I Swear, Wearing These Quietly Understated Perfumes Makes Me Seem More Sophisticated
From understated fragrances to skin scents, these demure perfumes whisper elegance.
When it comes to recommending the best perfumes, it's not always about the most long-lasting fragrances or most-complimented scents. In fact, many people want quiet, demure perfumes that don't walk into the room before they do. Instead, I often get asked about delicate perfumes that cling closely to the skin. There's a reason why skin scents have been a huge fragrance trend over the past couple of years, and while there's absolutely an appetite for the loud and proud fragrances, there's equal demand for soft, quiet scents that gently linger.
There can be many reasons for wanting a demure perfume. Firstly, it can come down to taste. Not everyone wants a gourmand perfume that leaves a powerful scented trail wherever they walk. Perhaps you favour lightweight perfumes, clean-smelling fragrances or citrus notes that don't announce themselves, but create a halo of scent that stays close to the skin.
Secondly, it can also be down to your circumstances. Perhaps you work in a small office or medical environment where it can feel inappropriate to wear a bold perfume. Some of my best friends often suffer with migraines, and so I choose to wear scents that won't trigger them (we've got a whole guide on perfumes for migraine sufferers, if that's you). Having a demure perfume on standby can see you through many situations and occasions when you want to smell quietly confident, so I've rounded up some of the best demure perfumes I've tested myself.
Best Demure Perfumes
Key notes: Iso E Super
There's no way that I can write about demure perfumes without mentioning Escentric Molecules Molecule 01. I'd describe it as a "silent" perfume, because it doesn't really smell of anything distinctive, but it creates a certain aura around the wearer. It's comprised of just one note, Iso E Super, which is a fragrance molecule that smells a bit different on everyone, but it has a dry, woody-amber scent with a transparent quality to it. Whenever I wear it, I sometimes can't smell it, but hours later, I'll catch a waft of it once again. It's really a perfume that hovers above the skin and doesn't smell like a traditional perfume, making it great for occasions or environments when you don't want to overwhelm the senses of those around you. Plus, you can also use it as a fragrance enhancer to elevate your usual perfume.
Key notes: Sweet violet, palo santo, frankincense, myrrh, ambrox
I already adore the original Glossier You perfume, but one of the newer iterations, Glossier You Doux, is one of the best scents to try if you're after a demure perfume. It's underpinned by the same musky, creamy scent of the original that makes it smell like a comforting embrace, but is paired with woody palo santo and warming myrrh that gives it a more understated, grown-up profile. It's musky, airy, a little spicy, but never overwhelming.
Key notes: Bergamot, ambrette, pear, aldehydes, jasmine, rose, orris, rosemary, violet, vanilla, musk, moss
Merit's Retrospect perfume is a really special fragrance, as it manages to straddle being both a subtle skin scent and a long-lasting perfume. Because of its extrait blend, which features a high percentage of fragrance, more so than an eau de parfum, it has great longevity, but isn't a fragrance that wafts around you. But you can still detect it on your skin hours later. In terms of its scent, I'd describe it as the fragrance version of gold jewellery. It's sparkling and radiant, hugs close to the skin and is incredibly classy. Trust me, you won't regret buying it.
Key notes: Aldehyde, rose centifolia, peony, violet, musks, sandalwood
As Byredo perfumes go, I'd say that Blanche is the most demure perfume in its collection. It smells like a white T-shirt, or freshly laundered linen bedsheets that have been air-dried in the sunshine, which feels cool and crisp against your skin. It's quietly sophisticated and a really clean-smelling perfume. One spritz lingers gently and makes you feel like you just emerged from the shower all day long.
Key notes: White musks, mimosa, blonde woods accord, rice steam accord
When I don't know what perfume to wear, nine times out of 10, I'll wear this beautiful Diptyque perfume when I want to smell demure. L'Eau Papier is inspired by paper, and it might sound odd, but it smells exactly like a sheet of grained watercolour paper you might find in a luxurious paper atelier. It's smooth, musky and a little creamy, with an unexpected but undeniably addictive rice steam accord, which gives the musky profile an uplifting creaminess that unfurls from the skin. It's subtle, but feels like burying your nose in the delicate sweetness of the pages in a well-loved book. It's one of the most unique perfumes I've tried, and it never fails to make me feel sophisticated.
Key notes: Rose, violet, orange blossom, peach, sandalwood, vanilla, musk
This fragrance is a firm favourite of theBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing
UK team. Imagine the most expensive laundry powder you could buy, and this is it, bottled. It's fresh, clean-smelling and powdery in the most elegant and modern of ways. You only need a small spritz, and it lasts for hours on end, but it never feels too much. The floral-musk scent makes it appropriate for any occasion, and it goes with every outfit. Think of it as the white shirt of your fragrance wardrobe.
Key notes: Sea salt, neroli, mandarin, musk
This unassuming M&S perfume is one of my favourite affordable perfumes I reach for when I want to smell demure. It has a simple composition, primarily of sea salt and citrus notes, but smells ten times its price tag. It's refreshing and zesty, like breathing in fresh, ocean air on the Amalfi coastline that's dotted with orange groves. It's not the most long-lasting perfume I've tried, but with that price tag, I'm more than happy to re-spritz every few hours, and it never overwhelms my nose.
Key notes: Bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, nympheal, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix, musk
If you want a demure floral perfume, I'd be remiss to not recommend Valaya by Parfums de Marly, which is easily amongst my favourite perfumes of all time, and is one of the most elegant perfume launches in recent years. It's an airy, ethereal floral with a cloud-like, fuzzy peach skin-quality that mingles with enveloping citrus and smooth musk. You only need one spritz and it really lasts. I've applied it first thing in the morning, to then be complimented on it nearly six hours later. If you want to smell goddess-like, this is the perfume to go for.
Key notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage
Last, but certainly not least, I'd recommend any of Jo Malone London's fragrances. Most of its fragrances are colognes, which, by their nature, are lighter and evanescent, meaning you can mist them with abandon without overdoing it. But the most demure scent, IMO, is Wood Sage
Sea Salt. The crunchiness of sea salt lends a breezy, marine quality, whilst the woody sage becomes one with your skin.
