As a beauty editor, my vanity is constantly overflowing with glass bottles of carefully crafted fragrances as launch after launch ends up on my doorstep. At this point, it’s hard for me to detect what I love and what I’m keeping around just for the pretty packaging.
Following a recent listen to one of my favorite podcasts—The Broski Report, where comedian/celebrity interviewer Brittany Tomlinson (ahem, Broski) dove into a nearly 20-minute spiel about the perfumes that make her smell like a rich woman in a fancy hotel lobby—I knew I had to reset my palate with the help of this self-described fragrancehead. The most impressive part of this scent-inspired rant? She’s not just rattling off names because they smell good. From the understanding of accords to the art of layering, Tomlinson really knows what she’s talking about.
(Image credit: Raul Romo)
You may have once known her as “kombucha girl”—the expressive Southerner who amassed over 4.3 million likes on one singular TikTok circa 2019—but in the passing years, this social media starlet has blossomed into a media multi-hyphenate. Most recently, she added fragrance connoisseur to her stacked résumé. Though I sample hordes of new perfumes every week for a living, I found my preferences aligning with Tomlinson’s taste so seamlessly that I needed to pick her brain myself, and little did I know how much my credit card would suffer following her first-class recommendations.
“I think there’s something very luxurious about always smelling good,” Tomlinson tells me. “When I was working my horrible desk job making $39,000 a year, the one small item I’d gift myself was a new fragrance on my birthday every year. I used to save up for that Sephora trip.”
(Image credit: Brittany Tomlinson)
Though she grew up around women with good noses (family friends who gifted her with old, unused bottles of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle and Burberry’s Brit and a mom devoted to Mugler’s Angel), Tomlinson has learned that her journey toward a signature scent is a work in progress. “I’m always changing, and so are my preferences. Fragrance is a great physical embodiment of that,” she muses.
Her findings thus far? “I want to smell like a hotel lobby—androgynous, clean, warm, rich,” she says. From woody bases to citrusy-clean top notes, Tomlinson’s favorite scents sensorially transport you to a ritzy, well-decorated, Chateau Marmont–level establishment. Below are the perfume lover’s recommendations for the aspiring upper echelon.
Maison Louis Marie
No.02 Le Long Fond Eau de Parfum
“Le Long Fond No. 2 from Maison Louis Marie is my favorite fragrance of all time,” Tomlinson gushes. “It captures the vibe of a fancy hotel lobby perfectly.” A deep entanglement of hinoki wood (one of Tomlinson’s favorite notes), cedarwood, patchouli, and amber, this lush fragrance evokes the scent of a remote luxury hotel among the woods.
Tom Ford
Oud Wood Eau de Parfum
Ranked one of the best oud scents on the market by Tomlinson and our beauty editors, this fragrance is a staple for any perfume lover. Its unisex wood-and-amber profile makes it easy to wear alone or layer as a warm and spicy base. Imagine a low-lit café by day, wine bar by night—this scent is that.
Penhaligon’s
The Blazing Mr. Sam Eau de Parfum
A distinctively British brand, Penhaligon’s captures the star’s attention for its exclusivity and fragrant storytelling. “This fragrance is everything I want in a perfume,” Tomlinson tells the camera in another episode. Its charming scent profile combines cedar, warm spices, and patchouli into a memorable, lasting fragrance.
Diptyque
Do Son Eau de Parfum
Also our beauty director’s favorite Diptyque scent, Tomlinson’s breezy, flowery pick is in good company. “I’m not a floral girl, but this one is just unreal,” says Tomlinson. “[It’s] great for spring or summer. Layer it with a vanilla lotion underneath and Vetyverio by Diptyque too!”
Byredo
Vanille Antique Parfum Extract
Tomlinson sums up this scent in three words: rich, sex, luxury. “The perfect vanilla—no notes,” she adds. We once declared this fragrance as part of the New York City uniform due to its romantic, smoky take on vanilla that inspired a cult following, and the multi-hyphenate would have to agree.
Kilian
Angels’ Share Eau de Parfum
“F–ing killer,” Tomlinson captions this fragrance. She praises this “warm, bourbon-y vanilla” as the ideal nightlife scent and appreciates its long-wearing formula that’s detectable on her clothes for up to two weeks. “Any Kilian is to die for,” she adds.
Tom Ford
Fucking Fabulous Eau de Parfum Fragrance
As the name suggests, we as editors and perfume lovers alike denote this Tom Ford fragrance as one of the best. The woody base is elevated by bitter almond and laced with floral orris, making it a uniquely individual pick—a good one at that. “It’s strong and super intense, but this is one that you get stopped in the street for,” Tomlinson says.
Brittany Broski’s parting words to you and I, the signature scent–aspiring? Stop trying so hard to be different than everyone else (oftentimes, things are popular because they’re actually good), and push your own ideas of what you think you like. “Sometimes, you have the perfect idea of your favorite notes and then can be completely blown away by a fragrance you’d never thought you’d like,” she concludes. “Be adventurous! Smell everything!”
Shop More “Hotel Lobby” Fragrances
Le Labo
Thé Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum
Diptyque
Oprheon Eau de Parfum
Parfums de Marly
Delina Eau de Parfum
Penhaligon’s
The Dandy Eau de Parfum
Heretic
Scandalwood Eau de Parfum
