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Welcome to the sweet-smelling revival of hair perfumes
Upping your fragrance game has never been so easy as six members of Team Cosmo put some of the most-hyped hair scents to the Beauty Lab test. Are they more fad or fab? Let’s reveal all...
Hair perfumes were a handbag essential for the Y2K groovy chic – ’twas a golden age of scent dominated by the likes of Britney Spears Fantasy and So...? body sprays. Now, they’re back and it seems that every major fragrance house, haircare founder and beauty brand, more generally, wants a piece of the sweet-smelling action, natch. But we know what you’re thinking. ‘Why do I need to use a tailored hair perfume over my regular fragrance?’ Well, you could use the latter, but it’s certainly not advised (hi, drying alcohol!). So, instead, we recommend the following formulas designed specifically for scenting your mane. Tried and tested, bb!
Hairstylist, consultant and trend forecaster Tom Smith shares his thoughts and tips on the hair perfume hype...
Hair perfume vs regular fragrance
Hair perfumes are fragrance mists that are pH-balanced and gentle on the hair fibre. Regular perfumes can be heavy in oils and/or alcohols which can overpower the hair and cause dryness.
How to best apply your hair perfume
Always apply to freshly styled, dry hair. Heating the perfume by putting it on damp hair and then blow drying may evaporate the scent. Top tip: flip your strands and gently mist into the body of hair so that the scent molecules settle throughout.
Take notes!
Consider checking that your hair perfume notes are complementary to those of your personal fragrance – if you choose to wear both. Do so by spraying both on the same wrist to check you like the combination before committing to an all-over spritz.
Our favourite hair perfumes:
MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN Baccarat Rouge 540 Hair Mist 70ml
Baccarat Rouge 540 fans, your haircare routine just upgraded with the adjacent scent specifically designed to be used on your locks. The iconic spicy musk is warm and multi-dimensional but above all, ✨rich✨.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian delivers on both formula and quality, with this hair mist lasting for hours on end.
As someone with fine strands, I was sceptical about using hair perfume from a brand that is known for its hair oil. Worries about a greasy, weighed-down feel vanished when I spritzedthe formula into my locks. My hair wasn’t particularly gleaming after use, but the gorgeous, unintrusive floral scent did linger hours later.
FABLE & MANE HoliRoots™ Hibiscus Hydrating Hair Oil Mist 75ml
FABLE & MANE's hair oil mist has a floral, oriental scent that blends precious red hibiscus and floral jasmine, which transports you to the gorgeous city and warmth of Madurai in India. *Books flight, immediately*
Thanks to its nourishing oil consistency, not only does this mist provide long-lasting scent (that does not dwindle until your next hair wash) but shine, hydration and smoothness, too. Though, if you've got fine hair, do apply sparingly to reduce a build-up of oil and grease on the roots.
Dior is a failsafe option when it comes to smelling expensive and their Jasmin des Anges hair perfume is no exception. It smells like a light cloud of honey and apricot – aka, the sweet scent of the French Riviera. No, I haven't been but one can imagine...
Like Dior's legendary body perfumes, their hair fragrances last all day. You may get lost in the scent but others will certainly pick up on it. Just prepare for endless compliments!
Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia Hair Mist 30ml
Think about those fruity scents you wore in your youth: Sweet, citrusy and, erm, headache-inducing (I'm looking @ you, Nicki Minaj perfumes). Well, you'll be glad to know that while it has fruity notes, this Jo Malone scent is sophisticated AF. Once you spritz it on, you'll be immediately hit with the smell of fresh pears, wrapped in a floral blanket and mellowed out with a hint of patchouli.
Whilst the notes aren't overwhelming, it lingers (subtly) for pretty much most of the day!
BYREDO Bal d'Afrique Hair Perfume
Sixty Great British pounds is a lotto spend on a non-essential hair product. But, if you have been dying to try a Byredo scent, add this to your basket – it smells like the eau de parfum. While it has no haircare benefits (like the skin scent, this one’s front-loaded with drying alcohols), the scent lasted all day. When I gave my jumper a spritz, it lasted on that, too.
If you fancy pretending you’re sunbathing on an exotic beach when, in reality, you’re sitting at your desk in a chilly office, this Phlur product is the vibe. Not only does it have a sweet, divine scent, but it lives up to the long-lasting hype – I could still smell it eight hours after spraying. It’s a super light mist, so my hair didn’t feel sticky post-spritz.
Percy & Reed Time To Shine Eau My! Shine & Fragrance Spray
They say it smells like an English garden in bloom... I wouldn’t go quite that far, but I did like thefloral-tinged scent, and it added a lovely shine that I appreciate as a lazy girl. The smell doesn’t last, but it has UV protection to stop colour fade. So, all this spritzing is doing my hair some good!
If you love Chanel's iconic Mademoiselle perfume, you're going to want to double up with the hair perfume equivalent. With notes of orange, rose and heady patchouli, the formula has a seductive quality that makes it perfect for dates. Who needs Tinder?
Impressively, this hair perfume lasts for 6+ hours (yep, we tested it)! Whilst the lighter notes of orange and rose fade, patchouli lingers for hours and hours.
Contemplating a Diptyque splurge? The hair mist’sa little more affordable than the eau de toilette, and still delivers the iconic Papier balmy scent. Due to going nose blind after 20 mins of wear, I put it through its paces via the hug test. Lydia (Cosmo’s senior ents writer) and my mother confirmed notes of white musk at 9am and 7pm. Impressive, much?
With an ultra-fine spray, you needn’t worry about excess hair weight – even when your ’do is freshly washed! The fragrance isn’t really long-lasting, but I had no issue topping up and the scent is super fresh, so after a few Ariana Grande-inspired hair tosses, I had the clean girl aesthetic on lock. The biotin added a boost.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
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