Perfume is so completely subjective that I sometimes find it to be the most difficult type of product to recommend within the beauty space. But also, I do love a challenge, and fragrance is a passion of mine. Of course, I can go ahead and dub a handful of "best perfumes" purely based on my own collection and personal go-tos, but at the end of the day, scent is hardly one-size-fits-all. What works for me may not work for you, or I might hate something you love.
However, that doesn't mean you should ignore glowing reviews and recommendations the next time you're shopping for a new perfume online. In fact, almost every editor I know, myself included, has discovered all-time favorite scents from scouring ratings at a popular retailer or watching a certain bottle catapult to popularity on TikTok. One surefire way to find a good perfume is to look at the best-selling options that shoppers are buying in surplus. These perfumes sell like hotcakes for a reason—they're intoxicating and obsession forming. Keep reading to find out what the best-selling perfumes are right now at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and Revolve.
Best seller at… Nordstrom and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: orange, Grasse jasmine, May rose, patchouli, vetiver
Somehow, this scent manages to be both modern and nostalgic, and that's part of the reason why it's so popular. Orange acts as an electrifying spark to start the scent. It's complemented by Grasse jasmine, May rose, patchouli, and vetiver, creating a complex harmony that smells good on everyone.
Best seller at… Ulta, Sephora, and Nordstrom
Key fragrance notes: black currant, jasmine, bourbon vanilla
With one spritz of this Valentino favorite, you'll feel like you're spraying yourself in sunlight-dappled florals on the streets of Rome. Black currant, three types of jasmine, boozy vanilla, and woods blend together seamlessly for an edgy floral you'll want to wear every day.
Best seller at… Sephora and Revolve
Key fragrance notes: salted caramel, pistachio, vanilla
This $24 hair and body mist is a best seller at both Sephora and Revolve—and for good reason. (It's also a favorite within the TikTok universe.) The spray will make you smell like a decadent salted caramel, pistachio, and vanilla sundae, but it's never in a way that's too overpowering.
Best seller at… Nordstrom
Key fragrance notes: jasmine, saffron, cedar, ambergris
This TikTok-famous perfume should be a staple in everyone's fragrance wardrobe. It's the ultimate skin scent—jasmine, saffron, cedar, and ambergris swirl together and smell intoxicating on everyone who wears it.
Best seller at… SephoraKey fragrance notes: Ambrox, ambrette, musk, irisroot, pink pepperGlossier You is already an iconic fragrance in its own right, and it definitely has to be in my top 10 favorite perfumes of all time. The brand recently relaunched the cult-loved scent in solid form, so you can bask in its milky, ambery, musky perfection anytime, anywhere. I actually have the full size and two of the solids—that's how obsessed I am with this perfume.
Best seller at… Nordstrom and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: coffee, white flowers, vanilla
Maybe I'm partial to this classic YSL scent because it's truly wonderful if you're after something vanilla and very chic, or maybe it's because it's Zoë Kravitz's favorite scent. More likely, however, it's a combination of the two. You'll love this fragrance because it manages to feel both light and mysterious at the same time. It's not too conventional, but it's also not too complicated. And for what it's worth, it's the perfect fragrance for date night.
Best seller at… Ulta and Revolve
Key fragrance notes: petitgrain essence, coconut water, coconut milk, bergamot, solar musk, banana, pineapple, pool water, swimsuit spandex, sea salt
Think Pamela Anderson circa Baywatch, bottled. If you're someone who doesn't like the sun- and sand-crusted scent of baked-on sunscreen, you should move on. However, if you're someone who can't get enough of the nostalgic melding of coconut, banana, and pineapple synonymous with the most iconic sunscreens ever made, you'll flip for it. I can't imagine summer beach days (or a vacation!) without it and am convinced it's the milky, skin-like additions of petitgrain coconut, solar musk, and sea salt that make it wearable, not tacky.
Best seller at… Revolve, Ulta, and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: citrus fruits, apricot, rose, magnolia, amber, linden blossom, musk
If you're sleeping on Ouai's best-selling fragrances, this is your sign to stop. Named after the iconic street in London, the light melding of citrus and floral is the ultimate hit of dopamine.
Best seller at… Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta
Key fragrance notes: Damascus rose, peony, white musk
Don't let the springy, bouquet-inspired notes of rose and peony fool you. This light and floral perfume is so pretty and elevated that you can wear it all year long.
Best seller at… Nordstrom and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: white musk, benzoin resin, caramel accord
For those who love warm, sweet, gourmand scents, this best-selling perfume from Prada is a nonnegotiable for your fragrance collection.
Best seller at… Ulta
Key fragrance notes: lavender blossom, juicy pear, bergamot, crème de coconut, indulgent praline, vanilla orchid, sensual musks, creamy blonde woods
Yes, this perfume is one of TikTok's most notable scent sensations, and yes, the hype is honestly real. It's warm, dreamy, and expertly balanced to avoid veering too sweet, too fruity, or too spicy.
Best seller at… Revolve
Key fragrance notes: blackberries, mango, black pepper, wild orris, black lotus, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla, pink sugar
Yes, Mango Skin is another TikTok obsession, which is probably a huge reason for its surge in popularity. That said, it's also just really, really good. It's a completely drool-inducing concoction of juicy mango, blackberries, black pepper, wild orris, black lotus, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla, and a hint of pink sugar. You have a serious craving now, right?
Best seller at… Sephora and Ulta
Key fragrance notes: citron, jasmine, teakwood
Chanel's Chance Eau Fraîche and Eau Tendre Eau de Toilettes have maintained their cult followings for years, and honestly, the fever (thanks to TikTok) just seems to intensify. If you love a scent that's fresh with a subtle zing to it, you will fall for this best seller.
Best seller at… Nordstrom and Ulta
Key fragrance notes: ozonic accord, amberwood, white musk
This best-selling clean fragrance from Lake & Skye strikes the very perfect, very rare balance between airy aquatic and a warm skin scent. I liken it to the beads of water sliding down your skin post–ocean dip along a woodsy shore somewhere dreamy.
Best seller at… Ulta and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, vanilla, tonka bean
If you don't have at least one of Carolina Herrera's signature stiletto-shaped bottles of perfume in your cabinet, your fragrance collection is simply incomplete. Blush, however, seems to be the one taking the internet and shoppers by storm right now.
Best seller at… Revolve and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: skin musk, bergamot nectar, sheer jasmine, fresh cyclamen, neroli blossom, orange flower, sandalwood Australia oil, blonde wood, white musk
We're huge fans of Phlur here at Who What Wear, and you truly can't go wrong with any bottle you choose. But if I had to recommend just one that seems to be a no-fail hit, I'd recommend Missing Person, an intoxicating skin scent.
Best seller at… Sephora
Key fragrance notes: pistachio gelato, hazelnut, sweet rum, cotton candy, whipped cream, marshmallow
ICYMI, "sweet enough to eat" scents have really made a comeback in the last year or so. (This list of best sellers is proof!) Last but certainly not least is this pistachio confection from Kayali.
Best seller at… Ulta and Sephora
Key fragrance notes: sparkling pear, water jasmine, sandalwood, musk
Tread carefully with this one—it's an aquatic, ever-so-slightly juicy masterpiece that will immediately give you the hankering for a sun- and water-drenched vacation.
Next, I Spent 3 Hours Shopping Nordstrom's Fragrance Section—15 I'd Buy Instantly
