Spring is traditionally a time for fresh starts and new beginnings – and a whole load of new fragrances hitting the shops. To help you to point your nose in the right direction, here are our favourites that are worth sniffing out, from new versions of well-known classics to niche perfumers creating truly stand-out scents.
Modern florals
Forever popular yet always evolving, here’s the best of the bunch of fragrances based around flowers.
Kenzo Ikebana Mimosa Eau de Parfum, from £77 here
Arching gracefully on your dressing table like a spring of mimosa flowers swaying in the breeze on a spring day, you’ll detect hints of sesame, kumquat and hinoki wood (known for its stress-reducing properties) in this light, bright scent. Its ingredients are 91% from natural origin, too.
Givenchy Irresistible Very Floral Eau de Parfum, from £67 here
This isn’t just a floral perfume; it’s a very[itals] floral perfume, which sees Irresistible’s usual rose notes combined with even more flowers: Centifolia rose from the perfume capital Grasse in France, Madagascan ylang ylang and Indian jasmine sambac. It’s a sparkling bouquet that hints at sunnier days ahead.
Jimmy Choo Blossom Special Edition Eau de Parfum, from £45 here
Although undoubtedly smelling of flowers, this easy-to-wear eau de parfum dabbles in the other fragrance families with notes of frangipani, exotic fruits and rich sandalwood. Let’s call it a sweet/fruity/woody floral, dressed up in a new bottle for 2024.
New gourmands
Aromas of fruits, spices and vanilla mean these mouth-watering scents smell good enough to eat.
Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Over Red Eau de Parfum, from £68 here
Black Opium is famous for its sensual black coffee and vanilla notes, and in this new EDP they’ve been blended with juicy cherry and a squeeze of mandarin to create a sweet spin on the original. It’s like a grown-up Dr Pepper in a spritz.
Jo Malone London Ginger Beer Cologne, £58 here
Jo Malone has gone rummaging around an antiques market to inspire its latest fragrance collection, Scented Memories, and come out triumphant with this Ginger Beer Cologne. Spicy and comforting, it’s perfectly reminiscent of the classic British soda pop – even its vintage-style bottle looks straight out of a picnic basket in an Enid Blyton novel.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Love Pop Eau de Toilette, £73 here
Pistachio was a huge trend in the perfume world last year, and Marc Jacobs has reinterpreted that in Love Pop, one of three new Daisy fragrances out this spring. This woody gourmand combines the creamy green nut with notes of raspberry, chantilly cream and driftwood, whipped up into a delicious concoction.
Statement scents
Unusual combinations, fascinating backstories and striking bottles mean these scents really stand out from the crowd.
D.S. & Durga Black Magenta Eau de Parfum, from £155 here
Dust off your dancing shoes and amp up your eyeliner as D.S. & Durga is taking you for a night ‘out out’ in New York City with its newest scent, a dark fruity fragrance. Describing itself as “a little bit trashy, a little bit classy”, it’s a heady swirl of pineapple cocktails, magenta flower, black amber and tobacco.
Moschino Toy 2 Pearl Eau de Parfum, from £45 here at The Perfume Shop
Perfume bottles don’t get much more eye-catching than this cheery little bear, coated in mermaid-coloured chrome for Moschino’s latest iteration of its Toy fragrance. The juice inside has some quirky notes too: lemon sherbet, oregano and sand (think Paradise Island rather than Blackpool Beach).
The Merchant of Venice Maria Callas Eau de Parfum, from £136 here
Created with the Maria Callas estate, this elegant and feminine perfume reflects the multifaceted life of the opera singer known as ‘La Divina’ to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday, hitting high notes of black pepper, blackcurrant, rose and cedarwood. Look out for a biopic coming out later this year, starring Angelina Jolie in the title role.