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For the last decade or so, I’ve been in a fragrance desert. Unlike the ‘90s heyday of scent that I recall from my youth, when a girl could choose from an expensive designer bottle (think Thierry Mugler’s Angel or Gucci Rush) a mid-tier scent, like Candies, BCBGirls, Britney Spears Curious, Tommy Girl or Abercrombie & Fitch (all core memories) or the cheap-yet-delectable offerings of the local Bath & Body Works, our options as of late have felt rather … limited.
These days, I can choose to smell like Ariana Grande or Billie Eilish (hard pass), show my age with some Coco Chanel or take my chances on an affordable “dupe” of the $335 Maison Francis Kurkdjian du jour. And honestly? None of them are resonating. Every time I find a fragrance that I do really, really like, it’s discontinued. (Thanks a lot, Gucci.)
So when influencer Lucy Whims, who has impeccable taste in just about everything, began to rave about Vanilla Skin, she opened up a longstanding dark cloud in my fragrance sky. I jumped at the chance to test it, along with three of Phlur’s other gourmand scents: Heavy Cream, Coconut Skin and Caramel Skin.
18 of Phlur’s best sellers later, I’m officially a brand stan. More days than not, I’m reaching for one of the top five scents below (though I occasionally mix it up with one of the others, as well).
Trust me when I say that these are the best Phlur scents worth spending every cent of your hard-earned cash on—and the ones you might be better off checking out in the Discovery ($39) or custom sampler set ($65).
The 18 Best Phlur Scents I’ve Tried
1. Vanilla Skin
Vanilla Skin is the first Phlur scent I ever tried, and it’s still my absolute favorite. (It’s also a crazy hot seller.) Unlike the BBW Warm Vanilla Sugar body mist we all remember from seventh grade, this vanilla fragrance has depth. It’s inviting and cozy-smelling, enveloping you like a warm hug without being overpowering. Still, it lingers. After a full day’s wear, I was left sniffing my shirt like a fiend because it still smelled so damn good. Needless to say, it’s become my new go-to.
2. Vanilla Nectar
If the newest addition to the Phlur lineup is the first one you try, you won’t be disappointed—this stuff is an orange creasmcicle sherbet dream. Released in June 2025, it’s the type of scent that makes your eyes roll up into the back of your head with hedonistic delight. Like all of Phlur’s mists, it wears off a little quicker than the perfumes, but trust me—it’s worth the respritz. The only downside? You’ll be sniffing your wrists with wild abandon, onlookers be d*mned.
3. Beach Skin
This was another instant favorite for me. Released just in time for summer, it fully captures the essence of what it’s like to spend a day lounging in the sand while listening to the ocean waves (or if you’re in Florida, the laughing gulls). While it does feature sandalwood and bergamot, which tend to dominate most “ocean air” candles, it also leans into other ingredients, like pink pepper, salted tiare flower, coconut milk, lily of the valley and straight musk, for an unexpected twist. Currently, it only comes in a body mist, which does wear off rather quickly, but I would be all about a heavier perfume version. And in the meantime? I’ll be alternating my mist with my Vanilla Skin.
4. Strawberry Letter
This is a complex perfume. Sure, it has the sweet strawberry smell you’d expect, but it’s also full of earthy woods, tonka bean and sugared amber base notes that make it extra special. At the slightest hint of a breeze, the unexpected layers start to shine through, reminding me that I’m wearing a really good perfume. (And if you’re anything like me, who wears it as much for myself as for others, that’s clutch.)
5. Rose Whip
Rose Whip is floral fragrance perfected. It’s like they removed all of the powdery, grandma-like notes that typically accompany flowery scents and replaced them all with a spicy-yet-soft leathery element that’s rather intoxicating, if I do say so myself. I tend to wear this one on days I’m feeling *extra* girlie.
6. Missing Person
One of the brand’s most popular scents, Missing Person is also one of the hardest to describe, as It’s not particularly spicy, floral or sweet. A blend of white musk, jasmine and orange blossom, its tagline is “if nude were a perfume,” with the brand calling it “delicate, yet addictive.” Indeed, it is both light and alluring—my only gripe is that it’s a little *too* light. An hour into wearing it, I feel like it’s already faded away. That said, If it had just a smidge more staying power, it would be a great everyday scent.
7. Soft Spot
Soft Spot is, well, soft. It’s baby powder freshness in a bottle, hold the powder. I don’t think it gives off the sultry vibe that the brand suggests, but rather a very clean, airy scent reminiscent of fresh bubbles, silk and Clairo. In other words? It’s a vibe, and a rather whimsical one at that.
8. Dragon Fruit
Here, we have a scent that equates to “exactly what I want to spritz on immediately after stepping out of the shower.” The fruitiest scent in Phlur’s roster, Dragon Fruit is bright, uplifting and reminiscent of the Herbal Essences shampoos you loved in high school, only better. And it’s bright pink! What’s not to love?
9. Mango Wood
Peach Skin may be new, but if you ask me, Mango Wood still reigns supreme when it comes to the brand’s stone pit fruit scents. The former is more nuanced, taking your nose on an olfactory journey as time goes on, but I’d really rather it stayed true to the sweet fruity smell that’s dispensed at first spray. Mango Wood does just that, giving me tropics in a bottle (yum!)—and keeping it that way.
10. Heavy Cream
“If your favorite laundry soap had a baby with a bakery”—that’s how I’d describe Heavy Cream. Heavier on the fresh scent than the gourmand notes, it definitely makes for an interesting mix. It’s also a nice detour on the confectionary fragrance front should you ever get sick of the vanilla. (As if!)
11. Moonstone
Moonstone is a nice, juicy mixture of green apple, pineapple and black currant topped off with lemon zest, mandarin orange, jasmine and geranium, with sandalwood, vanilla and amber thrown in for good measure. It’s one of the most even, balanced scents of the bunch—not too light, not too strong—and sans for its staying power, which is shorter than that of the heavier perfumes, it’s a good day-to-day scent contender.
12. Mood Ring
The second I sprayed this on myself, I thought, ‘This smells like a gummy bear.’ And generally, gummy bears smell pretty good. But as it turns out, they can also be pretty intense as a perfume. It’s kind of like the toothache you get after eating too much candy, only in scent form. It tastes great, and you enjoy it, but then, it starts to hurt, urging you to exercise caution upon future consumption.
13. Father Figure
This one is heady. The first few spritzes will make you feel like you’ve buried your nose in your boyfriend’s sweatshirt (a.k.a. heavenly). While you might be inclined to douse yourself in its comforting musk, however, I must advise against it. Like Mood Ring, this is a scent that’s best sniffed in small doses. Spritz it on too thick, and you might find yourself with an overwhelming Drakkar Noir-style headache (IYKYK)—less is more.
14. Golden Rule
File this one under “über-sultry.” One of the heaviest scents in the Phlur line, Golden Rule is bold, and rightfully so—the perfumer’s goal in creating it was to “capture the magnetic, alluring, energy of a person with confidence.” It’s a scent I probably wouldn’t have bought for myself (I was gifted all of the bottles on this list), as it’s rather potent. Still, it’s not so much that it’s over the top. All in all, it’s a strong, sexy fragrance I’m glad to have in my arsenal for special occasions.
15. Coconut Skin
If you were expecting this one to smell like suntan lotion, you’d only be half correct. Rather, it’s a twist on your standard coconut fragrance thanks to the addition of several floral notes (frangipani, tiare blossom and jasmine absolute). The problem? I actually prefer the former. I was really excited to smell like a straight-up coconut! Luckily, Beach Skin has that hint of coconut milk to satiate my needs.
16. Peach Skin
Released in mid-May, Peach Skin is one of the brand’s newer scents. While the fruit part is lovely and comes through in the first few seconds after being sprayed, it’s quickly overwhelmed by the underlying sandalwood, which gives it a woody smell that I didn’t care for. It reminded me of walking through a freshly laid pile of cedar chips. Ironically, Mango Wood, which has a similar fruit profile, was far less woody than I found this one to be, making it my preferred pick.
17. Caramel Skin
Caramel skin is ultra-rich—in fact, I’d go so far as to call it sickeningly so. As such, as much as it pains me to admit it, the scent I thought I’d love the most is one of my least favorites. It’s simply too much of a good thing, cheapening the brown sugar, caramel and vanilla notes that would otherwise be irresistible. That said, it may be just enough for fans of the Sol de Janeiro line, which I find to be too sweet but the world seems to love.
18. Vanilla Smoke
One thing about me: My favorite smell in the world is the smell of a bonfire. Maybe it’s linked to memories of growing up in Michigan, or maybe it’s just what I like, but the instant I get a whiff of smoke, I’m in heaven. Unfortunately, Vanilla Smoke did not recreate that experience for me. Something about it is extremely overpowering. I actually had to wash this one off because it disagreed with me so badly—and it’s only a body mist! To be fair, however, I saw a review that claimed it was “not very strong” at all, so maybe my nose is just overly sensitive? Can’t win ’em all. *Shrugs*
Which Phlur scent is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
Xo, Nicole
