10 Luxury Perfumes Worth the Splurge

When I was a teenager in the late 90’s/early 00’s and Impulse body sprays where all the rage, I simple couldn’t comprehend why anyone would feel the need to splurge on a luxury perfume, especially when (in my naive and uneducated opinion) you could get something for £2.99 that smelt just as good.

Fast forward a few of years (ok, maybe 20) and my sense of smell has refined somewhat. Not only can I now fully grasp and appreciate the years of work that goes into developing a fragrance, but I can see the value in purchasing a fragrance that is both delectably mesmerising and unique. After-all I’d much rather my sons think of me following a waft of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 than ‘Mist Burnt Marshmallows & Leather Jackets’ (trust me its a thing).

Don’t get me wrong, that vanilla body spray from the Body Shop will always have a place in my heart, a reminder of a 14-year-old me first dipping my toes into the world of fragrance. It’s just these days I’d rather not go around smelling like a sweet shop. And while we all know that a high price tag doesn’t automatically equate to a superior product, there are reasons as to why a luxury perfume has a luxury price tag to match.

To start with, a higher price often means more money spent on developing the product, leading to better quality ingredients and more time allowed for creativity, resulting in a more original and unique fragrance. The high price tag also means that many luxury fragrances are produced in far smaller quantities than their commercial counterparts and with a limited distribution, so you are less likely to come across another mum on the school run smelling exactly the same as you.

Of course not all luxury fragrances are created equally. To ensure you spend your hard earned cash on a fragrance that is truly worth the indulgence, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourite luxury perfumes that are actually worth the splurge. 

SERGE LUTENS

L’Innommable £260 edp @ Les Senteurs

The lasted addition by the iconic 80-year-old perfumer who revolutionised the concept of niche perfumery, L’Innommable is an elusive mysterious scent born out of the desire to explore life’s dark mysteries. With top notes of cumin and space and a base of amber and incense resin.

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDIJAN

Gentle Fluidity Gold Edition edp from £150

Widely recognised as one of the worlds most celebrated perfumers, the spicy nutmeg, fragrant coriander and warm ambery woods of Gentle Fluidity Gold Edition, will both calm and uplift your senses. A comforting fragrance perfect for these uncertain times.

LALIQUE

Plume Blanche edp £210

In homage to founder Rene Lalique, perfumer Karine Dubreil-Sereni set out to create  a fragrance that glows like a jewel, light as a feather, silky as a breeze: ‘I worked in hues of whites. Layering silvery almond-tree leaves, suave white heliotrope and silky jasmine on a bed of white musks and pure white cedar wood’.

The result? A luxurious and intoxicating blend of jasmine, almond-tree leaves and white musks that is Plume Blanche. Available from September 2020.

BJORK AND BERRIES

Fjällsjö Eau de Parfum from £89.95

Bathe in the invigorating scent of Scandinavian waters with this eco luxury perfume.  Fjällsjö which literally means mountain lake reinterprets the fresh scent of cold water and soapy skin with notes of clean cotton and deep musk, for a fragrance that is uniquely refreshing, modern and environmentally conscious.

ART DE PARFUM

Encore Une Fois edp £160

“It smells like salt on tanned shoulders after a day at the beach”. 

Do we need to say more?…

 Art De Parfum’s special limited edition  fragrance uses Nature’s most precious oils and absolutes to recreate the salty intimacy of just-loved skin. With the velvety base of smoky balsams, resins, and patchouli, and  featuring rare materials such as natural ambergris tincture, you better be quick as it won’t be made again once this small-batch runs out.  

KILIAN PARIS

Moonlight to Heaven edp £225 @ Les Senteurs

Dream of tropical seas , fragrant nights and moonlit rendezvous’ with Moonlight to Heaven’s perfect blend of fresh lemon and pink pepper leading to a sensual feast of mango, coconut milk, fragrant rice powder and limpid diaphanous musks.

TOM DAXON

FUYU edp £155

Meticulously created without the restrictions of time or cost, Tom Daxon has fast become the go to man for an orginal unisex fragrances which both yourself and your man are guaranteed to love.

With its fresh and delicate musk composed of creamy fruity and woody notes reminiscent of a ripe fuyu persimmon, Fuyu eau de parfum is Mr Daxon at his best.

HEELEY

Jazmin OD EDP £200 @ Les Senteurs

Designed to capture and enhance, the natural yet fleeting scent of Jasmine on a warm summer night without altering its natural beauty, through the over dose of jasmine absolute and tuberose, Heeley’s Jazmin OD is Intense, intoxicating and terribly pretty.

D.S & DURGA

Rose Atlantic edp £148

We love how the couple behind D.S. & Durga aim to distill the best aspects of real life, beautifully considering every note and pairing each scent with liner notes and a link to a Spotify playlist.

'Rose Atlantic' Eau de Parfum is no exception. Evoking summers at a Hamptons beach house and Spritzers aboard the famous Salt Spray Rose, it’s heart of Rose and Dune Grass, Salt Water base and Citrus top notes result in a rose fragrance that is fresh, balanced and totally unique.

VILHELM

Stockholm 1978 Eau de Parfum £185 @ Liberty London

“Another memory of my childhood: I was born at the height of ABBA! This is Sweden: safe, open-minded and eager to change our world.” – Jan Vilhelm Ahlgren, Vilhelm Parfumerie founder

Dreamy notes of crisp lemon, warm almond, an uplifting spray of geranium, the tang of patchouli, Stockholm 1978 celebrates a cherished summer in the Swedish capital during an intoxicating time of congregation and celebration.