Best perfumes for women 2026

Looking for a quality perfume with timeless appeal and a scent that lasts?

You might not think to turn to Which?, we accept that – but we love a challenge. We uncovered the best perfumes money can buy by asking more than 40 testers to smell and rate 16 women's perfumes in a blind test.

They didn't know which brand or product they were reviewing, and the results proved fascinating. Some proved popular across the board, while other testers said they never wished to smell them again.

We tested popular perfumes, including Miss Dior and Carolina Herrera Good Girl, as well as perfumes from brands such as Chanel, Kayli, YSL and more. You can also find out how celebrity favourite fragrances from Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and others measure up to the big perfume houses.

Looking for a scent for men? Read our reviews of the best perfumes for men

The best women's perfumes from our tests

Your favourite perfume will always be a personal choice. But if you're unsure where to start, or buying for someone else, our testing reveals the most popular scents chosen from a blind test involving more than 40 people.

The perfume that impressed our testers the most was pop star Billie Eilish's 'Your Turn' perfume.

If you're looking for more affordable options, Ghost Sweetheart Always scooped our Great Value recommendation. It scored well in our scent and longevity tests. The Essence Vault's 82 Eau du Parfum scored slightly lower, but is also a Great Value option overall.

Find out how the rest of the perfumes for women we tested compare to the best.

Best Buy: Billie Eilish Your Turn Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 70%, top women's perfume we've tested

Pros

• Most testers liked this perfume, finding the different notes worked well together
• Scent evolves slowly, staying true to the smell when initially sprayed
• Still detectable after six hours

Cons

• Delicate and subtle scent may not be the bold statement you're after

Key notes Top - ginger, Middle - peach and jasmine, Base - sandalwood

Sizes available 30ml, 50ml, 100ml

In our smell tests, this perfume was liked by most people, who thought it blended beautifully and enjoyed its warm musk aroma with soft floral and spicy notes. One tester said it 'evoked a chai-like warmth'.

It's got staying power too. Our testers liked how 'true' the scent remained to its initial impression, with only minor changes in the smell. After one hour it smells very similar, and after three hours only slightly less spicy and more woody. 

At the six-hour mark, it was noticeably faded but still had a clear, warm, woody scent. Many other perfumes we tested were barely detectable after six hours.

Testers described it as a subtle and muted scent. This wasn't necessarily a negative, but if you want something a bit bolder, you may want to look elsewhere. Ironically, the packaging is anything but muted, with a bold cubist design.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette

Our score and verdict 67%, Sweet, fresh and floral

Pros

• A fresh, sweet and bright perfume
• Scent evolves slowly over time - remaining true to initial smell when first sprayed

Cons

• Some testers found the sweetness of the perfume sickly

Key notes Top - wild berries, Middle - white violet and jasmine, Base - sandalwood

Sizes available 30ml, 50ml, 100ml

Let's get it out of the way. This perfume is unapologetically sweet. If that isn't your vibe, you'll probably want to go for something different.

Still here? Then there's a good chance, like most of our testers, you'll enjoy this one. It's a floral, fresh, sweet scent that stays true over time.

It settles and mellows but the same notes are detectable three hours later. At the six-hour mark, it's much fainter with a bit of woody base joining the lingering sweet notes. 

Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 67%, A floral start with a woody finish

Pros

• Starts with pleasant floral, citrus notes
• Evolves over time to have more incense and woody, smoky scent - but most of our testers enjoyed this

Cons

• Noticeably less strong by hour three, barely detectable after six hours

Key notes Top - lily of the valley, Middle - rose, apricot and peach, Base - Vanilla and tonka bean

Sizes available 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, 150ml

This perfume's scent evolves over time, and our testers were largely happy to go along for the ride. It starts with a bright scent with well-blended citrus and fruity notes. Some found it a bit artificial-smelling, but they were in the minority.

As it ages, it becomes warmer with a more woody and less sweet scent. Some missed the initial kick, but most liked the development.

The strength overall isn't the punchiest. It was noticeably weaker after three hours and only a very faint woody trace by the six-hour mark.

Great Value: Ghost Sweetheart Always Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 66%, Fruity and earthy with good staying power

Pros

• More affordable compared to most other brands we've tested
• Strong gourmand notes of vanilla, caramel and spice
• Still detectable at six hours

Cons

• Scent changes a lot over time - with mixed opinions on the final notes

Key notes Top - bergamot and pear, Middle - peach flower and peony, Base - vanilla and amber 

Sizes available 30ml, 50ml

Significantly cheaper per 100ml than other perfumes we tested, and well-liked by most – with noticeable staying-power. This perfume by Ghost is a Great Value pick.

It was approved of by the majority when first sprayed, with a sweet aroma with strong vanilla, caramel and spice notes that testers thought was feminine and interesting.

This sweetness fades over time, and the scent becomes more woody and musky with an incense-like throughline. Some testers liked this, but others felt it was too drastic a change from the original sweet smell, and was more 'generic' than the initial spray.

Only a musky trace remains at the six-hour mark, but it was still clearly there, unlike plenty of others we tested. 

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Blush Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 65%, Sweet and floral opening shifting to a woody base

Pros

• Rich, fruity and floral scent
• Intensifies in the first hour before softening to a woodier smell

Cons

• Noticeably less strong by hour three, mostly faded after six hours
• Initial smell divided opinions

Key notes Top - bergamot and almond, Middle - ylang ylang and peony, Base - vanilla and tonka bean

Sizes available 30ml, 50ml, 80ml, 100ml, 150ml, 200ml

When first sprayed, the majority of testers found this perfume strong but pleasant with a fruity and floral mix. While some described it as 'gorgeous' others thought it smelled 'quite generically floral'.

After one hour, these fruity, sweet notes became more pronounced, with this being the favourite stage of the scent for our testers. After this, the notes fade to give way to a woody scent that was considered slightly less interesting.

It starts to fade noticeably after three or so hours, and unlike our top scorers was very faint by the six-hour mark.

Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede Cologne

Our score and verdict 63%, Feminine and fresh

Pros

• Floral and fruity with the apple notes coming through strong
• Minimal change in scent profile as it ages across the three hours

Cons

• Between three and six hours after spraying, perfume becomes more 'soap-like' in smell

Key notes Top - red apple, Middle - peony, Base - suede

Sizes available 9ml, 30ml, 50ml, 100ml

Described as 'feminine' by several testers, this perfume opens with a floral and fruity scent. If you like these, then great, but some found it overly sweet and old-fashioned.

The scent remains true over time, with the sweet and floral notes lingering several hours after application. It fades gently to a fairly one-dimensional smell, reminiscent of soap for several testers.

Detectable even after six hours of wearing, it has fairly good staying power, but slightly less so than our top scorers.

Great Value: The Essence Vault 82 Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 63%, Good start but fades quicker than most 

Available from The Essence Vault (£24.99) 100ml

Pros

• Affordable compared to most other brands we've tested
• Even testers who weren't a fan of the initial scent warmed to it as it aged

Cons

• Mixed opinions on the initial smell, which was mostly fruit
• Noticably weaker after three hours of wearing

Key notes Top - pear and orange, Middle - jasmine and coffee, Base - cedarwood and patchouli

Sizes available 30ml, 100ml

This perfume is only £24.99 per 100ml, around five times cheaper than the average perfume we've tested. While our testers weren't all sold on the initial scent, some liked it more as it aged.

It opens with a fruity, zingy smell but several testers found it synthetic and overpowering.

As it develops, the fruity notes fade and the scent becomes more woody, musky and sweet. Several testers who didn't like its initial smell preferred it this way.

The overall strength of this perfume is OK, but it weakens after a few hours and only a faint aroma remains by the six-hour mark.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum

Our score and verdict 58%, Good start but doesn't age well

Pros

• Unique opening scent - a sugary, floral, slightly green smell

Cons

• Mixed views on the scent's opening, but more testers disliked the smell once it developed
• Scent fades more than most by the six-hour mark, though is still faintly detectable

Key notes Top - orange, Middle - jasmine and rose, Base - patchouli and vetiver

Sizes available 35ml, 50ml, 100ml 200ml

The opening has a fresh, green note to it, which several testers likened to laundry linen. Coco Mademoiselle has been around for more than 20 years and,while some may prefer a classic, in our blind smell test many testers said it smelled 'like an older perfume' or even 'granny-ish'. Ouch.

The scent becomes spicy, peppery and more musky as it dries. A small number of testers liked this evolution. But it's in stark contrast to the opening and, on balance, it turned more people off – many thought it became harsher and some noted it 'smells like chemicals'.

It fades gradually but is slightly fainter than the top scorers at each hour mark. There's still a hint of spicy smell at the six-hour mark. 

More women's perfumes from our tests

Here’s how the rest of the perfumes for women measured up, listed in order of score. 

How we test women's perfumes

One nose isn't enough for a solid perfume recommendation. That's why we recruited more than 40 testers to sniff out the most alluring fragrances from those with a lingering 'cleaning product' scent. 

We buy the bestselling and most searched-for perfumes from UK retailers. We buy every one we test – no freebies from manufacturers – meaning our reviews are honest and unbiased.

We regularly revisit the perfumes for women on sale to see if any more popular models need testing. When we find them, we do.

• Blind smell test We decant all the perfumes into matching atomiser bottles, so the panel don't know which product or brand they are trying. The perfumes are judged solely on their smell and not influenced by brand reputation. Each perfume is rated based on the initial spray and on how it settles after a couple of minutes.
• Scent evolution After this initial round filters out the least popular options, the testers' favourites go forward for longer tests to assess how the perfumes smell on different skin types vs on a test stick, how the scent evolves over a six-hour period and how strongly the scent lasts over a six-hour period.

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

What makes a good perfume?

What makes a perfume 'good' to you will almost certainly be different to the next person. 

But, while the particular smell you savour depends on personal preference, there are some universal principles. Our extensive user perfume testing revealed to us what many people look for in a good perfume:

• An appealing opening First impressions matter. Most of our testers preferred perfumes with a clean and clear scent, sometimes with a dominant note, rather than busy perfumes or ones with a strong 'alcohol' smell.
• A scent that evolves smoothly While notes may fade, overall our testers preferred the perfumes that evolved into a more mellow version of the initial opening, rather than ones that changed a lot on the dry down. 
• A scent that lasts Our testers appreciated the perfumes where they could still smell the 'core' scent after six hours.

Health? or Hype?

Make the right choice with recommendations you can trust, backed by expert testing.

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Best bargain perfumes: should you go for a dupe?

Big brand perfume doesn't come cheap. In fact, per 100ml, it's nearly 10 times more expensive than premium label champagne.

So, it's understandably tempting to look for cheaper alternatives that offer a similar scent for a fraction of the price. There's a big market in own-label versions of popular perfumes, from online specialists to select own-brand options at discount supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi. 

We wanted to find out how they measure up, so we got our testers to try four big-brand perfumes along with an own-brand discounter version. This was done blind, so they didn't know what they were smelling or that some scents were meant to be similar.

Only 10% of participants noticed similarities, commenting that they thought they were smelling the same perfume.

So, our testing suggests budget alternatives may not always do a stellar job of mimicking the scent of their pricier counterparts.

We included perfumes from Aldi, Noted Aromas, The Essence Vault and Perfume Parlour vs big-brand equivalents.

• Our testers preferred The Essence Vault 82 over the perfume it's inspired by, YSL Black Opium.
• They preferred Rabanne 1 Million over cheaper rival Noted Aromas Las Vegas.
• Testers slightly preferred Miss Dior to Perfume Parlour Realistic for Women and Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede over Aldi Hotel collection Peony & Blush, but the difference was smaller.

So it's not a clear win on smell either way, but we did uncover some important differences in how the scents developed.

How well do cheap perfumes last?

The cheaper perfumes that went through our longevity tests didn't stack up as well compared to the other brands. While the reason wasn't always the same, our testers said:

• They faded quickly, becoming noticably weaker after just an hour of wearing them, or;
• The smell became less appealing over time, and was more one-dimensional or chemical-smelling
• The scent remained brighter and more floral when sprayed on a stick compared to their skin.

So while cheaper alternatives may save you cash initially, the mileage you'll get out of them – in terms of how long they last, how interesting the smell remains and how faithfully it recreates the profile of the ‘real deal’ – may vary.

What are pheromone perfumes and do they work?

Pheromone perfumes contain ingredients that mimic or work with the body's natural smells (pheromones).

The theory (if you believe the TikTok crowd) is that they're meant to enhance your natural smell and attractiveness.

However, there is currently no strong scientific data to back up these claims. Any claims they work are anecdotal or likely a form of placebo effect.

How long does perfume last?

It all depends on the formulation (and how you store it) but a good perfume will typically last between three to five years, maybe more. 

Perfumes with lighter citrus or floral notes are less robust than ones with heavier bases made of oud or musky oils.

Does perfume go off?

Yes. It doesn't spoil like food, but exposure to light, heat, and air will change the quality of the scent over time. 

You can extend the life of any perfume by storing it in a cool, dry and dark place, such as a medicine cabinet.