Aside from narrowing down a fragrance selection from a favorite brand along with your preferred bouquet of notes, one of the most important aspects of scent selection is its staying power. The best long-lasting perfumes exclusively feature ingredients that stay put, lasting well beyond its first few spritzes. These scents don't just linger on your clothing all day but also last on the skin until they're completely showered off.
Shop the Best Long-Lasting Perfumes
Professionals explain that it's important to keep the fragrance categories you're drawn to top of mind when shopping for one of the best long-lasting perfumes. Clayton Ilolahia, evaluation and communications manager at Fragrances of the World, tells Bazaar that fresh scents with dominant fruit or green notes tend to have less staying power. He advises sticking with fragrances in the amber or woody families instead that contain notes like oud, leather, and amber.
If you're searching for a fragrance that's in it for the long haul, round out your rotation with a few of the following long-lasting perfumes experts and editors swear by from Chanel, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Glossier, and more.
The patchouli leaf at the base of Mugler's beloved Angel perfume is what lingers on your skin, along with its notes of bergamot and red fruit. And as a bonus, the fragrance's iconic star-shaped bottle stands out on any countertop.
- Notes: bergamot, red fruits, patchouli
One satisfied customer writes: "A strong scent! Only two sprays were enough for all day on my wrists. The initial scent had an almost black licorice gourmand smell that isn't my favorite. As it dried down, it developed a very pleasant, warm, caramel-y spice." —Maggs0
Out of all Chanel's most beloved scents, their ambery Coco Noir eau de parfum provides a deeper combination of frutiy-floral notes, including bergamot and May rose. The fragrance also blends together gourmand and woody notes like tonka bean and patchouli, which give it its staying power.
- Notes: bergamot, May rose, geranium rose leaf, Venezuelan tonka bean, Indonesian patchouli
One satisfied customer writes: "I love Coco I have been using it for many years. I bought the smaller bottle so I can take it with me when I fly." —Chanel Client
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
In European perfumery, extrait de parfum is traditionally the highest concentration of fragrance landing around 30 percent, according to Ilolahia. "In the Middle East and parts of South Asia, they have practices that date back thousands of years which are 100 percent concentration," he says. Luxury perfume house, Amouage, recently launched its Attar collection, inspired by these ancient practices. Its Rose Aqor Attar scent has a pure rose oil base paired with frankincense and sandalwood.
- Notes: rose, frankincense, sandalwood
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum
Baccarat Rouge 540 eau de parfum from Maison Francis Kurkdjian has already reached stratospheric popularity with no signs of slowing down. This extrait de parfum is a lasting blend of grandiflorum jasmine, saffron, bitter almond, cedarwood, and more means a little goes a long way.
- Notes: grandiflorum jasmine, saffron, ambergris, bitter almond, cedarwood, musky woody accord
One satisfied customer writes: "So Fab!! Last over 12hrs I love this perfume." —Sherrida B.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Frédéric Malle
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Perfume
You probably won't even consider layering this robust scent from Frédéric Malle. Portrait of a Lady has an extra-strong blend of rose essence and patchouli heart notes that only gets better as they dry down.
- Notes: rose, blackcurrant, raspberry, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, frankincense
One satisfied customer writes: "Love everything about this perfume including name. Great scent for spring. Makes you feel awake and empowered!" —NA
Glossier's You parfum is meant to tap into your body chemistry to create a perfume that's unique to you. Its juice is intentionally heavy on the base notes of iris root and white florals so that as it dries down, more of you shines through.
- Notes: pink pepper, ambrox, iris, ambrette seeds
One satisfied customer writes: "I get so many compliments on this stuff! it’s creamy, yet rich and a little spicy but just has the best smell ever i definitely recommend!!" —Hailey B.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Tom Ford's warm and spicy Tobacco Vanille scent delivers just the right mix of musky and gourmand notes. It also has an unexpected hint of ginger to balance the two out.
- Notes: tobacco leaf, vanilla, ginger
One satisfied customer writes: "Such a beautiful spicy vanilla scent. This smells expensive and warm and delicious." —zoozooooo
With an oud note as the star of this warm gourmand fragrance, it's almost impossible for the popular scent not to last through the workday. Its rich oud is also nicely balanced with a blend of vanilla and praline.
- Notes: vanilla, praline, oud
One satisfied customer writes: "Such a unique vanilla. I have nothing like it and it’s a perfect beginner oud. It’s a very smooth deep and woody vanilla. I can definitely smell the oud and it gives it complexity and depth. I get six to eight hours on my skin." —Bkoneandonly82
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Casablanca's warm and toasty notes of cardamom, suede, and amber feel like a hug against skin. Its top and middle notes of marshmallow and vanilla give the scent's spicy, smoky details a hint of sweetness without smelling overly sugary.
- Notes: marshmallow, cardamom, incense, saffron, soft suede, vanilla orchid, glowing amber, soft musks, sandalwood
One satisfied customer writes: "Ok, all the girls online have been going crazy over this one so I took the plunge (what can I say, I'm easily influenced when we're talking about the newest viral scent). This does not disappoint. It really has a note combination I haven't experienced before. It's warm, slightly gourmand, and has a suede-like finish that makes it super unforgettable and elegant." —Izzy88
Kilian's Love, Don't Be Shy, balances its warm floral orange blossom with gourmand notes of vanilla absolute and marshmallow. While a little on the sweeter side, the scent isn't overpowering and adds an extra touch of intrigue to a traditionally straightforward scent profile.
- Notes: orange blossom, vanilla absolute, marshmallow
One satisfied customer writes: "Love this. It has a boozy, marshmallow scent with faint floral. I get compliments on this one. The price point is a bit much though. I did not love this at first. I thought it to be a bit strong. But I let it sit and tried again later on and loved it. For me it lasts a long time." —kellymarie76
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Each fragrance from Maison Margiela Paris speaks to a core memory of a specific place and time from its perfumer. By the Fireplace scent likely smells exactly how you might expect. A blend of clove oil, chestnut accord, and vanilla combine to form a blend of wearable notes that hold a bit of smokiness.
- Notes: clove oil, chestnut accord, vanilla accord
One satisfied customer writes: "Love the smoky, woodsy fire smell that pulls you into to the rich vanilla. Lasts and subtly softens as the day goes on." —MandaMK
There's a reason why this fragrance is almost always sold out. Primary notes of magnolia, musk, and Bulgarian rose mesh with a fruity blend of tangerine and blueberry to make Rihanna's namesake perfume a truly intoxicating fragrance that hangs on to whatever it touches. And as a bonus, the scent is also available as a body cream for expert layering.
- Notes: magnolia, musk, Bulgarian rose
One satisfied customer writes: "I absolutely love this fragrance. It smells so heavenly. I think initially it smells very musky, but every note meshes perfectly after about 10 minutes of spraying it on/letting it sit. Spraying it in the air to smell doesn't do it any justice." —itsacp
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
If floral scents are your fragrance lane, Ellis Brooklyn's Florist eau de parfum deserves a spot in your beauty rotation. Notes of tuberose, Italian bergamot, gardenia, honeysuckle, and jasmine combine to create a floral arrangement in a bottle—with a splash of citrus that adds extra zest.
- Notes: Italian bergamot, golden gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine
One satisfied customer writes: "Finally a scent that isn’t overpowering but lasts all day. Fresh clean and floral- I’ve never received more compliments!" —Megan F.
Henry Rose's Dark is Night Eau de Parfum is the perfect juxtaposition of lighter and deeper fragrance notes. It features a bright blend of green grass, vetiver, and freesia, along with a rich base of patchouli and vanilla bean.
- Notes: patchouli, vanilla bean, green grass, vetiver, freesia
One satisfied customer writes: "Dark is Night is very rich and decadent. I love it. It’s perfect if you like something sweet, sexy, fun, and warm. This fragrance carries an 'Anything can happen tonight,' kind of vibe." —Heidi
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
As its name suggests, Libre Intense is a more potent version of its predecessor. Its blend combines richer amounts of lavender, orange blossom, and vanilla notes that nicely linger for hours. Don't be surprised if people stop and ask, "What scent are you wearing?"
- Notes: lavender essence, orange blossom, vanilla
One satisfied customer writes: "I love this scent— it's musky yet feminine. I always receive compliments when I wear it." —Erica D.
Even if you're not obsessed with the scent of books, we're betting you'll instantly connect with this popular fragrance from Byredo. The brand personified the intoxicating aroma of paper and leather into a sultry perfume that's equal parts woody and subtly sweet.
- Notes: peach, plum, violet, peony, patchouli, leather, vanilla
One satisfied customer writes: "Love it! No need to put a lot on to stay all day." —Celine L.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Hovering slightly in the pheromone fragrance category, Le Labo's Another 13 eau de parfum blends to ambroxan, a synthetic animal musk, with jasmine and moss to create an elixir that's practically hypnotic.
- Notes: ambroxan, jasmine, moss, ambrette
As evidenced by other scents on our list, the combination of floral and amber notes is certainly made for the long haul. Prada's Paradoxe Intense is another of our floral-gourmand favorites and also features notes of jasmine and moss accord.
- Notes: jasmine, ambrofix, moss accord
One satisfied customer writes: "Love the smell, so fresh and luxurious." —Wam K.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Inspired by Better World Fragrance House's best-selling candle, this perfume roll-on version contains layers upon layers of musk (12 in total) with floral, amber, and marine notes you won't need to reapply but will want to.
- Notes: Lily of the Valley, ambergris, amber woods (edited), musk
One satisfied customer writes: "I need a EDP option ASAP. Wow this is perfect." —J. Cameron
Parfums de Marly
Parfums de Marly Delina Exclusif Eau de Parfum
Parfums de Marly's Delina Exclusif features an intricate combination of notes that make this entrancing perfume memorable. The sensorial experience starts with rose and bergamot topped with hints of peach, apricot, and lychee. The scent then closes out with incense and oud, nicely wrapped in amber and vanilla.
- Notes: bergamot, lychee, pear, grapefruit, petalia, rosa damascena, vetiver haiti orput, incense, ambroxan, vanilla, musk, evernyl
One satisfied customer writes: "This is definitely a fragrance that every woman should have in her reach." —T.
Nykia Spradley
Nykia Spradley is a beauty journalist with over 10 years of experience. She has served as the interim beauty director at Elle.com, commerce editor for Allure, and beauty editor at Essence. Nykia’s writing has also appeared in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Coveteur, TZR, and more. She holds a master’s degree in digital journalism from Columbia University. Nykia is a red lipstick and hot sauce enthusiast (respectively) and forever lover of ’90s R&B. Keep in touch on Instagram @nyksprads and learn more at nykiaspradley.com.