Top 5 compared
The best women's perfumes
A scent to wear every day, whether you like it fresh and citrusy or warm and sweet.
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The top 5 at a glance
A perfume unfolds in layers: the top notes are the first impression, the heart comes through after a while, and the base notes are what lingers longest. Perfumes are grouped into families such as fresh, floral, fruity, ambery and gourmand, the sweet, dessert-like ones, and a scent can belong to more than one, like a floral gourmand.
Staying power varies from one wearer to the next, as owners of some of these find, so a scent a friend swears by may fade sooner on you. Fresh and fruity scents lean toward daytime and summer; warm, sweet ones toward evenings and the colder months. Bottle sizes differ a lot, so the price per ounce is the fairer comparison.
What matters
- A scent family you already know you like.
- A small bottle or trial size to try on your skin first.
#1Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Eau de Parfum (1.3 fl oz)
$75–$100
A floral gourmand that opens juicy with mandarin and peach, moves into red spider lily and jasmine, then dries down to vanilla and benzoin for a warm finish. It reads bright in daylight and cozy after dark.
What owners say: Compliments come up again and again, and owners say it lasts the whole day; some have worn it for years. They like the look of the bottle too, and the small size slips into a purse or a travel bag.
Heads up: The link opens on the 1.3 fl oz bottle, so check the size against the price; Jimmy Choo also makes larger ones.
A closer look: Mandarin makes the first few minutes fresh and fruity before the lily and jasmine soften it, and the vanilla base is what’s left by evening. Spray it on skin rather than clothes, where the vanilla can develop, and keep the bottle out of sunlight and away from heat so the scent stays true.
- Soft peach at the top
- Jasmine in the heart
- Benzoin warms the base
Best for: Sweet but bright, day to night
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 1.3 fl oz
- Scent family
- Floral gourmand woody
- Key notes
- Mandarin, red spider lily, vanilla
- Launched
- 2020
#2Ed Hardy Eau de Parfum for Women (3.4 fl oz)
$10–$20
A burst of fruit, as the bottle’s tattoo art promises: wild strawberry, mango and ruby red grapefruit up front, freesia and rose behind, and warm amber to finish. A full 3.4 fl oz bottle.
What owners say: Owners love the fruity scent and the compliments it draws, find it fun without being loud, and like the big bottle. Staying power ranges from a full day to a few hours from one person to the next, and a handful doubted their bottle was genuine.
A closer look: Sunny and young-smelling, it’s at its best in the daytime and warm weather rather than at a formal dinner. Ed Hardy also makes a 0.17 oz trial size, an easy way to see how long it lasts on your skin before settling on the big bottle.
- Tattoo-art bottle
- Ruby red grapefruit top
- Rose and freesia heart
- Made in the USA
Best for: Fruity scents for sunny days
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 3.4 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fruity floral
- Key notes
- Mango, strawberry, amber
- Launched
- 2008
#3Armani Acqua di Gioia Eau de Parfum (1 fl oz)
$75–$100
A fresh scent: crushed mint and lemon at the top, jasmine with a watery note in the heart, and cedarwood with a little brown sugar underneath. Clean rather than sweet, it suits warm days, the office and anyone who finds gourmand scents too much.
What owners say: A few sprays carry it through the day, owners say, and the clean scent never turns overpowering; one notices it keeps its layers into the evening. Compliments follow, though a handful questioned whether their bottle was genuine.
A closer look: Mint and citrus are the first notes to fade, so spray it on pulse points right after a shower and keep the small bottle in a bag for a top-up later. Clean, fresh scents like this rarely bother the people sitting nearby.
- Watery note in the heart
- Touch of brown sugar
- Lemon at the top
Best for: Fresh, clean everyday wear
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 1 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fresh aquatic floral
- Key notes
- Mint, jasmine, cedarwood
- Launched
- 2010
#4Carolina Herrera Good Girl Blush Eau de Parfum (1 fl oz)
$100–$150
Good Girl’s softer sister, in the same stiletto bottle shaded from black to pink. Sparkling bergamot and a touch of bitter almond open it, peony and creamy ylang-ylang follow, and it dries down to a powdery vanilla and tonka bean: romantic rather than heavy, from brunch to a dinner date.
What owners say: People who find most perfumes give them a headache say this one doesn’t, and it lasts for hours without shouting. Coworkers notice it, so plenty wear it to the office as well as out, though some found the bottle smaller than they’d pictured.
A closer look: The 1 fl oz bottle is the small one, a way to try the scent before committing to a bigger size. Carolina Herrera suggests two or three sprays on the neck, wrists and décolletage, with the matching body lotion underneath to help it last through the day.
- Stiletto bottle, black to pink
- Bitter almond at the top
- Creamy ylang-ylang heart
- Tonka bean in the base
Best for: Soft, powdery florals
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 1 fl oz
- Scent family
- Ambery floral fruity
- Key notes
- Bergamot, peony, vanilla
- Launched
- 2023
#5Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum (3 fl oz)
$100–$150
YSL’s coffee-floral perfume pairs black coffee with white flowers over a base of vanilla, for a sweet scent with some depth to it. It won an Allure Best of Beauty award in 2015.
What owners say: Owners love its warmth, vanilla with a hint of cocoa or mocha that never turns overpowering, and save it for date nights. How long it lasts varies a lot between wearers, and a few doubt their bottle was genuine or find it pricey.
A closer look: Coffee and vanilla make it warm rather than fresh, so it comes into its own on cooler days and evenings out. YSL notes that dry or oily skin changes how long a scent lasts, so a spray on freshly moisturized skin tends to hold better.
- Orange blossom and pear
- Hint of patchouli
- For cooler days and evenings
Best for: Date nights and cooler evenings
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum, 3 fl oz
- Scent family
- Floral coffee, vanilla
- Key notes
- Black coffee, white flowers, vanilla
- Launched
- 2014
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Jimmy Choo I Want Choo | #2Ed Hardy | #3Armani Acqua di Gioia | #4Good Girl Blush | #5YSL Black Opium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | ||||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $10–$20 | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $100–$150 |
| Bottle | Eau de parfum, 1.3 fl oz | Eau de parfum, 3.4 fl oz | Eau de parfum, 1 fl oz | Eau de parfum, 1 fl oz | Eau de parfum, 3 fl oz |
| Scent family | Floral gourmand woody | Fruity floral | Fresh aquatic floral | Ambery floral fruity | Floral coffee, vanilla |
| Key notes | Mandarin, red spider lily, vanilla | Mango, strawberry, amber | Mint, jasmine, cedarwood | Bergamot, peony, vanilla | Black coffee, white flowers, vanilla |
| Launched | 2020 | 2008 | 2010 | 2023 | 2014 |
| Best for | Sweet but bright, day to night | Fruity scents for sunny days | Fresh, clean everyday wear | Soft, powdery florals | Date nights and cooler evenings |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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