I have dedicated most of my career to finding the most unique and underrated perfumes—and for the most part I’ve kept my findings to myself. The reason I am considered somewhat of an expert in the best perfumes is because I have long utilised my connections as a beauty director to, selfishly, find a truly one-off, special sort of perfume for myself. I want a perfume that earns me compliments, sure, but I also want my fragrance choice to surprise people.
And while I like to think I’ve curated a pretty exceptional collection of such perfumes, I also appreciate that fragrance is personal—and my favourites might not be representative of the masses. So, in an effort to help everyone find an under-the-radar perfume that suits them, I enlisted the help of my contacts. I put out an open call to my Instagram followers (of which a huge chunk are fragrance experts, beauty editors and perfume fanatics) for the perfumes they consider to be the most underrated of all time.
My personal collection of underrated perfumes.
I wanted to know all of the fragrances that everyone else considers excellent (and likes to keep to themselves), from the floral scents and fresh perfumes I think I know inside out to the sweet fragrances I tend to shy away from. And, to my surprise, over 100 people got back to me, sharing the underrated perfumes they feel really passionately about.
I have carefully considered every single nomination and put each one up against my strict criteria: Does it generate an instant reaction on first spritz? Are you flooded with compliments on every wear? Is it long-lasting? Does it smell unique? After heaps of research, I managed to edit the suggestions down, and I can firmly say these are the 11 most underrated perfumes of all time.
1. Acne Studios Par Frédéric Malle
Frederic Malle
Acne Studios Par Frederic Malle Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Rose, violet, orange blossom, peach, sandalwood, vanilla, musk
Best for: Those who like to smell clean
When I decided to write this story, I knew that I wanted this perfume to sit at number one. It is, hands down, my favourite perfume of the past year—and I know at least three other beauty editors who also consider it a signature. So, why is it underrated if it’s so popular? Because I’ve never known anyone outside of my immediate beauty circle talk about it. When I asked the wider Who What Wear UK team for their picks, SEO writer Ava Gilchrist came straight back with Acne Studios Par Frederic Malle—and this was all the confirmation I needed.
“When Acne Studio by Frédéric Malle first launched, there were a lot of buzzwords like ‘radical’, ‘vibrant’ and ‘magnetic’ thrown around to explain its unique scent profile. But what did you expect when a Swedish fashion house known for its cerebral and avant-garde approach to design teams up with a French fragrance house? As a result, the reviews for this experimental fragrance were polarising, to say the least,” she says. “I like to think of it as the crispness of warm sheets pulled straight out of the dryer mixed with the cosiness of wearing your favourite sweater to a candle-lit wine bar. Plus, its long-lasting and very memorable, so it will make you feel like Andy Sachs in her Chanel 2005 Resort boots when your friends ask if you’re wearing it.”
And I agree entirely. To me, it smells like a lathered up bar of designer hand soap without any of that warm, sweet creaminess you find in other clean-smelling fragrances. It is hard-hitting freshness that doesn’t beat around the bush—rather it smacks you right in the face with its aroma of luxury hygiene.
2. Diptyque Eau Capitale
Diptyque
Eau Capitale Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Rose, bergamot, patchouli, pink peppercorn
Best for: Those who like a spicy, rich-smelling floral
I’ll be honest, my inbox was full of various Diptyque suggestions, and while I wholeheartedly agree with them all, I only felt right selecting one from the brand. As a fragrance buff, I’m a bit of an expert in all things Diptyque. I have my own favourites, of course, but taking everything into account, the most underrated simply has to be Eau Capitale. While the likes of Frederic Malle Portrait Of A Lady and Tom Ford Rose Prick get a whole bunch of airtime for their punchy, spicy, floral beauty, Eau Capitale is rarely discussed.
In my opinion, Eau Capitale is up there with the most exceptional floral perfumes ever made. It is expensive-smelling and attention-grabbing in the way that all great dark florals should be, but it possesses an air of cool effortlessness that only Diptyque can pull off—it’s like Jane Birkin stopped off at a flower market and threw a bouquet of roses in her overflowing namesake Hermès bag. Whenever I wear Eau Capitale, I’m flooded with questions and compliments.
3. Chanel N°19
Chanel
N°19 Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Galbanum, iris pallida, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley, rose
Best for: Powdery perfume lovers that prioritise longevity
A couple of people (I won’t name names) had the audacity to suggest Chanel N°5 as one of the most underrated perfumes of all time—which, in my opinion, takes a certain level of gall. A Chanel perfume?! Underrated?! And N°5, the most popular and loved perfume of all time, no less?! I refused to entertain it.
However, one suggestion that did catch me off guard was N°19. To me, this perfume is an icon, and at first I couldn’t get my head around how anyone could consider it underrated. It was the last fragrance that Gabrielle Chanel launched (and wore) before she died, and it is a historic scent. But when I really got thinking about it, I considered that perhaps, when compared to more popular Chanel perfumes, N°19 doesn’t get the widespread airtime it so deserves.
For those who aren’t acquainted with the scent, know this: it is the original powder bomb perfume. One spritz delivers a hit of all-encompassing powdered freshness, with crisp, soapy ribbons throughout. But amongst this sits something unique to all Chanel scents—an expensive-smelling sparkle that binds the scent to your skin all day long.
4. Cosmic by Kylie Jenner
Kylie Cosmetics
Cosmic by Kylie Jenner Eau De Parfum 100ml
Key notes: Star jasmine, blood orange, golden amber, red peony, vanilla, musk, cedarwood
Best for: Those who crave creamy, warming comfort
When this perfume first launched, I totally rejected my adoration for it. Me? Like a Kylie Jenner perfume? Never. But, after a few weeks of covertly spritzing it on my wrists under the desk at work, I realised that I couldn’t keep getting away with it—the compliments were rolling in thick and fast and I couldn’t keep people off the scent any longer (pun 100% intended). Yep, Cosmic by Kylie Jenner is a stunner. So, I wasn’t surprised when heaps of people messaged me their love notes to it.
Freelance beauty editor, Laura Pearson says, “I don’t think people expect Cosmic by Kylie Jenner to be as elevated as it actually is. It’s one I reach for a lot, and I carry one of the travel sprays in my handbag too. It’s a warm, subtly sweet, amber-floral fragrance that can take you seamlessly from day to night. I think it’s a really sophisticated scent, and the bottle is a literal ornament for your vanity too.”
5. Perfumer H Dust
Perfumer H
Dust Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Iris absolute, lavender, orange flower absolute, cedarwood, opoponax, cashmeran, frankincense, benjoin resin, white musk
Best for: Musky and warm winter vibes
There are a handful of women whose beauty recommendations I consider gospel. My mother is one, and another is content creator, Emma Hoareau. Although Hoareau’s expertise typically lies in the realms of skincare, she is also very, very chic (she is of French heritage, so I guess it’s in her blood)—so, naturally, I buy everything she tells me to. Her underrated perfume nomination got my attention. “Although the name might seem bizarre, Perfumer H’s Dust evokes a dusty library, shall we say? Sounds weird, but go to the Marylebone store to give it a go. It’s very musky and sensual—which for me is what I love in a winter perfume. It is one of those scents that people ask you what you’re wearing because it’s so unique,” she says.
Because I hang on her every word, the following day I gave it a go—and it’s every bit as unique and magnificent as she promised it would be.
6. Dior New Look
Dior
New Look Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Aldehydes, frankincense, amber accord
Best for: A sharp, invigorating hit of unique cleanliness
The only other person I know who wears this perfume as much as I do is a fellow fragrance-specialist editor whose scent collection is the most well-edited and considered I have ever known. Whenever he wears it, I watch the office flock to him to pay their compliments. Whenever I wear it, I’m guaranteed to be answering questions on it for at least half of the day. It is a relatively new launch from Dior (it debuted last year), and I must admit it didn’t get the buzz I think it deserves.
I’ll be honest here though, this fragrance is so unique that it might prove divisive. If, like me, you adore clean-smelling freshness that never verges into creamy territory, you’ll adore it. If you like pretty florals, it won’t be for you. So what does New Look smell like? Well, I recently read a Reddit thread where someone said: “I could see Patrick Bateman’s apartment smelling like this.” And that sort of resonated. To me, New Look smells almost uncomfortably clean—like sharp shards of glass that glimmer and shine under a bright white light. It’s not right to call it a beauty, but my word is it special.
7. Kayali Vanilla 28
Kayali
Vanilla 28 Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Vanilla, brown sugar, tonka
Best for: Sugar-laced warmth
If I had a pound for every person who suggested a Kayali perfume in my poll, I would have £34. Although that wouldn’t make me a millionaire, it does go to show just how adored the brand is, with one third of all responses pitching it for this edit. The most adored scent? Vanilla 28.
Who What Wear’s copy editor, Georgia Seago is a real fan. “If you’re a vanilla girl and you haven’t tried Kayali Vanilla 28, you’re missing out. This, for me, is true vanilla, but in a grown-up way that isn’t sickly-sweet but still makes your mouth water. The addition of musk lends a little complexity, jasmine gives it a very slight floral tone and tonka adds a gorgeous creamy nuttiness. It’s one of the few fragrances I own that I think really lasts and always gets me compliments,” she says.
8. Tom Ford Bitter Peach
Tom Ford
Bitter Peach Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Pêche de Vigne, Sicilian blood orange, bitter peach, davana, patchouli
Best for: Those after a juicy, fruity, mouth-watering crowdpleaser
A handful of Tom Ford perfumes were thrown around in my DMs, but I struggled to see the underrated element in many of then. Suggestions like Rose Prick and Neroli Portofino were put forward, but in my opinion, they’re almost too well loved to get underrated status. Bitter Peach, however, was a nomination that took my fancy. When it first launched, the marketing had the fragrance community in a chokehold, and since then the hype has died down. But that’s not to say it should have.
For a fruity perfume to last on the skin as long as this one does is a true feat. Plus, the scent itself is exceptional. It’s not layered or complex in any way—it simply floods the skin with a sweet, sticky, juicy pool of peach. It’s so simple and excellent that it takes people aback in the best sort of way when it crosses their nose.
9. M&S Discover Intense Seasalt & Neroli
M&S
Discover Intense Seasalt & Neroli Eau De Toilette
Key notes: Neroli, mandarin, musky sea salt
Best for: Affordable, salty freshness
Who What Wear UK beauty editor, Eleanor Vousden is a true M&S perfume stan, and Seasalt & Neroli gets her vote all day long. “It gets me compliments all the time, and it’s so affordable,” she tells me. And I can vouch for this, as I am one of the people who has complimented her on it before. As a woman with great olfactory taste and very high standards, I was shocked when I found out the price of her go-to daily spritz. To me, this stuff smells like dining al fresco at a beach-side restaurant in the south of France—the sun is setting, the breeze is cool and waves are gently breaking against the coastal rocks.
10. The Body Shop Full Ylang Ylang
The Body Shop
Full Ylang Ylang Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Ylang ylang
Best for: An everyday, any-occasion scent that you’ll never tire of
The Body Shop is not a brand famed for its fragrance in 2025. Sure, we all hold a special place in our hearts for White Musk, but in terms of the brand’s more current and modern offering, it’s not exactly deemed a trailblazer. This stuff, however, is the very definition of underrated brilliance. A fellow editor, former colleague and very dear friend of mine sent me a message that read: “THE BODY SHOP ONE—YOU KNOW THE ONE.”
And I do, indeed, know the one. Full Ylang Ylang first landed on my desk a couple of years ago, along with a handful of other new (at the time) launches from the brand. For some reason, I never got around to putting the bottle away, and it became the perfume everyone in the office reached for. Despite the fact we worked for a luxury women’s magazine where over 100 bottles of very expensive perfumes sat in our beauty cupboard, this is the one everyone loved most. The beat-up bottle would get thrown into handbags before editors dashed out to fashion-house soirées, be preciously hidden away for office beauty sales and emptied onto necks before first dates—but, as precious cargo, it would always come back to my desk.
It is delicately floral, slightly creamy and undeniably moreish—I’ve never met a soul who dislikes it.
12. Zara Ebony Wood
Zara
Ebony Wood Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Cabreuva, orchid, pink pepper, green vanilla leaves, cypress root, vanilla absolute, dark patchouli, hay
Best for: Those who like a rich, woody scent that turns heads
Who What Wear’s junior beauty editor, Grace Lindsay, put this one firmly back on my radar. Created by Jo Malone CBE for Zara, it is the sort of perfume that could be sold for ten times its price tag and nobody would bat an eyelid. “This is one of the most expensive-smelling perfumes I own, and people are always shocked when I tell them it’s a Zara fragrance. The high-street store has a lot of popular scents but I think this particular fragrance is so underrated. It’s a rich, woody perfume which opens with notes of cypress, pink pepper and coffee. A base of patchouli and vetiver adds an earthy touch that lingers on the skin long after spritzing. It’s a complex scent that definitely smells designer, and in my opinion, it would make the perfect winter date-night fragrance,” says Grace.
