Perfume geeks? This is my website and I say it’s a thing. Plus I’ll be writing about my very geeky method in selecting my most recent fragrance purchase. It involves colour-coded charts.
But today is about packaging. If you’ve ever tried on perfume in a store, then you know your nose has a limit to how many scents you can sniff at a time. Unless you’re some kind of nerd who researches notes and reviews beforehand (who, me?) then your brain is going to start with the most appealing bottles.
Design trends have moved more and more minimalistic, and sadly perfumeries have followed suit. This countdown applauds the beautiful bottle designs any woman would be proud to display on her vanity.
10. TOCCA
Oooooooooh TOCCA’s “girls”: each perfume a woman’s name with her own story. The minute I walk into Sephora I beeline to these adorable round ribbed bottles displayed all in a row. Each cap has its own design making this line simple yet distinctive.
I also must note that each fragrance is uniquely its own. Stella is one of my favourite perfumes: it is blood orange at its finest without smelling like you just spilled orange juice on yourself. Unless that’s what you’re into. Who am I to judge?
TOCCA completes its line with a range of body products, candles, infusers, and even lingerie wash!
9. Hedonist: Viktoria Minya
It’s a perfume with crystals inside in a box presented like fine jewelry. Case closed.
PS: it smells AAAAHHHHHHMMMMAAAAAAAAZIIIING with the original boasting a vanilla rum base and fruity top notes. Additions to the Hedonist line are Rose, Cassis, and Iris. Bonus: even the travel sprays include the beautiful crystals!
8. Nobile 1942
The Italian Niche Perfume house, Nobile 1942, dazzles with packaging just as engaging as the fragrances within.
The mini trio sets are particularly lovely. I purchased their Bon Bon Trio and was delighted at the velvety texture on the bottles and the adorable box which housed them. The fragrances last long and are among my favourite gourmands in my collection.
7. Vince Camuto
Vince Camuto’s Bella takes center stage on my perfume tray. I walked into Sephora, saw the bottles, and had to pick one up to try it immediately. These bottles are just so feminine and beautiful. And the BOXES!!!!! Absolutely gorgeous! It’s the only perfume box I actually kept for a month before reluctantly throwing it out.
6. Anna Sui
Anna Sui has a superbly weird bohemian style all her own. Her fragrance line reflects this perfectly. They would be much higher on the list except they are more cheaply made than the others I chose. If you can get your hands on one of the limited edition sets, you are lucky indeed as the bags they come with are super adorable.
5. Penhaligon’s
Penhaligon’s Portraits line is pure marketing brilliance! I first saw this clever campaign while browsing Luckyscent and immediately clicked on “The Revenge of Lady Blanche” to see what this bottled madness was about. (FYI it kinda smells like ginger ale….which is also best served cold). Each Portrait has an eccentric bio which would make Agatha Christie blush.
The Coveted Duchess Rose is one of the most exquisite rose perfumes I have ever experienced. I highly recommend it.
From Penhaligan’s website:
Daughter of Lady Blanche and Lord George, Rose married a Duke to escape the stifling rigidity of her family and to become the Coveted Duchess Rose.
At first, naively romantic, she has now become disillusioned and frustrated in an unsatisfactory marriage.
Always looking for fun and frivolity (and perhaps love affairs), her fragrance is a not so innocent fresh rose.
–
Release me
Seriously, who doesn’t want to smell like that?
I also adore their line of eau de toilettes! They have the look of vintage apothecary bottles with precious little bows on top!
4. Annick Goutal Butterfly Bottles
It is no secret that Annick Goutal is my absolute favorite perfume house! I get a little itchy every time I see one of her signature ribbed bottles.
But OH the butterfly collection! They feature two kissing butterflies on top of beautifully illustrated round bottles. I only had a carry-on with me in Paris or I would have splurged on the butterfly Eau d’Hadrian, which, alas, contains more than the NSA allowed fluid. I made up for this disappointment by getting both Eau d’Hadrian and Rose Pompon in the ribbed bottles.
3. Tokyo Milk
Tokyo Milk is the Penny Dreadful of the perfume world, and I thank them. Its packaging has a trendy and chic Victorian vibe which hints at its modern twist on classic fragrance. Tokyo Milk is not a sophisticated product line: it is fun and flirty, and modestly priced at around $25 a bottle.
The squee-worthy packaging includes mermaids, skulls and bees, and features products including perfume, lotion, candles, lip balms and greeting cards!
2. Marc Jacobs
It’s scientifically proven impossible to not pick up a Marc Jacobs perfume bottle when you see one. With designs that are both beautiful and whimsical, Marc Jacobs nails it every time…..almost.
My favourite Marc Jacobs fragrance is Decadence, but the bottle is so hideous I have it in the roller ball because I did not want it uglying up my perfume display. And I hate roller balls. They never smell the same or last as long. C’mon, perfumeries, just make travel sprays.
Where Marc Jacobs really hits a home run is the smaller sizes and sets have different but just as adorable bottles. I ended up purchasing the more-expensive Daisy Dream set which included the smaller perfume with the matching shower gel and lotion since the bottle was so beautiful.
Guerlain, Guerlain, GUERLAIN! Nous t’aimons!
Perfume begins and ends with the House of Guerlain. From department store displays to exclusive bottles you can have custom-engraved, they do everything right.
Even their most simple designs have a certain je ne sais quoi. They pull it off as perfectly as they do their famous limited-editions, including Rêve de Lune, housed in a ridiculously epic bee bottle, the symbol of Guerlain. Did I say limited-edition? Yea, they only made 50 of these. My birthday is August 9.
Even Guerlain’s storefronts are the perfume equivalent to a kid in a candy store. They even stand out on the impressive Champs-Élysées.
I hope this article inspired you to look, touch and sniff your way to a new favourite fragrance!