Top 5 compared
The best women's perfumes
A favourite scent to wear every day at work or save for a special night out.
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The top 5 at a glance
A perfume is worn on the skin, where it unfolds in stages: the top notes are the first impression, the heart comes through next, and the base notes are what lingers. Houses sort their scents into families, such as floral, woody, amber and gourmand (sweet notes like vanilla and praline), and the family is the best clue to whether one will suit.
Most here are eau de parfum; eau de toilette is a lighter strength. The key notes are listed with every perfume below, so two scents in the same family can still be told apart. Every bottle is a spray, and some houses also sell refills for their bottles.
What matters
- The scent family in the house’s own words.
- Price per 10ml, when bottle sizes differ.
- A small bottle first, for a scent that’s new to you.
#1Gucci Bamboo Eau de Parfum (50ml)
£30–£50
Casablanca lily and ylang-ylang over sandalwood and Tahitian vanilla, with a lift of Italian bergamot at the start: a soft, creamy floral in Gucci’s art deco-style bottle.
What owners say: Owners say it lasts well, love the scent and rate it good value.
A closer look: The bergamot fades within minutes, and what stays is the lily with the soft, warm vanilla underneath, so judge it after an hour rather than straight away. Spraying onto the wrists and neck rather than clothes lets the sandalwood base come through as it should.
- Ylang-ylang in the heart
- Tahitian vanilla base
- Art deco-style bottle
Best for: Soft, creamy florals
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 50ml
- Scent family
- Floral woody
- Key notes
- Bergamot, lily, sandalwood
- Launched
- 2015
#2Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette (50ml)
£30–£50
Wild strawberry and violet leaf on top, gardenia and jasmine in the middle, white woods and vanilla underneath: a light, fresh floral under a cap of white daisies.
What owners say: Owners love the scent; how long it lasts varies from one wearer to the next.
A closer look: As an eau de toilette it’s lighter than the eau de parfums here, which suits daytime and warm weather; a spray on the wrists after lunch keeps it going. It’s also an easy first step up from body sprays.
- Cap of white daisies
- Violet leaf on top
- White woods and musk base
Best for: Light, fresh and fruity
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 50ml
- Scent family
- Floral woody
- Key notes
- Strawberry, gardenia, vanilla
- Launched
- 2007
#3Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau de Parfum (50ml)
£75–£100
Built on contrast, in Carolina Herrera’s words: white jasmine and tuberose against warm tonka bean and cocoa, in a navy glass bottle shaped like a high-heeled shoe.
What owners say: Fairly priced, owners say, with a scent they love and a bottle they think is beautiful, the shoe shape especially.
A closer look: It’s a rich, warm scent, so one or two sprays are plenty: almond and coffee come through first, and the tonka and cocoa linger longest. The shoe-shaped bottle is made to be seen, so it earns its place on a dressing table rather than in a drawer.
- Shoe-shaped navy glass bottle
- Almond and coffee open it
- Cocoa in the base
Best for: A rich scent for evenings
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 50ml
- Scent family
- Amber floral
- Key notes
- Jasmine, tuberose, tonka bean
- Launched
- 2016
#4Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum (100ml)
£130 RRP
Iris, patchouli and vanilla make a sweet floral that lingers, and Lancôme calls it a floral ambery gourmand. It took three perfumers to create it: Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo.
What owners say: Owners say one small spray lasts the whole day, and one found the scent still hanging in the air the next morning.
A closer look: Lancôme sells a 100ml refill, so the bottle can be topped up rather than replaced when it runs out. Pear and blackcurrant open it, iris and jasmine follow, and the praline and vanilla base comes through later in the day.
- Refillable bottle
- Pear and blackcurrant opening
- Praline in the base
- Three perfumers created it
Best for: Sweet and long-lasting
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 100ml
- Scent family
- Floral ambery gourmand
- Key notes
- Iris, patchouli, vanilla
- Launched
- 2012
#5Jimmy Choo Blossom Eau de Parfum (40ml)
£20–£30
Red berries and a citrus fizz open into sweet pea and rose, over sandalwood and white musk: a bright, fruity floral that’s easy to wear by day.
What owners say: Owners call it a lovely everyday sweet floral that stays fresh all day, and like the faceted square bottle.
A closer look: The 40ml bottle is small enough for a handbag, so it’s easy to top up before an evening out. The berry opening is strongest in the first few minutes; the sweet pea and rose that follow are softer and stay close to the skin.
- Small enough for a handbag
- Citrus fizz on top
- Rose in the heart
- White musk base
Best for: Fruity florals for daytime
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 40ml
- Scent family
- Floral
- Key notes
- Red berries, sweet pea, sandalwood
- Launched
- 2015
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Gucci Bamboo | #2Marc Jacobs Daisy | #3Good Girl | #4Lancôme La Vie Est Belle | #5Jimmy Choo Blossom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| Price | £30–£50 | £30–£50 | £75–£100 | £130 RRP | £20–£30 |
| Bottle | Eau de parfum, 50ml | Eau de toilette, 50ml | Eau de parfum, 50ml | Eau de parfum, 100ml | Eau de parfum, 40ml |
| Scent family | Floral woody | Floral woody | Amber floral | Floral ambery gourmand | Floral |
| Key notes | Bergamot, lily, sandalwood | Strawberry, gardenia, vanilla | Jasmine, tuberose, tonka bean | Iris, patchouli, vanilla | Red berries, sweet pea, sandalwood |
| Launched | 2015 | 2007 | 2016 | 2012 | 2015 |
| Best for | Soft, creamy florals | Light, fresh and fruity | A rich scent for evenings | Sweet and long-lasting | Fruity florals for daytime |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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