Instead of judging a perfume by its bottle, how about picking a fragrance for the thing that really counts? That’s right - how good it smells.
That was the mission of our first-ever Real Beauty Fragrance Awards, which took over 100 scents launched in the past two years and gave them to an independent panel of real women to blind test.
Each scent was sent in unmarked sample bottles to five women, matched to their existing taste in fragrance.
Nobody knew if they were spritzing on a £200+ boutique perfume or a £10 budget scent, so they simply had to follow their nose. With no designer brand names to influence opinions, the perfumes had to impress our testers on smell alone.
Of course fragrance is a very subjective matter so there’s never going to be a single perfume that appeals to every nose. However all the winners of The Real Beauty Fragrance Awards were the ones that were rated best by the majority of testers - simple as that.
The results are 100% independent and you might be very surprised to find out what women really liked best. Could your next signature scent be among them?
Best oriental fragrance
Winner: Paco Rabanne Pure XS For Her, from £48.79
Key notes: ylang-ylang, popcorn, vanilla
It was a close contest with Cacharel’s Yes I Am EDP, but Pure XS was just a shimmy ahead in the sexy scent stakes. This heady vanilla fragrance lasted beautifully on the skin too.
Tester review: ‘This perfume is absolutely gorgeous! It’s sexy, exotic and powerful, without being sickly. It developed into a beautiful, warm, heady scent which reminded me of being on a summer holiday. My husband complimented me on it too. I would absolutely buy it.’
Best white floral fragrance
Winner: Huda Beauty Kayali Déjà Vu White Flower 57, £67
Key notes: jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla
All our testers said they’d wear this heady bouquet of lush white blooms from Kayali, the new fragrance branch of Huda Beauty.
Tester review: “It’s a gorgeous, rich-smelling fragrance. I loved catching a waft throughout the day. It lasted well.”
Best rose fragrance
We have two winners in this category because testers liked them equally well, but in different ways. We couldn’t choose between them. Both are unmistakably rose but wrapped up in contrasting bouquets – one romantic, the other sexier. Well, a girl can never have too many flowers…
Joint winner: Elizabeth Arden White Tea Wild Rose, from £36
Key notes: rose, white tea, pear tree blossom, amber
People really enjoyed this pretty perfume, which lasted really well on the skin.
Tester review: ‘Elegant and feminine and it lingered brilliantly. I was asked a few times what perfume I was wearing and complimented on it. I would love to know what this is!’
Joint winner: Dior Miss Dior Rose N'Roses, from £65
Key notes: rose, white musk, bergamot, geranium
Testers thought this scent had a sultry side - certainly not a demure rose!
Tester review: ‘Everything I want from a scent. It has floral notes but is also deliciously musky. It’s especially good for night time as it’s quite sexy. Loved it!’
Best gourmand fragrance
Winner: Mugler Angel Eau de Toilette, from £45
Key notes: praline, apple, patchouli, cedar
Not the original iconic Angel perfume, but a new sister edt scent that’s almost good enough to eat.
Tester review: “So many people commented on how good I smelt. I’d started a new job and people were asking what perfume I was wearing. I felt very confident wearing it and would one million per cent buy it, whether it’s expensive or not. Testing the perfume not knowing what it was has definitely found me a new favourite.”
Best woody fragrance
Winner: Jo Malone Vetiver and Golden Vanilla, from £78
Key notes: vetiver bourbon, vanilla bourbon, cardamom, grapefruit tea
The latest Jo Malone - a heady woody blend - certainly lives up to the brand’s reputation for making luxurious signature scents
Tester review: ‘This is a wonderfully warm, woody, spicy smell and I think I can smell vanilla too. I could still smell the scent on my skin the next morning, so very good value for money. My daughter thought it smelt wonderful and wanted to know which perfume it was, which of course I didn’t know.’
Best fruity floral fragrance
Beauty Pie Love, £16.60 (members price)
Key notes: bergamot, quince, pink rhubarb, apricot nectar, black orchid, musky amber
Fruity florals are often over-sweet but testers found this one just to their taste. It’s from the ‘premium beauty at cost price’ club and incredible value as it’s created by the legendary ‘nose’ behind luxe scents such as Le Labo Santal 33.
Tester review: ‘Simply loved this scent! It smelt very feminine, and wasn’t overpowering but I could still catch a whiff of it when I moved. My husband said it was lovely! Please let me know what it is!’
Best citrus fragrance
Plenty of expensive citrus scents failed our blind test, getting compared to everything from kitchen cleaner to bug spray! Yet two affordable gems stood out...
Joint Winner: The Perfume Edit Lime & Basil, £19.99
Key notes: mandarin, lime zest, basil, dark pepper, amber
Our testers were impressed by this clean and zingy designer dupe from The Perfume Shop’s own brand.
Tester review: “Love it. The fresh, bold scent is delicious. It’s got all the trademarks of being a designer fragrance. The quality is obvious.”
Joint Winner: Beauty Pie Brazilian Lime, Fig Leaves & Tea, £17.17 for Beauty Pie members
Key notes: lime, orange, black tea, fig leaves, cedarwood, amber
Our testers really liked this subtle, layered citrus scent from Beauty Pie (yes, that brand again!)
Tester review: “This smells very fresh for spring and summer but warm enough for autumn and winter without being sickly sweet. A really great all-rounder daytime perfume that would transition easily for after-work drinks.”
Best green floral fragrance
Winner: L’Occitane Herbae Par L’Occitane, £60
Key notes: wild grasses, wild rose, bramble, white nettle
It may be fresh and clean, but our testers found this scent had depth enough to make it memorable - not a hint of air freshener!
Tester review: “Very pleasant. It was fresh and feminine and lasted a long time. My husband said I smelt nice – if he noticed I was wearing a new perfume, it must be good.”
Best celebrity fragrance
Winner: Michael Bublé By Invitation Peony Noir, £42
Key notes: rose, orange blossom, cedar, sandalwood
So you don’t think there’s any such thing as a decent celebrity fragrance? Perhaps you just haven’t met it yet! There's no doubt that this smooth oriental scent from Mr Bublé had our testers feeling good...
Tester review: ‘This perfume is so just me. Would love to know what it’s called as my husband said I smelled gorgeous and he would buy me a bottle if I found out!’
Best fashion brand fragrance
Winner: Ted Baker Est ’88, from £30
Key notes: mandarin orange, lily, rose, neroli, vetiver, amber
Of all the fashion brand scents we tried, Ted Baker’s chic, soft floriental scent was the one testers were thrilled to dress their skin in.
Tester review: “This is my favourite type of scent. It’s fresh. It’s uplifting. When I put it on, it made me smile and feel good, which is what I love in a perfume.”
Best unisex fragrance
Winner: Gucci Memoire d’une Odeur, from £54
Key notes: Roman chamomile, jasmine petals, sandalwood, cedarwood
This Gucci scent markets itself as ‘genderless’ but nobody thought it smelled obviously masculine. Our testers simply loved the fact it was light, refreshing and unusual.
Tester review: ‘This is intriguing and relaxing. It’s a delicate scent but remains on the skin and doesn’t change. It’s one of those scents you smell up close on skin.’
Best groundbreaker fragrance
Winner: YSL Beauty Libre, £78
Key notes: lavender, mandarin, orange blossom, vanilla
There have been some innovative scents launching lately but of all the convention breakers we trialled, YSL’s feminine flip on the classic male fougere scent topped our blind test.
Tester review: ‘This smells very luxurious and it lasts for hours. People asked where I got it from as it smells absolutely beautiful. The scent is divine and definitely something I would purchase.’
Best luxury fragrance (£100+)
Winner: Initio Parfums Privés Atomic Rose, £190
Key notes: Turkish and Bulgarian rose, pink pepper, Italian bergamot, jasmine, vanilla
We tested more than a dozen scents over the £100 mark, and many proved divisive. What smelt deliciously decadent to one woman felt like an invasion of personal breathing space to another. However this luxurious rose scent stood out as wonderfully wearable.
Tester review: ‘This was my ideal perfume - elegant and feminine. It lasted most of the day and wasn’t overpowering like some. People commented on how nice I smelt. I wish I knew what it was so I could purchase a bottle.’
