In my experience, there are two types of perfumes. The first is what I call a “slow-burn” scent. You might not be sure about it at first, but gradually, you find yourself coming back for more. Eventually, you realize you’re in deep, and it’s become one of your favorite fragrances. The second is the instant-connection type. You fall in love at first sniff, and you might even adopt it as a signature scent. Recently, though, I’ve realized there’s a third type. I call it the compliment-magnet category.
These perfumes are bound to bring you endless compliments from friends, family members, and even strangers passing on the street. Whatever you want to call it—innate popularity or universal allure—these scents have it. And it just so happens that some of the most tried-and-true, attention-grabbing ones can be found at Nordstrom. That’s why I thought it was high time we deliver a shopping guide of sorts. Ahead, we’ve put together a list of the 13 Nordstrom perfumes with the highest compliment-earning potential, per five scent-obsessed WWW editors.
BYREDO
Casablanca Lily Extrait De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Plum, gardenia, carnation, Indian tuberose
If we see this perfume sitting on your vanity, we’ll know you’re a total scent savant. Byredo’s Casablanca Lily is an IYKYK perfume that doesn’t get as much hype as its other concoctions (notably Gypsy Water, Mojave Ghost, and Bal d’Afrique), yet earns all the compliments. That’s according to WWW’s beauty director Erin Jahns, who counts it as one of her all-time favorite Byredo elixirs.
It’s part of the brand’s highly concentrated Night Veils collection. The brand says it evokes mystery, sensuality, and nocturnal beauty. As such, notes of plum, gardenia, carnation, Indian tuberose, rosewood, and honey ‘gradually unveil themselves like petals unfolding in the stillness of night.’ It’s modern, unique, and intoxicating.
Amouage Guidance Eau de Parfum
AMOUAGE
Guidance Eau De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Pear, frankincense, hazelnut, saffron, rose, jasmine sambac, osmanthus, cistus, sandalwood, akigalawood, ambergris, vanilla
If you love perfumes that are rich, elegant, and statement-making, yet not heady or overwhelming, you’ll love Amouage’s Guidance Eau de Parfum. It’s a punchy blend of fruity, nutty, woody, and floral notes: pear, hazelnut, vanilla, sandalwood, rose, and jasmine. I think the brand puts it best (albeit rather lyrically) when it says the spellbinding scent “reads like a poem, smells like an embrace, and feels like a word of wisdom.” WWW senior beauty editor, Jamie Schneider, says it’s one of her favorite fragrances, and she can smell it on anyone. No wonder it won a coveted Who What Wear 100 beauty award.
D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What
D.S. & Durga
I Don’t Know What
Fragrance notes: Bergamot essence, iso E Super, vetiver acetate, civetone, firsantol, ambrox super
Technically a “fragrance enhancer” rather than a traditional perfume, this formula is meant to be layered with other scents to create a certain, as the French say, “Je ne sais quoi,” or “I don’t know what.” See what they did there?
Even though it’s designed to be layered with other perfumes, the WWW beauty team doesn’t hesitate to wear it all by itself. It opens on a burst of bergamot (a floral-citrus note that evokes an expensive Italian villa IMO), before drying down to a fresh, your-skin-but-better scent. It’s barely there, the ideal formula for someone who wants their fragrance to whisper, rather than shout.
Perfumehead
Cosmic Cowboy Extrait De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Cinnamon bark, tobacco leaf, cacao blanc, black musk
Both Jahns and Schneider count Cosmic Cowboy as one of the most highly complimented perfumes in their (very comprehensive) fragrance wardrobes. It’s smoky, hazy, and sultry—an evocation of the Sunset Strip in the ’70s. “Glitter and grit in equal measure,” it’s a decadent scent with an edge.
The warm cinnamon bark, velvety suede, and creamy tonka bean notes are the flirty smile that lets you skip the line at the venue. Hazy tobacco leaf, sultry black musk, and boozy whisky notes are the rebellious edge that gets you backstage with the band. It’s a fragrance like nothing else. Or, as the brand puts it, “an invitation to come through a velvet haze, where neon is visible through smoke.”
Parfums de Marly Delina Eau de Parfum
Parfums de Marly
Delina Eau De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Rhubarb, lychee, bergamot essence, Turkish rose, peony, vanilla, cashmeran, musk, vetiver
WWW associate beauty editor, Alyssa Brascia, names this iconic perfume as one of her favorite and most complimented elixirs. While it’s perhaps one of the most recognizable perfumes on the market (thanks in no small part to Instagram and TikTok), it still collects consistent compliments whenever we wear it. Brascia calls it “powdery chic,” due to its fruity-floral notes of lychee, bergamot, rose, and peony. If that descriptor throws you off, it shouldn’t. It’s not powdery in an ancient, outdated way. It’s powdery in a soft, feminine, Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette way.
Parfums de Marly Valaya Exclusif Parfum
Parfums de Marly
Valaya Exclusif Parfum
Fragrance notes: Almond, bergamot, mandarin, orange blossom, white flowers, powdery facets, akigalawood, sandalwood, Ambroxan, vanilla
Honestly, this perfume is on the same level as Delina, or, dare I say…even better. It has a light, airy quality, thanks to almond and white flower notes. Then, there’s a splash of citrus from bergamot, mandarin, and orange blossom. Lastly, warm, creamy notes linger, namely akigalawood, sandalwood, and vanilla. It’s soft! It’s tender! It’s ethereal! As one Nordstrom reviewer put it, “I am convinced that this is what angels smell like.”
Chloé Atelier Des Fleurs Cedrus Intense Eau de Parfum
Chloé
Atelier Des Fleurs Cedrus Intense Eau de Parfum
Fragrance notes: Cardamom, crushed leaves, lemon, rose, cypriol, sand vetiver, cedarwood, ambrofix, akigalawood
You know a perfume is exceptional when a beauty editor personally backs it. You know it’s extraordinary when a beauty editor wears it on her wedding day. That, dear reader, is the case with Chloé’s Atelier Des Fleurs Cedrus Intense Eau de Parfum. Schneider, who was every ounce the glowing bride, wore it to walk down the aisle. It’s Chloé-girl chic, being equal parts luminous, woody, and musky.
Perfumehead
Somewhere Extrait De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Nerolia, galbanum, jasmine, oakmoss
I’d like to submit another Perfumehead pick for consideration. Let me introduce you to Somewhere Extrait De Parfum. It’s inspired by being OOO in an unnamed place (not here, but somewhere!). It’s lush, languid, and has a “soaked sense of escape.” To me, this perfume is an oxymoron. It’s sparkling yet “dense,” fresh yet humid. It smells like sunlight filtering through leaves and warming your skin. Or, reclining in a dew-covered cabana outside a luxury resort. Warm, sunny, and wistful, it’s an underrated perfume that gets me so many “You smell incredible” compliments.
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne
Jo Malone
Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne
Fragrance notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage
The WWW beauty team loves this iconic English perfume, as does the internet as a whole. It’s an ever-popular pick, thanks to a fresh, crisp, and airy quality—something that Jo Malone does exceptionally well. I wear it whenever I want to smell fresh and clean, yet in a sophisticated (not detergent-like) way. Jahns once famously described it as smelling like “an ocean-salted nymph living off the coast of England.” It was such a spot-on description that it hasn’t left my head since.
Bvlgari Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial 150 Eau de Toilette
BVLGARI
Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial 150 Eau De Toilette
Fragrance notes: Sri Lankan black tea and Italian citrus
This perfume is a study of empire—no, really. It’s inspired by the historic tea rituals of China and the citrus fruits of Imperial Rome. The “East and West” collision is simple, yet impactful. It’s sparkling, radiant, and downright royal, which is why Brascia names it as one of her favorite perfumes.
Prada Les Infusions Infusion De Santal Chai Eau De Parfum
Prada
Les Infusions Infusion De Santal Chai Eau De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Chai latte accord, sandalwood, musk
Brascia also loves this tea-inspired perfume. Prada’s Infusion De Santal Chai is a woody, spicy scent that’s warm and comforting, just like the drink that inspired it. First, you get the spicy warmth of chai latte accord. Then, you detect creamy sandalwood and second-skin musk. A hint of fresh citrus and cardamom punctuates it with a vibrant brightness. The inviting scent is sure to make people lean in and lend you more than a few compliments.
Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau de Parfum
Carolina Herrera
Good Girl Eau De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Sambac jasmine, tuberose crystal, velvet almond, tonka bean, cocoa, coffee
WWW’s assistant beauty editor Sabrina Talbert recommends this perfume, and I’m inclined to agree. Sure, the signature stiletto’d packaging is worthy of display, but the I guarantee you’ll be enhanted by the elixir found inside. The warm floral fragrance is based on a strong note of jasmine. Elegant tuberose, velvety almond, and creamy tonka bean round it out. On the dry down, expect the dark cocoa and coffee notes to bloom; they give a sultry wink to the “good girl” name.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold Eau de Parfum
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Gentle Fluidity Gold Eau De Parfum
Fragrance notes: Juniper berries oil, nutmeg oil, coriander seeds oil, musks, ambery woods, vanilla blend
Vanilla seems to be an almost universally loved fragrance note, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Gentle Fluidity Gold Eau De Parfum is an example of an exceptional vanilla-based scent. The perfume’s smooth vanilla blend is enhanced with musks and ambery woods, so it reads as warm, inviting, and alluring. It might not get the same hype as MFK’s Baccarat Rouge 540, but it deserves it. In fact, Brascia says it’s “way better IMO.”
