Fruity floral perfumes are like the pop music of fragrance—even if you don’t like the category, chances are there’s an artist (or a scent) that you do like. Similar to a good pop song, there are some fruity floral perfumes that you just can’t get out of your head. Though the olfactive group is meant to be a crowd-pleaser, some options are far more sophisticated than you’d expect. (And some aren’t, and that’s okay, because we all need a little Britney sometimes).
When you hear fruity floral perfumes, you might think of sweet, cloying scents—I admit I often do, but then I remember there is a range of takes on that category, including some of my all-time favorites. Sure, some are sweet enough to make you feel like you’re wearing dessert, but others are impressively elevated and take a more subtle approach to the genre. Here’s a mix of them all, sniffed and selected by yours truly, whether you lean more floral, more fruity, or somewhere in between.
I used to say I wasn’t a gourmand person, until I took a whiff of this and have been addicted ever since. One of my absolute favorites, I can never get enough of the juxtaposition of the sweet and sassy blend. The delectable notes of black cherry, tonka bean, and almond are balanced with floral notes of jasmine sambac and Turkish rose. Exotic yet comforting, there’s simply nothing else quite like it (despite the many attempts to imitate it).
Key notes: Black cherry, tonka bean, almond, jasmine sambac, Turkish rose
Picture a decadent dessert of coconut whipped cream and tangy raspberries, and you have the latest edition of Libre. That berry boldness is complemented by the floral Libre signature of orange blossom sourced from Morocco and lavender from France. It’s a head-turner you spritz on when you want to feel like walking dessert yourself, topped with a juicy sparkle.
Key notes: Raspberry, coconut accord, orange blossom, lavender
When I want something sweet and simple to brighten my mood, I reach for Lancome’s Peach ‘N Roses. This pretty peach scent brings the fruit to life without being cloying, rounding it out with berries and rose for a light, romantic scent that errs on the airy side.
Key notes: Peach, red berries, rose
Sol de Janeiro is famous for capturing the hearts of Sephora teens, but there are plenty of adult fans, too. No matter your age, there’s something delightful about swiping on this jelly perfume balm (I personally love the cooling, squishy texture.) To give the scent staying power, you could mist on the Cheirosa 68 Perfume Mist, then touch up with the balm throughout the day. Its petite size makes it easy to stash in any bag.
Key notes: Brazilian jasmine, pink dragonfruit, ocean air
Like every iteration of Alien that has come before it, the latest one knows how to make an entrance—and might make its presence known in a room before you do. The fuchsia bottle perfectly sums up the juice inside: Bright, big, fluffy, feminine, and very sweet. Raspberry hits you in every way, with notes of jasmine and musk to add the floral to the fruity.
Key notes: Raspberry, jasmine, musk
Imagine walking through a garden right after the rain, the smell of strawberries on the vine mingling with verdant notes of leaves. That’s what this perfume makes me think of every time I spritz it on, which is often. In other words, it’s less strawberry shortcake, more actual strawberries in nature. To give you an idea of how light and fresh it is, it’s designed to be genderless.
Key notes: Strawberry, pink pepper, bergamot, warm musks, jasmine, orris root
The pink chrome bottle comes inside a glittering box, matching the sparkle of this scent. Warm and inviting—with its soft and sweet notes ranging from raspberry to mandarin, orange flower, rose, hibiscus, vanilla, and musk—it’s like sharing a romantic dessert that definitely comes with two spoons.
Key notes: Raspberry, mandarin essence, orange flower, rose, hibiscus, freesia, vanilla, sandalwood, musk
Why Trust Cosmopolitan?
Celia Shatzman (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based journalist who has covered beauty for two decades and has the perfume collection to prove it. (Not to brag, but we’re talking hundreds of bottles.) Her favorite smell is the desert after a rainstorm, which is called petrichor by fragrance nerds like her.
Celia Shatzman (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who has penned stories on topics ranging from beauty to fashion, travel, celebrities, health, entertainment, finance and more. A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, she is a beauty and style contributor at Forbes and her work has appeared in New York, Cosmopolitan, WWD, ELLE, Conde Nast Traveler, Afar, Travel + Leisure, Women’s Health, Marie Claire, Byrdie, Refinery29 and NYLON, among others.
