It’s official: savory scents are the next big thing. A relative newcomer to the fragrance world, savory scents offer a contrasting spritz compared to your usual fruity, woody, or gourmand perfume.
Made up of notes like black pepper, salt, basil, sage, cucumber, or tomato, it’s fair to say that these fragrances could practically double as your new favorite salad, if you weren’t too busy spritzing yourself with each bottle.
But the best thing about savory perfumes? Their versatility. While some sweeter perfumes might only work on specific occasions, the best savory scents can easily take you from the office to the bar with only a change of footwear necessary.
They’re also usually gender neutral, making them a great choice for gifting.
We’ve rounded up all of the best savory perfumes!
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone
Salty, herbal, and slightly musky: Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone is one of the best savory perfumes for anyone who likes something a little away from the norm. A subtle yet attention-grabbing scent all at the same time, this is a perfume that effortlessly wins you over with its stylish, aromatic notes. Expect top notes of ambrette seed, sea salt, and sage with a deep, woody base.
Demeter Sushi by Demeter
Don’t be put off by its fishy-sounding name: Demeter Sushi by Demeter brings together delicate, Japanese-influenced top notes with a marine-heavy finish. A savory perfume that leans heavily towards the salty end of the spectrum, this unusual scent blends its aquatic flair with seaweed, ginger, and lemon. If you’re a fan of interesting, contrasting notes, this is the scent to go for.
Replica Jazz Club by Maison Margiela
While Replica Jazz Club by Maison Margiela is a savory perfume, it’s one that comes complemented by a huge heap of warm layers across almost the entire fragrance spectrum. Its main savory notes come from carrot seeds, cedar, moss, and pink pepper. But its warmth comes accentuated by a few extra special additions like cardamom, nutmeg, and maple.
Idole Aura by Lancome
If you’re on the fence about savory perfumes but know for sure that you’re done with the sweet, floral hues of most scents, give Idole Aura by Lancome a try. Salty, powdery, musky, and a little bit vanilla-doused, this intriguing scent is unlike anything else in the perfume world and captivates each wearer with its unique blend.
Reveal by Calvin Klein
Reveal by Calvin Klein is a subtle savory perfume. This is one for the women who want a scent that’s savory without waving goodbye to femininity and Calvin Klein’s masterful blending offers exactly that. Its simplistic top notes include salt, black pepper, white pepper, and pink pepper, accentuated by its heart notes of ambergris and iris.
Womanity by Thierry Mugler
If you’re someone who’s always on the hunt for something different, Womanity by Thierry Mugler might just be the perfume for you. A world away from Mugler’s typical offerings, Womanity is woody, fruity, and savory all at once. Bringing together lesser-used fragrance notes like caviar, black fig, opoponax, and immortelle, this scent ensures plenty of attention when you enter the room.
Juniper Sling by Penhaligon’s
The best way to describe a spritz of Juniper Sling by Penhaligon’s? Like a smoky gin & tonic that’s heavy on the gin and lighter on the tonic. Ideally served with a sprinkle of black peppercorns and a slice of orange. This vibrant scent is a truly sophisticated one, blending the worlds between savory and aromatic.
Illuminum Tomato Leaf by Illuminum
From a first glance, Illuminum Tomato Leaf by Illuminum seems like it contains all of the essentials for your lunch: tomato leaf, carrot seed, and orange. This savory perfume offers a gentle flow of floral notes with a heart of freesia, osmanthus, and jasmine, that are happy to sing the chorus while the savory notes shine in center stage.
We’ve finished talking you through all of the best savory perfumes, which means you can now head over to Perfume.com to choose your favorite!
Georgie Darling is a freelance lifestyle and travel writer from London, England. Her work has been published in ELLE, Yahoo, Red, Grazia, and Tripadvisor, amongst others. When she’s not writing, Georgie spends most of her time travelling to new countries and scuba diving. She’s been an avid fragrance lover since a young age and considers Alaïa by Alaïa Paris to be her signature scent.
