As beauty editors, we test an obscene amount of products. It is our job after all. This means we know what works. We can tell you the best shower products, best hand washes, and even the beauty editor products we deem worthy of spending our cash on. But it's not only the efficacy of products that we're a tad obsessed with, it's the scents.
Ask any beauty editor their absolute favourite products and scent is bound to come up more than once. Of course, we lean on those ever-reliable 'boring' products, but we also adore certain products simply because they smell incredible.
I asked my fellow beauty editor friends what they class as the most beautifully smelling product in their enviable stashes. These 6 products took the coveted top spots.
The best-smelling beauty products, according to beauty editors
Nateisha Scott, beauty editor
“You can’t beat a beautiful scent that marries to your skin and exudes a complimentary aroma. That’s why outside of perfume I invest in my bodycare products, especially oils. Kiya Cosmetic’s Sweet Nourishing Oil is undeniably beautiful. It’s sweet, warm and addictive and massaged into skin (on top of a body butter) and you have a recipe for skin scent success. I treasure this product so much that I saviour every last drop." — Nateisha Scott, beauty editor
Lucy Abbersteen, freelance beauty editor
"The tell-tale sign I think a beauty product smells fantastic is when I wish it also came in perfume and/or candle form (and go around telling people as much). Needless to say, it was tricky for me to choose an overall favourite. I love the smell of the Moroccanoil Frizz Shield Spray, for example. There's also BYOMA's recently-launched Hydrating Body Wash, which smells like some kind of elevated baby powder or the softest laundry detergent ever. But the one I settled on is Davines' OI Liquid Luster. Not only is it an elite lamellar water treatment that adds softness and shine to your hair in a flash, but it has this incredibly unique, sharp scent – widely reported online to be amber and white rice. It's the kind of fragrance that wafts for ages after you've used it and is definitely part of the reason it's one of my favourite beauty products of all time." — Lucy Abbersteen, freelance beauty editor
Zeynab Mohamed, freelance beauty journalist
"I’m on a mission to grow my hair and one thing, they don’t tell you about hair growth, it’s not the best-smelling process. At the moment, I’m really into hair oil, I find my hair absolutely loves it. Though natural hair growth oils specifically, well let’s just say they don’t smell great. It’s enough for me to avoid the whole hair oiling ritual, despite wanting to grow my hair. That’s why I was so surprised by the Inde Wild, Champi Hair Oil, I actually had to do a double take and smell it twice, but it smells so good, it was the first thing I noticed. We’re officially back on the hair growth, I might be using it more than I need because it smells so good but it can’t be bad for my hair right? Jam-packed with natural Ayurvedic active ingredients from castor oil to Brahmi for longer, stronger and healthier hair. And the smell, I can’t quite pinpoint the scent but think sophisticated florals, it’s delicious, so good, it also functions as a hair fragrance." — Zeynab Mohamed, freelance beauty journalist.
Mica Ricketts, freelance beauty editor
"My pick of the best-smelling beauty product of all time has to go to the Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend which is undoubtedly a faff to use (it solidifies in cold temperatures so you have to leave it in a sink of warm water for it to return to a liquid texture) but the fact that I am willing to bother is a testament to just how incredible this smells. It's a blend of frangipani, monoi and coconut oils which not only deliver the most intense nourishment to dry skin but smell like what I can only imagine a 5-star getaway at a private beach in Bali would. Despite not being a big fan of big floral scents, I would happily bathe in this mix of exotic blooms, sweet almond, and tropical coconut, such is its transformative nature." — Mica Ricketts, freelance beauty editor.
Mollie Burdell, freelance beauty editor
"This Sanctuary Spa Lily and Rose Collection Body Butter is so beautiful. Not only does it keep your skin feeling moisturised (adding a bit of a glow to my skin thanks to the argan oil pearls), but it also has such a long-lasting smell, which lasts all day long. It has this subtle, modern rose scent that I love. Normally I steer clear of rose [scented products] because they can be quite old-fashioned, but it's so good. I've also got the mousse for the shower which I also love and smells great. I'm such a sanctuary spa fan-girl, I think it's underrated, and it's reasonably priced too.
Tori Crowther, freelance health and beauty journalist
My all-time best-smelling beauty product has to be Arkive's The Prologue Primer. There are actually dozens of beauty products that I keep coming back to thanks to their beautiful scents (Moroccanoil's Intense Hydrating Hair Mask, Herlum's Hand and Body Wash and Beauty Pie's Soul Providers Body Scrub to name a few). But there's something about this Arkive product in particular that makes it so special. Perhaps because it was crafted by founder (and perfume lover) Adam Reed and named after his grandmother, taking inspiration from her greenhouse. It's unique and has clearly been created with so much love and care in mind. Most of all, I adore that it's affordable. When we think of the best-smelling beauty products, many of them sit in the premium category, so when you find something spectacular that's available on the high street, you have to shout about it.
It makes me happy every time I spritz it and always get compliments on how nice my hair smells (niche, I know). It also helps that the product is a fantastic hair primer before styling, leaving my hair looking nice and shiny.
