If Compliments Are Your Love Language, Wear These 10 Universally-Loved Perfumes
These scents will make everyone ask: “What are you wearing?”
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Is there anything better than getting a compliment on your perfume? I revel in it. Sure, quiet and unassuming skin scents are lovely, but I live for someone stopping to tell me that I smell great. As soon as I get that seal of approval, that scent will become a signature and have a permanent spot in my ever-growing perfume wardrobe. And, as I chat with more of my friends and fellow Cosmo editors, I realize this is a thing for most of us. We live for scent gratification. So if you’ve been looking to add a new scent to your lineup that is guaranteed to score you a ton of compliments, scroll below.
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According to Cosmo editor Lauren Gruber, Father Figure is Phlur's magnum opus. It's a balanced blend of green fig, dewy florals, and cozy sandalwood that works for literally every season, occasion, and time of day. It's clean and fresh but not too fresh, courtesy of some powdery iris notes that give it a lived-in quality. Not only is this my favorite Phlur fragrance, but it’s one of my favorite fragrances of all time. I have at least 40 full bottles of perfume in my collection, but I’ve almost gone through the entire bottle of Father Figure in less than two years. I don’t have a signature scent, but this comes pretty damn close—and every time I wear it I get non-stop compliments.
Cosmo editor Sam Olson says that this is one of her most complimented perfumes. It gives that Rihanna effect—everyone I cross paths with can't get enough of my scent. In fact, the first day I wore it, a cab driver immediately asked for the link so he could buy it for his sister.
Cosmo editors always get complimented on Glossier You, a fresh, your-skin-but-better scent that people really warm to, probably because it smells familiar. It's clean and balanced without being overpowering, so people will just think you smell naturally great.
Want a soft gourmand perfume that gets sooo many compliments? Sparkling Sugar is it. Cosmo editor Beth Gillette says she's worn this scent for two years, and people constantly hit me with a 'you smell good.' It's comforting, warm, and cozy, but bright and juicy at the same time. Blackcurrant and peach nectar open it up, but it settles on skin with a musky softness."
Every time we wear this scent, we get stopped. It doesn't smell old or dated; instead. The clean, skin-like scent is easy to wear, whether you’re a perfume novice or full-on nose—and the effect is subtle too.
This is my ultimate go-to evening scent, and I never go on a date without wearing it. There’s something so luxuriously sultry about it, and I feel completely enveloped in this warm and musky yet floral aroma even with just a few spritzes. It is undeniably pricey, but the scent lingers for hours and hours, so you do get your money's worth —and the amount of compliments I get on it is evidence of that, too.
Every time someone compliments Delina by Parfums de Marly, they end up buying it for themselves too. It's feminine, floral, and pretty yet still very much a bold statement. Not to mention that the sweet rhubarb and litchi notes define it as a "flormand" (floral-gourmand). Even the rose haters don't think it's grandma-like.
By the guy I've been dating, I've been complimented on Rare Beauty's Eau de Parfum, but (!!) when layered together with their Rare Beauty Vanilla Musk Layering Balm. On its own, the eau de parfum blends the sweetness of caramel and pistachio with warm vanilla and spicy ginger, but dries down to earthy sandalwood. Adding the vanilla musk balm intensifies the rich sweetness, making for a super long-lasting skin scent.
It’s funny because whenever I pop this scent on, I never think of it as a showstopper, but it’s definitely my most-complimented perfume. It’s a woody floral with a musky base, and it doesn't project loads, but if I hug someone wearing it, they always tell me I smell nice.
This is a scent that takes you effortlessly from day to evening. It's fresh enough to spritz for an afternoon of shopping or errands, but the romantic heart of Turkish rose makes it ideal for dinners and dancefloors. I love to keep it in my bag when I feel like a casual catch-up could turn into a spontaneous night out.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
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