I am the first to admit that I can (sometimes) be a bit of a snob. I like to imagine that, as a beauty journalist, I remain totally impartial every time I try a new product but if I said that I’d be lying to both you and myself. In reality, I am just as much put off by certain product characteristics as the next person—and this is truer than ever when it comes to perfume.
As a general rule, I like my perfumes to be sleek, chic, and expensive-smelling. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the fragrances should be expensive, mind you, they just have to smell that way. Having said that, I’m also one of the most shallow perfume lovers I know. Truthfully, I should know better than to judge a book by its cover when it comes to beauty products, however, unless a perfume bottle looks understated and chic, I immediately write it off as something I’m going to dislike. This is something that has proved particularly hard to overcome with Carolina Herrera perfumes.
I’m ashamed to admit this but I’ve actively avoided Carolina Herrera perfumes for most of my professional life. The gaudy bottles and über-glam branding is so far from my usual tastes that I’ve turned my nose up at the notion of wearing the brand’s fragrances more than once. But not too long ago I caught a whiff of someone wearing a perfume that piqued my interest. I asked after it and was informed it was Carolina Herrera. A fragrance from the brand’s luxury line, no doubt, I thought. Alas, it was none other than the brand’s iconic (and more affordable) CH. I was intrigued.
Since then, I have felt more inclined to give some of the brand’s other fragrances the benefit of the doubt. In a bid to get over my perfume snobbery, I decided to try every Carolina Herrera fragrance out there. Maybe, I thought, if I could love a perfume in a bottle I deem to be ugly, I could get over my chronic snobbery. And shockingly, I found I liked a whole bunch of them more than I thought I would. Keep scrolling to discover the 10 best Carolina Herrera perfumes, as ranked by me.
Key notes red currant, lychee, rose, lily, vanilla bourbon, vetiver. Off the bat, I’d like to address this bottle. It is Herrera’s Good Girl fragrances that cause me deep distress as a minimalist fragrance lover. Put the juices into a simple square bottle and chances are I’ll like them a whole lot more. That’s not to say these bottles are ugly, mind you. I totally appreciate the design in that it’s clever and glamorous, but glamorous I am not. In all honesty, I had never smelled this perfume before I decided to embark on my Carolina Herrera fragrance adventure—and it’s good. Sweet and nose-tickling but undeniably magnetising, it’s the sort of perfume I’d want to pick up and douse myself with before a night on the town.
Key notes grapefruit, neroli, aloe vera, ylang ylang, coconut, raspberry, vanilla Namibian myrrh, sandalwood. If it’s sweet, zingy, fresh, and totally carefree scents that you’re into, trust me when I say you’ll want a slice of this. What’s inside is perfume bottle is remarkably expensive smelling (you’ll spot this as a theme throughout this review). At first, it’s mouthwateringly sweet, but not in a heady or sickly sort of way—more like a refreshing slurp of raspberry lemonade on a hot day. After a few minutes, it dries down into a beautifully warm, moreish scent that works equally as well during the colder months as it does throughout summer.
Key notes Bulgarian rose, jasmine sambac, orange blossom, praline, cinnamon, bergamot, lemon, sandalwood, cedarwood, cashmere, patchouli, amber, transparent musk. The first time I smelled this fragrance I was working as beauty editor for a popular department store. We had bi-annual meetings with brands to discover their upcoming launches. The main agenda for these meetings was for the buyers to determine quantities and for marketing teams to make a plan of action for ‘big-moment’ launches. The meeting in which Good Girl was introduced to me (and the buyers) for the first time will stick with me forever. I remember seeing the bottle and knowing it was going to be a bestseller for years to come—and I was right. This bottle has become an icon. What’s inside it is equally as iconic, too. It’s powerful, point-making, and beautifully warm. I vividly remember a male colleague walking past the room in which we had the meeting and had been spraying this frivolously into the air—he stopped in his tracks, looked at me and said, “What is that?!” And that sums up the beauty of Good Girl.
Key notes vanilla, tonka bean, gardenia, musk, passion fruit, rum. My main issue with this perfume bottle isn’t the way that it looks but instead it’s total impracticality. It doesn’t stand up. The good news though, is that the perfume itself is divine. It’s fresh and sparkling but in a warming sort of way. It’s the sort of perfume to reach for when you’re on the fence about going out—it’s guaranteed to make you want to throw on some heels and enjoy yourself.
Key notes Thai oud, myrrh, jasmine, saffron, olive, osmanthus, freesia, akigalawood, musk, sandalwood, patchouli. This perfume is truly special. The only reason I have ranked it to sit in the bottom half of this list is because I know how divisive oud can be as an aroma. As a beauty editor with an affinity for scent, I’d be a fool if I denied the beauty of oud fragrances. Do I wear them often? Not really. I do, however, go weak at the knees whenever I catch a waft of someone wearing a really expensive-smelling oud fragrance—and that’s what True Oud is. It has all of the smoky depth you would associate with oud but this particular blend comes with a hit of marine-like freshness that has you dreaming of sun-drenched afternoons meandering Middle-Eastern souks.
Key notes tuberose, orange flower, vanilla. If you haven’t smelled tuberose in a fragrance before, let me shed some light for you. It is, in my opinion, one of the most distinctive olfactory notes out there. It’s heavy, floral, and a little bit soapy. While I simply adore the smell of tuberose, I struggle to wear it in perfume as I find after a little while it can be overbearing. This fragrance, however, gets it so right. With orange flower, it has a lightness to it that makes it feel fresh, while vanilla delivers a creaminess that has it sinking into the skin. When I’m craving a bit of luxury, it’s this I want to have on hand.
Key notes bergamot, grapefruit, Bulgarian rose, jasmine sambac, praline, patchouli. The perfume that started this whole thing, CH is, if you’re asking me, a fragrance feat. It’s everything I want to be. It’s undeniably fresh, fruity, and tropical but then transforms into a comforting, chocolately scent. My only regret when it comes to Carolina Herrera fragrances is that I didn’t smell this sooner.
Key notes cardamom, pink pepper, liquorice, cacao, vanilla bourbon, patchouli, cashmere wood. The chances that you have ever smelled a perfume quite like this are slim—as they should be when you’re forking out £235 for a 100ml fragrance. It’s the sort of scent that has your brain totally muddled. If you’re looking for a perfume that evokes a sense of nostalgic escapism, this isn’t it. Instead, it’s a head-turning, question-raising beauty. Imagine the sweetness of liquorice, the freshness of pink pepper, the warming sensation of coffee, and the earthiness of patchouli hitting your nose all at once. It’s the sort of perfume suited best for people that like to cause a stir and is incredibly difficult to dislike.
Key notes champagne rosé, peach blossom, amber, queenwood. The reason this sits so high on this list is because, considering the price, it smells unbelievably expensive and good. It’s fresh and light on the nose, with a Champagne-like effervescence, but it’s rich-smelling in a way that makes you want to go back for more every single time you smell it. Oh, and unlike the original 212 VIP, the bottle stands up on it’s own.
Key notes Immortelle, liquorice, cacao, vanilla, myrrh. Bitter, warm, and a little bit chocolatey, Gold Myrrh Absolute is potentially one of the most divine perfumes I have ever smelled. The gleaming gold bottle had me concerned at first, but I couldn’t be more in love with the scent if I tried. As someone that doesn’t typically like gourmand scents, this was a shocker. It’s the sort of perfume that makes you melt when you smell it. A single inhale has you enveloped in a blanket of comfort that you’ll never want to leave. The thing that makes this so special, I believe, is that while warm and rich scents of its kind typically leave you feeling overwhelmed, Gold Myrrh Absolute has a long-lasting freshness that keeps it light on the senses but lingering on the mind.
This mascara delivers lift and length that won’t smudge even a little bit, no matter how long you wear it for.
All Carolina Herrera makeup is designed to bridge the gap between beauty and fashion, meaning you can accessorise all of your CH makeup products. This eye charm is the perfect addition to the mascara tube.
With a thin, lightweight texture, these sheer lipsticks are beautifully wearable.
Available in a variety of bright and fun designs, there’s a lipstick cap for every mood and taste.
The best way to accessorise your lipstick? A colourful tassel, of course.
Fed up of losing your lipstick in your bag? Add this bangle to your bullet so that it doubles up as a key ring.
If you’re after a natural-looking highlight that packs one hell of a glowing punch, look no further.
I’ll admit, this compact is probably one of the chicest I have ever seen. It oozes luxury.
Level up your compact game with this luxury charm.
