Nothing sparks debate in the beauty world quite like the best fragrances. From the gatekeeping of signature scents to people’s personal preference (and sometimes ardent dislike) for certain fragrance notes (rose perfumes, in particular, get it hard), when it comes to scent, opinions are usually strong and free flowing. And one fragrance family that often leaves audiences divided: powdery perfumes.
Long dubbed ‘old lady scents’, powdery perfumes have gotten a bad (and in my opinion unjustified) reputation in the past. With notes reminiscent of powder puffs, talcum powder and velvety soft flowers, they’re light and comforting and, in my opinion, offer a sexy take on clean, fresh scents. You see, while the best clean-smelling fragrances rely on notes of freshly-laundered cotton and soapy touches, the best powdery fragrances add an extra layer to this. They’re the scent of clean skin slipped into silk pyjamas, of applying your make-up before a night out or, as one reviewer described one of the fragrances on this list, like “a subtle caress, spilled face powder, lipstick on starched collars, tangled silk sheets”. When done right, powdery perfumes are anything but old-fashioned.
(Image credit: Jazzria Harris)
To prove this point even further, I’ve rounded up 12 of my favourite powdery perfumes. Alongside the notes I mentioned before, you’ll also find hints of rose for sweetness, spicy combinations courtesy of cumin and deeper takes on powdery scents with notes of leather and suede. These are powdery perfumes but not as you know them…
The best powdery perfumes, decided by a beauty editor
1. Mizensir Poudre D’or
(Image credit: Selfridges)
What better place to start than with a traditional creamy, powdery scent. Mizensir’s Poudre D’or is the most delicious combination of white florals, musk, iris and sandalwood, with just a hint of vanilla for sweetness, all which combine to smell like a cosy yet clean hug in a bottle. Unlike some powdery scents, it isn’t dry or heavy but rather comforting with a slight musky depth. This is a scent that’s sure to draw people in.
2. Floral Street Iris Goddess
(Image credit: John Lewis)
While Floral Street’s fragrance may be called Iris Goddess, I’d actually like to rename it, as for me, this is the perfect powdery violet scent. Imagine the smell you get when you open a packet of Parma Violet sweets and you’d be pretty close to what this smells like: fragrant with floral violet and powdery thanks to notes of musk and suede, with a slight fruity sweetness. It’s both syrupy and powdery at the same time, making it a great autumnal option for floral perfume lovers.
3. Merit Retrospect
(Image credit: Merit Beauty)
I’ll be honest, the first time I smelled Merit’s Retrospect, I wasn’t a fan. For me, it smelt too overtly fruity and didn’t tap into the soft sweetness I like in a fragrance. Then, I read Executive Beauty Editor, Shannon Lawlor’s glowing review and knew I had to revisit it. Wow, how wrong was I—the more this sits on the skin, the more I like it. Yes, it opens fruity thanks to notes of pear and bergamot, however this quickly dries down to the perfect light powdery scent. If you’re looking for an introduction into powdery perfumes and want to avoid anything too musky, this is it.
4. Olfactive O Skin
(Image credit: Olfactive O)
What Skin has, alongside powderiness, is a woody, almost leathery finish, which in my opinion takes it away from the intensely floral powdery perfumes—the ones that are reminiscent of pressed powders and talc. Instead, this one leads things somewhere darker. It’s as if a woman has brushed her clean body alongside a rich man in a bar and he’s left a little bit of his aftershave behind. The more I smell this one, the more I love it.
5. Aesop Rozu
(Image credit: Sephora)
Recently I’ve found myself drawn to rose perfumes even though I’m not usually a fan of the floral note (see I told you, nothing divides options like fragrance). Aesop’s Rozu bridges the gap between the sweetness of rose and the subtle powderiness I love in a fragrance. It’s soft and light, making it ideal for people like me, yet sweet and intoxicating at the same time to appeal to hardened rose fans who are looking for a twist on the classic note. Alongside rose, you’ll find guaiac wood and musk as well as a patchouli for a hint of spiciness.
6. Juliette Has A Gun Musc Invisible
(Image credit: John Lewis)
If you spray Musc Invisible expecting something darkly musky, you’ll be disappointed. In contrast to its navy-toned bottle, Juliette Has A Gun’s Musc Invisible is actually a light musk scent that blends together notes of jasmine and cotton flower with white musk to create a perfume that smells ultimately clean, fresh and delicately powdery. It’s a scent I find endlessly calming, perfect for keeping on your desk to spray in stressful moments.
7. Gucci Bloom
(Image credit: Boots)
Powdery white florals all come together magnificently in Gucci’s original Bloom perfume. While many scents try to overcomplicate things with expensive fragrance notes and quirky twists on classic combinations, Gucci Bloom is effortlessly simple. It’s in this simplicity, however, that its magic lies. Blending jasmine, tuberose and powdery honeysuckle, it’s the perfect delicate, soft floral scent.
8. Prada Infusion d’Iris
(Image credit: Boots)
Iris is a note that you either love or hate: it’s floral yet musky with a powderiness that’s more reminiscent of woody scents than, say, talc or clean powdery notes. For this reason, it often gives powdery fragrances a depth and earthiness that makes them incredibly sexy smelling. Prada’s Ifusion D’iris opens very strongly green, but don’t let this put you off as it settles into pure iris over a subtle woody base which is both grounding and uplifting at the same time. I won’t promise this scent is for everyone, but if you love iris fragrances, it’s definitely worth a try.
9. Jouissance Les Cahiers Secrets
(Image credit: Jouissance)
Described as a powdery ‘grandma scent’ you’d be forgiven for thinking this perfume would be far from sexy. What French fragrance house, Jouissance, does however, is twist convention on its head by taking inspiration from the erotic novels of women in literature. Les Cahiers Secrets is therefore described as the scent for those who ‘want to smell like the only woman in an avant-garde literary circle’ and so, alongside the arguably old-lady powdery notes, you’ll also find spicy cumin and earthy orris root which rebel from the convention of traditional powdery perfumes. Remember that review I mentioned in the intro? This is the scent they were talking about.
10. Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose
(Image credit: Cult Beauty)
While on the one hand powdery perfumes can lean into clean, fresh territory, on the other there are powdery scents that feel thick and fill the air with a slightly cloying yet still beautiful fragrance. Think of the smell of powder being pressed onto your cheeks or the scent of your lipstick as you apply it, it’s this that Frederic Malle has bottled so expertly with Lipstick Rose. Powdery with white musk and cedarwood, sweet with vanilla and fragrant with floral notes, it’s a perfume that is packed with nostalgia yet feels rich with possibility at the same time.
11. Diptyque Orphéon
(Image credit: Space NK)
Another fragrance I came to courtesy of Executive Beauty Editor, Shannon Lawlor’s review, Diptyque Orepheon is, in my opinion, a powdery perfume for people who want to smell expensive. On first spray, it’s a powder explosion that envelopes you and draws you in; however this then balances out with notes of cedar wood, which lends the scent an earthy freshness, and aromatic juniper berry. It’s a fragrance that takes powdery scents away from their clean image and instead puts you inside the dressing room of a gin bar while girls top up their make-up.
12. Flower by Kenzo
(Image credit: Boots)
My mum wore Flower by Kenzo for many years, so this powdery, floral scent has a special place in my heart. Unlike Gucci Bloom, this one won’t whack you over the head with florals, rather it is notes of white musk, vanilla and violet that take the lead, giving it a nostalgic quality. While I wouldn’t say this one falls into the sexy category (although maybe that’s my personal interpretation, as I said, my mum wore it) there is something sensual about it, smelling like baby powder, clean skin and a subtle hint of rose and violet.