With a new year soon to be upon us and 12 months-worth of beauty newness behind us, our beauty team is revisiting the 2025 perfumes that made lasting impressions – both on us and passers-by – and will be getting plenty of wear throughout 2026 too.
While we all likely have our firm and long-standing favourites among the best long-lasting perfumes, there’s been no shortage of new entries this year. In fact, 2025 has truly spoiled us, with brand new additions to Penhaligon’s perfume collection as well as reimaginings of iconic blends like Chanel’s Chance and a rebrand of Miu Miu’s debut scent. We’ve also seen several new fragrance houses hit the scene, offering contemporary takes on traditional olfactory genres. All in all, it’s been a good time to be a perfume fan, which our entire beauty team very much is.
The 2025 perfume launches we’re taking into the New Year with us
Whether you’re hunting for gifts for perfume lovers or just want to treat yourself to a brand new signature to mark the start of 2026 (who doesn’t love a new year rebrand?), there are 11 blends our team recommends from among 2025’s offerings.
They span everything from playful peach perfumes to rich and luxurious oud aromas; there’s even a deliciously named and smelling patisserie perfume in the mix.
Naomi’s top 3
(Image credit: Future | Products: Penhaligon’s/ Maison Margiela/ PHLUR)
Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, was lucky enough to try a whole range of different scent types this year, spanning musk perfumes to fresh and fruity numbers, but three key blends caught her eye (and nose) more than others.
Maison Margiela
Replica Afternoon Delight Eau de Toilette
RRP: from £62 for 30ml | Notes: Almond essence, angelica root essence, Madeleine Accord, carrot heart, ambrette absolute, sandalwood, Madagascar Vanilla Pod and musks.
“While Maison Margiela’s Replica Perfume, Afternoon Delight, technically launched in 2024, it didn’t hit the UK shelves until this year, and while I’m not usually a vanilla note kind of girl, I was checking the brand’s socials constantly for news of when it would land. And when it did at last make its way into my hands, it was love at first sniff.
As the name promises, this perfume really does smell like a tray of warm, freshly baked madeleines. That said, it’s not overpowering or sickly sweet, but delicate, like the edible works of art you would expect to find in a French patisserie. Its notes of almond, vanilla, ambrette and sandalwood scent your skin with such a beautiful mix of warmth and sweetness, and despite being an eau de toilette, I find that it really does linger and has swiftly become an everyday favourite of mine.”
PHLUR
Peach Skin Hair & Body Mist
RRP: from £25 | Notes: Peach Bellini, plum, peach skin, bergamot, white freesia, vanilla orchid, jasmine nectar, milky sandalwood, sheer amber, and coconut caramel
Naomi’s second pick comes in the form of a body mist, “Another slight curve ball for me, as someone who typically steers clear of fruity perfumes, was this new launch from PHLUR. Aptly named Peach Skin, this hair and body mist is equal parts juicy and musky. To me, it captures both the fuzzy softness of a peach’s skin, as well as its dewy sweet flavour, whilst also managing to afford a certain skin scent-like quality, thanks to its warm notes of sheer amber and milky sandalwood.
It’s sweet but not sickly, in fact, I’d describe it as quite a sunny sort of fragrance – it’s bright but also slightly spicy – and has actually become the perfume I carry in my gym bag, and anywhere else I might want a little scent refresh.”
Penhaligon’s
The Cut Eau de Parfum
RRP: from £85 for 30ml | Notes: mint, fir balsam and cypress
As her third and final pick of 2025’s best perfume launches, Naomi cites Penhaligon’s The Cut. “This is probably the most unusual and distinctive perfume I’ve smelt all year,” she quips, “as its bow-adorned lid and label would suggest, this blend really does evoke a certain tweed-like quality. It’s textural and refined, there’s a sharpness to its green, earthy notes that indeed reminds me of the coarseness of wool coats, while its bursts of fir balsam conjure memories of walking through fields and forest groves.
Then there are those opening notes of mint that create an overall maturity and put-together-ness to the blend, like traipsing around a National Trust property or sipping a glass of red wine in a chic and cosy Cotswolds pub. I’ll confess, it took me a few sniffs to decide I liked it because of how green and unique it is, but I’ve come to really appreciate the boldness of it amongst the sea of vanilla gourmands and florals out there.”
Fiona’s top 3
(Image credit: Future | Products: DIEM/NISHANE/CHANEL)
“I feel the same way about perfume as I do music: any style can be great if it’s created with skill and love. So my favourite launches of 2025 were a real mixed bag, just like my record collection,” says Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim.
NISHANE
Oudous Cerasus Extrait de Parfum
RRP: from £210 for 50ml | Notes: marasca cherry accord, Italian mandarin essence, pomelo, calone, Spanish cistus essence, honeycomb, mahonial, Indonesian patcholi essence, oud accord and akigalawood
“At the highest of high-end Odous Cerasus by Istanbul-based Nishane ticks my boxes – sexy, smoky oudy-woody with sticky maraschino cherry and a tiny pomelo zip. It’s complex, in extrait strength (as powerful as they come), and keeps unfolding all day. Plus, the bottle is a complete knockout – one to treasure.”
DIEM
Love Tangle Starter Set
RRP: from £20 | Notes: cassis, peony, ylang ylang, musk and sandalwood
Contrasting Nishane’s premium price tag and rich, oudy scent comes Fiona’s second pick from DIEM. “The uncomplicatedly sunshiney rose and blackcurrant of DIEM Love Tangle was the scent soundtrack to my summer fortnight in Provence. This wasn’t just a new perfume, but a new brand, all in 10ml bottles, so you can build a wardrobe without dropping £100s.”
CHANEL
Chance Eau Splendide Eau de Parfum
RRP: £109 for 100ml | Notes: raspberry, rose geranium, iris and cedar-white musk accord
And lastly, Fiona recommends taking a chance on Chanel’s new Eau Splendide scent, which reimagines the brand’s heritage Chance fragrance, with tinges of raspberry and chic white florals.
“To finish, something predictably (but no less pleasingly) excellent from Chanel, the latest addition to the Chance lineup. A decade after Chance Eau Vive, we got Eau Splendide. This one’s a bit more fruit-forward, with a noticeable kick of raspberry, white florals in the middle, and a warm cedar base keeping things sophisticated. It’s a crowd-pleaser in the best way – so lovely, anyone would be thrilled to wear it.”
Aleesha’s top 3
(Image credit: Future | Products: Alia/ Maison Francis Kurkdjian/ Jones Road)
For Digital Beauty Ecomm Editor, Aleesha Badkar, 2025 brought new scents from her most favourite of brands, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, as well as several fresh, compliment-sparking blends that have swiftly become everyday go-tos. But let’s start with the former: a new favourite from an old favourite.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Kurky Eau de Parfum
RRP: £195 for 70ml | Notes: tutti-frutti accord, gourmand musky accord, white musk and vanilla
“It’s no secret that I’m a big Maison Francis Kurkdjian fan, so I of course loved no other 2025 fragrance launch more than the brand’s spring drop Kurky,” says Aleesha. “I’m not usually the biggest fan of fruity perfumes, but the fun tutti frutti notes in this elegantly sweet spritz blend smoothly with the gourmand musky accord and powdery vanilla base. It’s a chic grown-up scent with a zippy nod to times more nostalgic. A unique blend that I honestly couldn’t get enough of in the summer months.”
RRP: £44 for 30ml | Notes: lemon, lavender, neroli and sandalwood
Second on Aleesha’s list of 2025 favourites is a new skin-like, lavender perfume from Jones Road. “A soft, fresh citrus is a great daytime choice for any season of the year, so I loved Jones Road’s September launch that blends lemon top notes with a soft lavender and neroli heart, creating a lingering warmth on the base with the sandalwood foundation. It’s a skin scent in the best way, bestowing a subtle blend of lesser-used accords to create an individual fragrance that will leave you being quizzed every time you wear it.”
Alia
Main Character Eau de Parfum
RRP: £60 for 30ml | Notes: angelica root, turmeric leaf, mimosa, orris, orange blossom, tonka, ambroxan, oakwood and white musk
Last but not least, is a musky number that launched in the autumn, “I love a softly woody, ambroxan scent, something that makes for a sophisticated, modern foundation to any look on any day of the year, ” Aleesha notes, “And this October launch, created by author and self-development expert Roxie Nafousi, as part of the debut Alter Ego collection for her brand Alia, ticked all the boxes for me. A subtly herbaceous opening of angelica root and turmeric leaf tops off a powdery, earthy mimosa, orris, and tonka heart with a touch of animalic orange blossom. All set onto a sharp, woody, musky base of ambroxan, oakwood and white musk, it’s stylish and moreish.”
Sennen’s top 2
(Image credit: Future | Products: Narciso Rodriguez/ Miu Miu)
As our resident new beauty launches expert, Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett, was inundated with new fragrances this year, but one designer blend, in particular, swiftly won her over.
Miu Miu
Miutine Eau de Parfum
RRP: £72 for 30ml | Notes: wild strawberry, gardenia, vanilla brown sugar and patchouli oil
“2025 saw the rebranding of Miu Miu’s beauty offering, with their all-new Miutine fragrance. Oozing quiet luxury, the scent is captivating and moreish thanks to its sweet and fruity yet warm and musky blend of notes – making it a great choice if you’re a fan of fruity fragrances or soft floral fragrances,” comments Sennen, adding that, “despite what you may think, it’s not overly youthful, instead it has a versatile, sophisticated appeal to it. Upon first spritz, you’ll be welcomed to notes of wild strawberry and creamy gardenia, before revealing heart notes of rose and jasmine. Its addictive and sensual edge comes from its base notes of brown sugar, bourbon vanilla and amber, which make it a true day-to-night feminine scent.”
Narciso Rodriguez
Radiante Eau de Parfum
RRP: £66 for 30ml | Notes: white flowers, clove, orange blossom, white vetiver and cotton flower
As for Sennen’s second pick, like Aleesha, it was a new launch for a brand that she already loves. “It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Narciso Rodriguez’s perfumes, so I was excited to hear about the launch of their newest 2025 perfume, Radiante. The brand is known and loved for its musk-based blends, so this scent took me slightly by surprise. Delicately light and feminine, this is a true powdery scent at its core.”
“Reminiscent of freshly-washed sheets, the fragrance opens with soft powdery notes, before revealing a light floral heart and drying down to warmer base notes of the classic musks and woods. I get the full effect of this fragrance upon initial spritzing; however, I must admit I can never smell it on myself a few hours later. That said, I still get compliments on it from other people, which I’d rather be the case than only I can smell it on myself.”
