Perfume rollerballs and travel-size sprays get all the love and attention where on-the-go fragrance is concerned, but we’re here to say solid perfumes are the best, most underrated way to keep your signature scent beautifully intact all day long.
Not only are solid perfumes pint-size and effortlessly compatible with even the teeniest of tiny handbags, but they’re also spill-proof and laced with truly skin-loving ingredients (think lush oils like coconut, sweet almond, jojoba, and more) that kill two birds with one stone by moisturizing your skin and dosing you with fragrance. Oh, and did we mention the super-chic packaging? We love that so many of our favorite solid perfumes are meticulously packaged in the prettiest, most display-worthy compacts—from seashells to charms to gold-encrusted adornments. Below, we’re sharing nine of the best-smelling solid perfumes along with the formulas they pair magically with. Keep scrolling!
Key fragrance notes: pink pepper, sandalwood, tuberose, and vanilla. A pint-size token straight from France, this solid perfume from Sabé Masson is ultra special and something no one else in your circle will have.
Key fragrance notes: amber/patchouli accord, rose, cinnamon, and black-currant buds. We highly recommend this solid version of one of our all-time favorite fragrances from Diptyque that is juicy, warm, and a little bit spicy. For long-lasting wear, the brand recommends you apply on your main pulse points (like the wrists, the insides of your elbows, the base of your neck, behind your ears, and atop your décolleté).
Key fragrance notes: bergamot, fig, bay leaves, cedarwood, vetiver, musk, and black tea leaves. The ingredients this solid perfume from Le Labo is made out of are almost as decadent as the classic, velvety scent. With sensitive skin in mind, it’s alcohol-free and utilizes a hydrating blend of coconut, sweet almond, and soybean oils.
Key fragrance notes: mandarin, basil, and amberwood. Lime Basil & Mandarin is one of Jo Malone’s most signature scents, and they have a lot! We love the idea of throwing this in our tiniest purse, gym bag, or duffel and bringing it anywhere our post-quarantine travels take us.
Key fragrance notes: jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, benzoin, sandalwood, orris, and vanilla. Trust us. It doesn’t get any more decadent than this rich, stunning scent that beautifully amplifies once you’ve applied it to your pulse points. It boasts a stunning melding of jasmine sambac, benzoin, and white ambers, and thanks to ingredients like jojoba oil and beeswax, dry skin will lap it up. (You can even apply it to the parched ends of your hair!)
Key fragrance notes: geranium, vetiver, ylang-ylang, lavender, and patchouli. As if the stunning seashell compact wasn’t enough to get you to pull out your credit card, this organic, botanical-based fragrance will seal the deal. The brand makes multiple scents, but this is our favorite floral profile. In fact, the ingredients are so healing you can dab it on as an impromptu scar treatment.
Key fragrance notes: gardenia, tea leaves, sweet orange, and jasmine. Not only do we love this solid perfume thanks to its clean, nontoxic ingredients, but we also love it because it is easy on the wallet, is handbag-ready, and is the next best thing to a tropical vacay in Tahiti. Plus, it will leave a pretty trail of shimmer wherever you choose to apply it. (It’s amazing across the chest and over the collarbones!)
Key fragrance notes: lilies, white peonies, jasmine, and baie rose. Solid perfumes reign supreme when it comes to stunning packaging. We’re beyond smitten with how vanity-friendly this limited-edition perfume compact is from fragrance and beauty legend Estée Lauder. And the scent is just as covetable. (Evelyn Lauder created it back in 1995!)
Key fragrance notes: strawberry, vanilla, lavender, sage. To be completely honest, it feels impossible to choose just one solid perfume from Lush’s drool-inducing array of natural and vegan scents. That said, we’re partial to this retro-inspired fragrance, which channels vintage-milkshake vibes thanks to strawberry, vanilla, lavender, and sage.
Up next, Wearing This Cult-Loved Perfume Brand Practically Guarantees Compliments. This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
