The Most Luxurious, Expensive Perfumes in the World
The fragrance category is as saturated as it is diverse. You have your celebrity perfumes and your fragrances created by fashion designers, clothing brands, and beauty moguls. There are the pick-up-at-the-mall body sprays and the mix-it-yourself bespoke scents you can only find at a boutique in Brooklyn. And in this sea of infinite scent choices, the prices can vary from as low as forty bucks to as costly as a month's rent in New York City — and no, we're not exaggerating.
It's these latter options — these high-end, luxury eaus — that we find most fascinating (and unattainable). Rare ingredients, unparalleled craftsmanship, and dazzling details (like a Swavorski crystal-studded flacon) are just a few reasons fragrances in this category are worthy of such opulence. With that said, to celebrate National Fragrance Day, we figured it'd be fun to break down a few of the aforementioned Rich Bitch™️ scents and what sets them apart.
Courtesy of brand1/14Christian Dior Balade Sauvage
Christian Dior's Balade Sauvage smells reminiscent of the tropical vacation you very much deserve right now. Inspired by the otherworldly island of Panarea, it's formulated with notes of bergamot, fig, orange blossom, and sea breeze accord — a combination meant to mimic the many different olfactory sensations one experiences while close to the ocean. And while the scent is certainly fresh and citrusy, it still feels like a warm hug on a chilly day thanks to touches of amberwood and vanilla.
$450 for 15 oz. (Shop Now)
2/14House of Sillage Cherry Garden
House of Sillage goes above and beyond with its limited-edition fragrances, packaging each one in ornately-designed bottles like the one you see here. All made to be collector's items, each work of art contains its own precious gemstones and unique elements, which are added during the development process. Cherry Garden (above) is fairly sweet — infused with almond, vanilla, and Sicilian bergamot oils — and floral, with notes of rose and jasmine. A hint of musk helps to balance the different scents at play. The bejeweled bottle alone is worth saving up for, but the fragrance itself is one you'll keep coming back to.
$1,200 for 2.5 oz. (Shop Now)
- beauty editor-favorites fragrances</a>, and Casablanca Lily is no exception. Inspired by the fleeting moment when the sun goes down and florals like lily, rose, and jasmine are at their most potent, this perfume is as concentrated as they come. In fact, the brand swears you need just <em>one drop</em> of the elixir in order to harness its full power. Featuring notes like black plum, wild gardenia, honey, and rosewood, it evokes a sensory experience that's unparalleled.\n$550 for 1 oz. (<a href=https://www.allure.com/"https://shop-links.co/1666989113607553695/" rel=\"nofollow\">Shop Now</a>)","contentType":"photo","credit":"Courtesy of brand","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":320,"width":320,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_320,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"},{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_640,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_640,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"},{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_1280,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1024,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_1024,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"},{"height":2048,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_2048,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_1280,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c8956e49eb7f52ca09c7d29/master/w_1280,c_limit/byredo-casablanca-lily.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Courtesy of brand3/14Byredo Casablanca Lily Extrait de Parfum
Byredo makes its fair share of beauty editor-favorites fragrances, and Casablanca Lily is no exception. Inspired by the fleeting moment when the sun goes down and florals like lily, rose, and jasmine are at their most potent, this perfume is as concentrated as they come. In fact, the brand swears you need just one drop of the elixir in order to harness its full power. Featuring notes like black plum, wild gardenia, honey, and rosewood, it evokes a sensory experience that's unparalleled.
$550 for 1 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand4/14Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum
Baccarat Rouge 540 is one of the most coveted eaus among fashion and beauty editors, all eager to get their hands on a bottle. The intoxicating blend of amber, jasmine, saffron, and cedar wood stays on your skin — and in your mind — long after spritzing, and makes for the perfect any-occasion fragrance to have in one's collection. Neither too sophisticated nor too sweet, it's a unique balance that becomes one with the skin and tempts everyone to ask: "What on Earth are you wearing?
$575 for 6.8 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand5/14Alaïa Paris Eau de Parfum
Airy, fresh florals expertly mingle with warm musk, making Alaïa's Paris Eau de Parfum both different and utterly divine. Pink pepper, freesia, and peony flowers are light and uplifting, while "animalistic tones" and musk make for the perfect dark contrast. The fragrance is inspired by the iconic late designer's childhood in Tunisia, where he recalled cold water being poured over hot brick walls. Ultimately, it's this menial memory that led to the fragrance's magical inception in 2015. Even after four years, it's still considered one of the most lauded scents on the market to this day.
$2,500 for 33 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand6/14Serge Lutens Cannibale
Serge Lutens's Cannibale is unexpected: smoky, leathery, spicy, and acidic all at the same time. The French fragrance house says its effect is "reminiscent of the floral vinegars of the 18th century France," which truth be told, is far sexier than it sounds. Featuring notes of incense, burnt woods, burnt florals, and sap, it's a fragrance that pushes boundaries and seeks to be like no other. Wear it just once and you'll understand.
$600 for 1.6 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand7/14Krigler Oud for Highness
Loved by Allure's executive beauty director Jenny Bailey, Krigler is known for its tantalizing scents that reel you in after a mere whiff. Oud for Highness was developed to honor the Royal Highness of Jordan and features a melange of amber, honey, oud, patchouli, saffron, and sandalwood. The spicy, subtly woody scent wraps you up like a warm Parka on a snowy day, while hints of honey give it the mild sweetness many of us crave.
$655 for 3.4 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand8/14Bond No. 9 New Bond St. Perfume Amorpha
Bond No. 9 is another known for its opulent bottles, though the decadent fragrances inside are what keeps people coming back for more. Housed in a 42-ounce glass hand-decorated with 3,000 Swarovski crystals, New Bond St. Amorpha radiates of cocoa and coffee beans, chestnut and vanilla, and patchouli and sandalwood, all of which, when mixed together, create a delectable fragrance that's impossible to forget. Also worth noting: It's basically a fragrance on tap with its handy dandy top... too bad there's not a lineup of Amorpha at our local bar seeing as we'd happily take luxury perfume over a beer any day of the week.
$7500 for 42 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand9/14Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous
Tom Ford's Fucking Fabulous is just that: fucking fabulous. Not only will it elicit the envy of all your friends when they come over and see it sitting pretty on your vanity, but when you bless them with a spritz, they'll be rushing to buy a bottle of their own faster than you can finish telling them where it's sold. With key notes of almond bitter oil (way better than it sounds), tonka resinoid, leather accord, and clary sage oil, it smells intensely sweet upon your first spritz and then settles once the leather notes come through and mellow everything out. It's also been said to last a whopping 14 hours, which is almost unheard of when it comes to fragrance.
$804 for 8.5 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand10/14Frédéric Malle Dawn Eau De Parfum
Inspired by the Middle East's daily rise to prayer, Frédéric Malle's Dawn Eau De Parfum is everything you love about a peaceful morning: simple, refreshing, warm, and serene. In addition to a hearty amount of natural oud, it also features rose, pink pepper, frankincense, and oakmoss, all of which work in tandem to make you feel fresh, rejuvenated, and ready to take on the day. The breathtaking bottle, which looks like it belongs in an art museum, is another reason it's a worthy winner in our books.
$1500 for 3.4 oz. (Shop Now)
- this past December</a> in honor of Gabrielle Chanel, the iconic founder and namesake of the French fashion brand. Designed to be a keepsake for the most die-hard fragrance aficionados, the flacon is hand-crafted from fine crystal and sealed tight with a special technique known as "baudruchage", which works by keeping the liquid inside as pure as humanly possible. Is it worth the hefty chunk of change ($1,000 for every 1 oz.)? For regular old mortals, no. But hey, if you happen to have the funds, it's a legendary piece to add to your collection.\n$30,000 for 30.4 oz. (<a href=https://www.allure.com/"https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/120677/n5-limited-edition-grand-extrait-parfum//" rel=\"nofollow\">Shop Now</a>)","contentType":"photo","credit":"Courtesy of brand","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":320,"width":320,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_320,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"},{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_640,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_640,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"},{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_1280,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1024,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_1024,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"},{"height":2048,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_2048,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_1280,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c89691d9eb7f52ca09c7d31/master/w_1280,c_limit/chanel-no-5-limited-edition.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Courtesy of brand11/14Chanel N°5 Limited Edition Grand Extrait
Chanel's most famous fragrance to date was dyed red and supersized this past December in honor of Gabrielle Chanel, the iconic founder and namesake of the French fashion brand. Designed to be a keepsake for the most die-hard fragrance aficionados, the flacon is hand-crafted from fine crystal and sealed tight with a special technique known as "baudruchage", which works by keeping the liquid inside as pure as humanly possible. Is it worth the hefty chunk of change ($1,000 for every 1 oz.)? For regular old mortals, no. But hey, if you happen to have the funds, it's a legendary piece to add to your collection.
$30,000 for 30.4 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand12/14Clive Christian Absolute Osmanthus Perfume Oil
Ask any fragrance connoisseur: Clive Christian's 100-percent pure perfume oils are some of the most exquisite in the world. (And for $10,000 a pop, they best be.) This one, in particular, is infused with rare osmanthus flower, which adds a rich and sophisticated, leathery undertone to the original fruity scent. Each bottle also comes with its own hand-signed certificate of authenticity, which is then housed in a hand-made walnut burr box that takes a team of craftsmen from northern England over four weeks to make.
$10,000 for 1 oz. (Shop Now)
Courtesy of brand13/14Strangelove Dead of Night Eau de Parfum
Strangelove's Dead of Night Eau de Parfum is made with delicate florals like violet leaf, jasmine, and rose, sweet dried apricots, and a rare oud distilled from agarwood trees that are sustainably grown on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Because the oud oil is produced by farmers slowly and carefully without the presence of chemicals, it's especially pure and strong. However, the aforementioned notes help to soften its intensity while still allowing it to shine through and be the standout. It's the epitome of luxury in a bottle.
$795 for 3.4 oz. (Shop now)
- Brennan Kilbane</a>, you simply can't go wrong (if you have $600 to drop, that is).\n$600 for 3.3 oz (<a href=https://www.allure.com/"https://fueguia.com/products/aguiladeambar?variant=14260115505218\%22 rel=\"nofollow\">Shop Now</a>)","contentType":"photo","credit":"Courtesy of brand","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":320,"width":320,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_320,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"},{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_640,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":640,"width":640,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_640,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"},{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_1280,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1024,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_1024,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"},{"height":2048,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_2048,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_1280,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1280,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.allure.com/photos/5c895d6c6c85b02cef613c4a/master/w_1280,c_limit/fuegia-aguila-de-ambar.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Courtesy of brand14/14Fueguia 1833 Aguila de Ambar
The chic, golden-brown bottle of Fueguia 1833 Aguila de Ambar is only half the reason you should consider stashing away your next paycheck for this one. Inside, its resinous amber scent is rich and earthy in all the right ways, while underlying notes of oud and rose add something truly special. A must-have for Allure's senior staff writer, Brennan Kilbane, you simply can't go wrong (if you have $600 to drop, that is).
$600 for 3.3 oz (Shop Now)
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