed in a unique star-shaped light blue body, and won the Fifi Fragrance Hall of Fame Award in 2007.
A 100ml bottle of Thierry Mugler Angel costs $185.
11. Jean-Paul Gaultier Scandal Eau De Parfum
Scandal is a chypre floral fragrance for women by the design house of Jean Paul Gaultier, a luxury brand owned by Puig. The fragrance, which costs $134 for an 80ml bottle, was launched in 2017.
10. Montale Intense Café Eau De Parfum
Intense Cafe is a unisex fragrance from Montale, a French luxury perfume brand. Released in 2013, its top note includes lovely floral notes, while the heart notes feature rose and coffee. The base notes consist of vanilla, white musk and amber.
A 100ml bottle of Montale Intense Cafe costs around $130.
9. Tom Ford Noir de Noir Eau De Parfum
Tom Ford Noir de Noir is a unisex fragrance by Tom Ford, a luxury fashion brand. Launched in 2007, it has a strong smell of velvety roses, with undertones of chocolate and earthy truffles. It is priced at $425 for a 100ml bottle, and is one of the best smelling perfumes for women that men love.
Last year, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) announced acquisition of Tom Ford in a deal that totaled $2.8 billion.
8. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is a women’s fragrance launched by the French fashion house Chanel in 2001. It is priced at $165 for a 100ml bottle.
The fragrance opens with a citrusy kick of orange, mandarin, bergamot, and orange blossoms, followed by jasmine, rose, mimosa, and ylang-ylang middle notes. The base notes include vanilla, tonka bean, vetiver, and white musk.
7. Thierry Mugler Alien Eau De Parfum
Mugler, a luxury fashion and fragrance brand owned by L'Oreal, launched Alien in 2005. Created by skilled perfumers Dominique Ropion and Laurent Bruyere, Alien is a powerful floral scent of jasmine linked to woody and amber notes.
It is priced at $180 for a 90ml bottle, and is one of the best-smelling perfumes for women that are popular with guys.
6. Creed Aventus for Her Eau De Parfum
Creed Aventus for Her is a floral and fruity fragrance by the luxury fragrance house Creed. Launched in 2016, the top notes of this fragrance include green apple, bergamot, lemon, patchouli, pink pepper and violet, while the middle notes feature musk, rose, sandalwood and styrax. The base note consists of black currant, peach, amber, lilac and ylang-Yyang. It costs around $180 for a 30ml bottle of Aventus for Her.
This June, Creed was acquired by Kering SA (EPA:KER).
