You know that first-day-of-vacation feel? Just hours earlier, you were checking your email at the airport; now, your feet are in the salty waves and there’s a piña colada in your hand. A few drops of the Nest New York Balinese Coconut Perfume Oil ($98) bring you right to that relaxed, tropical mindset, even if you’re out of PTO.
Nest New York Balinese
Coconut Perfume Oil
Best Perfume Oil
Don’t let the addition of vanilla fool you; there’s nothing saccharine about the Burberry Her Elixir de Parfum Intense ($99). The combination of dark red berries and jasmine with sensual amber and warm vanilla creates a feminine and bold scent we can’t stop sniffing.
Burberry Her Elixir de Parfum Intense
Best Gourmand Fragrance
Boy Smells Woodphoria
Best Woody Fragrance
The Boy Smells Woodphoria ($98) is so good, it turned our most perfume-averse tester into a convert. On the surface, it pulls you in with fresh coconut water and hits of cardamom and black pepper, but as it wears down, you get the warm scent of sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk with a pinch of sweet fig and jasmine that lingers for hours.
One mist of the Who Is Elijah Nightcap Eau de Parfum ($125) left us saying, “Damn, who is Elijah!?” Whoever they are, one thing is for certain: Nightcap exudes sex appeal. The dark leather and slightly spicy cardamom scent instantly transported us to an intimate, dark bar sipping a rye whiskey on the rocks.
Who Is Elijah Nightcap Eau de Parfum
Best Spicy Fragrance
Nothing evokes a hip New York bistro in the '90s quite like the D.S. & Durga Bistro Waters Eau de Parfum ($190), and a look at the scent breakdown tells you why. Hints of pear, lime, bell pepper, nutmeg, and basil (to name a few) read more like a prep cook's grocery list, but when blended together like a restaurant-quality dish, they create a fresh and nuanced fragrance that would work with anyone's palette.
D.S. & Durga Bistro Waters Eau de Parfum
Best Fresh Fragrance
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine
Eau de Parfum
Best Floral Fragrance
The Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine Eau de Parfum ($95) is giving that BJE (big jasmine energy). It’s the first — and last — thing we smelled when we spritzed this on, but it’s somehow just the right amount of floral and bright to not be overpowering. It’s like strolling through a flower garden on a sunny spring day.
We’re big believers in fragrance as a mood booster, and thanks to the Being Frenshe Hair, Body & Linen Mist ($15), we can extend that ethos to every aspect of our lives. Yes, the multipurpose mist smells amazing on hair and skin, but our favorite way to use it is on our bedding. The scent lasted for days, and every time we rolled over in bed, we got a fresh whiff.
Being Frenshe Hair, Body & Linen Mist
Best Fragrance Mist
If cozy were a smell, it would be the
Jo Malone London Lavender & Moonflower Diffuser ($105). Placed in our bathrooms, the soft scent of English lavender, white musk, and moonflower created a super-serene space for our nighttime skin-care routines and got us mentally and physically ready for bed.
Jo Malone London Lavender
& Moonflower Diffuser
Best Diffuser
Homecourt Cece Candle
Best Candle
Thank you, Courteney Cox, for giving the world a santal candle that doesn’t cost more than a yearly car payment. This Homecourt Cece Candle ($60) envelops our entire homes in the smoky, rich, and warm scent we love, and the kiln-fired vessel looks stunning in any room.