Jasmine Perfumes You Need to Try This Winter

Bring some spring to your cold-weather routine.

jasmine flowers and perfume bottle
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As we make out way through the winter months, I like to brighten up my beauty routine with a floral perfume. Yes, warm vanilla and gourmand scents fit into the cozy vibe of the colder months, but there's nothing like rose, iris, or lavender scent to inject a bit of spring energy into one's day. And my flower of choice recently? Jasmine.

According to Alexandra Balahoutis, perfumer and founder of Strange Invisible Perfumes, jasmine is "an anytime, anywhere sort of scent." She says, "It's really good for lifting spirits, increasing alertness, and it's an aphrodisiac, so it's a very useful essence if you're trying to start some romance," adding that she associates the fragrance most strongly with love.

"It's kind of nice because there's something sentimental about it—it's floral and it's sweet, and it isn't trying to be cool," she says, but contrasts it with florals like rose and iris, which have a more "prim, Victorian" reputation. "But at the same time it's very exotic and worldly, and it has a lot of backbone."

Indeed, jasmine has its origins in Iran, and has also been grown in India, China, Morocco, Egypt, and elsewhere. It has since spread across Europe and North America because of its alluring scent (and the delicious tea it makes), and it can now be found as far from its home as Southern France and sunny Los Angeles.

Jasmine perfumes are a staple in any fragrance lover's collection. "I almost think there wouldn't be any perfumery without jasmine," Balahoutis admits. "It's a heart note, and it's aromatherapeutic."

But there are so many jasmine scents on the market—not to mention so many variations of the scent—that it can be challenging for the uninitiated shopper to find a jasmine perfume that works best for them. Thus, we've asked Balahoutis to break down how to shop for in a jasmine perfume. Plus, we've researched countless jasmine fragrances to bring you the best ones all-around.

What to Look For in a Jasmine Perfume

Type of Jasmine

Did you know that there's more than one type of jasmine? And the type you pick can drastically change the character of your fragrance.

"There are two types of jasmine that are mostly used in botanical perfume," Balahoutis explains. "One is called jasmine grandiflorum, which is the typical jasmine that we’re used to. It’s got a little more depth to it; it’s kind of a bit creamy and buttery. Then, jasmine sambac is a bit more of a top note. It’s a bit brighter, and it has almost more of a berry scent." In contrast, she says that jasmine grandiflorum "can strattle the base note and heart note worlds"—though these aren't hard and fast rules, and both types of jasmine find themselves falling "all over the map" in terms of top notes, heart notes, and base notes.

And still, both types bring the romance.

"They’re both night blooming flowers, so they’re definitely associated with the night and the heart chakra, and they just have a very rich, unapologetically sweet, floral scent," she says, adding that even so, jasmine works on all genders.

Scent Pairings

"There are so many things that jasmine carries with beautifully, with which is why it's such a predominant ingredient in fragrances," says Balahoutis. "It pairs really beautifully with sandalwood and with rose. It smells really gorgeous with bergamot and citruses. It goes beautifully with so many different essences."

She also adds that jasmine and ylang ylang pair wonderfully, as the latter can enhance jasmine's "mood-boosting" qualities.

The Best Jasmine Perfumes

Meet the Expert

Alexandra Balahoutis
Alexandra Balahoutis

Alexandra Balahoutis is an expert perfumer and founder of Strange Invisible Perfumes, a small batch perfumery based in Los Angeles that uses organic grape alcohol for its fragrances.

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Gabrielle Ulubay
Beauty Writer

Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art