Authentic Luxury Fragrances and Impressions

Considering the power fragrance wields — it can give you the strength to walk a little taller or bewitch a romantic interest (hi, pheromone perfumes) — it’s understandable why we’re always on the qui vive for the next inspiring scent. The best luxury fragrances equip us with an invisible cloak of couture, giving us all the confidence of designer threads without the dry cleaning bill. But, it’s not simply the price tag that makes a perfume luxury. “In its most luxurious form, perfumers express their vision without compromise, often exploring new materials and concepts,” says Kate Oldham, SVP, GMM, Beauty, Jewelry and Home at Saks Fifth Avenue.

But here’s the thing: They are pricey. Since no one likes to waste money, we scoured the market for the most highly-rated luxury perfumes and selected for test. There, we asked them to describe the scent in detail, including the most prominent notes, fragrance family it belonged to, and type of person, occasion, or time of year it may be best for. We also noted whether the scent was long-lasting or if it disappeared sooner than we wanted. And since presentation is everything, especially for high-end beauty, we judged the design of the perfume bottle or vessel that housed it, and if we thought it was special enough to warrant a luxury price tag.