A time of rebirth and renewal, spring welcomes in a chaotic revival of natural life after the still respite of winter, and in the olfactory realm, it’s a time when fragrance is traditionally overwhelmed with floral bouquets that are winsome and feminine.
However, if you’re not one for signature scents or traditional modes of fragrance, perhaps a wanton exploration of new and unexpected aromas is on the cards for spring. After all, the season isn’t all sunshine and roses.
It’s coloured by the warm, earthy aroma of soil after rain, green, herbaceous notes of saplings, and the ripe, vegetal tang of fresh crops. Simultaneously clear and bright, sensuous, and heady.
And perhaps in the rejection of the obvious, you might find something altogether more special and considered, like marie claire’s 2024 curation of non-floral perfumes for spring. It’ll be here before we know it…
2024’s top 3 non-floral perfumes for spring
- Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois De Balincourt Perfume Oil, $100, SSENSE
- Kilian Paris Imperial Tea, $385, David Jones
- Commodity Moss—, $188, Adore Beauty
The best non-floral perfumes for spring 2024
01
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois De Balincourt Perfume Oil
from $100 at SSENSE
Sitting close to the skin, this perfumed oil warms and gives off an aroma of earth after rain, marrying the musk of balmy, ambered wood notes with a complex heart of vetiver and spices.
Sizes: 15ml / 3ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Sandalwood and cedarwood
- Heart notes: Vetiver, nutmeg and cinnamon
- Base notes: Amber wood
Available at:
02
Kilian Paris Imperial Tea
from $385 at David Jones
An unexpected take on floral fragrance, this fresh-feeling eau de parfum pays a contemporary homage to jasmine tea and the ancient ritual of ceremonial tea drinking.
Sizes: 50ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Bergamot and laminaria seaweed
- Heart notes: Green tea accord and jasmine sambac absolute
- Base notes: Vetiver oil and musk
Available at:
- $385 from David Jones
03
Commodity Moss—
from $188 at Adore Beauty
Be transported to the heart of lush, serene forests — an experience that is somehow both immense and intimate — by the refrain of green, wood and citrus notes intermingling.
Sizes: 100ml / 10ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Bergamot
- Heart notes: Petitgrain and oakmoss
- Base notes: Amber and skin musk
Available at:
- $188 from Adore Beauty
04
Recreation Beauty Undone
from $95.20 at Recreation Beauty
A sensual foray into personal fragrance, Undone pulls back the artifice of spring’s pretty motifs and invites you to find something deeper, more sincere and down to earth.
Sizes: 50ml / 12ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Fig leaf, cassis and bitter orange
- Heart notes: Orris and spicy pink pepper
- Base notes: Amber, cedarwood and praline
Available at:
- $95.20 from Recreation Beauty
- $95.20 from Adore Beauty
- $119 from Sephora
05
Astier de Villatte Eau de Cologne
from $145 at Libertine Parfumerie
Refreshingly direct and delicately fresh, with a blend of citrus and aromatics, Astier de Villatte’s Eau de Cologne enlivens the senses.
Sizes: 150ml / 50ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Bergamot, lavender, rosemary and verbena
- Heart notes: Basil and floral accord
- Base notes: Benzoin
Available at:
- $145 from Libertine Parfumerie
06
L’Atelier Parfum Salty Wood
from $137 at Sephora
Salty Wood opens the door after winter, and allows the first days of spring in, with hints of salt-tinged air, cedarwood and Ceylon tea.
Sizes: 100ml / 50ml / 15ml
Fragrance profile:
- Top notes: Fresh air accord
- Heart notes: Oakwood, cedarwood and Ceylon tea
- Base notes: Sea salt accord and seqouia
Available at:
- $137 from Sephora
What type of fragrance is best for spring?
Classic spring notes in fragrance reflect the fresh revival of the season. Think: bursts of citrus and and romantic floral aromas. However, spring is also the perfect time of year to embrace cleaner scents, aquatic, vegetal and green notes such as linen, grass and dew. Gourmand perfumes also have a place in your spring fragrance wardrobe, but they tend to take on a floral, honeyed air that’s more refreshing than it is sickly sweet.
Which perfumes smell like soil after rain?
Petrichor is the name of the earthy smell of rain-drenched soil and it’s an aroma than many perfumes have attempted to emulate with varying degrees of success. The singular scent is best embodied by the aquatic perfumes Maison Margiela When The Rain Stops ($115 from MECCA) and Le Labo Baie 19 ($345 from Le Labo).
Looking to save money on non-floral perfumes for spring? Check out our coupon codes for MECCA, David Jones and more.
Related article:
- 6 Luxurious Winter Candles For A Cosy Hibernation Period
- 5 Scents That Have The Power To Alter Your Mood
- Save On Your Signature Spritz With These Affordable Perfume Brands
Main image credit: @peggygou_
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