When it comes to perfumes, florals will always be a classic. Their elegance transcends time and occasion–smelling like a rose or a peony is never out of style. These seven fragrances feature a variety of floral accords, celebrating the beauty that can only come from a spring bloom.
Danse Étoilée by Grace de Monaco is an uplifting, joyful scent, whirling together sparkling citrus, rhubarb, cassis, and–the stars of the show–a rainbow of flowers. It’s a positive scent I like to spritz on for any occasion, any time of year, though this one is really the epitome of springtime for me. Does the company name sound familiar? It was founded by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2021 to honor the legacy of the late princess; all revenue supports the Princess Grace Awards program, which supports emerging artists in the world of film and theatre. Try the La Rêverie discovery set to sample two scents alongside Danse Étoilée: Promenade Sur Le Rocher and Ombre Sereine. The set comes with a luxurious travel case and is an excellent way to get a taste of this philanthropic brand.
I love the bright, fresh peony in Danse Étoilée–I also love the deeper, fruitier take on this flower in Acqua di Parma’s Peonia Nobile. Slightly powdery with notes of black pepper, raspberry, peony, Turkish rose, geranium, amber, musk, and more, this scent is one of the most unique I’ve had the pleasure of trying. Perhaps this is how Flora, Greek goddess of flowers, smelled as she wandered her garden–freshly floral with something alluring hidden beneath.
One of my current favorites is Ex Nihilo’s Lust in Paradise, a delicate, dreamy, blooming bouquet of pink pepper, white peony, lychee, white cedarwood, amber, and musk. Mesmerizing and feminine, it makes me want to don a flower crown and explore a hidden garden. There’s something slightly aquatic to this one, a freshness that paints a picture of pink petals on water. I’m in love.
Another even fresher take is Tom Ford’s Fleur de Portofino, available at Bluemercury. To me, this is a more feminine version of the well-known Neroli Portofino of the same brand. Fleur de Portofino is an exotic marriage of citrus and violet leaf; cassie tree and mimosa; white acacia and acacia honey. Smelling it feels like walking through a tropical forest on an uninhabited island, unknown florals heightened by the heat and humidity. It’s bold yet light, fresh yet complex. This is your next vacation scent.
YSL’s Blouse, from the Le Vestiare Des Parfums collection, fuses modern rose with the deep darkness of angelica, an aromatic and herbaceous note. Reminiscent of the famous Delina (not a dupe, though; Blouse holds its own), this one is for those who like slightly darker, spicier florals that are still fresh and airy. It would make an alluring date night fragrance–but could also be a classy signature scent. Well-blended, unique, and addictive, Blouse is one of those perfect all-occasion scents.
Néroli & Orchidée by L’Occitane is an enchanting, effervescent fragrance that marries neroli with lemon and vanilla. It’s fresh, yet honeyed by its sweeter note–creating a moreish and captivating scent that I spritz on any time of day. You know those fragrances you keep at the front of your collection so they’re easily grabbable, day or night? That’s what this one is for me. L’Occitane offers the scent in a shower gel and body milk, too, for those of us (me) who want to literally bathe in this gorgeous perfume.
Last and certainly not least, let’s hear it for the famous, the ravishing, the world-renowned Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Floral, you may ask? This one is often touted as cotton candy-sweet, but get your nose on it for more than a whiff and you’ll find it’s much more complicated than that–saffron (a leathery, spicy, honeyed purple floral), hedione, ambroxan, and cedar are the official notes, and I’ve come to think of this fragrance as a warm floral after wearing it for a few weeks. The woody, ambery notes of the base make this one of the most compelling scents on the market; one spritz, and you won’t be able to stop smelling your arm.
