Are you looking to broaden your fragrance horizons but not sure where to start? We have rounded up 10 of the most popular perfumes of all time to give you a head start on your fragrance journey. Maybe one of them is your new signature scent!
Table of Contents
1. DKNY Be Delicious: Feel the energy of the Big Apple
Inspired by the Big Apple, the iconic Be Delicious EDP by DKNY is symbolic of the 2000s. The fresh apple scent, launched in 2004, combines American green apple with crisp leafy notes for a fragrance bursting with spontaneity.
This fruity-floral fragrance opens with fresh top notes of cucumber, sparkling grapefruit, and sweet magnolia. The signature green apple lingers in the heart note and blends seamlessly with tuberose and the deep floral core of violet and rose. The composition is grounded in creamy base notes of sandalwood, amber, and musk.
The mouth-watering scent embodies a feeling of being young and carefree in New York. The deeper, creamy base notes represent the idea of an apple with an edge, depicting the tempting nature of the fruit as characterized in the Garden of Eden. American designer Donna Karan collaborated with perfumer Maurice Roucel to create the classic formula that has stood the test of time and embodies everything it means to Be Delicious.
Get one of the most popular perfumes in a New York minute with Scentbird: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/dkny-be-delicious-1
2. Prada Candy: Melting temptation
Prada Candy EDP is an intense scent explosion of bright caramel that is instantly addictive. The gourmand fragrance was launched in 2011 to capture the free-spiritedness and unconventional mindset of the Prada Candy woman. The scent immediately introduces the signature melting caramel, followed by middle notes of powdery musks and a base of smoky benzoin resin and warm vanilla.
Prada understands the singularity of being eccentric. This unusual fragrance with its elegant mix of musk, vanilla, and modern caramel creates an overdose of desire. The scent intensifies with the warmth of your body, demanding to be liberally applied and inhaled off your skin. Prada Candy is an example of skillful minimalism, the simple formula with its concept of sweetness gives a feeling of surrender.
Master perfumer Daniel Andrier created the fragrance with the creative direction of Miuccia Prada. The pair conceived a fragrance that defies expectations and embraces creativity.
Melt into caramel with Scentbird and get one of the most popular perfumes here: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/prada-candy
3. Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: Intense and deep
Versace Bright Crystal Absolu EDP is a stronger and more intense version of one of the most beloved jewel fragrances in the world, Versace Bright Crystal.
Bright Crystal Absolu made its hot-pink debut in 2013, seven years after the launch of the original. It was immediately clear that the scent was here to get noticed, and it did. Bright Crystal Absolute is a more outgoing and fruity version of the original but remains true to the original’s floral character.
Top notes of pomegranate and yuzu blend with heart notes of peony, lotus, and magnolia. It is here that Bright Crystal Absolu takes its biggest departure from the original with added raspberry in the heart notes to create a deep fruity syrup, enhancing the essence of Bright Crystal to the extreme. The heart notes are anchored in a base of musk, mahogany, and amber.
Creative director of Donatella Versace and master perfumer Alberto Morillas describes this version with enhanced potency as “full of love”.
It’s not just one of the most popular perfumes, it’s the most popular perfume on Scentbird. Feel the intensity and try it here: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/versace-bright-crystal-absolu
4. Chanel No. 5 parfum: A visionary composition
Chanel No. 5 parfum is one of the world’s most famous perfumes. The scent was created in 1921 when Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel asked Russian perfumer and chemist Ernest Beaux to create a perfume that “smells like a woman”.
The composition made unique use of aldehydes, which heightened the character of the scents and gave the floral notes a lighter nature. The visionary fragrance had no dominant note and is a true blend of florals and musks. Top notes of ylang-ylang and aldehydes blend perfectly into the heart of May rose and jasmine, while the woody base of sandalwood and vanilla gives depth and weight to the composition.
Beaux broke away from traditional codes of perfumery to create an olfactory masterpiece that has become a symbol of luxurious simplicity and timelessness. Chanel No. 5 is an abstract scent that has remained one of the world’s best-selling perfumes, even more than 100 years after its launch.
5. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh: A spirited incarnation
Daisy Eau So Fresh EDT by Marc Jacobs is an energetic interpretation of the original Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT. The vibrant fragrance opens with enticing top notes of natural raspberry, pink grapefruit, and pear that sparkle on the skin before deepening into the sensual heart of violet, wild rose, and apple blossom. Base notes of musk, cedarwood, and plum give the fragrance a sophisticated finish.
This floral fruity fragrance was launched in 2011 and is slightly younger in spirit than the original and ever-popular Daisy launched in 2007. Both scents were created by master perfumer Alberto Morillas who gave Daisy Eau So Fresh a slightly cleaner profile than the original and a fruitier, berry-punch heart note.
Daisy Eau So Fresh has a bright elegance and a whimsical charm, making the fragrance sophisticated without being too serious. The sunny scent inspires bold femininity while remaining a little sweet and unpredictable.
Experience the carefree fruitiness with Scentbird: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/marc-jacobs-daisy-eau-so-fresh
6. Commodity Gold: Awaken your desires
Commodity Gold EDP wants to invigorate your innermost desires. The gourmand scent is a luxurious blend of molten amber, creamy sandalwood, and sweet vanilla.
Master perfumer Donna Ramanauskas had the unique brief of turning gold into liquid. The fragrance was created in 2013 with the idea of bottling the scent of gold. Ramanauskas did this with sparkling top notes of juniper, berries, and bergamot, warmed by an opulent heart of amber, benzoin, and Haitian vetiver. The luxurious base notes complete the composition with hints of vanilla, sandalwood, and musk.
The unisex fragrance is available in three concentrations: Personal, the most subtle form of the fragrance, Expressive for a mid-level concentration, and Bold for an amplified version. Ramanauskus says that gold has a rich history of being associated with gods, power, beauty, and wealth. She believes that the purity of gold exudes luxury and demands a sensuality when capturing its character in liquid form.
Bathe in liquid gold with Scentbird: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/commodity-gold-bold
7. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540: A chance encounter
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP was born from the encounter between perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and Baccarat to celebrate the crystal brand’s 250th birthday. The floral meets woody aroma is a unique scent with notes of jasmine, mineral ambergris, and freshly-cut cedar that blend so well that many call it one of the most beautiful scents created.
The powerfully sophisticated fragrance was launched in 2015 and is known for its distinct woodiness blended with amber, saffron, and fir resin.
What makes Baccarat Rouge so different is the precise attention to detail. The cedar from Virginia is reminiscent of a pencil being sharpened: woody, and dry with a slight spiciness that brings a new element to the woody theme.
Kurkdjian also applied saffron differently by reproducing its effect with a derivative called saffronal, a note with a slightly metallic, leathery, and tarred profile that breaks through the sweetness of the scent. The beautiful result is a fragrance that is comforting with a hint of sweetness.
8. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium: Celebrate rock ’n roll
Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium EDP is a rock ’n roll interpretation of the well-known classic perfume. The floral gourmand fragrance was launched in 2014 and pays tribute to the iconic Opium fragrance launched in 1977. The original Yves Saint Laurent Opium EDP was a boundary-pushing perfume that many considered a revolution in a bottle. It portrayed a new provocative idea of femininity with an unusual blend of patchouli, myrrh, and vanilla.
Opium’s legacy continues to inspire with Black Opium, an addictive floral gourmand scent, twisted with dark, roasted notes of black coffee for an instant shot of adrenaline. The signature coffee accord is paired with sensual vanilla, enriched by the softness of white flowers and orange blossom. A comforting base of patchouli, cedarwood, and white musk completes the daring composition.
The edgy scent was created by master perfumers Nathalie Lorson and Marie Salamagne, in collaboration with Olivier Cresp and Honorine Blanc. Their hugely popular creation has inspired four more variations in the Black Opium range.
9. Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise: Escape to the French Riviera
Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise EDP aims to capture the quintessence of the French Riviera. The floral, woody, musk fragrance was launched in 2019 and strikes the perfect balance between these three accords.
The unisex scent was created by perfumer Louise Turner, embodying the sensuality of the French Riviera by imitating the feeling of bare skin being warmed by the sun. Notes of bright, white peony blend with litchi for freshness, and pink pepper adds zest. The warmth of the sun is imitated in the base of creamy musk, white cedar, and amber.
This elegant fragrance instantly uplifts your mood, with feminine and sensual notes chosen from a botanical garden. Lust in Paradise aims to transport you to the golden glow of the French Riviera, where peony, spice, and musk linger on your skin in one of the world’s most romantic destinations. A journey you would not want to miss.
Escape to the French Riviera with Scentbird: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/ex-nihilo-lust-in-paradise
10. Initio Parfums Prives Musk Therapy: A scent remedy
Initio Parfums Prives Musk Therapy is a treatment fragrance that invites you to experience the power of scent therapy. The fragrance takes you on a journey of the senses and offers an escape for the body and mind.
The journey begins by evoking the senses with fresh bergamot, blackcurrant, and mandarin. White magnolia in the heart of the fragrance activates the pleasure receptors in the brain while cassis stimulates your energy levels and invigorates the mind. Rose and natural sandalwood are blended with an overdose of white and pink musk in a velvety accord, becoming the focus of the composition.
The unisex woody, floral, musk fragrance was launched in 2023 and aims to restore your peace of mind. Initio Parfums Prives Musk Therapy is an effortlessly chic fragrance that sets the tone for improved well-being, believing in the power of scent to influence our mood and behavior.
Experience the therapeutic effects: https://www.scentbird.com/perfume/initio-parfums-prives-musk-therapy
Find more of the most popular perfumes on Scentbird: https://www.scentbird.com/bestsellers/perfumes
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