You may not have known it when the eager scent peddlers were spritzing you in clouds of perfume with names like Sweet Sunshine and A Woman's Desire, but there can be an upside to surviving the telltale department store fragrance counter experience: when you discover one you love — it could be with you forever.
That said, much like finding the perfect fitted jeans or the right dermatologist, finding a signature scent can take years of trial and error. So, to streamline the process — and because the human nose can only handle so many sandalwood varietals — we asked POPSUGAR beauty editors to share the classic fragrances they'll continue to buy time and time again. Call it the light at the end of that perfume tunnel.
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Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum "When I was in high school, I had a very mystifying crush on a boy who was pretty much terrible in every way except that he smelled like sandalwood. The day that I discovered that I didn't like him but rather his cologne was the most freeing moment in my young adult life. So now, I wear the Guerlain Eau de Parfum ($124) to get the same hint of sandalwood. There's something about the unisex, musky scent that appeals to the vanilla-lover in me. This fragrance mixes that note with lavender and jasmine, and despite being 100 years old this year, it still manages to smell deliciously modern." — Alaina Demopoulos, beauty writer
Guerlain Eau de Parfum $124 from shop.nordstrom.com Buy Now Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme "Much like 92 percent of dads out there, mine drenched himself in Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue ($68) incessantly while I was growing up, so I've developed quite the odd attachment to a scent intended for the opposite sex. Now because we live approximately 1,192 miles away, I keep a bottle of it in my closet and pull it out any time I'm feeling homesick — although, in hindsight, it smells way more like what you'd expect from the crisp Cinque Terre air as opposed to Kansas." — Kelsey Castañon, senior beauty editor
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue $68 from sephora.com Buy Now Moschino Fresh Couture Eau de Toilette Spray "I have dozens of perfumes, but my favorite by far is Moschino Fresh Couture ($62), which comes in the cutest Windex-shaped bottle I've ever seen. I love watching my friends pick it up in my bedroom thinking it's actually a window cleaner. Fortunately, it does not smell anything like a cleaning product. The perfume smells like an intoxicating combo of bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, and patchouli. I've gone through every bottle very quickly and constantly get compliments when I wear it." — Sarah Siegel, assistant editor, beauty and shop
Moschino Fresh Couture $62 from sephora.com Buy Now Lavanila The Healthy Fragrance in Pure Vanilla "I've been wearing Lavanila's Pure Vanilla Fragrance ($48) every day for over a decade. I've always loved warm vanilla scents, but once I was out of college, I decided it was time to graduate from the overly sweet Bath and Body Works-style fragrances and move onto something more subtle. Lavanila is a clean, nonmusky vanilla; it smells like warm cookies and vanilla extract. Plus, the fragrance is all natural — it uses organic sugar cane alcohol and essential oils, and leaves out the parabens, phthalates, and other icky unpronounceables." — Mandy Harris, managing editor
Lavanila's Pure Vanilla Fragrance $48 from lavanila.com Buy Now Tom Ford Neroli Portofino "I've worn Tom Ford Neroli Portofino ($235) since I could afford it and justify buying it. It reminds me of a carefree Summer in the city, where the beach is close and there isn't a worry in the world. Yes, I know it's supposed to transport you to the Mediterranean, but it reminds me so much of LA and my childhood longing to live here. I remember smelling it at a department store and thinking I had to have it — then I saw the price tag and cried. It was one the big splurges I treated myself to when I started moving up in my career. Now I know that I run out, like clockwork, every six months, so I make sure I ask for it for my birthday and then pick up a bottle every summer. I pray for the day the brand makes a rollerball version so I can travel with it, but until then, I'll continue asking the Nordstrom sales associate to keep filling tiny sample bottles to keep in my purse." — Kirbie Johnson, beauty host and senior video reporter
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino $235 from sephora.com Buy Now Marc Jacobs Daisy "Someone gifted Marc Jacobs Daisy ($102) to me a few years ago, and I have worn it religiously ever since . It has sultry floral notes like violet and strawberry that make me feel fancy and sexy — almost like I'm spraying on confidence. I even walk with my chin a little higher when I have it on. Plus, it isn't too overpowering, so I am able to wear it every day without feeling like I am drowning in perfume. It still, to this day, prompts unsolicited neck sniffs from my boyfriend, which is proof of its power if you ask me." — Aimee Simeon, assistant beauty editor
Marc Jacobs Daisy $102 from sephora.com Buy Now Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne "I'm incredibly picky with fragrance — I can't tell you how many perfumes I sampled through the aisles of Sephora and Ulta before my wedding. It was by chance that I wandered into a beauty shop that carried Jo Malone's perfume line, and I fell in love with the Nectarine Blossom and Honey ($136) scent. Fruity and refreshing, it was the ideal choice for my big day . . . and every day since." — Maggie Panos, Voices editor
Nectarine Blossom and Honey $136 from jomalone.com Buy Now Carolina Herrera 212 "I've been wearing Carolina Herrera 212 ($82) for years. There's a reason it's my signature scent: it's fresh, feminine but not too sweet, and it last all day long. I have tried other perfumes, but nearly every time I pick up 212 again, someone will stop me to ask what I am wearing." — Lauren Hendrickson, director of editorial product management
Carolina Herrera 212 $82 from sephora.com Buy Now
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