The 7 Best Spicy Perfumes to Satisfy the Most Discerning Nose, Tested by Editors
Finding the right fragrance for your body chemistry is key.
As a fragrance lover, I don't believe in gendered scents or wearing my perfumes during specific seasons. I'll spray the deepest, most resinous ouds in the summer, light skin scents in the winter, and everything in between. I'm a rule-breaker 95 percent of the time, but this winter, I've been craving the warmth of the best spicy perfumes.
Cardamom, pepper, clove—all standard spicy perfume notes that have made their way onto my skin over the past few months. As a self-proclaimed scent savant, this means I’ve been testing dozens of fragrances over the last three months (really years, if we’re being honest). I've got you covered if you’ve been searching for your next spicy perfume.
Not only have I gone ahead and curated the ultimate list of spicy perfumes that would satisfy even the pickiest nose, but I've also spoken with fragrance expert, creative director, and founder of 27 87, Romy Kowalewski, who explained everything that there is to know about spicy perfumes.
Whether you’re looking for your new cold-weather staple, or are just in the mood to be complimented constantly, keep reading to learn why a spicy perfume is the most essential addition to your fragrance wardrobe.
The Best Spicy Perfumes
- Best Overall Spicy Perfume: Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh
- Best Designer Spicy Perfume: Dolce and Gobanna Velvet Desert Oud
- Best Musky Spicy Perfume: Bulgari Le Gemme Orom
- Best Vanilla Spicy Perfume: Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Sin
- Best Amber Spicy Perfume: Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur
Created by perfumer Amelie Jacquin, Rock the Myrrh is inspired by a Parisian boutique, and one sniff of this concoction will easily transport you to the city of love. One of the more approachable spicy perfumes in my collection, you’ll find notes like pink pepper, myrrh, and suede in this intoxicating (and unisex) formula.
Fragrance Family: Leather
Top Notes: Cypress; Myrrh
Middle Notes: Patchouli
Base Notes: Suede; Benzoin
Key Spice Note: Pink Pepper
Size: 3.4 fl oz.
What I Love: Not as intense as some other spicy scents
What I Don’t: Expensive
Review for MC: "The day that I have to repurchase this perfume is the day that I will cry a river of tears. Yes, this bottle of perfume costs a pretty penny, but I’m simply unwilling to be without it at this point. The notes are approachable, the scent lasts for hours on the skin (around six total, I’ve noticed), and the bottle literally feels like a work of art. No fragrance collection is complete without this perfume.” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Ariel Baker testing Rock the Myhrr perfume
It was love at first sniff when I initially got my nose on this perfume, and I wore it for about three weeks straight when it first joined my collection. As someone who has upward of hundreds of bottles of perfume, this is a feat. This perfume is somehow simultaneously airy and lightweight, yet somehow becomes more heady the longer you have it on. This is one of the most intoxicating scents that I own.
Fragrance Family: Woody
Top Notes: Tobacco
Middle Notes: Saffron
Base Notes: Oud
Key Spice Note: Tobacco
Size: 3.3 fl oz
What I Love: Slightly floral quality; Easy to store bottle
What I Don’t: Some may find that it smells a bit medicinal
Review for MC: “I love this perfume on its own, but one of its best qualities is how well it layers with other scents. I’ve gotten really into skin scents recently, and the heavier notes of this Dolce and Gabbana scent ground the lighter, more airy perfumes that I’ve been mixing it with. Every single combination has been a hit so far. Still, this perfume also stands on its own, so whether you’re a fan of layering your scents (citrus! floral! fruity!) or you just want to wear a spicy perfume by itself, you can’t go wrong with picking this up.”— Ariel Baker
Ariel Baker testing Dolce and Gabbana perfume.
If you think Bulgari Le Gemme Orom feels like a work of art, it's because it is. Inspired by the Labradorite gemstone in Madagascar, this perfume features notes of vanilla bourbon absolute and oud, making it perfect to wear on its own. It can also be paired with traditional gourmand perfumes to take the sweetness factor up a notch.
Fragrance Family: Amber Oriental
Top Notes: Vanilla bourbon absolute
Middle Notes: Benzoin siam resinoid
Base Notes: Oud assam essence
Key Spice Note: Vanilla bourbon absolute
Size: 4.2 fl oz
What I Love: Sweeter spicy perfume
What I Don’t: The bulky bottle may make the user experience somewhat uncomfortable
Review for MC: “Smelling this perfume is like that warm fuzzy feeling you get around the holiday season. It doesn’t veer too warm like most vanilla-heavy perfumes, but it still feels nostalgic. It’s like it’s saying, ‘Come closer, but not too close.’ You’ll want to hide this from your partner because they will fall in love with it. Feel free to ask me how I know.” — Ariel Baker
Ariel testing Bulgari perfume.
Don't let the lighter formulation fool you; this scent from Ellis Brooklyn is a top contender for one of my favorite spicy perfumes. Black cherry, vanilla, and almond cream all combine to give you the best of both worlds—a spicy perfume with sparkling gourmand facets.
Fragrance Family: Gourmand
Top Notes: Black cherry; Hazelnut
Middle Notes: Almond cream
Base Notes: Bourbon vanilla
Key Spice Note: Vanilla bourbon absolute
Size: 3.38 fl oz
What I Love: Lightweight mist that can be worn year-round
What I Don’t: Not very long-lasting
Review for MC: "I am not the biggest lover of cherry scents, so imagine my surprise when I realized that it was a top note in one of my new favorite fragrance discoveries. Instead of being cloying, the cherry in this fragrance combines beautifully with the bourbon vanilla, and the combination smells so good you’ll almost want to drink it. Don’t do that, but it does smell that good.” — Ariel Baker
Ariel Baker testing ellis brooklyn vanilla sin.
A legendary formulation in the world of perfumery, Frédéric Malle's Musc Ravageur is a spicy amber dream. It starts off fresh with bergamot and mandarin notes, but by the time it's dried down, it transforms into a heady scent that both men and women find intoxicating.
Fragrance Family: Spicy Amber
Top Notes: Bergamot; Mandarin
Middle Notes: Lavender; Amber
Base Notes: Vanilla; Sandalwood
Key Spice Notes: Cloves; Cinnamon
Size: 3.4 fl oz
What I Love: Long-lasting, gorgeous packaging
What I Don’t: Expensive; Not blind-buy safe for beginners
Review for MC: “In my opinion, no Frédéric Malle fragrance is safe to blind buy, but if you know you’re a fan of spicy perfumes, there’s a very high chance that you’ll like Musc Ravageur, especially if you have a more seasoned nose. Citrus notes like bergamot and mandarin curate a fresh top note, but the longer the perfume sits on the skin, the more it turns into this super sexy scent that lasts all day. If you’re a beginner in the world of spicy fragrances, I highly suggest you get a sample of this first, but it truly is a masterpiece of a perfume.” — Ariel Baker
Ariel Baker testing Frederic Malle perfume.
If you want a spicy perfume that smells more clean and woodsy, this one from Charlotte Tilbury should be on your "must sniff" list. It's a fairly simple combination of notes: black pepper oil, leather accord, and musk, but it is so incredibly elegant that it feels like a much safer bet for spicy fragrance beginners.
Fragrance Family: Woods
Top Notes: Black Pepper Oil
Middle Notes: Leather Accord
Base Notes: Musk
Key Spice Notes: Black Pepper Oil
Size: 3.4 fl oz
What I Love: Gorgeous packaging; Great for beginners
What I Don’t: Not long-lasting
Customer Review: “Absolutely love this perfume!! It’s definitely not for everyone and very unique. At first it was too strong for me but the more I wear it the more my body chemistry melts with the perfume. Makes me feel like a sexy goddess.” — Sephora
Want to smell like an actual bottle of cinnamon? Byredo's Eyes Closed has your name written on it. You would think notes like ginger, carrot, and cinnamon would make this scent feel a little too spicy, but the orris butter note, in particular, tempers that sharpness of the perfume to make it much more wearable for everyday.
Fragrance Family: Spicy floral
Top Notes: Cinnamon
Middle Notes: Carrot; Orris butter
Base Notes: Ginger; Patchouli; Papyrus
Key Spice Notes: Cinnamon; Cardamom
Size: 1.7 fl oz
What I Love: Sleek packaging; Strong projection
What I Don’t: Expensive
Customer Review: “This perfume is amazing - warm and spicy and slightly sweet - I get so many compliments when I wear it. It’s complex and inviting - it starts spicier and then wears down to a non-saccharine sweet lingering note. I would describe it as a sophisticated gourmand with depth. I cannot get enough!!! So glad I found this!” — Nordstrom
What Is a Spicy Perfume?
Technically, spicy perfumes often fall into the oriental or woody-spicy families. But if you really want to get technical, there are a few notes that you can pay attention to as well. “Think red pepper, cardamom, saffron, pink and black pepper, ginger, or even burnt rubber and metallic notes,” says Kowalewski. “Spicy notes can be grounding, volatile, warm, or electric. It all depends on what it’s paired with.”
And while there’s no one-size-fits-all reason why someone may like a spicy perfume, it's typically a crowd-pleaser with more seasoned noses. “Spicy is more than just a scent profile—it’s an attitude,” Kowalewski says. “It’s about unpredictability, about breaking free from the expected.”
Spicy perfumes are also a great way to learn how seemingly unrelated notes can work really well together. “In Elixir de Bombe, for example, we used a sharp burst of red pepper and ginger, balanced with caramel and leather, to create contrast,” Kowalewski says. “Rule of 72 plays with saffron and cardamom in a way that’s bold but refined. Spicy perfumes are all about pushing boundaries.”
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How We Tested
Marie Claire beauty writer Ariel Baker—along with a few editors and contributors—went through a vigorous testing period where they reviewed dozens of spicy perfumes. Each was evaluated on notes, staying power, and fragrance bottle.
Meet the Expert
Romy Kowalewski is a fragrance expert, creative director, and founder of 27 87.
