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Vanilla Is the Most Popular Fragrance Note—These 10 Perfumes Get the Most Compliments
Our top 10 include Kayali, Ellis Brooklyn, Gucci, and more.
I've been tracking perfume trends for years now as a beauty editor, and the same one that's popped up again and again? Vanilla perfumes. At this point, it's not even a trend—rather, it's a classic note you'll find in so many fragrances that are geared toward smelling sweet, cozy, and yummy. Sure, some of them are gourmand in the foodie, cake-batter-esque way. But many, like my favorites below, are balanced and soft, thanks to sandalwood, rose, and fruity notes.
And I know I'm not the only one who wants to smell delicious. The Cosmo staff is equally obsessed, which is why I polled them on their favorites too.
Our top picks for vanilla perfume in 2025:
Keep scrolling for all the best vanilla perfumes, from spicy-sweet takes on vanilla to fresh and floral variations. Truly, I’ve got an option for every preference. Then, I’ll help you pick the best one for you if you’re still not sure.
One Cosmo editor says: “I love the warm, cozy scent of this perfume and notice a little goes a long way. I'm pretty sensitive to fragrance, so it’s usually difficult for me to indulge in rich perfumes like this one for the most part. Since this scent is so rich, I'll spray just a lil bit on my skin so it's not overpowering or intense."—IMAN BALAGAM, CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY WRITER
| Notes | Vanilla orchid, jasmine, brown sugar, amber, musk |
| Sizes available | .33, .34, 1.7, and 3.4 oz. |
One Cosmo editor says: "I’m legit obsessed with Le Monde Gourmande, an affordable line of fragrances that includes this light and sweet vanilla perfume. It’s definitely decadent—hello, vanilla, brown sugar, and apricot—but the amber and jasmine help tone it down a bit from being too rich and heavy. I actually wear this in big crowds a lot without worrying it’ll give someone a headache.
But although this is an eau de parfum (which usually means it is denser and has a stronger scent profile, meaning it’ll last longer), this perfume is fairly weak, which I actually prefer for days when I just want a slight waft of my fragrance. If you like a stronger scent, dab a little Vaseline or Aquaphor on your wrists before spritzing this on to give the perfume something to grip onto and increase the longevity a lil bit. This one is delicate and airy—like a fluffy vanilla cloud."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
| Notes | Vanilla, brown sugar, amber, jasmine, apricot |
| Sizes available | 1 oz |
Cosmo editor’s review: “Gourmands have a tendency to smell juvenile. And in certain situations, love that. But this one is the most sophisticated vanilla I’ve ever smelled. It goes on my skin warm and soft, like I’m just coated in a Lola blanket, but it’s still light enough for all-year-round wear.”—BG
| Notes | Mandarin, coconut milk, almond, hazelnut, vanilla, tonka bean, jasmine, créme brulee, white amber, sweet musk |
| Sizes available | 1.7 and 3.4 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: “I tested this for a week, spraying it on my arms upon first getting to the office every morning. I loved catching whiffs of it throughout the day. Usually, “intense” flankers are heavy, and the richness feels only appropriate for cold weather or nighttime. But this played well at the office, likely because the richness is grounded by light berry and orange notes at the top.”—BG
READ THE FULL REVIEW
| Notes | Candied flowers, berries, mandarin orange, spices, vanilla, cocoa, woody notes, tonka bean, musk |
| Sizes available | 0.34, 1, 1.7, and 3.4 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "Ellis Brooklyn calls this 'rich girl vanilla,' and I agree. It's like the clean girl final boss, IMO. And as someone who typically is calling for the death of the whole 'clean girl aesthetic,' I actually love it in this sense. Vanilla Salt is cozy and vanilla, sure, but the salty note addition turns this into a musky skin scent that's so fresh. I legit want every piece of clothing I own to smell like this. If I could somehow make my skin smell like something forever, it would be this."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Notes | Sea salt accord, jasmine petals, ylang ylang, whipped cream, vanilla, blonde woods |
| Sizes available | 0.33 and 1.7 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "People practically pounce me on the street when I'm wearing this to ask what perfume I have on. I've had fellow beauty editors immediately email Nest to ask for this—and that's when I knew it was a keeper. The vanilla feels darker and more sensual when paired with bourbon; it's boozey and yummy, with a touch of sparkling jasmine."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Notes | Vanilla bourbon, brown sugar, jasmine |
| Sizes available | 0.27 and 1.7 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "My mom wore Gucci Bloom throughout my childhood, and this Parfum version is like the elevated, yet younger version of the original. With modern floral notes and a touch of amber and vanilla, I'm coining this the perfect perfume to wear out and about. If I could drench myself in this all the time, I would.”—JASMINE HYMAN, ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Notes | Jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, amber, balsam, vanilla |
| Sizes available | 0.33, 1, 1.6, and 3.3 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "I coat my entire body in the 11 11 Vanilla Body Oil nearly every time I get out of the shower these days because the scent is so perfect. It's vanilla, sure, but surrounded by freshness with star apple, passionflower, and sea salt—it's like draping a cozy sweater on top of your swimsuit to watch the waves at dusk. The perfume is just as good to spritz all over, especially on clothes."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Notes | Sea salt, vanilla, star apple, passionflower, marshmallow, amber, musk |
| Sizes available | 0.5, 1.7, and 3.4 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "There is nothing I love more than showing up on a first date and being told I smell good. It’s intoxicating, really. Because obviously I put a whole lot of effort into choosing from my zillion perfumes how I want to smell to my crush. Duh. And the perfume that’s been doing that most recently is Noyz Only Human, a vanilla-based skin scent that's creamy and soft. There are hints of cedarwood and pink pepper to round out the milky vibes, but most of all, I get a soothing sweetness."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Notes | Pink pepper, Italian bergamot, bamboo, vanilla bean, ambroxan, cedarwood |
| Sizes available | 0.5 and 1.69 oz |
One Cosmo editor says: "Out of my 200 perfumes, this is one of the few scents I actually sprayed on every single day in the fall and winter last year (like, the bottle is half gone right now) because it’s that good. The chocolate and vanilla perfume seemed to envelop my body on super-cold days and somehow made me feel warmer after spritzing it on. And if a chocolate and vanilla perfume sounds artificial to you, don’t worry—it’s also filled with musk and hinoki wood that make the chocolate notes smell like warm and spicy cinnamon to me."—BG
| Notes | Vanilla, chocolate, musk, hinoki wood |
| Sizes available | 0.25 and 1.7 oz. |
How to choose the best vanilla perfume:
Consider your fragrance preference.
Vanilla perfumes are most often thought of as gourmands (i.e., sweet perfumes that smell good enough to eat), but they can also be floral, fresh, tropical, clean—you name it. If you know you hate a sickly-sweet scent but like the warmth of a vanilla note, opt for a vanilla perfume with a lot of fresh citrus or bright florals in the opening notes. But if you do like an ultra-sugary vanilla fragrance, look for a perfume with supporting notes of chocolate, brown sugar, and honey.
Determine the intensity level.
Do you want a perfume that smells strictly of vanilla or has a faint whisper of sweetness from a vanilla note? If the vanilla notes in your perfume are in the foundation with eight other base notes, it likely won’t have that strong of a vanilla scent. On the other hand, if you want to really smell the vanilla, look for a perfume with only a few other notes throughout, one that only includes one or two other base notes, or that includes vanilla in the middle or opening. You can also look for a vanilla perfume that combines a few types of vanilla, like vanilla orchid or vanilla bourbon.
Decide on the type.
If you want a perfume that will smell strong for hours and hours, you should definitely opt for an eau de parfum (EDP), which has a stronger concentration of perfume oils than an eau de toilette (EDT). For reference, most of the perfumes above are EDPs, whereas body sprays and light-vanilla perfumes are often EDTs.
Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing perfume and beauty stories that range from stretch-mark creams to hair-removal creams. She’s an authority in all perfume categories but an expert when it comes to vanilla perfumes after sniffing, testing, and reviewing nearly every perfume launch over the last year.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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