What makes a perfume a modern classic? That’s what we set out to answer in the second annual Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards. With so much choice on the market and seemingly endless new releases, it can be difficult to separate the good from the truly great.
Together with our judges, we spritzed hundreds of scents to narrow down the ones really worth splurging on—from the best British fragrance to the EDPs moving the needle in fragrance circles. Read on to discover our winners.
How are the products tested and judged?
The Fragrance Awards have been judged by a panel of industry experts, bringing together the sharpest noses and most discerning voices in beauty—from industry-leading Marie Claire UK editors to renowned fragrance specialists: Nicola Bonn, Mowa Osifeso, Suzy Nightingale, Thomas Dunckley, and Clémence Pellé. Judges tested the scents and provided scores based on perfume family, innovation, longevity and packaging.
WINNER: BEST EDT (EAU DE TOILETTE)
Escentric Molecules transformed the niche perfume industry, and 20 years later they show no signs of slowing down. Their latest release, M+ Champaca is a reinvention of the summer scent. The velvety warmth of iso e super meets Indian champaca absolute, which has luminous notes of orange blossom, jasmine and tea.
WINNER: BEST EDP (EAU DE PARFUM)
Judge Clémence Pellé was full of praise for the LBTY. FRAGRANCE range. "The design is to die for. It's unexpected and it carries the wooden vibe of the store itself."
WINNER: BEST EDE (EAU DE EXTRAIT)
Fragrance expert Mowa Osifeso describes Musc Nurāsana as a "Gorgeous floral musk that projects amazingly well." It opens with bergamot, ginger and cardamon before heady Damask rose comes to the fore. The dry down sees more musk blended and balanced with labdanum, creamy tonka bean and fir.
WINNER: BEST WOMEN’S DESIGNER FRAGRANCE
With wild strawberry, a gardenia accord, and vanilla brown sugar and patchouli oil, this isn't your traditional gourmand. As judge Thomas Dunckley notes: "It's a really beautifully well-rounded composition that somehow feels modern and retro."
WINNER: BEST MEN’S DESIGNER FRAGRANCE
This woody, leathery perfume calls on the "modern voyager to conquer new horizons." Vibrant bergamot mingles with the enigmatic, woody facets of patchouli and vetiver, before drying down into a warming, amber and leather accord.
WINNER: BEST WOMEN’S LUXURY
On Parfums de Marly's opulent ATHÉNAÏS, Suzy Nightingale states: "This bottle leans into my Marie Antoinette's dressing table dreams. The fragrance felt incredibly light on the blotter, but on skin it had me swooning. Orange blossom blooms as it warms, there's ribbons of sunlight streaming through neroli and then there's the deeper citrus note of yuzu, before it comes down to earth on a soft powdery base. Wearing this makes me want to don my most whimsical attire and skip merrily through an orange grove at dawn."
WINNER: BEST HIGHSTREET FRAGRANCE
Launched in collaboration with the national cancer support charity, Look Good Feel Better, Vibrant Peony is a refreshing scent with top notes of juicy pear, apple and peach, with a warm, woody base of musk and cedar wood. It's a total crowdpleaser.
WINNER: BEST OVERALL WOMEN’S FRAGRANCE
Judge Nicola Bonn states that Tom Ford's Black Orchid is "Still as impactful and original as it always was." Indeed, inspired by the rarest of flowers, this iconic fragrance also features sultry notes of toasted black truffle, plum and patchouli.
WINNER: BEST OVERALL MEN’S FRAGRANCE
For over 20 years, BOSS Bottled has been a go-to for men all over the world. Equal parts elegant and masculine, it opens on crisp apple and citrus fruits, before being grounded by musky, woody notes of sandalwood, vetiver, and olive wood.
WINNER: BEST OVERALL COLLECTION
Inspired by the Mediterranean shores, this collection of singular scents unlock the unknown facets of well-known flowers. Judge Mowa Osifeso deems it to be "Elegant and sophisticated": "They all smell bright, natural, skin-like which is very versatile," she adds. "They will be perfect signature scents."
WINNER: BEST BRITISH FRAGRANCE
This fresh, green fragrance is an ode to the English countryside. Using a blend of essential oils, there are bright notes of blackcurrant, English rose and fig, mixed with uplifting eucalyptus and peppermint.
WINNER: MOST NOSTALGIC FRAGRANCE
Just one spritz of Dolce&Gabbana's Light Blue invites instant nostalgia, it is one of the most popular fragrances of all time, after all. Bottling the sun-kissed landscapes of the Mediterranean, it opens with Sicilian lemon and apple, before a woodier base emerges with the addition of smoky cedar wood.
