If you’re looking for a new signature scent for Valentine’s Day, or want a great gift to give your loved one, I put 7 perfumes to the test to see which came out as the winner
It’s a well known fact that scent is one of the most powerful senses, able to revoke memories and emotions with a single whiff. That’s why picking the perfect perfume can be such an important decision.
Whether you’re looking for a new fragrance to commemorate a special occasion, looking to change up your signature scent ready for Valentine’s Day, or just want one that’s going to make a great present for your other half, I’ve put several to the test to see which ones came out on top. From top brands like Burberry and Carolina Herrera to new launches from Juliette Has a Gun, I’ve tried every single one – and there’s one that stood out as a true favourite.
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Burberry Her
A great bold, adventurous perfume, this is a top choice for spring. It has fruity notes of strawberry, blueberry and blackberry, heart notes of jasmine accord and violet accord and base notes of white woods, musk and dry amber. I loved this scent, but it felt more like a day time scent than something I would wear for date night or a big occasion like Valentine’s Day.
Available at The Perfume Shop for £42.39 (was £95), and Boots for £76.
Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl Elixir
Few bottles are quite as iconic as Carolina Herrera’s stiletto-shaped ones, but that’s exactly what makes this a great choice for Valentine’s Day. The newly launched Very Good Girl Elixir has a great combination of sweet and sultry scents, including top notes of black cherry and bitter almond, heart notes of tuberose and vanilla, and base notes that include vanilla and cocoa. It smells fab – but it’s not my top choice.
Available at The Perfume Shop for £90.41 (was £113) for 50ml, or LookFantastic £115.60 (was £136) for 100ml.
Ariana Grande Lovenotes Vanilla Suede
This is up there as one of my favourite perfumes thanks to its sweet, sugary scent. Bonus points for being affordable, it blends Italian bergamot with heart notes of creamy sandalwood and rice milk, whilst the base notes of vanilla beans and liquid musks stop it from smelling too sickly. Whilst this is one of my overall favourite perfumes, it loses points as I don’t find it lasts quite as long as others – and I don’t want to spend half of my Valentine’s night topping up my perfume.
Available at LookFantastic for £75 for £120ml.
Juliette Has a Gun
As this cult-favourite brand has only recently launched in the UK, I couldn’t resist putting several of its scents to the test and, spoiler alert, one of them is my top Valentine’s Day choice.
I tested the Vanilla Vibes, Lipstick Fever, Lili Fantasy, and Lust For Sun scents with each having a different scent profile. Firstly, all four had great staying power – I only needed to spray them before leaving the house and I could still smell them at the end of the day.
Vanilla Vibes has a top note of sea salt, heart notes of natural vanilla absolute and orchid absolute, with base notes of tonka bean absolute, sandalwood absolute, brown musk and bezoin absolute. It’s rich, creamy and sweet – a great romantic, feminine scent.
Lipstick Fever was a great sultry evening scent, with gourmand notes that have historically been used in lipsticks. Raspberry, violet, patchouli and vanilla make up the main notes in this scent, and it’s a deeper, headier scent with a bit of sweetness.
Lili Fantasy is for those who like a delicate, feminine and floral perfume. Bubblegum, jasmine, amber and ambroxan are the scents included in this fragrance, with sweet, delicate hints that come and go throughout the day.
My winner: Lust for Sun came out on top as my absolute favourite. It’s not what you would classically expect from a romantic, Valentine’s-worthy perfume, however its summery notes are exactly why I picked it as my top choice. It gives you that free, relaxed, adventurous vibe that you associate with sunshine and travel – exactly how I want to feel in a romantic setting. It has top notes of bergamot, coconut and freesia, heart notes of gardenia, monoi, orange blossom and ylang ylang, with base notes of Ambroxan, musks and vanilla – quite literally a summer holiday in a bottle.
All Juliette Has a Gun perfumes are available at Space NK at £130 for a 100ml bottle, £100 for a 50ml bottle and £25 for a 7.5ml bottle.
