With over 70 years of providing skincare and cosmetics to women, Estée Lauder is one of the best-known brands in the world. They’ve been creating fragrances for almost as long, launching their first perfume – Youth Dew – in 1953. The best Estée Lauder perfumes have been produced by some of the industry’s leading perfumers, incorporating an intriguing cocktail of enticing fragrance notes.
Background Of Estée Lauder
Founded in 1946 by Joseph and Estée Lauder, following Estée’s experience in the industry under the watchful eye of her uncle – a chemist and skincare specialist. They started out selling door-to-door to beauty salons before a large order from Saks Fifth Avenue led to them opening a counter in the department store just 5 years later.
The perfume house still remains in the hands of the Lauder family and have acquired some of the most popular beauty brands in the world – MAC, Jo Malone, Tom Ford, Origins, Clinique, and Origins to name just a few.
10 Best Estée Lauder Perfumes
With over 100 Estée Lauder fragrances available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’ve curated a list of our top 10 best Estée Lauder perfumes that offer the perfect balance of refined sophistication with a modern, edgy vibe.
1. Beautiful Eau de Parfum
Review
First launched in 1985, Beautiful Eau de Parfum is a romantic, light floral fragrance. Created by Sophia Grojsman, Bernard Chant and Max Gavarry. The range also comes with an Eau De Toilette, bath and body line and lots of limited editions. It was created to make every woman feel like she’s the most beautiful in the room and is inspired by romance and femininity.
The top notes of zesty citruses, the powdery aroma of rose, lily and tuberose create an intoxicating mix of fruit and floral. On the approach of the middle notes, the fragrance makes an intensive floral heart mixed with orange flower, lily of the valley, jasmine and ylang-ylang. The composition dries down to the warming base of sandalwood, vetiver and amber, creating a bouquet of opulent aromas.
Beautiful Eau de Parfum is more of a daytime fragrance on account of its floral focus and works best during spring. It is a long-lasting fragrance (think all-day wear) with a heavy sillage that lingers on the air – perfect if you want to make an impact with a scent.
The bottle is elegant, classic and understated with a gold-tone lid and tall, luxurious glass bottle.
Top Notes:
Rose, Mandarin, Lily, Tuberose, Marigold
Mid Notes:
Orange Flower, Lily of the valley, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Harvey Nichols:
2. Knowing Eau de Parfum
Review
Knowing Eau de Parfum is a warm and elegant Chypre Floral scent for women. It was created for Estee Lauder by Jean Kerleo in 1988, in collaboration with Elie Roger.
Top notes of mandarin orange give way to more floral middle notes of intoxicating florals. Tuberose, mixed with sparkling aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle, is surrounded with a gentle accord of a lily flower. On the dry down, the bouquet settles down to a woody musky base of patchouli, and amber, entwined with the creamy spiciness of vanilla undertone.
This is a really long-lasting fragrance with a very heavy sillage. If you like your perfumes to last forever, and for a little to go along way, then this is definitely the one for you. Because of its strength and longevity, it does suit evening wear the best – we can just imagine this one worn at late-night drinks in a glamourous speakeasy!
The bottle is another classic, elegant one from Estée Lauder. It has a slightly angled, faceted look to the glass-topped off with a black lid and gold accents.
Top Notes:
Rose, Tuberose, Mimosa, Plum, Pittosporum, Aldehydes
Mid Notes:
Jasmine, Patchouli, Orange Flower
Base Notes:
Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Estee Lauder:
3. Modern Muse Nuit Eau de Parfum
Review
Modern Muse Nuit Eau de Parfum is inspired by the confidence of women and is aimed at a woman who’s independent, sure of herself and sure of her style. Created by perfumer Harry Fremont in 2003, at the time it was one of the brands first fragrance launches in a decade.
Opening top notes of mandarin orange and cassis truly sing. Blended with the heart notes of rum accord and jasmine, it creates a beautiful feminine scent. The gentle aromas of chamomile and heliotrope come through along with the base notes, drying down to an earthy, warming spiciness, topped with the creamy accords of tonka bean and vanilla.
With a moderate sillage and longevity, it’s an excellent all-rounder that’s great for everyday wear – particularly in the warmer, lighter months thanks to its floral and fruit notes.
The bottle perfectly blends modern and art deco, to create something that definitely represents a “modern muse”. It’s elegant, tall and angular with pink glass, and black and gold spray fixture, managing to be understated without being boring.
Top Notes:
Mandarin Orange, Cassis
Mid Notes:
Rum Accord, Jasmine, Chamomile, Heliotrope
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Tonka Bean, Vanilla
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Harvey Nichols:
4. Azurée Eau de Parfum
Review
Inspired by Estée Lauder’s love over the Mediterranean (in particular the time she spent living at her villa in Cap d’Antibes on the French Riviera), Azurée Eau de Parfum is a pellucid and sunny fragrance with earthy, warm notes.
Opening with a subtle aroma of basil, sparkling jasmine and a citrus tart, it perfectly captures the spirit of Mediterranean. Heart notes of armoise, vetiver and rose add underlying romance mixed with the base note of patchouli. Followed by the rich aromas of moss and amber, it adds a subtle earthiness to the composition.
Azurée Eau de Parfum is a really long-lasting fragrance with a heavy sillage but is surprisingly wearable for day or night. It suits the autumn months best when the earthy scent can really come into its own.
The bottle is classically shaped, with heavy, luxurious glass, gold accents and understated logo – the perfume is the thing doing the talking here, though the bottle still looks great.
Top Notes:
Basil, Jasmine, Citrus
Mid Notes:
Armoise, Vetiver, Rose
Base Notes:
Patchouli, Moss, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Selfridges:
5. White Linen Eau de Parfum
Review
White Linen Eau de Parfum is classified as a floral-aldehyde – an intense fragrance built on the harmony of aldehydes, flowers, wood, amber and musk. Inspired by the purity of white linen that dries in the sun, it’s a classic favourite created by Sophia Grojsman in 1978.
Top notes of Bulgarian rose, jasmine and lily of the valley add a cool, powdery elegance to this fragrance. The heart of the fragrance is enriched with the syrupy sweetness of violet and orris, which later dries down to the earthy base of vetiver, moss and amber.
The White Linen Eau de Parfum is a long-lasting fragrance with a moderate sillage. Excellent for daytime wear, this perfume works best in the spring and summer months where the linen-inspired scent can be best appreciated.
The bottle has been updated and modernised since its original launch, but still nods to the first iteration of this fragrance’s packaging. A matte gold cap and simple, clean bottle with understated logo make it unmistakeably Estée Lauder.
Top Notes:
Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Lily of the valley
Mid Notes:
Violet, Orris
Base Notes:
Vetiver, Moss, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Estee Lauder:
6. Spellbound Eau de Parfum
Review
An oriental fragrance Spellbound Eau de Parfum is a passionate, creamy and slightly spicy scent, rich in floral notes. Created by the nose Sophia Grojsman for Estée Lauder in 1991, the fragrance is inspired by the intense magic of falling in love.
The floral and fruity opening of rose, lily of the valley and apricot are bright and fresh. Dazzling heart notes of orange blossom, carnation and cardamom soon reveal themselves. Sandalwood, vanilla and amber in the base notes give the fragrance a subtle creaminess, mixed with the earthy amber and warming woody notes.
Spellbound is really long-lasting with a very heavy sillage – another one to enjoy if you want to get the best value from a luxury fragrance. The heaviness means it works best in the evening and is suited more towards autumn and winter wear.
The bottle has been redesigned since 1991 and modernised into packaging with clean, straight lines, gold accents and understated branding.
Top Notes:
Rose, Lily of the valley, Apricot
Mid Notes:
Orange Blossom, Carnation, Cardamom
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Selfridges:
7. Sensuous Eau de Parfum
Review
Sensuous Eau de Parfum is an oriental woodsy-amber fragrance aimed at enhancing the beauty and sensuality of a woman at any age. It represents a move away from some of the more floral scents that Estée Lauder is best known for. It was created in collaboration with the perfumer Annie Buzantian of Firmenich.
Sensuous Eau de Parfum opens with sparkling aromas of jasmine and magnolia, mixed with exotic notes of lily and ylang-ylang. The fragrance combines beautifully with a warming heart of amber. On the dry down, the bouquet settles into a spicy, woody base of black pepper and sandalwood, surrounded by the sweet spiciness of honey and mandarin orange pulp.
It’s an excellent choice for day or night and works best during the autumn months, where the spicy, peppery undertones can really come into their own.
The bottle features clean lines and rose-gold accents, with a round shape that marks is as different from some of the more classic Estée Lauder fragrances. It’s modern and glamourous while still remaining timeless and elegant.
Top Notes:
Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Honey, Mandarin Orange
Mid Notes:
Jasmine, Ghost Lily, Magnolia, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes:
Molten Woods, Amber
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Estee Lauder:
8. Bronze Goddess Eau de Parfum
Review
One of the newest Estée Lauder fragrances, Bronze Goddess Eau de Parfum, was launched in 2019. It’s an oriental floral fragrance that wants to encapsulate an endless summer with a warm, sensuous and sun-drenched blend of scents.
Top notes of coconut and bergamot really do invoke the scent of summer. The delicate note of tiare flower adds a sweet floral line to the fragrance. Sandalwood, amber and vanilla make up the base notes, adding more sweetness and summer undertones to the composition.
The perfume lasts a moderate amount of time with an average sillage. As a result, it makes it a great daytime scent and obviously works best in the summer months, where the sparkling warmth of the fragrance can really do its thing.
The bottle is glamourous and looks to be inspired by an ancient civilisation with an ornate gold lid and blue highlight around the bottle. It’s a small, square shape that looks gorgeous on display.
Top Notes:
Coconut, Bergamot
Mid Notes:
Tiare Flower
Base Notes:
Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Harvey Nichols:
9. Youth Dew Eau de Parfum
Review
The original fragrance that started Estée Lauder’s fragrance journey, Youth Dew Eau de Parfum is an oriental spicy fragrance and was initially launched as a dual bath oil and perfume. Launched way back in 1953. Created by Josephine Catapano, it is a classic scent and still remains extremely popular today.
It has top notes of rose, jonquil and lavender which dance beautifully with the enticing heart of dazzling jasmine, lily of the valley and spices. The earthy notes of moss, vetiver and patchouli after the dry down, create a really sophisticated, and slightly peppery aroma.
Youth Dew is more of a night-time fragrance and works best in winter and autumn, rather than spring and summer. It’s incredibly long-lasting with an enormous sillage, so it is an excellent choice if you like your fragrances to be potent.
The bottle has a vintage look that showcases the fragrances heritage, with a gold bow and cap that enhances the tall, carved bottle.
Top Notes:
Rose, Jonquil, Lavender
Mid Notes:
Jasmine, Lily of the valley, Spices
Base Notes:
Moss, Vetiver, Patchouli
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Harvey Nichols:
10. Pleasures Intense Eau de Parfum
Review
Pleasures Intense Eau de Parfum is a floral fragrance for women with a sensual, seductive side that celebrates nature and femininity. This alluring scent was launched in 2002 but still is one of the popular fragrances today.
The potent notes of fresh, aromatic green lily and peony opening the fragrance, are complemented by the gentle woodiness of cassis. Slowly melting into the mids, the head is backed up by powdery accord of Moroccan rose, pink lily and an exotic note of jasmine. On the dry down, the composition is immersed into a warming embrace maple wood, topped by the sweet smoothness of benzoin and vanilla pod.
It’s definitely more of a daytime fragrance, with the floral character of the scent working best in spring. It has a moderate sillage and lasts a reasonable amount of time (usually around 4+ hours).
The bottle is fun, flirty and elegant – it perfectly encapsulates the femininity of the fragrance with a pink and purple ombre bottle design, silver accents and cursive lettering. It’s bolder and stands out more than some of the other Estée Lauder perfumes.
Top Notes:
Green Lily, Le Charme Peony, Cassis
Mid Notes:
Moroccan Rose, Pink Tiger Lily, Jasmine
Base Notes:
Maple Wood, Benzoin, Vanilla
Price & Reviews
You can check the latest pricing, see customer reviews and shop online at Harvey Nichols:
Conclusion
There’s a reason why Estée Lauder has remained at the forefront of fragrance for over 70 years. The brand is continuously reinventing and developing aromas, building on their heritage and experience as a brand, as well as their new innovations. They offer a real variety of scents in their 100+ substantial range, it’s definitely one to take a look at, especially if you like your perfumes to be long-lasting.
Before you go, I have put together a review of the most elegant perfumes ranging from timeless classics to modern-day sophistication that I think you will enjoy.
Also read: 6 Popular Ghost Perfumes: Signature Scent on a Budget
Further Reading
Below are some additional articles from Viora London’s blog. We write articles on a number of interesting lifestyle topics such as fragrance, beauty, luxury accessories and more.
These Estée Lauder perfumes are simply amazing and worth trying if you want to feel elegant and confident!