13 Best Vanilla Perfumes for Every Scent Family (Tested and Reviewed for 2024)
I sniffed 60 vanilla perfumes—and trust: These are the *best*.
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As someone who spends both her workday and free time pursuing #PerfumeTok, there’s one thing I know for sure: Vanilla perfumes are back (with our long denim skirts and lip gloss, ofc). Gone are the days of pretending we don’t want to smell like we just doused ourselves in cake batter. And don’t get me wrong, some of the best perfumes are fruity and citrus and fresh. But personally, I like my perfume to have a hint of vanilla to balance them out, even if it’s primarily a rose, sandalwood, floral, or patchouli perfume.
So because I’m obsessed with perfumes, I did the very hard work of going through all of my fragrances (all 89 of them—for real) to compile a full list of the absolute best vanilla perfumes I’ve ever tested. I found summer scents, cheap perfumes, new perfumes, and long-lasting fragrances that all have a vanilla note—and not all of them are sweet, tbh! Peep all of my faves here:
✔️ FYI: We updated this article in June 2023 to give you the most up-to-date info on vanilla perfumes, including two tried-and-tested formulas going viral on TikTok, the one our entire office couldn’t stop sniffing, and how to choose the best vanilla perfume yourself.
Our top picks for vanilla perfume in 2024:
Keep scrolling for all of the best vanilla perfumes, from spicy-sweet takes on vanilla, to fresh and floral variations. Truly, I’ve got an option for every preference. Then I’ll help you pick the right one for you, if you’re still not sure.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. Wanna know how to get the best brows of your life? Gotchu. What about how to find the best fashion deals of the season, the softest sheets on the market, or exactly how to use retinol without irritating your skin? Check, check, and check. Before joining Cosmopolitan, Siena was a writer at Bustle and several other media outlets. As her 2024 goal, she has vowed to find the best (extra) dirty martini NYC has to offer—and yes, that means ~attempting~ to try every cute cocktail spot in the city (hit her up with some recs, pls). Follow Siena on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at that magazine life.
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