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The Scents That Spark Joy Throughout the Workday
A well-stocked fragrance wardrobe typically has several weekend options, with scents for date nights, weddings, and leisurely outings (strawberry picking, anyone?). But the best office fragrances, which can make the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. significantly more enjoyable, deserve a few spots in the lineup, too. That’s where this scent selection, handpicked by Allure editors, comes in. Whether you need a fragrance that calms stress, makes a statement, or pairs perfectly with a power look, these scents—tested at our own desks and cubicles—exceed expectations in every department.
Our Top Office Fragrances
Your Skin But Elevated: DedCool Xtra Milk Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: Every morning, as I finish making the bed, I spritz DedCool Xtra Milk Room + Linen Spray onto my pillowcase. The musky, second-skin scent melds notes of bergamot, white amber, and musk for a fragrance that’s fresh and cozy at the same time. It invokes that feeling you get from pulling warm, cleanly scented towels out of the dryer. Why not bring that fresh-start-to-the-day feeling to work by spritzing on the eau de parfum before reporting to duty? The Best of Beauty Award winner is also made for layering, so if you need a boost of energy midday, top it off with a spritz of my summer fave, the orange-blossom-laced Sunlit Blooms.
“I’ve never had someone come in for a handshake or a hug and not complement me on my scent. Viscerally, Xtra Milk is burying your face in laundered linens, wading in sunshine in a quiet open field. Literally, it’s a blend of bergamot, white amber, and musk that smells different on everyone.” —Jesa Marie Calaor, senior beauty editor
- Scent family: skin scent, musk
- Key notes: bergamot, white musk, amber
- Sizes: 1.7 oz
Wandering in the Garden: Byredo Bal D’Afrique Eau de Parfum
Why it’s worth it: Inspired by perfumer Ben Gorham’s travels through Africa—where bustling markets and lush, spicy garden scents abound—Byredo Bal D’Afrique is a floral scent that’s anything but staid. The wholly distinctive fragrance wraps a bouquet of African flowers (powdery violet, musky marigold, and fresh, green cyclamen) in a burst of bergamot. The twist of citrus will give you the energy to power through a day of deadlines, and the scent has a medium intensity that won’t overwhelm your coworkers.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“Straightforward floral fragrances aren’t my thing; I like my floral notes accompanied with a little extra something, and in Byredo’s Bal D’Afrique, it’s the earthy heart notes of violet and cyclamen and a woody base of cedarwood and vetiver. Office perfumes, to me, are like mini escapes with every sniff. Bal D’Afrique takes me somewhere in nature, wandering aimlessly just for the sake of wandering (as someone who’s constantly going from point A to B in an urban jungle, this feels like a luxury!), but it doesn’t smell so overwhelming that I risk driving my deskmates away. I’ve read reviews of people complaining about the longevity of the perfume—though some say it improves the longer you’ve had your bottle—but the Absolu version solves that issue for me, as it’s more highly concentrated.” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
- Scent family: floral
- Key notes: African marigold, bergamot, buchu, violet, cyclamen, cedarwood, vetiver
- Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.3 oz
Beach Day Vibes: The Harmonist Sacred Water
Why we love it: Occasionally—as in every Monday through Friday—a trip to the beach may sound more appealing than taking another meeting. Enter The Harmonist Sacred Water, which will just about transport you to an idyllic spot in the sand without taking up any of your PTO. Spiked with tropical flowers, seaweed, and earthy notes of amber and cedar, the scent was designed to stimulate and soothe all at once. Its sillage is soft and light, but it will easily last from morning till evening.
“I’ve been wearing this fragrance—with notes of orange blossom, ginger, and amber—exclusively since I discovered it during Best of Beauty testing in 2022. It’s light, fresh, and has a certain je ne sais quoi that elicits compliments throughout the day—in and out of the office.” —Sarah Kinonen, associate beauty director
- Scent family: aquatic
- Key notes: magnolia, orange blossom, laminaria seaweed, amyris, grey amber, cedar
- Sizes: 1.7 oz
Roll With It: Cyklar Vanilla Verve Perfume Oil
Why we love it: Looking for an option that’s more inconspicuous to reapply than engulfing yourself in clouds of perfume? Cyklar perfume oils come with a handy rollerball applicator that delivers a concentrated dose of delicious-smelling oils directly to your pulse points. Our preferred scent goes to Vanilla Verve, a spicy-sweet concoction of green cardamom, vanilla, tonka bean, and amber. For the true vanilla obsessives, this is the scent everyone’s talking about.
Tester feedback from shopping director Shanna Shipin
“If you want to smell good all day at work, a perfume oil is the way. Cyklar’s oil goes everywhere with me—look how cute and compact this bottle is! It’s perfect for tossing into any kind of work bag, and since it’s a rollerball, I never have to worry about spillage. I love this fragrance—it’s a dynamic vanilla thats a bit mysterious, a bit comforting, but with some green notes to keep things fresh.” —Shanna Shipin, shopping director
- Scent family: spicy gourmand
- Key notes: bergamot, green cardamom, vanilla, ambrette seed, amber, tonka bean
- Sizes: 0.5 oz
Buy Yourself the Flowers: Dior J’Adore Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: Like an old friend, this Dior classic tends to invoke fond memories—and it’s almost universally loved, so chances are slim that it will offend someone in a neighboring cubicle. A main character in the perfume department since its 1999 launch, the solar-floral scent is an ode to a fantasy flower. It has notes of solar ylang-ylang, damascus rose, and a delicate blend of two types of jasmine. As a bonus, its gold-dipped bottle can bring a little luster to desktop decor.
Tester feedback from senior director of audience development Lexi Herrick
“This perfume has been a staple in my routine since the moment I smelled it for the first time. I adore a gentle, floral or fruity fragrance, and Dior J’adore is the perfect combination of both. It’s great for wearing in the office as well, as it’s not too overpowering or aggressive. I can be deeply impacted by strong fragrances, with some even triggering instant migraine headaches, so I am especially conscious and considerate of wearing perfume around others in an office setting. This light, bright and iconic fragrance will always be in my top rotation for that reason as well!” —Lexi Herrick, senior director of audience development
- Scent family: floral solar
- Key notes: damascus rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, violet, lily of the valley
- Sizes: 1 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 5 oz
Spice Up Your Life: Phlur Not Your Baby Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: Light and playful with a touch of spice, Phlur’s Not Your Baby is like a breath of fresh air for the office. True, the viral scent has a sweet pink hue and a soothing, powdery scent that might signal innocence, but it’s not without promotion-worthy depth. The fragrance melds notes of cardamom, mimosa, vanilla milk, and sandalwood for a scent that’s equal parts soft and sophisticated.
“I wear this scent when I know I’m going to be in close proximity to others (a long car ride, the office, etc.). Its light, spicy bergamot base makes it interesting, but its powdery, floral notes keep it muted and not too intense, so I don’t worry about it being too bold for being around people. It also has a touch of vanilla that mixes with the other notes so seamlessly. I’d recommend this for anyone who’d like to smell sweet and fresh.” —Ingrid Fowler, senior art director
- Scent family: spicy floral
- Key notes: cardamom, bergamot, violet, mimosa, vanilla milk, sandalwood
- Sizes: 1.7 oz
Get Figgy With It: Glossier Body Spritz
Why we love it: Available in two scents, Glossier Body Spritz is a midday reset in a bottle that can also be used on the hair. The only question is, how do you need to feel to make it through the rest of your to-do list? The Orange Blossom Neroli is the more energizing of the scents, with its zippy blend of bergamot, pear water, orange flower, and neroli. To feel grounded and focused, opt for a spritz of Sandstone. The spa-like fragrance has notes of fig leaf, lavandin, clary sage, geranium, sandalwood, and coconut milk.
Tester feedback from shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis
“I might not be in the office much these days, but if I’m going to pick a fragrance that I would wear in the office, it would be this mist. It’s light, refreshing, and reminds me of a bright floral garden. The best part is it doubles as a hair mist, which makes me feel extra clean on dirty hair days.” —Angela Trakoshis, shopping market editor
- Scent family: citrus floral (Orange Blossom Neroli), woody (Sandstone)
- Key notes: bergamot, pear water, orange flower, neroli, fresh cypress, soft musks (Orange Blossom Neroli); fig leaf, lavandin, clary sage, geranium, sandalwood, coconut milk (Sandstone)
- Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz
Boardroom Ready: U Beauty Proem Eau De Parfum
Why we love it: The skin-care company famous for its skin-firming technology lent its flair for innovation to its debut scent. U Beauty Proem launched mere months ago, but already has ardent fans here at Allure. Fruity, floral, earthy, and even a touch gourmand, the perfume’s singular mix of centifolia rose, Chinese peony, Chinese magnolia, vetiver, and pistachio has certainly been a welcome scent around our water cooler. Test it out yourself the next time you want to make a lasting impression—say, for a job interview at an edgy firm or before a big creative pitch.
Tester feedback from editorial intern Lex Goldstein
“Proem is absolutely what sophisticated cool girls are wearing to the office. A mindful spritz of lychee, vetiver and rhubarb notes will last throughout the day, so there’s no need to reapply!” —Lex Goldstein, editorial intern
Tester feedback from former commerce writer Jennifer Hussein
“It’s no exaggeration to say I’m dousing myself in U Beauty’s Proem on a daily basis—its fragrance is light enough for me to spray an exact 11 times without becoming overwhelmingly noticeable. Its lychee-forward scent veers far from the average fruity fragrance and has more of a warm, soft floral profile with just a hint of tanginess, kind of like a fresh cup of hibiscus tea.” —Jennifer Hussein, former commerce writer
- Scent family: fruity floral
- Key notes: centifolia rose, vetiver, Chinese magnolia, pink peppercorn, lychee, pistachio, rhubarb, night-blooming jasmine
- Sizes: 1.7 oz, 0.33 oz
More office fragrances we love:
Desk Escape: Liis In This World Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: If you ever find yourself sitting at your desk, staring out the window and longing for a breath of the great outdoors, try gracing your wrist with a spritz of Liis In This World. Earthy but refined enough to be suited for work, the green fragrance channels feelings of forest bathing through notes of eucalyptus, sage, tonka wood, and violet.
Liis
In This World Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: If you ever find yourself sitting at your desk, staring out the window and longing for a breath of the great outdoors, try gracing your wrist with a spritz of Liis In This World. Earthy but refined enough to be suited for work, the green fragrance channels feelings of forest bathing through notes of eucalyptus, sage, tonka wood, and violet.
- Scent family: woody
- Key notes: blood orange, eucalyptus, fig, violet, lavender, tonka wood, sage
- Sizes: 1.7 oz
Ground Yourself: Charlotte Tilbury Calm Bliss
Charlotte Tilbury
Calm Bliss Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: From magic creams to mood-altering scents, Charlotte Tilbury infuses her products with a bit of alchemizing stardust. (Or, so it seems.) The brand’s Calm Bliss, offered in an aquamarine-glass bottle that recalls a fantasy potion, is no exception. One spritz of this when I’m under deadline-driven pressure, and I feel my shoulders drop, my attitude mellow, and my senses mollified by the fresh, sweet scent of lavandin oil mixed with watery accord and white musks.
- Scent family: fresh
- Key notes: lavandin oil, watery accord, white musks
- Sizes: 0.34 oz, 3.38 oz
An Expensive Dessert: Henry Rose Dave
Henry Rose
Dave Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: There’s a vanilla fragrance for every time and place. And when you mean business, Henry Rose Dave is the way to go. Like the perfectly tailored blazer of gourmand scents, the slightly sweet scent pairs Chantilla vanilla with tonka bean, cocoa shell, and neroli for an utterly polished effect. Expensive-smelling, complex, and long-lasting, it’s the confidence-boosting scent to wear when you’re asking for a raise.
- Scent family: gourmand
- Key notes: chantilly vanilla, tonka bean, cocoa shell, neroli
- Sizes: 0.27 oz, 1.7 oz
Freshly Freshened Up: Diptyque Fleur de Peau
Diptyque
Fleur De Peau Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: When your energy starts to lag toward the end of the work week, do yourself a favor and douse your pulse points in Diptyque Fleur de Peau. With notes of musk, iris, ambrette, and pink peppercorn, the scent reminds me of freshly soaped skin. It’s clean, uplifting, and just the fragrance you need to freshen up your outlook till Friday.
- Scent family: floral musk
- Key notes: musk, iris, ambrette, pink peppercorn
- Sizes: 2.5 oz
Build-Your-Own-Perfume: DS & Durga I Don’t Know What
D.S. & DURGA
I Don’t Know What Eau de Parfum
Why we love it: In perfumery, “transparent” applies to a type of scent that’s radiant, light, and airy, and D.S. & Durga’s I Don’t Know What is a compulsively sniffable case in point. Subtle enough for the most discreet of workplaces, the skin scent is an easy choice for everyday wear. On the weekends, mix it up by layering the base scent with something a little more beachy, like DS & Durga’s marine-floral Rose Atlantic. Or, for something even bolder, try social media manager Bianca Richard’s tried-and-true trio of I Don’t Know What, Sol de Janeiro’s fruity-floral Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’68 Beija Flor Hair & Body Mist, and Kayali’s ultra-juicy Eden Juicy Apple 01 Eau de Parfum. “[I Don’t Know What] really sets the foundation for how the body spray and fragrance settle into my skin throughout the day for a long-lasting effect,” Richards said.
- Scent family: woody citrus
- Key notes: bergamot, iso e super, ambrox super
- Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.3 oz
On the hunt for more scents? Keep reading:
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