It used to be that floral fragrances were the go-to scent of the spring season, and understandably so. When winter’s chill finally thaws and sunshine lasts well beyond 6 p.m., flowers of all kinds—in neighbor’s gardens, on tree-lined streets, across meadows in the park—suddenly bloom for a few precious weeks. For some, the scent of spring is so lovely perfumers have bottled up notes of rose, gardenia, honeysuckle, lily of the valley and more for generations. However, to some, traditional floral fragrances resonate as too old-fashioned, overtly feminine or powdery.
If you’re decidedly anti-floral, you’ve come to the right place. Some of our favorite perfumes smell nothing like flowers; instead evoking warm woods, salty beaches or crisp linens. Ahead, 12 of the best non-floral perfumes we recommend for spring, and beyond.
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If you ever want to feel “safe and calm and just beachy and chill,” take a cue from Sofia Richie Grainge and try Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt Cologne. (Grainge calls it her “signature scent.”) Its aroma is both clean and woodsy that’s joyful and sophisticated.
Key Notes
Ambrette Seeds, Sea Salt, Sage
2 / 12
It’s never too early to manifest sunny days spent on the beach. Beach Walk blends a fruity bergamot and ylang-ylang with rich coconut milk and sultry white musk for a fresh fragrance with real sun-kissed warmth.
Key Notes
Bergamot, Heliotrope, Coconut Milk
3 / 12
Autumne West, National Beauty Director at Nordstrom, said this 20-year-old perfume is making a major comeback. “It’s a light fragrance that is truly universal, anyone can wear it,” says West.
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Ever sit amongst nature and feel immediate stress relief? (The Japanese call it forest bathing.) Functional fragrance brand The Nue Co. bottles the experience with Forest Lungs, a woody, smoky supplement with clean resin and fresh citrus to reduce stress and anxiety by utilizing “olfactory chemistry and patented ingredient technology to simulate phytoncides, which are produced naturally by trees.”
Key Notes
Primary: Phytogaia Secondary: Vetiver, Cedarwood, Pine, Morrocan Lentisque and Olibanum
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“Smells like open windows. Feels like stepping out of a long winter,” says DedCool of Fragrance Number 05 “Spring.” The unisex fragrance combines heavier masculine notes with bright bursts of citrus.
Key Notes
Top Notes: Bergamot, Cedar, Star Anise Middle Notes: Geranium, Incense, Lemon Base Notes: Oak Moss, Patchouli, Vetiver
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A fresh scent with a burst of citrus makes CHANEL’s Paris – Biarritz a truly vibrant fragrance that’ll make you radiate pure energy.
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Sandalwood combines with vetiver and amber to create a warm, earthy scent that’s romantic, but not overpowering in sweetness. A subtle and sexy second-skin scent exudes.
Key Notes
Top note: Sandalwood, Cedarwood
Mid note: Vetiver, Nutmeg, Cinnamon
Base note: Amber Wood
8 / 12
Fan-favorite fragrance Gypsy Water is a down-to-earth genderless scent that blends notes of pine, sandalwood, lemon, vanilla and bergamot. It’s warm, woodsy and deliciously spiced.
This editor-favorite perfume contains an award-winning scent made of a musky blend of white ambers that’s been described as “uplifting,” “bright” and “ethereal.”
There’s nothing like crisp and refreshing fruit on a warm spring day. Bottle that sensation up and you’ve got Dossier’s Fruity Honey, a ripe and delectable fragrance with peach, blackcurrant and honey balanced with rich vetiver.
Key Notes
Top: Blackcurrant, Green Leaves Middle: Honey, Nectarine Base: Peach, Vetiver
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Sensual and elegant are two ways to describe the scent of Queens & Monsters, a warm woodsy fragrance by Henry Rose. Perfumer Pascal Gaurin describes it as having a “very fluid and multifaceted identity,” and “a game of contrasts between brightness and sensuality, a dialog between the sparkling, zesty freshness of the petitgrain and the creamy, milky facet of the sandalwood.”
Key Notes
Neroli, Freesia, Sandalwood
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Perfumer Jerome Epinette was “inspired by the playful, invitingness of zesty citrus” to create PHLUR’s Tangerine Boy. Adding ginger and black pepper to the grounding in a base of spicy amber and cool, green moss results in a vibrant smell unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
