InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2024: Fragrance

Krigler / Hotel Lobby / D.S & Durga / Abel / InStyle

Fragrance is powerful: One sniff of a certain note can fuel nostalgia, boost your mood, and instantly transport you into another world — or all of the above. The best part? With the range of notes out there, there's a fragrance for everyone, whatever their scent preferences.

Whether you're all about sweet and floral or into earthier vibes, these picks have you covered. To help you narrow down your search for the right scent, we've highlighted those that have made the biggest splash this year. Consider these candles, fragrances, and room sprays that deserve signature-scent status.

Best Candle: Hotel Lobby Positano Candle

Buy on Hotellobbycandle.com $56

"As a candle hoarder, I've found that it takes a lot for a scent to stand out from my stash. But this is one candle that I lit immediately, and the juicy, slightly floral scent made my house feel like a breezy, seaside escape (as the brand intends, if the name is any indication)." — Deanna Pai, InStyle Contributor

Best Candle Set: Maison Margiela ’REPLICA’ Beach Walk Perfume & Candle Set

Buy on Sephora $125

"Thank the beauty gods that Maison Margiela has blessed us with sets of some of their iconic scents in both fragrance and candle form. 'Beach Walk' in particular is a crisp floral smell that instantly transports you oceanside. Made with notes of bergamot, heliotrope, and coconut milk to give you that easy-going beachy vibe to help manifest fun summer adventures ahead." — Audrey Noble, InStyle Contributor

Best Clean Fragrance: Abel Pause Eau de Parfum

Buy on Bluemercury.com $130 Buy on Ecosmetics.com $130

"If I could capture a calm meditative state in a bottle, it would be this scent. It has notes of mimosa, violet leaf, and narcissus for a powdery floral that's just so soothing. One spritz and I am gently put at ease and balanced. As an added bonus, it's made with one hundred natural plant-derived ingredients with strong lasting power. You can't go wrong with this." — AN

Best Fragrance Oil: Costa Brazil Aroma In Oil

Buy on Anthropologie $78 Buy on Niche-beauty.com $78 Buy on Violet Grey $78

"I am in my woody scent era and I have this oil to thank. It is a brilliant cocktail of Brazilian orange, pink pepper, clearwood, myrrh, vetiver, and cedar that give you a warm balance of spice and wood. The oil itself blends in so seamlessly into the skin and the scent will last all day long into the night. I couldn't ask for anything more." — AN

Best Floral Fragrance: Byredo Young Rose

Buy on Nordstrom $205 Buy on Bloomingdales $205 Buy on Neiman Marcus $290

"I know what you're thinking. Rose? For fragrance? Doesn't exactly sound groundbreaking. But leave it to the genius noses at Byredo to take a scent most commonly associated with grandmas and great aunts (no shade) and breathe fresh new life into it. The second I smelled young rose I knew it was the floral fragrance I'd been looking for all my life. With layers of Sichuan pepper and Damascus, this scent is surprisingly youthful and energetic. It's really not your grandma's rose." — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle News Director

Best Gourmand: D.S. & Durga Pistachio

Buy on Nordstrom $190 Buy on Neiman Marcus $280 Buy on Revolve $190

"Gourmand scents can be polarizing, and that's kind of the point. It's also what makes Pistachio so great: Each layer of the fragrance features pistachio for a heady payoff, as well as notes of cardamom, roasted almond, and patchouli. It makes for a warm, sweet fragrance that makes a statement." — DP

Best Musk Fragrance: Krigler Good Fir 11

Buy on Krigler.com $615

"Of the many fragrances I wear on rotation, this one gets me the most compliments. White musk is mixed with notes of bitter orange, tuberose, and vetiver, to give you a fresh green scent with warm undertones that feels full and cozy. It will be a mainstay in my collection for years to come." — AN

Best Citrus Fragrance: Hermes Un Jardin a Cythere

Buy on Nordstrom $113 Buy on Macy's $149 Buy on Neiman Marcus $113

"Maybe it's the Aquarius in me, but I love when scents have a unique twist to them. This citrus fragrance is mixed with notes of olive tree and pistachio to give you a woody aroma that clashes with the fresh zestiness quite nicely for an alluring smell that I keep coming back to." — AN

Best Fruity Fragrance: Vilhelm Parfumerie Mango Skin

Buy on Neiman Marcus $150 Buy on Revolve $150 Buy on Saks Fifth Avenue $150

"Mango isn’t the most common fragrance note, but it should be — and this perfume is here to lead the charge. Not only does it come in the most beautiful (and heavy) bottle, the scent is exactly what you’d think: a ripe mango. But it’s more, too, with lingering notes of patchouli and jasmine to keep things interesting" — Christopher Luu, InStyle Senior News Editor

Best Herbaceous Fragrance: Sisley L'Eau Rêvée D'Hubert

Buy on Nordstrom $195 Buy on Neiman Marcus $115 Buy on Saks Fifth Avenue $115

"This fragrance is unlike anything you've smelled before; it starts with a bright minty top note, then immediately transforms to freshly cut grass before drying down to a true light floral. If all that seems like it shouldn't work, know that it does; I love spritzing it on for a midday refresh on hot days, though it's lovely every day of the year." — Lindy Segal, InStyle Contributor

Best Room Fragrance: Homecourt Neroli Leaf Room Deodorant

Buy on Homecourt.co $45

"I didn't see the point of a dedicated room fragrance until I moved into a house built in 1960 — and all the scents that came with it. The Neroli fragrance is bright and refreshing; I love that it works immediately to nix odors, but also lasts for a few hours. I now keep it handy for "touch-ups" any time things start to smell a little musty." — DP

Best Body Spray: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’62 Bum Bum Hair & Body Fragrance Mist

Buy on Amazon $35 Buy on Sephora $38 Buy on Soldejaneiro.com $38

"The hype around this viral fragrance is real. Made with notes of pistachio, vanilla, and salted caramel, this body mist is a sweet scent that just feels like a warm inviting hug. It's no wonder that I and everyone seem to be gravitating towards this scent for the summer." — AN