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The 8 Best Perfumes for a Date (No Matter Your Relationship Status), According to Cosmo Editors
We're Cosmo editors. Of course we know.
The buildup before a first date is electric: texting your friends endless outfit pictures to figure out what to wear, allotting yourself extra time to do your makeup, and putting the finishing touch on your look with a spritz of perfume. Arguably, though, the hardest thing to figure out is what perfume to wear on a first date. Do you go with your signature scent or try something new? How sweet is too sweet? Will a floral perfume make me smell like a grandma or a chic professional? These are all questions I asked myself before a first date recently, staring down at my 200+ fragrance collection.
Obviously, the key to the right first-date perfume is something that makes you feel confident and empowered. There's no exact science. But for me, it was entirely dependent on how I wanted to feel sitting next to this new person, leading me to a slew of warm, cozy, soft scents. But for others, the vibe might be spicy and sexy perfume. Maybe it's fruity and juicy. It's all personal preference, which is why I polled a handful of Cosmo staffers on their go-to first-date perfume.
Best Deal
Pros
- Soft and fresh
- Has great longevity (seven to eight hours)
Cons
- More of a skin scent, so won't fill the room if that's what you're going for
"On a first date with someone I was desperate to make a good impression on, I doused myself in this juice from Byredo. It was the perfect mix of sweet, fresh, and woodsy. There's depth from sandalwood and a salted amber note, but milky sweetness from musk and coconut water. But it's all grounded by aldehydes, making you smell clean and soft. It eminates a really beautiful aroma that just gives off this positive vibe. In fact, when I went in for a hug at the end of the date, they said I smelled good. Win."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Aldehydes, coconut water, jasmine, musk, sandalwood, cashmere wood, salted amber |
| Scent family | Woodsy and fresh |
Pros
- Strong scent with major projection and longevity
- Great to wear inside a crowded bar or on a dance floor
Cons
- Some might find it a bit too "loud"
"Donna Born in Roma is cute and flirty in a very effortless way which makes it a lot of fun to wear out. Sugar and spice and everything nice is a common recipe for a successful fragrance, and this one really takes that and runs with it. The scent is richer, more grounded, and wood-forward than my vintage fave, which feels especially fitting as a new step in my personal fragrance evolution. But overall, somehow, it reminds me of a simpler time when I was a little more carefree, sweet, and friendly. Maybe Donna Born in Roma can pick up the slack when I falter in that department."—SAM NEIBERT, CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY WRITER
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Black currant, jasmine, bourbon vanilla |
| Scent family | Sweet floral |
Pros
- Sweet, but in a rich way, not a cloying way
- Lasts all day, especially if you spritz on clothes
Cons
- Packaging is a bit bulky
"The fragrance name has vanilla in it, so I knew the note would be a main character. But to my surprise, it wasn't the overly-sweet or cloying vanilla that I find overpowering. It's more elevated and unique thanks to its supporting notes. Chantilly adds a creamy richness, while sandalwood, ambrox, and musk help balance out the sweetness."—JASMINE HYMAN, ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Vanilla, champagne, chantilly, sandalwood, coconut milk, white musk, ambrox |
| Scent family | Gourmand |
Pros
- Recognizable and likeable scent
- Smells sophisticated, per testers
Cons
- Patchouli note can be a bit overpowering
"Usually, my move is to smell both sweet and expensive at the same time. For that, I love Chance by Chanel. It has notes of vanilla, which I read somewhere once is extra inviting to people so I always kinda try to keep that in mind."—VERONICA LOPEZ, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Patchouli, vanilla, pink pepper, jasmine, iris, musk |
| Scent family | Musky and floral |
Pros
- Extrait, so it has major projection and the longest lasting power of anything else we've tested
Cons
- Some might find the scent a bit too mature
"I sniffed this for the first time about a month ago, and I have never fell in love with a fragrance so quickly. It's complex yet wearable—boasting a unique and magnetic combination of musky, spicy, and juicy. If you like a sweet and floral scent that also feels elevated and sexy, do yourself a favor and add this extrait to your shelf. You only need one spray of the transformative formula to rack in the compliments all night long."—JASMINE HYMAN, ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Osmanthus, white rose, magnolia, black pepper, ambrox, musk, cedarwood |
| Scent family | Floral and musky |
Pros
- Fantastic skin scent that you get whiffs of whenever you're close to someone
- Smells unique yet familiar
Cons
- Doesn't last as long as some of the other scents we've tested
"Celestial Object is so calming: it makes me feel like I just slipped into a really chic pajama set to rewatch my favorite comfort shows in bed. The almond and rice paper combo is truly ethereal, like you're walking through a cloud of powdered sugar at a French patisserie. Then, the richer notes of labdanum and tonka bean come through. It's soft but persistent—by hour three, you have to lean close to smell it, but it lingers for a long time."—LAUREN GRUBER, ASSOCIATE COMMERCE EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Almond, rice paper, incense, tonka bean, labdanum |
| Scent family | Gourmand |
Pros
- Could spray on early in the morning and still get whiffs of it on your skin late at night
Cons
- Very expensive (but you likely will never have to reapply throughout the day)
"OK, here’s the thing about first dates…you want them to be unforgettable without knocking someone over with a perfume cloud. I’m married, so I haven’t gone a first day in ages! BUT I can honestly say that when I’m trying to re-impress my hubby and remind him that his wife is an absolute babe, I always pull-out Creed’s Queen of Silk. It’s a floral-musk scent that is romantic but at the same time dangerously sexy. It’s classic but not in a stuffy cliché way. Also, it lasts all night long--just like the best conversations and relationships. The notes really do all the heavy lifting. Magnolia and saffron bring that flirty sparkle, then tuberose and passionfruit keep things playful and sultry. By the time the vanilla and oud roll in, it’s giving “I’m unforgettable”--and trust me, even after 14 years of marriage, my husband is still leaning in closer and planning our next date."—JULEE WILSON, BEAUTY EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Osmanthus, magnolia, saffron, tuberose, passion fruit, patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, incense, myrhh, edarwood, musk |
| Scent family | Floral and amber |
Pros
- Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award winner
- Easy to chuck in your bag and reapply
Cons
- Doesn't have the same projection as a spray perfume
“This ain’t your average musk—it’s bold, sensual, and unapologetically sexy. One dab and you’re walking confidence, dripping allure. It’s giving main character energy, late-night whispers, and skin that lingers in memory.” —JW
Features at a Glance
| Key notes | Rose, jasmine, orris, tonka bean, vanilla, patchouli, amber, musk |
| Scent family | Spicy and musky |
Why trust ‘Cosmopolitan’?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing fragrance stories that range from Chanel perfumes to 2025 perfume trends.
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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