Courtesy of Phlur / Arquiste
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.
Just like I swap the clothes in my clothes to match seasonal trends, I always edit my perfume collection to vibe with the time of year. Like, I couldn’t possibly wear a heavy vanilla perfume when it’s above 65 degrees, just as I wouldn’t dare spritz on a bright citrus fragrance unless it’s summer. Spring has its own scent rules and a whole new set of trends that dominate the season too. Sure, I could easily stick to the basics (fruity perfumes and sexy beachy notes, maybe), but experts say the coolest fragrances to douse yourself in right now aren’t so obvious. We’re moving away from the straightforward and into an era of distinctive—even a bit quirky—notes. Keep scrolling for three fragrance experts’ takes on the top spring 2025 perfumes, plus our picks for some of the best new spring fragrances to add to your scent wardrobe ASAP:
1. Not Your Grandma’s Rose
“Rose is getting a new life—it’s no longer seen as just a classic or traditional floral,” says Phlur co-owner and creative director Chriselle Lim. “There’s something so intriguing about roses; they can be delicate and romantic, but also dark, moody, and sensual,” she adds. People don’t want a one-note, simplistic perfume these days. They’d rather smell like something more multi-dimensional and unique, hence rose scents with a whole lotta depth and interest.
You’re probably confused, though. Isn’t rose powdery and ultra-feminine, to the point of smelling old-school? Well, it used to be. Now, it’s paired with unexpected notes, per Lim. Phlur’s newest scent, Rose Whip, is a sultry take on a velvety rose scent, Lim says, with added warm amber and cashmere wood. Or there are fruity takes, like Kayali’s Fleur Majesty Rose Royale, featuring a mix of rich rose with juicy pear, fresh peony, and cozy musk.
Kayali Fleur Majesty Rose Royale 31 Eau de Parfum
4.6 out of 5 stars. 487 reviews
Phlur Rose Whip Eau de Parfum
User Reviews
2. Milking It
If you’re all about the soft life, you’ll love this new era of sweet perfumes that prioritize creamy, milky scents like whipped cream and toasted marshmallows. “This trend reflects a shift within the gourmand category, moving away from rich, overtly edible notes like sugar and praline, toward textured, cozier interpretations, such as marshmallow and pistachio, which balance nostalgia with sophistication,” says perfumer Nicole Mancini.
DedCool Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
Ariana Grande LoveNotes Pink Woods Eau de Parfum
User Reviews
3. Wanderlust
Just because you’re not in college anymore doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a spring break. But if you’re not actually headed anywhere, fulfill your travel bug with scent. I’ve seen an influx of fragrances inspired by locations, meant to transport you to a beach, the mountains, a city, and more. Some might have a direct link to a specific place right in the name—Miami, Eden-Roc, Chicago, etc. Others are less exact, focusing more on the vibe of an overall destination: A Mediterranean beach, a cabin in a wooded forest, or the hills of East Africa, for example.
Juliette Has a Gun Miami Shake Eau de Parfum
Yves Saint Laurent Libre L’Eau Nue Parfum
4. Portable Perfumes
We all want to smell good all the time but let’s be real: No one’s actually carrying around a giant bottle of perfume in case they need to apply. Enter: the need for a more compact option, like solid perfumes and perfume oils that you can easily swipe on in the back of an Uber, inside a crowded restaurant, or just before stepping into the conference room for a meeting.
These are also great for scent-maxxing, a trend I predicted would be huge in 2025 as the interest in “beast mode” fragrances (aka scents that are extremely strong) grows. When you want to increase the longevity or sillage of a perfume, dabbing it on your wrists, neck, ankles—wherever—throughout the day can help increase the longevity or sillage of your perfume, even if you applied it as a standard liquid first. Or use it to amp up your body sprays and scented body lotions.
NOYZ The Solid Fragrance – 12:00
Cyklar Vanilla Verve Perfume Oil
5. Sweet ‘n Spicy
We’ve been in such a deep gourmand perfume hole for so long that perfumers are experimenting with ways to change up the same vanilla notes. One way that’s begun to stick is incorporating spices—cardamom, pink pepper, ginger, saffron, cloves, turmeric, and more—to add a zing to otherwise soft, warm scents. It brings an earthiness to a fragrance, making it more grounded, while also making your nose crinkle just a smidge.
Charlotte Tilbury Cosmic Power Eau de Parfum
Kylie Jenner Fragrances Cosmic 2.0 Eau de Parfum
6. Juicy Strawberry
“Strawberry is having a total renaissance in fragrance,” fragrance expert Gustavo Romero previously told Cosmo. “We’re in this wave of nostalgic, playful beauty—think TikTok’s obsession with coquette aesthetics and the collective craving for dopamine-inducing scents after years of minimalist ‘clean girl’ perfumes,” he explained.
Clean Classic Strawberry Fields Eau de Parfum
Nest New York Santa Barbara Strawberry Perfume Oil
7. Gourmand Beyond the Bakery
After a year of dessert-like perfumes overtaking shelves, things are getting a bit more satiating around here, according to experts. “Once people tire of cupcakes and candy, I think we’ll see some really cool and experimental scents with more savory scent notes,” says fragrance expert Emelia O’Toole. “Think roasted/toasted nuts, butter, bread, olives, mushrooms, etc.”
Jil Sander Leaf Eau de Parfum
Arquiste A Grove By the Sea Eau de Parfum
.
.
.
Originally posted from “Cosmopolitan” by BETH GILLETTE
No Comments