From Chanel No. 5 to Santal 33, here are 9 of the most iconic fragrances of all time

Christian Dior’s signature scent was created in tribute to his sister, Catherine, who famously fought with the French resistance during World War II. The designer was also inspired by his mother’s passion for flowers and the English-style garden of his childhood home. 

The scent contains a bouquet of floral notes, including gardenia, galbanum, bergamot, carnations, iris, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, and narcissus.

See also: Jo Malone, CBE on her creative process and growing Jo Loves into a global force

Mugler Angel distinguishes itself as being the first modern gourmand perfume. It was created in 1992 by noted perfumers Oliver Cresp and Yves de Chirin. The candy-sweet fragrance is also recognised by its iconic star-shaped vessel. Actress Hunter Schafer is the current face of the Angel perfume line. 

The top notes consist of cotton candy, coconut, cassis, melon, jasmine, bergamot, pineapple, and mandarin orange. This opens to a bouquet of honey, red berries, blackberry, plum, apricot, peach, jasmine, nutmeg, orchid, caraway, rose, and lily-of-the-valley. The base notes are patchouli, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, Tonka bean, amber, musk, and sandalwood.

Calvin Klein’s first fragrance was launched in 1994 and is centred on a refreshing body of green tea notes. CK One, described as an “out of the shower” scent, resulted from a surge of popularity around androgynous perfumes that dominated the early 1990s. 

Rich and citrusy top notes consist of bergamot, cardamom, pineapple, and papaya. They give way to jasmine, violet, rose, and nutmeg. The fragrance rounds off with traces of musk and amber.

See also: 6 unisex perfumes of 2023

Inspired by “the dramatic life of war, peace and romance lived by Emperor Napoleon”, this citrus-fruity aftershave is geared towards male fragrance aficionados.

Creed Aventus opens with bergamot, pineapple, apple, lemon and black currant, which give way to heart notes of juniper berries, birch, jasmine and patchouli. Base notes include a rich musk, oakmoss, ambergris and vanilla blend.

This contemporary iconoclast was launched in 2011 and has earned a cult following due to its unique, musky, unisex scent. Its addictive and comforting quality is favoured by the likes of Alexa Chung, Niall Horan, Justin Bieber, and Seventeen’s Mingyu. 

This woody aromatic contains accords of sandalwood, leather, papyrus, Virginia cedar, violet, cardamom, iris and amber.

A Y2K classic, Marc Jacobs’s Daisy is as sophisticated as it is seductive. The iconic scent is contained in a bottle that is just as easily recognisable, embellished with a bouquet of daisy flowers. Actress Sydney Sweeney is one of Daisy’s many celebrity devotees. 

The fragrance comprises a fruity top consisting of wild berries, a floral heart of white violet and jasmine, and a feminine base of sandalwood.

This 1977 Yves Saint-Laurent beauty staple bewitches with its exotic charm. However, its distinction was overshadowed by its controversial name, which brought accusations that the designer was condoning drug use. The name also received backlash from the Chinese-American community, who criticised the label as insensitive to their history. The controversy did help aid the perfume’s publicity.

This oriental-spicy scent has top notes of mandarin and bergamot mixed with heart accords of myrrh and jasmine. Base notes consist of Opoponax, amber, patchouli and vanilla.

The name of Issey Miyake’s first masculine fragrance derives from a pun on the word “odyssey” and is an ode to the designer’s knack for experimentation.

This woody-acquatic concoction blends first notes of yuzu and mandarin oranges, followed by warm nutmeg and cinnamon, and rounded off with sandalwood and amber.

NOW READ

Fresh Notes: Maison Margiela unveils new fragrance by Olivier and Sebastien Cresp

Master perfumer Olivier Cresp talks Devotion, the luminous new fragrance from Dolce & Gabbana

How ‘Queen of Silk’ by Creed mirrors Patty Ang’s design philosophy