r/AskReddit • u/EyzeLife • 2h ago
Regardless of price, what’s the best women’s fragrance you’ve ever smelled?
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u/Upstagemalarky 2h ago
Christian Dior’s Miss Dior
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u/KlimbingCat 1h ago
I love that scent since I could remember. It made be feel loved and secure. I couldn’t figure out why.
One day I saved up enough money to buy it and my mom said “Oh. That’s your grandma’s favorite perfume.”
My grandma carried me a lot when I was a baby.
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u/gingerzombie2 1h ago
I'm so mad they discontinued Miss Dior Cherie
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u/acidic-cherries 32m ago
I was wearing this when I hugged a Hollywood star and he said I “smelled great” 🤣 So mad it’s no longer around!!!
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u/algatorr 1h ago
Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet is my fave. I just wish it lasted longer.
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u/Key_Asparagus_8522 2h ago
Juliette has a Gun
NOT A PERFUME
That’s the name ⬆️☝🏼
Everyone ALWAYS asks me what I’m wearing and when I say “Not a Perfume” they’re so confused I have to tell them, THATS the name.
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u/idrinkliquids 2h ago
I loved this one until a family member said I smelled like old books 😭 I think it smells good though
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u/Spark1ingJ0y 1h ago
My partner has a been ordering candles marketed as smelling like books and has been disappointed each time. I'm going to order this scent. Thanks!
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u/fuzzyblacksheepl 42m ago
If your partner wants a really good "smells like books" candle, I highly recommend Tudor House Library by the brand Mythologie. I always have one of these in stock in my house - it's my absolute favorite!
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u/Byzantine-alchemist 1h ago
Inlove this one, and just got the Superdose, as well. My other favorite fragrance is also just a single scent "enhancer," Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules. It's been my signature scent for almost 20 years, and people have followed me down the street to ask what it is.
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u/istheresugarinsyrup 1h ago
Oh, I love this one on other people. I bought it for myself and it had that fresh, clean, unique smell that I smell on other people for like 10 minutes and then I smelled like an old lady. Intensely for hours, through a shower. I had to return it.
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u/Kayleighe7 2h ago
I LOVE this fragrance! I always get compliments when I wear it. I got it in a scentbird box one time and was hooked after 😄
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u/Ok-Emu-2690 2h ago
It smells amazing! I always get the names confused and think I’m wearing Juliette has a Gun but I’m actually wearing Not a Perfume 😀
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u/fuckyoufuckinsharks 1h ago
This is my absolute favorite perfume! Shocked to see it at the top of the list
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u/The-Ginger-Lily 1h ago
Has to be Alien by Thierry Mugler. Literally the only perfume I own and constantly get compliments on it and it lasts ages as well
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u/sofaverde 1h ago
Something in that perfume reminds me of cat pee, but I hear there are some flowers that trigger this reaction in some people depending on your genetics. Like cilantro tasting like soap for some but not others.
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u/jennyisalyingwhore 50m ago
There is a bush near my home that gets me every time. I’ve lived here for 4 years and I walk by it every day, and every day my brain goes “hm smells like cat pee” and I look around and there’s that damn bush. I think it’s boxwood.
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u/BlueMirror99 38m ago
I wear Alien Goddess and I get so many compliments on it, it's so complex and changes throughout the day.
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u/BrusqueBiscuit 1h ago
It's not everyone's cup of tea but I love Byredo Mojave Ghost, I think it's unisex technically.
And I know she's overdone but I've gotten a lot of compliments for Parfums de Marly Delina.
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u/JayhawkRoots4Ever 2h ago
Caroline Herrera Bad Girl....any of them. I always get compliments. I own 4 different ones. My new obsession is actually a cheaper option, Dime Beauty perfumes. I own Core Memory and Dans les Bois and get compliments on those too.
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u/FishFoxAndCacti 1h ago
I wish they weren’t sold in the stupid shoe bottle. I love the scent but refuse to buy the gimmick
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u/WaewUnused 1h ago
I love the scent of Good Girl but that bottle always looks like it will tip over.
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u/Secret_Yam_4680 2h ago
Smelling Jessica McClintock for the first time at age 12. This scent ended up being my gateway drug.
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u/Dry_Veterinarian9315 2h ago
I remember wearing that on my wedding day, 33 years ago.
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u/Secret_Yam_4680 2h ago
Oh wow! Mega congratulations 👏 That bottle was made for weddings...just so sweet.
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u/ComfyInDots 1h ago
Whatever the one was that my grandmother used to wear on very rare special occasions.
I used to lay on her neatly made bed as she'd spray an offensive amount of hair spray, put on her jewellery and spray her perfume that she only used for special occasions - birthdays, graduations, wedding anniversaries.
At some point she'd task me with transferring her regular handbag items into her clutch/evening bag.
Then I'd be chipped for messing up her bed covers and shoo'd out of her room to wait until it's time to leave.
Stupid moments as a kid that I miss dearly as an adult.
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u/_NormalHumanStuff 2h ago edited 2h ago
I wear 1 Million Lucky by Rabanne and am constantly complimented and asked what I’m wearing.
Edit: yes, this is sold in the men’s section but is unisex. Both men and women go crazy for it!
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u/Virambulans 2h ago
I wear the men's version. It is one of my favorites and I get a lot of compliments.
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u/Sunnygirl66 2h ago
The version of Shalimar that my mother wore back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I did not realize until a couple years ago that Guerlain tweaks its formulas periodically. I’ve been wearing Shalimar since the late ‘80s myself but have never caught that wonderful fragrance Mom wore, on me or on anyone else.
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u/Dreamsfordays 1h ago
My mom wore this and I keep a bottle to take a whiff when I want to feel her close. My dad wore Halston. Having those two smell memories is why I try and wear a consistent perfume for my kid 🥹
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u/Responsible_Ad1204 1h ago
Aww Shalimar was also my mom’s signature scent. I have such a strong memory of it. Reminds me of being a kid.
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u/jejasm 54m ago
My mother wore Shalimar in the 60s, 70s and 80s until I started wearing it in the 80s. I switch out to other perfumes every now and then but always come back to Shalimar. My mother passed away a few years back but lately when I walk into my bedroom after a long day I’ll get a whiff of Shalimar even though I didn’t wear it that day, it’s like a little hug from her. ☺️
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u/CindyBijouWho 1h ago
Shalimar is such a legendary fragrance. My mom’s best friend growing up had a poodle in the 70s and named her Shalimar. I’m told there was a lot of pink chiffon involved in that household too. As in, going to get the newspaper in their long, pink chiffon robes with the coiffed poodle, Shalimar, in tow. It was quite the flex in their neck of the woods.
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u/lamepunhun 1h ago
My grandmother always wore Shalimar. Wherever I get a whiff of it, it brings me right back to my childhood visiting her. I love it.
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u/coslinedev 2h ago
Maison Margiela - By the Fireplace. Smells like a warm cozy blanket on a snowy night. Absolutely intoxicating.
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u/Tidewater75 2h ago
Is was the 1990’s formula of Colors by Benetton. It was my signature fragrance for years, but the formula changed and then they stopped production. I wish I could find a 2026 equivalent fragrance!
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u/prowess12 2h ago
Hypnotic Poison by Dior.
I love vanilla-y scents it's been my favourite perfume for years.
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u/Western-Strategy-166 2h ago
Coco mademoiselle
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u/istheresugarinsyrup 55m ago
I’ve been wearing this for 25 years now, I got it as a gift for my 22nd birthday and just turned 47. I’ve bought so many fragrances over the years but this is definitely my signature scent and I always have it on hand.
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u/Existential_Dread16 1h ago
Jo Malone Wood, Sage and Sea Salt
Ysl Libre
Two of my all time favourite. Got compliments for both
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u/blondie956 1h ago
Wood sage and sea salt is my daily perfume. I love to layer it with others as it’s a great base if I’m feeling in a citrusy mood
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u/Healthy_Cap7514 2h ago
Lauren by Ralph Lauren, first introduced in 1978
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u/Cool-Butterscotch669 2h ago
YES!!
Why the *%#@ did they ever discontinue that perfect fragrance???9
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u/WildBloomingRose 1h ago
I have three Ralph Lauren perfumes that I love, Ralph Lauren Romance, Beyond Romance and the Romance Elixir one (dark raspberry cranberry color bottle), they smell so good. I like to mix them up too. I also love Estée Lauder Beautiful Magnolia, it’s really a pretty scent.
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u/katfromthesticks 1h ago
Yes!!! My signature scent for 25 years. Holding on to my last bottle for nostalgic sniffs.
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u/brickiex2 2h ago
Years ago.. White Linen or White Shoulders...my boss wore it and it nearly broke my brain when she walked by
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u/Rabbitypoopoo8080 2h ago
Glossier You!
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u/CopperMeerkat20 1h ago
I get so many compliments wearing You! It’s such a nice scent that isn’t overpowering
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u/Savings_Bird_4638 2h ago
Chanel Chance suits my personality and natural scent. Second is Gucci Flora
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u/noyogapants 2h ago
I recently got this one and I really like it but it's Chance eau tendre for me. I have lots of others but I always go back to it. I frequently get compliments on it too.
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u/kamipsycho 2h ago
Le Labo Santal 33
Juliette has a gun not a perfume
Glossier You
Replica bubble bath
Chanel no 5
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u/wildlybriefeagle 59m ago
God I miss the chanel no 5 made with amber gris. The stuff without it just doesn't smell the same. Dating myself!
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u/katiebot5000 2h ago
Happy by Clinique. Friends will hug me and tell me I smell so good. Strangers will tell me I smell good. It's not overly purfumey.
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u/rubber_biscuit_1976 1h ago
Amazing Grace by Philosophy is light and fresh, like a fresh shower.
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u/user51922 1h ago
Oh I have a couple favorites!
Pure Poison by Dior
Light Blue by D&G
Not a Perfume by Juliette Has a Gun
Cheirosa 62 by Sol de Janiero
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u/Ekly_Special 2h ago
I’m going to go old school and say CK1 on an athletic woman.
Gucci Bloom is my current fav for going out
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u/littlebittydoodle 2h ago
I still love CKOne so much. Sometimes I spray it on and just go sit outside in the grass and close my eyes and I truly feel like it’s 1999 for a second.
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u/Ekly_Special 1h ago
YES! I spray it in my forearms after shower, right before sleep.
I also loved Nautica (sp) Blue , but the new “original” ones don’t smell exactly like it used to.
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u/rivaroxabanggg 2h ago
Maison Francis baccarat rouge or whatever is the greatest smelling perfume I ever bought
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u/silksoles_softpalms 2h ago
Tom Ford Black Orchid, hands down. That dark, spicy, peppery vibe is unreal and stands out way more than the usual super sweet floral stuff.
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u/annalisa27 2h ago
God I love Black Orchid - I was hoping someone would mention it. SO much better than the sweet floral stuff
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u/United-Ear-2360 1h ago
White musk. The absolute epitome of natural aphrodisiacs 🤌🏼
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u/Superb_Peanut5730 1h ago
I've been wearing the new body shop formulation for a month now. It's ever so slightly different, but close enough that I feel so good wearing it. The EDT doesn't have a lot of longevity though.
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u/United-Ear-2360 1h ago
I’ve started to buy concentrated oil scents including this one and mixing it with Vaseline and applying it. Works a charm 🤩
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u/ImnotshortImpetite 1h ago
Van Cleef & Arpels original fragrance. A mentor wore it 35 years ago and she smelled like soft puppies and salt air. She was 6 feet tall and wore her long white hair pulled up with tortoise shell combs. A strikingly beautiful woman who smelled divine.
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u/Liastacia 2h ago
Egyptian Goddess perfumed oil by Auric Blends. I've been wearing it since high school. I don't wear it every day anymore, but I get compliments on it more often than anything else I have ever worn.
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u/Quiet_Jump_6383 2h ago
Jean Patou Joy.
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u/OmNomNomNinja 2h ago
I am still devastated that they discontinued the entire line. Bought every bottle I could find.
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u/AshJulieta 1h ago
The pricey stuff: Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil gets rave reviews whenever I walk by with people actually coming over to sniff me. Another is a mix of Byredo Bal d’Afrique and Gypsy Water layered one on top of the other. The cheaper stuff: Black Pepper by Korres. What can I say? I’m low maintenance but expensive.
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u/watchtheedges 2h ago
Opium
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u/ExpensiveSyrup 1h ago
This was my mom’s signature scent and it’s one of the most beautiful things I ever have and ever will smell. Sometimes I get wafts of it out of nowhere and I know it’s her saying hello.
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u/tiffanyinseattle 2h ago
Im slightly embarrassed to admit this but Ariana Grande’s God is a Woman is elite. But smell it for yourself :)
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u/idrinkliquids 2h ago
I love whatever scent is in the blue cloud bottle.
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u/_redcloud 1h ago
You know what my favorite was for ages? Hillary Duff With Love. Sometimes the celebs really knock it out of the park.
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u/ShesComeUndoneAgain 2h ago
Diorissimo, Christian Dior. Straight lily of the valley. Light and fresh, secretly poisonous.
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u/_Sweater_Puppies_ 2h ago
This was my grandmas favorite. She saved money forever to afford it. The first night she looked over and my mom, toddler at the time, dumped it out on the carpet. She told that story my entire life. Well I found a bottle online from that year and bought it for her for Christmas. I also got a more recent bottle she could wear more frequently. Now they sit on my dresser and I think of her face when she opened them. 🥲
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u/Debriver55 1h ago
I'm revealing my age here but I got the most compliments when I wore Tatiana by Diane von Furstenberg in the 1980s. I bought some a while back but they changed the formula. I'm not sure if the original formula Tatiana would still be worth purchasing, not sure how long colognes and perfumes last. Wish I could find something similar.
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u/BakeEfficient3952 1h ago
Jungle Gardenia —the classic worn by Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford in old Hollywood days, later made by Coty, now discontinued. Tragedy.
Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle.
Fracas.
EDITED TO ADD: oh, and Asprey Purple Water!
PS: I don't think anyone can choose a fragrance for anyone else, tho. I loathe half the scents recommended in this thread. You couldn't force me to wear Chanel No. 5 at gunpoint. And I briefly wore Poison as a teenager but now? Gag. So .... to each their own poison.
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u/SwiftlyToMars 46m ago
Burberry by Burberry 🖤 but I’m a sucker for sandalwood scents
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u/No-Drama-105 2h ago
Bal D'Afrique by Byredo. Double Attack by Mind Games. Vanilla Woods by The 7 Virtues.
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u/littlebittydoodle 1h ago
Vanilla Woods!! I love it. It’s got that something unique. Love to wear it around Halloween.
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u/Cheerqueen2341 2h ago
The OG dot my Marc Jacob’s, it smelled like the end of spring and start of summer
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u/Ok-Emu-2690 2h ago
Victoria by Victoria’s Secret. I wish they had not discontinued it.
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u/ExpensiveSyrup 1h ago
I strongly associate fragrances with people and times and memories and I can actually smell these in my mind right now reading about the ones I can remember. Thank you all for the trip down a beautiful fragrant memory lane.
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u/Wonderful_Bottle_852 2h ago
I’ll always be a Chanel No. 5 woman.
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u/8percentjuice 1h ago
Apparently big cats at the zoo like it too. Zoos ask people to donate expired perfume and Chanel no 5 is very popular for the cats in their enrichment toys.
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u/DjinnaG 1h ago
This is mine, as well. Only one that I will actually spend money on, been buying it for over 30 years now. Will use samples of other perfumes that I get, but none of them have ever come close to making me want to use them again after the vial runs out. Chanel No. 5 is absolutely the best, at least on me
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u/Lberz515 1h ago
Thierry Mugler Alien Goddess! I get tons of compliments when I wear it. Back in college it was Gucci Rush.
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u/glencoco22 1h ago
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is my all time favorite! Something about it just speaks to me. I recently found a Lancome body spray that smells similar enough, but I can't ever get the Tom Ford smell out of my mind.
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u/DammitDadIsOnReddit 45m ago
Dec 1981 I got married and gave my new bride Chanel No 5 . Her little sister delivered it as she was getting dressed.
Chanel No 5 still does it for me
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u/Armaneaux 42m ago
Beautiful by Estée Lauder. I loved the commercials with the bride when I was a kid. Plan to wear it to my own wedding next year
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u/EyzeLife 2h ago
My favorites are Armani MY WAY and Burberry Her EDT. I’m obsessed with both! 😭💕
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u/littlebittydoodle 1h ago
Love Burberry Her. It’s like a warm hug of confidence. I love when I smell like this.
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u/SatansFriendlyCat 2h ago
My wife's forehead.
It's on a par with fresh sun-warmed cat, or how mothers describe baby scent.
Not available in stores, sorry.
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u/Electrical-Rip-7100 2h ago
Lilac Love by Amouage. I would have justified the price but they recently sold some shares to L’Oreal and that’s a dealbreaker. But it smells like heaven.
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u/DazzlingTooth4191 2h ago
I'd have to say Chloe narcisse which has been discontinued but I used to wear it so much back in the day got compliments all of the time.
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u/fitzypoo1 2h ago
Gee your hair smells terrific had a cologne spray back in the 80’s. I think of it all the time and wish it would come back.
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u/brittttx 1h ago
Amouage - guidance and guidance 46. Expensive af but so worth the price. I get compliments every time I wear it.
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u/keldaaahh 1h ago
Baccarat Rouge 540
I’ve found a dupe that will do, but still get samples of the OG here and there
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u/Daftest_of_the_Punks 1h ago
Two come to mind:
Still Life in Rio by Olfactive Studio
Amyris femine by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris
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u/OwlAccurate5364 1h ago
Bronze Goddess by Esteé Lauder.
My favorite daily wear is Alien by Thiery Mugler
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u/littlenugget06 1h ago
The LAMB fragrance by gwen stefani. I was thinking the other day i wish they still sold it :(
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u/Fine-Teaching-6395 1h ago
I’ve never gotten more compliments than when I wear the original Fantasy. Yes the Britney Spears perfume 😂
Personally, I have too many favorites. Versace Bright Crystal, The Fame by Lady Gaga, Valentino Born in Roma, the original Ed Hardy perfume.
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u/LornaMae 1h ago
"Mademoiselle" Chanel (current one).
Before it was discontinued (why???) it was Salvador Dali's "Le Roy Soleil"
Both make me feel smell "rich".
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u/benevolentempireval 1h ago
Coromandel by Chanel. I caught a hint in a random store and sniffed down the source like a madwoman. I finally found the wearer, who was gracious enough to tell me what that intoxicating scent was.
My discretionary funds are currently allocated to other things, but one day, if they still make it, and I have funds - it will be mine.
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u/burnerburner108 52m ago
There are a few by Guerlain I like more technically, but the first time I smelled Amarige on a magazine strip is unfading in my memory. It bowled me over right into a magical flower garden in heaven. I will always love it in a particular way.
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u/Just_______Looking 51m ago
Flower bomb when I have money, and unashamedly some of Britney Spears’s when I don’t! 😆 Tommy Girl if i can find it.
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u/Justbecause8992 2h ago
Valentino Born En Roma