Power Notes For Power Moves
There are two types of people: the ones who wear perfume and those who leave a scent trail like a core memory created. If you're aiming for the second, we've got you covered! Read on to find out what works best for the ladies before we get into what works for the gentlemen.
1. Chanel No 5
You don't need to like florals to respect the legacy. In 1921, Gabrielle Chanel asked perfumer Ernest Beaux to make something abstract that didn't smell like a garden. As a result, aldehydes, jasmine, and vanilla created the first truly modern scent. "No 5" became historical art.
2. Lancome La Vie Est Belle
First impressions? It smells like dessert, but it's expensive. Built around iris—the priciest floral ingredient in perfumery—it blends sweet praline and juicy pear with patchouli. Since its launch in 2012, this perfume has become a global bestseller. Think soft glam energy that doesn't care what the trends say.
LANCOME LA VIE EST BELLE PERFUME COLLECTION | KARINA WALDRON by Karina Waldron
3. Yves Saint Laurent Libre
Lavender in women's perfume used to be rare. Libre changed that. Pairing French lavender's herbal notes with vanilla and orange blossom turned a masculine note into something magnetic. Created by Anne Flipo, this scent doesn't whisper but walks five steps ahead of you.
4. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
The reason people turn their heads in elevators? Usually, this one. Airy saffron opens the scent, but the salty synthetic ambergris and woody cedar do the long-haul work. Kurkdjian created it for Baccarat's crystal anniversary in 2014.
5. Carolina Herrera Good Girl
Perfume in a shoe sounds gimmicky, but it's personal branding here. Good Girl uses two flowers, jasmine, and tuberose, to show softness, then turns up the heat with roasted tonka bean and cocoa. It launched in 2016 and instantly became a party starter.
5 Reasons Why You Need Good Girl - Carolina Herrera by Melissa Nacional
6. Mugler Alien
One spray feels like stepping into a sci-fi movie in heels. Created in 2005, it leans heavily into jasmine sambac, but it's the cashmeran (a velvety synthetic wood) that gives it that alien glow. Mugler never makes safe perfumes, and this one is an example.
NEW Alien Hypersense by Mugler + Alien EDP, Alien Goddess, Alien Goddess Intense Review by AseaMae
7. Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia
Fruit-forward, but make it posh. The pear in here isn't candy-like. It is mellow and sun-ripened to wrap in white freesia and patchouli. Jo Malone designed it for wearability, so it layers or shines on its own. If your vibe is light linen and clean skin, you'll love it.
WORTH THE $$$? Jo Malone ENGLISH PEAR & FREESIA by Miri's
8. Maison Margiela Replica Springtime In A Park
Nothing dramatic happens here, and that's the charm. Inspired by Shanghai's parks in early bloom, this scent opens with pear and blackcurrant, then settles into soft florals like the lily of the valley. Released in 2019, it bottles those days when spring feels just one sunny afternoon away.
9. Narciso Rodriguez For Her
Just musk, done right. This 2003 release was groundbreaking for its intimate, skin-scented vibe. Soft florals sit on a base of vetiver and amber, but it's the Egyptian musk that lingers. It clings without being clingy, like slipping into your favorite oversized sweater.
1 nariz por Dênis Pagani on Wikimedia
10. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
What do Capri, lemon groves, and lazy beach days share? They all smell a bit like this. Light Blue, launched in 2001, opens with Sicilian lemon and crisp apple, then softens with bamboo and cedarwood. It's totally flirtatious without trying.
So, that's how the women's fragrances stack up. Curious about what is making waves in the men's aisle? You're in good company.
1. Dior Sauvage
Somehow, it smells like wide-open skies and a backstage pass. Dior's 2015 launch isn't shy, as the Ambroxan hits hard, and bergamot keeps it crisp. It's the leather jacket of fragrance: classic cool. Johnny Depp didn't make it famous; the scent did that on its own.
2. Bleu De Chanel
Elevator rides, late-night cabs—some girl always asks what it is. Bleu has been doing that since 2010. Smoky incense and dry cedar with fresh citrus notes in one sleek bottle. If "refined charisma" had a scent, it would absolutely smell like this.
3. Creed Aventus
Launched in 2010, it became Creed's cult legacy, thanks to bold pineapple and birch blended in a smoky dry down. Inspired by Napoleon but adored by boardroom rebels and sneakerheads alike. It doesn't blend in, and that's the point.
4. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Your high school crush probably wore it. Or maybe your uncle, who dated models in the '90s. Since 1996, it's kept marine notes cool, adding florals and patchouli to stay unforgettable. The vibe? Effortlessly fresh and serious enough to pull off a linen suit without irony.
5. Yves Saint Laurent Y
At first, you get a hint of apple, but then the woods kick in, and things get more interesting. Launched in 2017, it was made for the post-startup guy: one foot in sneakers, the other in suede loafers. The balance of brightness and warmth feels both clean and never accidental.
6. Tom Ford Oud Wood
Oud can be loud. Here, it's smooth. Tom Ford made this one for the cashmere crowd in 2007. There's rosewood, cardamom, and vetiver, but the oud is what lingers—dry, not musky, expensive without bragging. It smells like warm whiskey and dinner reservations you don't need to confirm.
TOM FORD OUD WOOD (FRAGRANCE REVIEW!) by Fragrance Hunter
7. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
Everything about the sailor bottle is a bit cheeky, but the scent holds up. Since 1995, it's blended mint, lavender, and vanilla into something sweet but not cloying. Unexpectedly gender-fluid for its time, it's worn by boyfriends and the people who steal from them.
BEFORE YOU BUY Jean Paul Gaultier LE MALE by Jeremy Fragrance
8. Dolce & Gabbana The One For Men
Romantic without turning saccharine, this one leans with spice into tobacco and amber. Since its release in 2008, The One's magic has been its balance—grown-up but not stiff, familiar yet sultry. You'll probably find it in someone's suitcase, packed beside dress shoes.
9. Hermes Terre d’Hermes
Orange peel and the smell of walking through dry soil in expensive boots. It's cerebral but still wears well on the skin. Created by Jean-Claude Ellena in 2006, Terre feels like introspection with an edge. Not for every manly moment, but the right one? Game over.
Hermes Terre D'Hermes in 2023!? | Full Honest Review by Chad Secrets
10. Chanel Egoiste Platinum
Green and unapologetically fresh, this was Chanel's response to guys wanting to smell assertive in 1993. Lavender and neroli give it bounce, while a touch of oakmoss-like depth and vetiver ground it. It doesn't care about trends, and honestly, that's what makes it feel so sharp today.
Chanel Platinum Égoïste | Fragrance Review | Can't Get Enough by Scented Moments
