Best Perfumes for Women

Aerin Lauder has become a very well-known and well-liked designer on her own, despite having the lofty Lauder name to live up to (granddaughter of Estee). From home décor, to beauty, to fashion the Aerin line has expanding its reach quite a bit…while still under the EL umbrella.

However, the perfumes remain a very popular aspect of this brand to serve as an entry point to luxury. There have been dozens of releases thus far, but in this post I want to narrow down the list to eight that I feel can represent the best of the label.

What are the Best Fragrances by Aerin Lauder?

Most Popular Aerin Perfume

AERIN Beauty Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum 50 ml by AERIN – Citrus and honeysuckle delight. Bergamot, orange, and grapefruit open up the fragrance with a lively and zesty scent.

The honeysuckle sits underneath at first, before emerging later on, and fully presenting itself. This is a very clean and juicy citrus scent reminiscent of other Italian citrus fragrances on the market, with the honeysuckle pairing that is awesome.

The opening citrus can be sharp for a little while, but I think that Mediterranean Honeysuckle, has a really great finish that is airy and clean. Once they calm down and play a support role, is when this Aerin best seller really shines.

It is a pretty simple one to go with, but the honeysuckle is pretty darn realistic. May not be the best of the lost, but still among the top Aerin Lauder releases.

Top Pick for Rose Lovers

Aerin Rose De Grasse Parfum Spray 1.7oz/50ml- The namesake is the rose centifolia note from the Grasse region in France (same place the Chanel No.5 jasmine comes from). However, it is blended with a few other rose notes including Bulgarian.

This is a very straightforward wear. You can expect a surprisingly fresh and dynamic rose aroma that is of high quality and paired with musk, a watery aroma, and a light ambrette.

The sillage is soft with decent longevity, but Rose de Grasse is very versatile and doesn’t get stuck in just one season.

Early on, it will feel more aquatic and fresh. Then, the muskiness gains in strength, as well as a drier aroma.

Super Clean for Summer

Aerin Lauder Waterlily Sun Perfume Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fluid Ounce– Waterlily Sun is a very nice greenish/aquatic floral fragrance with notes of jasmine, waterlily, and bergamot coming through. This is more of an aquatic feeling scent in totality versus the one above.

It opens up with the fresh bergamot citrus and the waterlily notes. The fragrance is bright and dewy, like a pond in a flower garden.

Yet, Waterlily Sun comes across as a cooling summertime wear and not just an overly juicy fruit salad.

As it dries down, you get more of the jasmine and musk notes, which furthers the theme of it being clean. This is an easy wear for the spring and summer months, not too complicated, but beautiful and upbeat.

Vanilla Amber for Autumn/Winter

Aerin Lauder Aerin Beauty ‘tangier Vanille’ Eau De Parfum Spray, 1.7 Fluid Ounce– Tangier Vanille starts out with a musky/powdery quality to the vanilla note. It’s the rose, bergamot, and musk notes really joining forces early on which can make this one seem a bit awkward.

However, it does tone down and the vanilla really emerges to take over fully. The bergamot will fade and amber along with sandalwood, start to make Tangier Vanille more of a gourmand experience.

That’s what you get: vanilla, light rose, amber (second strongest note), sandalwood, and some remaining muskiness. It’s smooth with a somewhat spicy kick underneath the shift from powdery to creamy.

Tangier has a nice ability to project and can be worn pretty much whenever, outside of the high heat of summer.

Underrated Citrus Perfume

Aerin Limone di Sicilia Body Cream– One of the less well known fragrances from Aerin, but Limone di Sicilia is a fantastic citrus fragrance, with a light floral heart that is led by the jasmine note.

The citrus trio here is lemon, bergamot, and mandarin orange. The floral notes are nice in this perfume, but the true highlight is how uplifting and refreshing these citrus ingredients are. Mostly the lemon, along with the sparkling bergamot note.

Beyond that, lily of the valley and pink pepper also play a role to give this one a bit more body. It’s pretty much a summertime play, with a fairly light profile, but a fragrance that is inherently enjoyable to wear.

The latter stages is pretty much a light lemony jasmine perfume. Still, very nice.

Warm, Sweet Amber and Musk

Aerin Lauder Amber Musk Eau De Parfum for Women, 3.4 Fluid Ounce– I will say that this won’t be a perfume for everyone, as it can be light, and the notes aren’t super bold or attention grabbing. That said, the ambrox/benozin/musk blend here is really attractive.

Warm, a bit sweet with coconut and vanilla, and a tiny bit of rose to add a floral dimension. Most of the wear is going to be the amber and the musk, obviously.

However, I really like the dimension that the benzoin adds to it, shortly after the opening act. That along with the sweetness is fantastic.

It dries down, mostly with the musk some rose, and the amber. This is probably the lightest scent on this list, so avoid if you want a stronger wear, because Amber Musk will stick close to the skin. Amber Musk is something that is more of a low key affair.

Realistic Lilac Perfume

Aerin Lilac Path Eau De Parfum Spray Large 3.4 Oz– Another greenish flower garden scent, this time with less aquatic tones, and of course a bunch of lilac. As the Aerin website describes, Lilac Path weaves a delicate story of crisp greens, rich blooms and delicate petals.

The lilac here is fantastic and it, along with jasmine, are going to be heading up much of the wear.

So, if you don’t like either of those notes, you can pass on this perfume. While it doesn’t have that waterlily semi-aquatic feeling, this still does have a green sort of dewy freshness.

Most of what I get outside of the title note is jasmine and galbanum. To my nose, there isn’t much else except a general ‘greenish’ scent. Is that enough? Well, yes, if you love lilac this is absolutely a perfume that you should try out.

Ambrette Uniqueness

Ambrette de Noir– This Aerin fragrance came out back in 2020, but I don’t think that it got too much attention. Though, I do think it deserves to be on the list, even while not being a perfume which will appeal to everyone.

Ambrette, tonka bean, and vanilla are all substantial in this blend. But, you also get floral notes like rose, orange blossom, and freesia.

Somewhat sweet, but warm, musky, rich, and spicy at times. There’s a lot of facets for something that isn’t seemingly so complex. Ambrette does indeed have a darker feel and this is one to wear in the late autumn and winter months.

The floral notes aren’t particularly powerful, but they do often pop through the other notes for periods of time, before falling away again. Interesting.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.

bestmenscolognes.com/

Orange is one of the more common citrus fruits that are used in perfumery. It’s not always the star, though, and often will just be a supporting player. However, there are some great options out there for lovers of the orange scent and this is my page keeping track of them. Which are the best smelling of these perfumes?

What are the Best Perfumes that Smell Like Oranges?

Chanel Citrus

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum spray For Women 3.4 OZ.– This Chanel is one of the more popular fragrances out there and it happens to utilize a very prominent orange note.

Coco Mademoiselle is sweeter blend of citrus and floral notes that has enjoyed immense popularity since its release. It has an aura of femininity with a strong heart of patchouli and musk.

Mademoiselle features some bright and clean citrus top notes and floral notes led by rose and jasmine. The patchouli is the main attraction in this one, however, it is tempered by the sweeter notes including vanilla.

It has extremely good sillage (a few sprays will do) and also provides all day longevity. Coco Mademoiselle has spawned a bunch of its own flanker fragrances, which are also great, but the original still takes the cake. Read my Full Review

Aqua Orange

Mandarine Basilic by Guerlain– Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria series has been generating a lot of great scents. One which utilizes our orange note, is Mandarine Basilic.

Mandarin orange is the main attraction, but this Guerlain also features a clementine note that is also of substance. Yet, this isn’t just a pure citrus fruit juice fragrance, it’s got a fresh spicy green and herbal blend that presents itself throughout the entire wear.

Basil, green tea, ivy, bitter orange, and some floral notes are in the mix, with varying strengths. Still, Mandarine is a sweet perfume full of energy, juiciness, just put together with a great green accord.

Mixed and Total Orange

Orange Sanguine by Atelier– Orange Sanguine is a delight of three types of orange, popping off, from the very start.

Blood orange, bitter orange, and mandarin are coming off fresh, juicy, and spicy right out of the gate. It can start more on the bitter end of things, but I’ve found that is sweetens up over time.

There is a pepper adding to the spice and geranium freshness. These notes are tempered by jasmine and tonka bean. What I like about this Atelier perfume, is how you get aspects of the rind, pulp, and juice all together.

Has some depth with a sandalwood base and a nice amber note in the latter stages.

Blue Capri

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Arancia Di Capri Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– A super citrus blend of oranges, grapefruit, and bergamot. Arancia di Capri, is a breath of fresh air and energy when applied, and enjoys such a naturalistic feel.

Clean, upbeat, and vibrant. It opens up, with those juicy citrus notes at the top of the composition.

These are the dominant notes for the first 20 minutes and are paired with, a light musk. Then, a sweet caramel note begins to emerge and join the mandarin orange note, as the main attractions. The other citrus notes fade quite a bit.

The fragrance smells absolutely wonderful. However, while the sillage starts off pretty powerful, it becomes a skin scent shortly thereafter. Not the best performing (on my skin, anyway), but definitely one of the best smelling Acqua fragrances.   My full review of Arancia di Capri

A Dip in the Orange

Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton– This fragrance is summertime the whole way. Not super complex, but attractive and has a very refreshing energy. This uses a mix of citrus notes and that’s going to be the main draw, with orange taking the lead out of the pack.

Afternoon Swim also has somewhat of an aquatic vibe, with a saltiness(ambergris), that isn’t too intense, but is noticeable. Ginger highlights the start with its fresh spice.

The orange note here is fantastic, along with its flanking citrus notes. Ginger doesn’t tend to last all that long in most fragrances and here it’ll be there for the opening act.

With these sorts of summer scents, you cannot really expect great performance. Though, Afternoon Swim from Louis V, holds up better than many.  Afternoon Swim Full Review

Tom Ford Zest

Sole di Positano– Tom Ford has a whole host of summery citrus fragrances, some utilize orange, while others do not. But, this is my favorite of the bunch and you get a great use of our target note in the process.

The opening is fresh and bright, with a slight spicy and herbal profile which sets it apart from some of the others. Zesty orange, lemon, bitter orange, neroli, orange blossom, etc. It’s all here and when blended together is fantastic.

The dry down is a blend of the mandarin and bergamot note with jasmine, neroli, and woodsy aroma from the oak moss note. Sole di Positano gives you a great performance along with the awesome scent and is one for sure to check out. Sole di Positano Review

Bitterly Fresh

Orange Bitters by Jo Malone London– This one from Jo Malone uses a bitter orange note, as its main draw. But, it flanks that with other orange, citrus, and a plum note to boot.

Yes, it does have a bitter quality with that juiciness, and an orange peel vibe. There is some smokiness in the mix, warmth, spice, and sandalwood. The dry down is pretty well balanced, with our target note still in control.

This is still fresh, but less of an option for the summer, and more of an orange for the colder and more moderate temperatures for the rest of the year.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.

bestmenscolognes.com/

Santal 33 really exploded in popularity about a decade ago. Since then, it has been endlessly praised, rehashed, and even copied to a large extent. Due to so many people talking about and wearing this Le Labo perfume, there is of course a ton of people who want something similar smelling or just plain cheaper.

This is my page tracking the alternative options which smell alike or have a very close style to what you get with Le Labo’s Santal 33. Many will be inexpensive choices, while others may be around the same price (with different smells).

Key Takeaways

Here’s a short list of some of the best options. I go into further detail about all of these and more perfumes, down further on the page.

• ‘Inspired by’ Santal 33 Alternative Option: 33 Shades of Santal by Dua
• Similar to yet Different Perfume: Book Commodity
• Santal-like with More Woods: Diptyque Tam Dao Eau De Parfum

What Perfumes Smell Like or have a Similar Style to Le Labo Santal 33?

So, the first part of the list is going to consist of those fragrances that are actively trying to match what you get with the Le Labo perfume. While the latter half, will be those that have a close to style. At least to whatever degree, that may be the case.

Shaded Woods

33 Shades of Santal by Dua– Our first entry is from the Dua Brand. Their ‘inspired by’ scent is called 33 Shades of Santal. Which, by name alone, I think that you can tell what they’re going for.

The thing is, 33 Shades does strike an extremely close chord with what you get from the Le Labo original. Dua says it’s based on the sandalwood they use in their formula, and I’ll take them at their word.

With that sandalwood, the usual papyrus, violet, iris, and leather coming through the base. All the same notes are there, the weighting is very much in line with what you’d want, and the price is very affordable ($55, as of update, without any discount codes).

Add to all of that, a great performance level from it being an extrait de parfum concentration. This is for sure a near dupe to check out.

Santal Similarities

Woody Sandalwood by Dossier– Woody Santal is the second of our ‘inspired’ takes of fragrances that try to duplicate the Santal 33 formula.

Now, I haven’t tried this one out from Dossier. I have tried other scents from them, they have been good at getting close to the designer fragrance they’re based on.

I cannot speak to this one personally, but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive and the general consensus is that Woody Sandalwood hits the mark.

If it can get the weighting of the notes mostly correct, you should be fine with this one. It’s slightly cheaper than the Dua (without discounts), but not by much.

Alexandria’s Kiss

Santal’s Kiss by Alexandria Fragrances– Another of the ‘inspirations’, that are based on the company’s idea of Santal 33.

Alexandria is a brand that is generally quite good at these sorts of creations. Plus, their scents also have great performance. So, while it’s pricier than some of the other inspired alternatives, it can be worthwhile.

Santal’s Kiss is an addition to this list, for those who want to try and find the perfect potential dupe.

Sandalwood-Cha

Ruhe by Oakcha– Ruhe from Oakcha is another option for those looking for an ‘inspired by’ version of Santal 33.

I haven’t tried anything from this brand as of yet, but they seem to have a good reputation and plenty of positive reviews.

Adding this to the list, to give yet another potential alternative. I’ll update, if and when I try this Oakcha scent out.

Simple 33

Simply Santal by ALT Fragrances- ALT Fragrances is a brand that I’m familiar with, and they usually do a good job at matching much of what you get with popular designer scents.

It’s an extrait de parfum, vegan, and matches all of the same notes as what we’re looking for. Yes, even a leather note (just not actual leather).

The pricing is right in line with the other inspired by perfumes, on the list. Simply Santal has a ton of reviews, to help you decide if this is one to try out.

Nothing Neon, but Santal-ish

Neon Moon by Pacifica– This one isn’t exactly like our Le Labo target, but Neon Moon, gives you a very similar style…but not really matching its own packaging and name. Plus, it’s extremely inexpensive.

Neon Moon is a streamlined perfume, when compared to Santal 33. You get the sandalwood, you get smokiness, and you get cardamom. The floral note here is jasmine, which comes across a bit differently than our target.

Yet, Neon Moon still has a violet-like aroma in there somewhere. I do think this is a sweeter fragrance in comparison. The cardamom, I suspect is based on a more ‘citrusy’ variety of that note.

The dry down is fresh, a bit smoky, and with a decent sandalwood note at this price point. Not as good as Santal, but for somewhere in the $20 range, I like this Pacifica.

Bookish Woods

Book Commodity– Book is a fragrance that has similarities to Santal 33, but is by no means an exact replica of what you get with the Le Labo. It’s more of a ‘if you like Santal 33, you’ll also like…” perfume.

I believe the concept here, is that it’s supposed to put off an aroma that is like reading a book or at least inspired by it.

What you get is a mix of dry woods, fresh eucalyptus, and some light powdery accents. It doesn’t have the violet, that the Le Labo does, but there are similarities it how it smells.

The rosewood and sandalwood are more balanced in the dry down. It’s not a pure sandalwood dominant fragrance. Early, you get lots of cypress and eucalyptus. I like the differences, that make this one distinct.

However, for some people they report getting more of a ‘dill’ aroma, like others get with Santal 33. I do pick up hints of it in both perfumes, but it’s not much of a factor on my own skin.

Maison Woods

No. 4 Bois de Balincourt– Another great alternative to our Le Labo scent. This time, from Maison Louis Marie.

No. 4 has a fresh crispness about it in the early stages. Slightly greenish, but with a similar powdery undertone to Santal 33.

Cinnamon and nutmeg, at the start with the freshness of the woody notes, can be punchy. However, Bois de Ballincourt ends up being quite soft, and loses some of the rougher edges that Santal can have.

This one has more vetiver and cedar, flanking the sandalwood note. Spicier and a different mix of the wood notes, which prevents it from being an exact match. But, it’s very close to 33.

A Cheaper Woods

Palo Santo Cremo– Palo Santo is a great value play and alternative. This isn’t trying to be exactly the same, but it has plenty of similarities, while remaining distinct.

Cardamom gives this an opening freshness and some light citrus touches. This Cremo fragrance has less of that potential ‘pickle or dill’ aroma, that many people seem to get with the Le Labo.

Yet, Palo Santo is very much a fresher scent, less powdery, and is closer to a men’s cologne rather than unisex. Though, I don’t think it’s overwhelming ‘manly’. Papyrus is still a play in this scent, giving it a great dry aroma.

Tam Santal

Diptyque Tam Dao Eau De Parfum– Another option for a sandalwood scent. This one is definitely a woodsy/forest type of scent with other notes such as cedar and cypress. Has a very dry and soft aroma.

Tam Dao opens with more of the cypress note, before the dry down transitions to having the santal be the leader of the pack. Lots of wood notes with some amber and slight spices.

This isn’t the same as our target and is a good option for those who want a more balanced array of woody notes, but with a similar style.

The cypress and cedar, are also joined by rosewood. So, this one can get quite dry and forest-like.

Masculine Virtu

Virtu by Vince Camuto– A decidedly more masculine fragrance than the others on the list. This Vince Camuto cologne is listed for men and not unisex.

Yet, it has plenty in common with Santal 33, even as it remains a distinct fragrance.

Earthy and greenish moss, more leather, dry birch, and a pepper kick up top separate it from our target.

But, Virtu still has papyrus and sandalwood coming through loud and clear. Virtu is greener and smokier, at times than the Le Labo. It does still have a powdery accord underneath, just not to the same extent.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.

bestmenscolognes.com/