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12 best fresh perfumes that that will get you the most compliments, starting from just £18

Soap, fresh laundry, and skin are the biggest note highlights

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Even though I write about fragrance, I don’t necessarily like smelling like perfume, per se. That doesn’t mean, though, that I don’t want to smell good. In a perfect world, that would mean that the scent of body wash lasted for hours after a shower, or that my clothes eternally smelled like I just pulled them out of the dryer. But, as we all know, this is very much not a perfect world, and those wonderful soapy scents disappear in an instant. As a result, I've fallen head over heels for the clean-smelling perfumes.

Most of the time, these scents could also be categorised as “fresh perfumes” (if we’re getting technical), and typically feature notes like ambroxan and aldehyde (two synthetic compounds that smell, you guessed it, clean and fresh), as well as citrus and musk. They can be aquatic, green, warm, or even floral, but of course, there’s an overarching subtlety about them that fits in this specific family. There's no better smell in the world (to me) than soap, fresh laundry, or simply skin, but "clean" means something different to everyone. I’ve been testing these types of scents for years, but let me give you a sneak preview of my faves:

Our top picks for the best fresh perfumes of 2025:

Many of the best and brightest minds in perfumery have tried their hand at capturing those very scents, and below, we've compiled the most successful (and our faves) of the bunch.

1

Diptyque Paris L'Eau Papier Eau de Toilette

L'Eau Papier Eau de Toilette

One Cosmo editor says: “I kid you not, the second I smelled this, I found my new signature scent. And I’m a fragrance-obsessed editor – I don’t really do the whole ‘signature scent’ thing. I own over 150 bottles. But L’eau Papier is just exactly how I want to smell at this moment in my life. It’s soft and fresh – truly, like a crisp white sheet of paper, waiting for something to be created upon it.”

Features at a Glance

NotesFig tree, coconut, fig leaf
Scent typeEau de toilette
Sizes available50ml, 100ml
2

BYREDO Blanche Eau de Parfum

Blanche Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: "Picture this: You're in a luxury hotel in the heart of the city. You just took the most decadent everything shower of your life, and you throw on the hotel's plush robe and slip under the crisp white sheets. Room service is on its way. If that moment had a smell, it'd be Blanche. It's so effortlessly clean, but in a very chic way. I'm truly considering choosing Blanche as my wedding fragrance."

Features at a Glance

NotesSandalwood, peony, pink pepper
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available50ml, 100ml
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3

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette

Light Blue Eau de Toilette

One Cosmo editor says: "Ohhhh my god, I could go on and on about Light Blue. It's my favourite clean summer scent and makes me feel like I spent all afternoon lying under a beautiful tree on an island off of Greece. It's the vacation shower before a fancy dinner after a long beach day."

Features at a Glance

NotesCedar, bamboo, Sicilian lemon
Scent typeEau de toilette
Sizes available30ml, 50ml, 100ml
4

Philosophy Amazing Grace Jasmine Eau de Toilette

Amazing Grace Jasmine Eau de Toilette

One Cosmo editor says: "Amazing Grace Jasmine is so soft and subtle. It only has four fragrance notes, which keep it airy and wonderfully simple. The coconut note in this fragrance gives clean, surfer girl. It's so feminine and light and would totally be perfect for an early morning trip to the beach. It might just have to be my go-to summer scent! It'd layer beautifully with sunscreen."

Features at a Glance

NotesCoconut, jasmine, bergamot
Scent typeEau de toilette
Sizes available15ml, 60ml, 120ml
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5

Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath Eau de Toilette

 Replica Bubble Bath Eau de Toilette

One Cosmo editor says: "If I'm being honest, then the truth is that sometimes I want to smell exactly like a soap bubble. And Replica has, ahem, replicated that fragrance. It's the epitome of squeaky clean. Somehow, it reminds me of being in the tub as a kid and using fluffy soap bubbles to turn myself into Santa Claus. That may not sound super appealing as a fragrance, but trust, it's amazing."

Features at a Glance

NotesCoconut, lavender, soap
Scent typeEau de toilette
Sizes available30ml, 100ml
6

Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

One Cosmo editor says: "Like taking a walk by the ocean on a cloudy day while wearing a beautiful cream cable knit sweater. Jo Malone has so many beautiful fragrances, but I have to say, Wood Sage & Sea Salt may just be my favourite. It's so fun to experience a completely fresh take on a beach scent."

Features at a Glance

NotesSea salt, sage, grapefruit
Scent typeCologne
Sizes available9ml, 30ml, 50ml, 100ml
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7

Chanel Chance Eau de Parfum

Chance Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: "To be honest, I'm not usually a patchouli lover. It's usually much too strong for me. However, Chanel perfectly balanced the patchouli against jasmine and iris in Chance. It's elegant and comfortable, great for any season, and so essentially Chanel."

Features at a Glance

NotesPatchouli, jasmine, pink pepper
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available35ml, 50ml, 100ml
8

CLEAN RESERVE Warm Cotton Eau de Parfum

Warm Cotton Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: "There's always been something so supremely comforting about the smell of fresh, warm laundry straight out of the dryer. The only downside is that the wonderful detergent scent goes away after some time. Thankfully, Clean Reserve's Warm Cotton has miraculously managed to bottle that scent. If you've ever walked around NYC, you'll know that there are a million different scents at any given time (many of them, truthfully, not amazing). However, one of my favourite city smells is walking past an apartment building and smelling clean laundry through one of the many vents along the sidewalk. I'll always pause and take in a deep breath; it reminds me of home. Warm Cotton is that moment."

Features at a Glance

NotesVetiver, mint, aldehydes, bergamot, musk
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available100ml
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9

MALIN+GOETZ Strawberry Eau de Parfum

Strawberry Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: "Malin+Goetz's Strawberry is girly and playful while still having that clean elegance. It's sort of like if Strawberry Shortcake grew up and started wearing slick back buns. It's not the sweet kind of strawberry; it's quite green, like what it might smell like on the vine surrounded by jasmine. For the longest time, this was my signature office scent. It's so bright and fresh and incredibly wearable. There's also a tiny bit of spice from the pink pepper note that really brings it to life."

Features at a Glance

NotesOak moss, milk, strawberry
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available50ml
10

Glossier You Fleur Eau de Parfum

You Fleur Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: "It's easy for a clean scent to lean antiseptic, but You Fleur nails the combo of fresh and warm. As a die-hard You fan for years, I was ecstatic when Fleur dropped. It's still got that muskiness that I loved in the O.G. formula, but softer and airier. This has to be my most-worn perfume of all time, by far."

Features at a Glance

NotesAmbroxan, apricot, salt
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available8ml, 50ml
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11

27 87 Flâneur Eau De Parfum

Flâneur Eau De Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: “I would never gift perfume because it’s so personal, but this is a safe bet. It’s hard to describe the scent honestly, but I’ll tell you how it makes me feel: instantly warm and cosy but kinda sexy and clean. Like I just got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a cashmere robe.”

Features at a Glance

NotesAbsinthe, vetiver, lime blossom
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available87ml
12

Penhaligon's A Kiss Of Bliss Eau de Parfum

A Kiss Of Bliss Eau de Parfum

One Cosmo editor says: “I fell in love with this laundry-fresh perfume the second I sniffed it. Powdery scents usually feel dated to me, as someone who prefers to smell like a vanilla pastry or a cabin next to the campfire. But the matcha tea in this scent takes this from crisp linens to something a bit softer and cosier. I just want to douse every button-up I own in this perfume so they’ll smell like it for eternity.”

Features at a Glance

NotesMatcha tea, patchouli, clover
Scent typeEau de parfum
Sizes available50ml, 100ml
Headshot of Jayne Lemire
Jayne Lemire
Executive Assistant

Jayne Lemire is an executive assistant at Hearst Magazines. Prior to her work at Hearst, she was in book publishing and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in political science. When she's not at her desk, you'll likely find her spending hours in TJ Maxx without buying anything or creating her 400th Spotify playlist.

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