If there is ever a time that wearing the right perfume matters, it’s at work. If you have ever worked with someone whose fragrance is overwhelming, you might leave the office with a headache. You don’t want to be that person.
However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t smell great at work — your smell projects how people perceive you. Moreover, the right perfume will give you a confidence boost that might enhance your career success.
If you’ve been struggling to find the best women’s perfume for workplace wear, you’re not alone. We have got you covered and have put together a list of our favorite workplace fragrances that are sure to impress your colleagues.
Top 14 Best Women’s Perfume For Workplace
Whether you work in a management position, a high-end retail shop, an office, a bank, or perhaps do manual work; we women always want to smell fantastic.
Watch this video to discover the best ladies perfumes for the office:
If you’ve dressed to impress at work, then one of these complimentary perfumes are sure to complete your professional vibe. Let’s take a look.
1. Elie Saab Le Parfum
Le Parfum by Ellie Saab is a beautifully feminine fragrance that is presented in a clear, classic bottle. The perfume is ideal for wearing in the workplace thanks to its delicate floral aroma and pleasant blend of scent notes.
Le Parfum starts with mandarin blossom and moves into a heart of orange blossom and gardenia. The base is gentle with notes of vetiver. Honey, and rose. Le Parfum is a soft and fresh perfume for ladies who love something sweetly floral.
This fragrance suits a sophisticated and elegant lady who wants to make a gentle statement about her character.
Ellie Saab, Le Parfum offers a bright yet soft aura that will float easily around you without offending the noses of your colleagues.
2. Chance Chanel
Chance comes as an Eau de Parfum and an Eau de Toilette, but we would lean towards the latter for work.
This is a classy fragrance suited to the modern woman who wants to show off her sophisticated side. Chance comes in a circular flacon with simple yet elegant text that instantly demonstrates the fragrance’s elegant nature.
Chance is about the contrast between fresh and spicy, which is perfect for work. You can show off your character without being over the top.
At the head, notes of patchouli and pink pepper flirt with hyacinth and iris. The middle notes of jasmine, lemon, and rose dry down to a lush musky base that lingers just the right amount.
3. Light Blue Dolce And Gabbana
If you are looking for one of the best women’s perfumes for workplace use that is fresh, zesty, and free, then Light Blue will work for you.
Light Blue is a floral fruity fragrance for women with a huge citrus edge. It blends Sicilian lemon with apple at the head followed by a heart of bamboo and jasmine. The base is musky with hints of amber and cedar. While this is an intoxicatingly intense fragrance, it doesn’t overpower as you move through a space.
Light Blue is a brilliant daytime scent and perfectly suited to summer wear. If you work as a waitress in a beachside restaurant, this could be the perfect complement to your job. Imagine serving cocktails as the sun glistens on the ocean and that is the essence of Light Blue.
4. Cool Water Davidoff
The delicate blue bottle speaks wonders about the fresh, aquatic scent that lies within. Cool Water is a delightfully bright and feminine fragrance that works excellently for wearing to work.
Cool Water is a calm and relaxing fragrance that utilizes a complex blend of delicious notes. It begins with melon, lemon, pineapple, and quince before revealing a floral heart of lotus, jasmine, and hawthorn. The dry down brings us to a soft fruity and woody base.
But what makes Cool Water such a wonderful choice for work is that it leaves a delicate fresh aroma behind you. This is a universally-loved scent that is just enough to say ‘look at me’ without compromising your professional demeanor.
5. Celine Dion Celine Dion
Celebrity perfumes tend to work very well in professional situations as they are normally very gentle and fresh. Celine Dion is no exception to this and is a floral fruity fragrance for ladies who are passionate yet gentle.
Celine Dion is the epitome of femininity and her perfume is a fine example of this. The light, cheerful aroma is perfectly girly and yet also manages to be enticing.
It begins with floral notes combining Tiare flower and orange blossom. The middle notes are red berries and a variety of florals before drying down to a base of white woods and musk.
Celine Dion is a scent that is suited to women of all ages who want to declare to the world that they are in the room without having to show off. It is soft, glowing, and utterly beautiful; just like you.
6. Dior Oud Ispahan
If you have a business meeting that needs to go without a hitch, you will need a scent that announces your confidence without being offensive. Oud Ispahan is everything that a work scent needs to be.
It is powerful yet delicately floral. It is rich yet soft. It is luxurious without being showy. Oud Ispahan is for the lady who knows what she wants to achieve and will boost her career by doing whatever is necessary.
Dior has blended expensive oud with musky rose, cedar, and patchouli. This classic composition is ideal for more mature ladies who want to show their personality with a musky, classy scent. Oud Ispahan leaves a delicate trail but is certainly noticeable for those important work moments.
7. Louis Vuitton California Dream
The beautiful pink ombre bottle will grab your attention immediately, demonstrating the flirty, delicious fragrance inside. But California Dream does not flirt so much that it cannot be used for work.
In fact, this is the ideal fragrance for young, enthusiastic women who want to show their willingness to get their teeth into their careers. California Dream has been designed to contrast warmth with freshness. This allows you to show off your personality while still remaining appropriate for work.
With a concoction of musk, ambrette, mandarin, and pear California Dream leave a gentle fragrance around you. It is a scent that is noticeable but extremely pleasant on the nose. It lasts incredibly well so perfect for those longer days.
8. Gucci Bamboo
The best kind of perfume to wear for work is something fresh, floral, and utterly femine; that sums up Gucci Bamboo by Gucci.
Bamboo is a fragrance for the quietly confident women. It speaks for itself and requires you to do nothing but wear the scent. The perfume is delicate yet has a captivating fragrance that is the perfect blend between work and play.
If you plan to go for cocktails after work with your colleagues, Gucci Bamboo is the ideal companion. It’s delightful scent will carry you through the workday and beyond.
Notes of bergamot, lily, ylang-ylang, and sandalwood are a perfect combination for the uber-feminine and free lady.
9. Jo Malone Lime, Basil, and Mandarin
Anyone looking for a fresh, citrus fragrance for the workplace would be hard-pushed to find anything quite as beautiful and unique as Lime, Basil & Mandarin.
While lime, Basil & Mandarin is an aromatic fragrance, it is not over pronounced and as such, is an excellent choice for the office. It has an intense fragrance that projects lightly around you and is anything but offensive.
Paired with the main scents, we find thyme, iris, and patchouli for a truly unique composition that could easily become a signature.
Lime, Basil & Mandarin is perfect for ladies of any age who want to make a delicate yet definite statement.
10. Loewe Paula’s Ibiza
One of the first things that will catch your attention is the brightly colored flacon. With rainbow colors and a bright blue lid, you can instantly see that Paula’s Ibiza is a fun-loving fragrance for women with a similar personality.
Paula’s Ibiza makes an excellent workday perfume for women who want to add a little enjoyment into their working day without going over the top. It is bright, fresh, and ignites images of exotic sunsets.
With coconut and galbanum at the top and a heart of driftwood, lily, and frangipani, Paula’s Ibiza is wonderfully summery. The dry down reveals a base of ambergris, patchouli, and vanilla. It leaves a sweet yet light trail behind you.
11. Byredo Lil Fleur
If you are looking for a floral fragrance that exudes luxury, then Lil Fleur will fit the bill. This is a fragrance that is youthful, bright, and quietly demanding.
Lil Fleur would make the perfect scent for young ladies with a sense of fun but who want to demonstrate their passion for their work.
The head delivers saffron, cassis, and tangerine with middle notes of rose and leather. At the base, we find vanilla and ambergris with woody notes. The fragrance will linger around you slightly more heavily than other work perfumes. However, it is so inoffensive and charming that it won’t cause a stir.
12. Liz Earle Botanical Essence No 1
Botanical Essence No 1 is a fragrance that is almost 98% made from natural ingredients. This makes it perfect for ladies who want a less synthetic fragrance and ideal for demonstrating your flawless femininity in the workplace.
Botanical Essence No 1 is an uplifting perfume that is vibrant and colorful with a complex combination of accords. It begins with lemon, orange, rose, and nutmeg before drying down to Indonesian patchouli and cedar.
The scent of Botanical Essence is incredibly intimate and therefore, ideal for those who need something a little less pronounced for work. That being said, it is very noticeable on the skin and will deliver soft waves of fragrance over a long day.
13. Prada Infusion D’Iris
Infusion D’Iris from Prada is a floral, powdery combination of some incredibly feminine notes. Its soft fragrance is perfect for the workplace and ideal for more mature ladies with a sophisticated air.
The sheer elegance of Infusion D’Iris makes it an excellent choice for women who take a softer approach to their work. African orange flower and neroli dance into a heart of iris and galbanum. The base is warming with incense and cedar.
The projection of Infusion D’Iris is the perfect balance between getting noticed and not being overwhelming. The dry down leaves a very mild, inoffensive fragrance that will sit delicately on your skin until you clock out.
14. Acqua Di Gioia Giorgio Armani
For women who want to exude a fresh yet luxurious personality in the workplace, Acqua Di Gioia is a perfect choice. The fragrance comes in a beautifully simple flacon with hints of green and turquoise.
Acqua Di Gioia is a fragrance that is breezy and light yet also incredibly sensational. It will dazzle with just the right amount of appropriateness for work. The scent has a delicate aura that fills the air softly rather than making a dramatic statement.
The fragrance begins with lemon and mint, followed by middle notes of jasmine and peony. At the base of Acqua Di Gioia we are treated to cedar, labdanum, and brown sugar that give an instantly recognizable aroma. Your colleagues will always know it is you.
How To Choose The Right Perfume For The Workplace
Your perfume is just one of the many ways that you are able to display your unique personality. A lot of people might think that when you are at work, this personality should be left at home. But we don’t agree.
While you may need to be a little more conservative when you are working, that doesn’t mean to say that you cannot express yourself. The key is to do this in a much more subtle way.
The last thing that anyone wants is to be cooped up in a hot office with a woman who is wearing loud, offensive, or sickening perfume. The first thing you should consider is the projection of the scent.
In some situations, you will be looking to make an entrance by allowing your fragrance to project across the room and greet people before they even lay eyes on you. However, this can be a little too much for work so you should look for fragrances that offer a more delicate sillage.
The best way to determine this would be to look at the perfume concentration. The best women’s perfume for workplace use would typically be an Eau de Toilette. These contain around 5 – 15% perfume oil compared to the 20% you would typically find in an Eau de Parfum. This means that your fragrance would still be noticeable but not nearly as ‘in your face.’
It is also worth considering the fragrance family of the perfume. Some woody, spicy, or aromatic perfumes may be far too heavy for the office. Although there are exceptions. You might also find that gourmand perfumes have too much of a potent aroma in this type of situation.
However, in our opinion, the best fragrances to wear to work would come from the floral family. A fresh, citrus scent would also work well. These perfumes still have a delightful aroma but tend to be a lot easier on the nose.
Some fruity fragrances may also work well and if you like something a little more primal, then a musky perfume would be an ideal workplace scent.
While you will be looking for a more easy-going perfume for work, you will need it to last throughout the day. This is especially true if you are unable to take the bottle with you and top up on your lunch break.
Looking at the longevity of the fragrance will give you a good idea as to whether it will see you through your shift. If you will be attending a work social event at the end of the day, then this is even more important.
Before you commit to buying a fragrance, you might test it by spraying a small amount on your pulse points and checking back later in the day to see if it has stood the test of time.
Depending on the type of work you do, you might alter your fragrance. For example, if you need to attend a meeting where you need to make an excellent first impression, you might go for a perfume that makes you stand out.
Conversely, for women who need to be more discreet, perhaps a nurse or a teacher, a softer fragrance might be more suitable.
Above all, the perfume that you choose for work should be something that you love. Just because you are taking your colleagues into consideration, that doesn’t mean to say that you should choose a scent that you hate.
Fortunately, there is a huge range of beautiful workplace perfumes to choose from so you won’t be limited when it comes to finding a fragrance that you fall in love with. Who knows, it might even become your signature outside of work.
Final Thoughts On Perfume For Office Wear
Most of us go to work for at least eight hours every day, five days a week. This is a lot of time to spend wearing a fragrance that our colleagues or we do not like. For this reason, it is important to choose the right perfume to wear to work.
By selecting something light, fresh, and inoffensive, you can display your personality while keeping everyone around you happy and head-ache free.
