What Is a Skin Scent—And Can it Replace Your Perfume?

Whether you’re new to the vast world of fragrance or are just starting to dabble in perfume, there’s one subset of the category that needs to be on your radar—skin scents. “Skin scents can be thought of as ‘introverted’ scents, because they are so close to your skin and not loud or overpowering,” explains Principal Perfumer Frank Voelkl at international flavoring and fragrance company dsm-firmenich. A skin scent isn’t a big, heady fragrance that announces itself in a room before you do. Rather, they’re intimate, delivering a steady presence on your skin. “They’re not even traditionally ‘perfumey,’” notes dsm-firmenich Master Perfumer Honorine Blanc. “They evoke serene, calming emotions.”

Vogue’s Favorite Skin Scents:

• Best Overall: Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume Eau de Parfum, $150
• Best Oil: Riddle Oil Original Fragrance Oil, $69
• Best Fruity: Snif Me Eau de Toilette, $65
• Best Amber: Ellis Brooklyn Super Amber Eau de Parfum, $115
• Best Splurge: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, $335
• Best Vanilla: Commodity Gold- Personal Eau de Parfum, $150
• Best Floral: Glossier You Eau de Parfum, $78

While skin scents can include woody, floral, or fresh elements for an added twist, skin scents tend to be linear, showcasing amber or musk to create a scent that smells like your skin, but better. Three of the most common notes used in skin scents are Iso E Super, Ambroxan, and Cetalox, all synthetic aromachemicals. “These are woody, ambery molecules that contribute to the signature warmth and longevity of the fragrance,” explains Voelkl. They’re all similar in that they work to replicate ambergris, yet offer subtle differences. (Coveted perfume ingredient ambergris, derived from the digestive system of the sperm whale, is illegal to use in most countries as this whale is an endangered species.) We find that Iso E Super smells the most like cedar, Ambroxan is most ambery, and Cetalox is creamy and animalic.

Then there are more traditional musk and amber notes. “Musk is a key component in skin scents, often creating a ‘second skin’ effect,” says Voelkl, who shares that at dsm-firmenich, the team crafts different musk blends using notes like suede or orris, which adds depth, texture, and individuality to a fragrance. And, like musk, amber is a catch-all term that speaks to a variety of different aromas. According to Voelkl, there are ambers that are accords of vanillic and balsamic notes (sweet and resinous) as well as more woodsy or mineralic ambers.

In This Story:

• How to Choose the Skin Scent for You
• Should skin scents be layered or are they meant to be worn on their own?
• Meet the Experts

Perfume lovers will find that the notes we’ve highlighted here are predominantly base notes—and that’s kind of the point. Though skin scents can’t all be confined to a single olfactive family (there are fruity skin scents, floral skin scents, you name it), they all work towards the same goal—enhancing your natural aroma to create a truly bespoke fragrance. Here, we share some of the best skin scents in our collection.

Best Overall: Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: We find ourselves reaching for this effortlessly sophisticated scent most mornings. Its singular note, Cetalox, provides creamy, sexy warmth and subtle woodsiness. When spritzed on, we can get a faint whiff of a crisp, clean, warm, and slightly salty aroma—like waking up a little sweaty after a good night’s sleep in freshly-laundered sheets. What’s most noteworthy is that the fragrance will be subtle to your nose, but more powerful to others, and your body chemistry will play a big role in its ultimate scent. See what you (and those around you) pick up!
• Notes: Cetalox
• Size: 3.3 fl. oz.

Best Oil: Riddle Oil Original Fragrance Oil

• Why We Love It: The brand refers to its original creation as a “pheromone” perfume due to its composition—solely base notes, all skin scent. Because it’s an oil, the warm notes of Ambroxan and musk linger on the skin longer than a traditional perfume, giving you a sultry “oh, this is just how I always smell” scent all day. Though the bottle is small, it lasts forever (oil-based perfumes are more concentrated) and its petite size makes it perfect for travel.
• Notes: Ambroxan, musk
• Size: 0.27 fl. oz.

Best Unisex: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 Eau de Toilette

• Why We Love It: One of the first and best skin scents on the market, Molecule 01 uses just woodsy Iso E Super to create a cool, crisp perfume that smells like paper and pencil shavings before it blends with your natural musk. Many wearers of this scent find they can’t smell much of it on themselves, yet it attracts compliments from those around them. While we like this scent solo, we also enjoy giving it a boost by layering it with other perfumes in our collection.
• Notes: Iso E Super
• Size: 3.4 fl. oz.

Best Fruity: Snif Me Eau de Toilette

• Why We Love It: Fruity skin scents are not especially common; this showstopper makes us wonder why. A juicy blend of plum and peach skin makes the fragrance smell good enough to eat before drying down to powdery notes of white moss and orris, resting on a base of Orcanox (an ambery aromachemical) and sandalwood. The blend is reminiscent of clean hair after the best blowout of your life—fruity, musky, and fresh.
• Notes: Orcanox, peach, plum, orris
• Size: 1.01 fl. oz.

Best Amber: Ellis Brooklyn Super Amber Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: If we had to choose one word to describe this one, it’d be “cozy.” Notes of amber, musk, cedar, and orchid result in a composition that is somehow warm yet dry—like you’re curled up in front of a fireplace wearing your favorite sweater. It’s a great cold-weather fragrance as it has a bit more projection than some of the other scents on this list; we also like spritzing it onto our winter clothes before packing them up for the season so they’ll smell delicious upon their next wear.
• Notes: Amber, musk, cedar, vanilla orchid
• Size: 1.7 oz.

Best Splurge: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: While you may not think of this fragrance as being a skin scent, it’s definitely in the category, with Ambroxan as the warm note grounding the perfume. Floral, spicy, and resinous notes of jasmine, saffron, and cedar add olfactive intrigue, while a dash of sugar (yes, really) provides a kiss of sweetness. There’s a reason that this scent is a cult favorite: It’s stunning on the right person, but make sure you try it before committing to it as it can smell very different depending on the wearer.
• Notes: Saffron, jasmine, Ambroxan, sugar, cedar
• Size: 2.4 fl. oz.

Best Vanilla: Commodity Gold- Personal Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Commodity designs each of its scents in three tiers—personal, expressive, and bold—to help you determine how much you want to share your scent with those in your space. Gold- is in the personal collection, formulated to sit closely to your skin. While vanilla can lean artificial, this one is anything but: The top note reads like a baking vanilla before settling down into a warm and slightly spicy blend of sandalwood and amber that would smell elegant on any gender.
• Notes: Vanilla, sandalwood, amber, Iso E Super
• Size: 3.4 fl. oz.

Best Woodsy: D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What Fragrance Enhancer

• Why We Love It: This scent is designed to be layered with any of your favorite perfumes to give them a little je ne sais quoi, but we think it’s lovely solo. This slightly masculine fragrance opens with zesty bergamot, then gets grassy and a little dirty thanks to the notes of vetiver and synthetic civet musk. The Iso E Super and Ambrox Super provide a woodsy, ambery foundation, creating the warmth that allows this scent to stand on its own.
• Notes: Bergamot, Iso E Super, vetiver, Ambrox Super, synthetic civet
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Clean: Le Monde Gourmand 000 Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: This sheer fragrance is the perfume equivalent of a crisp white button-down—refined, elegant, and understated (and works well both on its own or layered). The notes boast vibrant bergamot, watery lilies and freesia, and warm sandalwood, creating a skin scent that’s like liquid quiet luxury. Bonus: It’s budget friendly.
• Notes: Bergamot, freesia, sandalwood
• Size: 1 fl. oz.

Best Gourmand: Clean Reserve Skin Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: We didn’t know what to expect when we first read the notes in this perfume, but they came together beautifully—we can’t stop sniffing our wrist when we wear this. The praline and tonka notes make the fragrance very sweet, but they’re nicely tempered by the musk, leather, and salt, which create a hyper-realistic skin aroma. If someone only subsided on candy and confections alone, this might be what their skin would smell like.
• Notes: Praline, musk, salt, tonka bean, leather
• Size: 3.4 oz.

Best For Layering: DedCool Milk Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: This creamy musk wears very closely to the skin, with subtly sweet lactonic notes (it’s named “Milk,” after all) and a sparkle of bergamot to add freshness. It’s a great “I don’t know what perfume to wear today” pick as it evokes clean linen, but it really shines when layered with gourmand fragrances, amplifying the sweetness of both scents while enhancing your natural aroma.
• Notes: Bergamot, white musk, amber
• Size: 1.7 fl. oz.

Best Indie: Maya Base Perfume Oil

• Why We Love It: This perfume is beloved by industry insiders, but we think it’s too good to gatekeep. The long-wearing oil melts into skin, allowing your body heat to spread the scent, which smells clean without smelling laundry, crisp without being sharp, warm and woodsy without being heavy—Vogue’s senior shopping editor Talia Abbas has been wearing it for years. The name “Base” hints at its multitasking nature—it can be worn as a primer for your other scents, but it’s incredible on its own.
• Notes: Lily, sandalwood, amber, soft musk
• Size: 0.16 fl. oz.

Best Floral: Glossier You Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: For many people, this perfume is the gateway to skin scents. “It’s a scent that becomes part of you,” says Voelkl. Often referred to as a “clean girl” fragrance, the Ambroxan and musky-sweet ambrette notes are what make this perfume smell like “you,” while the iris and pink pepper lend a soft, powdery spiciness for added olfactory intrigue.
• Notes: Iris, pink pepper, Ambroxan, ambrette
• Size: 1.69 fl. oz.

Voelkl suggests starting by exploring brands that align with your aesthetic, which he says is likely to help you find a scent that resonates with you. But the most important factor in determining if a scent is a good fit for you is how it wears on your skin. "Figure out which really feels most comfortable by trying a sample—wear it and live with it,” says Voelkl. Remember that some skin scents can be hard to smell on yourself. Consider asking others to give you a sniff when you’re testing out a new skin scent—if it earns you compliments, it could be a winner!

The beauty of skin scents is in their simplicity, with a different construction than most fragrances. “They are a bit less complex, closer to your skin in wear, and do not necessarily follow a structured top, mid, and base note evolution,” explains Voelkl. That makes them more understated than traditional perfume—so while you can layer them with other fragrances in your collection, you should be strategic. “I’d suggest pairing a skin scent with something lighter and fresher to enhance its presence without overwhelming its subtle character,” Voelkl says.

• Frank Voelkl is a Principal Perfumer at dsm-firmenich.
• Honorine Blanc is a Master Perfumer at dsm-firmenich.