I’ve had a pretty steady trajectory toward becoming the fragrance lover I am today, but a few things have surprised me along the way. First: layering perfumes can create entirely unique, tailored scents. The second: all perfume is inherently genderless. And third: skin scents are the most sensual, intimate types of fragrance, and everyone should own at least one.
“A skin scent enhances your natural smell,” says fragrance expert and content creator Kudzi Chikumbu, also known as Sir Candle Man. “Think of it as 'your skin, but better.'” These perfumes are typically warm and cozy, often heavy on musks, and their sillage (or scent trail) tends to sit close to the skin.
While they might seem similar to lighter perfumes, skin scents are their own category. Light perfumes are often airy or citrusy, often smelling fresh and clean. Skin scents, on the other hand, are warmer and muskier, designed to mimic and amplify the body's natural skin smell. They don't project far, but that's the point. These are fragrances for people who want to smell good but may not necessarily want to fill a room, those who are sensitive to strong scents, or anyone layering perfumes who wants a base that won't overpower the rest. Essentially, it's a perfume that entices those around you to move a little closer.
Of course I’ve researched and tested the best offerings on the market. Ahead, the eight skin scents that deserve a spot in your fragrance collection.
The Best Skin Scents
- The Best Skin Scent Overall: Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume Superdose
- The Best Woody Skin Scent: Commodity Gold Personal Eau de Parfum
- The Best Fresh Skin Scent: Liis Studied Eau de Parfum
- The Best Gourmand Skin Scent: Dedcool Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
- The Best Luxury Skin Scent: Matiere Premiere Crystal Saffron Eau de Parfum
If you love the original Not a Perfume, meet its cool, more confident older sister. Not a Perfume Superdose is made entirely of cetalox—a synthetic note that's clean, slightly woody, and subtly warm. It wears close to the skin and amplifies your natural scent, with a lingering softness that works year-round.
Key Notes: Cetalox
Size: 3.3 fl. oz
What I Love: Slightly stronger sillage than the original formula; Chic packaging
What I Don’t: Some people may find this perfume to be too linear and simplistic
Review for MC: “I love the Not a Perfume range from Juliette Has a Gun, but Superdose has my heart. Whereas I find the original to almost smell a little floral, this one is clean, woody, and super sexy—the epitome of a ‘my skin but better’ perfume.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
This gem from Commodity has been in my hall-of-fame for two years now. One of its standout ingredients is Iso E Super, a star player in the world of skin scents. It's usually tucked into the base of a perfume, but here, it's front and center, so it hits you right away with its soft, woody, almost velvety warmth. Layered with additional notes like vanilla and sandalwood, the result is airy and addictive.
Key Notes: Iso E. Super; Sandalwood; Vanilla
Size: 3.4 fl. oz
What I Love: Sweet and woodsy scent profile that doesn’t lean too gourmand; Clean at Sephora
What I Don’t: Not the longest-lasting formula by itself
Review for MC: “I love this perfume. By itself, layered, in my hair, before bed—I’ve worn it so many ways and for so many occasions, and it has yet to let me down. It’s such a beautiful combination of simple yet impactful notes, I can wear it with virtually anything and during any type of weather.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Studied is slightly newer to my collection, but it’s quickly become a summertime favorite of mine. Notes like pear, orris, and ambroxan combine to create a perfume that smells like fresh linens, without veering too much into the floral space (which I find many similar formulations do). It's a subtle scent; however, it has notes that are bright and uplifting, so those who are close enough in your orbit will get the perfect amount of whiff here and there.
Key Notes: Pear; Ambrette; Orris; Ambroxan
Size: 1.7 fl oz
What I Love: “Clean laundry” type of scent; Great sillage that lasts upwards of five hours
What I Don’t: This brand can be hard to track down in person, so some may have to blind buy
Review for MC: “This perfume just smells like comfort. It’s like what you imagine jumping into a pile of fresh laundry outside on a sunny day smells like—bright, fresh, a little sweet, and somehow incredibly dopamine-inducing. I don’t recommend that people blind-buy fragrances a lot, but this feels like a really safe formula to commit to.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Gourmand perfumes have undoubtedly reigned supreme over the last few years. That said, the lineup today is no longer overly sweet or heady, and Dedcool’s Mochi Milk is the perfect example. Its marshmallow top note may seem off-putting, but the addition of vanilla bean and rice milk tempers it into something that is more “hug me” and less “you’re giving me a headache.”
Key Notes: Marshmallow; Vanilla bean; Sweet rice milk
Size: 1.7 fl. oz
What I Love: Compact bottle that makes for easy traveling; Gourmand without being cloying
What I Don’t: Can go nose-blind to this easily; Some customers report the scent “evaporating” after a few minutes
Review for MC: “If there were a perfume that I would like to be doused in, it would be this one from Dedcool. It starts out with a marshmallow top note, which is then followed by vanilla and sweet rice milk, which give the perfume an almost lactonic quality. This is what I feel like my skin would smell like if I took a milk bath. That’s not something I’ve ever done before, but if I could smell like this after I’d do one every day and twice on Sundays.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
If you’ve been around me for more than five minutes, I’ve likely brought up that my husband and I fight over Crystal Saffron Extrait every morning. I've since added the traditional, less concentrated, Crystal Saffron formula into my collection, and like its successor, it's one of the most luxurious-smelling skin scents I own. It’s a strong-but-lovely scent of saffron, flanked by incense and musk. The combination is airy and molecular like a traditional skin scent, and it lasts on my skin for hours on end.
Key Notes: Incense; Musk; Saffron; Ambroxan
Size: 3.4 fl. oz
What I Love: Longest-lasting skin scent that I own; I don’t go nose-blind to this like I do some molecular perfumes
What I Don’t: Most expensive option on this list
Customer Review: “This is one of my favorite perfumes of all time. It’s molecular and airy, but the overdose of saffron in the formula keeps me from going noseblind to it, so I can truly enjoy the longevity of this perfume, which by the way is a whopping eight-plus hours. If you want a clean, slightly spicy, but overall sweet skin scent that lasts (and lasts, and lasts), this needed to be in your collection yesterday.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Skin scents don't have to break the bank. Take this formula from the viral fragrance brand, Snif, for example. Coming in at $65, it’s composed of yummy and powerful, but not overpowering, notes like peach, orris, caramel, and musk—and the combination is so delicious that you’ll want to wear it 24/7. Basically, it's a perfect balance of fruity sweetness and musk that feels comfortable on the skin, but still a little playful.
Key Notes: Peach Skin; Orris; Plum; Caramel; White Moss; Musk
Size: 1 fl. oz
What I Love: Alluring fragrance that feels intimate and comforting; Complex formula for an affordable price
What I Don’t: Small amount offered
Review for MC: “Snif is a brand that has a really good handle on super sexy perfumes at an incredible price point. My previous favorite, Sweet Ash, was dethroned once Me came into the picture and for good reason. It smells like an everything shower bottled, one where I use only the finest body washes, scrubs, and oils, and end up with skin that you literally can’t help but want to touch (and sniff).” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
I never thought that a perfume with a steamed-rice note would have me in such a frenzy, but Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier has proven me wrong. The note is combined with others like musk, mimosa, and blond wood accord, and the combination is so unexpectedly good that I reach for it on autopilot. This is also another masterpiece that is fantastic to layer with, but stands just as well on its own.
Key Notes: White musk; Steamed rice accord; Mimosa; Blond woods accord
Size: 3.4 fl. oz
What I Love: Unexpected combination of notes; Appropriate for office wear
What I Don’t: Leans more sweet than woody
Customer Review: “While the sillage of this fragrance isn’t much, the true power of it lies much closer to the body. It’s both warm and clean yet alluring. A go-to for those who don’t need to leave a trail everywhere they go, but are still known amongst those close to them as smelling terrific.” — Nordstrom
When I first took a whiff of this perfume, I was hooked. White tea and orange blossom aren’t typical notes that would draw me in, but with them flanked by lavender, dry musk, and amber, as they are in this perfume, I had no choice but to fall in love with its delicate balance of sweetness and warmth.
Key Notes: White tea; Lavender; Vanilla woods; Amber
Size: 1.7 fl oz
What I Love: Herbaceous skin scent that doesn’t lean too green; Dry down smells a bit like baby powder, in my opinion
What I Don’t: Limited retail availability, so high chance of having to blind buy
Customer Review: “I really like this scent. It makes me feel confident. Fresh, clean, and creamy floral scent that blends with my body vibe. I will order it again.” — Credo
What Is a Skin Scent?
A skin scent is a perfumer’s interpretation of human skin in its ideal state—often with fresh, clean, or musky notes. “Skin scents are supposed to smell like your body but ‘unperfumed’,” says the founder of Delbia Do, Darryl Do. “ Because of this, they tend to be light and musky, and rarely do they ever veer into fruity or floral categories.”
Skin scents tend to have a reputation for not lasting very long, but this isn’t true for every single formula on the market. “Lasting power depends on the fragrance concentration,” Chikumbu says. “Notes like Iso E. Super, which is a synthetic molecule, actually have pretty strong projection. It's a big molecule, but sometimes people can't smell it—still, if you do, it’s one that envelopes you.”
To make a skin scent last longer, both Chikumbu and Do have a few tips: If you aren’t smelling your skin scent, you either need to spray more, get one with a high concentration of fragrance oils (so an eau de parfum or cologne versus an eau de toilette), or buy one with a strong amber-musk molecule, explains Chikumbu.
Do shares a similar sentiment, saying that it’s alright to consider a skin scent with a stronger “musk” offering, or a heavier dose of your favorite skin scent-adjacent ingredient. My personal favorite happens to be saffron, but others include ambroxan, cetalox, cashmeran, and more.
Why Trust Marie Claire?
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
How We Tested
To compile this list of the best beach perfumes, Beauty Writer, Ariel Baker, scoured the internet and combed through countless customer reviews to find the top-rated options on the market. She also asked the Marie Claire team to share their holy grail picks. For each fragrance tested, she assessed the fragrance's notes, how long it lasted, and its overall scent as the day went on.
