Our Fragrance Awards 2026 highlight the best perfumes of the year, selected by fragrance-obsessed editors who test scents for office wear, date nights, and daily comfort. The list spans niche houses and major brands, covering everything from boozy gourmands to clean, skin-like formulas.
Byredo’s Future Memories is generating significant buzz, with beauty director Jacqueline Kilikita predicting it will become the brand’s signature scent. The perfume features a generous pour of vanilla-steeped whiskey that transitions into tobacco-like iris butter, cozy orange blossom, and salty skin-like musk. Kilikita notes the staying power is impressive, stating she sprayed it on a jacket over a month ago and it remains as hypnotic as the first day.
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Penhaligon’s Halfeti continues to be a favorite, described as expensive and seductive. The scent starts with warm, cozy saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg, evolving into creamy sandalwood and cocooning amber. It is particularly effective for close interactions, as the author notes people never fail to compliment her when she pulls them in for a hug.
Karina Hoshikawa highlights several affordable options, including Le Monde Gourmand’s Tomate Bébé, a collaboration with Jon & Vinny’s that blends green pepper and tomato leaf with citrusy lemon verbena and caramel. She also praises Ex Nihilo’s new release for its tart rhubarb and peppermint edge, which grounds a vanilla-esque tonka base to create an everyday scent.
Unisex And Signature Scents
Lore’s Somewhere but Nowhere is noted for its Americana-inspired profile, featuring cedarwood, creamy cardamom, black tea, and a hint of vanilla. It is described as a scent that works well on both men and women, leading to a need for larger bottles. Merit’s Retrospect offers a warm, sheer floral with bergamot, pear, jasmine, rose, and violet, enhanced by a base of vanilla and moss.
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D.S. & Durga’s I Don’t Know What is cited as an ideal office fragrance, offering a clean, woody, skin-like quality that balances bright bergamot and musky ambroxan without causing headaches. Commodity’s Milk Orchid, a collaboration with content creator Emma B, blends fig and coconut milk with orchid for a light-yet-impactful scent suitable for special events.
For date nights, NOYZ Only Human is recommended for its warm, woody, and subtly sweet profile that feels intimate and effortless. On the floral front, Cyklar’s Flora Veil redefines the category with a delicate raspberry whisper and velvety musk base that warms with body chemistry, avoiding the heavy intensity of traditional florals.
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Glossier You Doux earns praise for its romantic take on a woody fragrance, featuring toasted palo santo, violet, frankincense, and myrrh. The solid perfume L’Or de J’adore from Dior offers a concentrated version of the J’adore scent in a travel-friendly gold compact, providing a warm, nectar-like finish of jasmine, rose, and violet.
Body Care And Daily Favorites
Perfume isn’t limited to sprays and oils. Jacqueline Kilikita favors Diptyque Orphéon for its paradoxical mix of juniper berries (gin-and-tonic edge) and cedarwood/jasmine/tonka (incense fog). It has a powdery, comforting dry down t
