Iconic perfumes
Iconic perfumes are the ones that set a style other houses followed, stayed on sale long after launch and are still recognised on someone else. Try an icon from a 3ml before you buy the bottle. Top of the list: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue and Mugler Alien. 53 perfumes from 28 houses, from €6.21 for 3ml.
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Iconic perfumes
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Try an icon before you commit
An icon has a reputation before you smell it, which makes it an easy blind buy to regret. A 3ml is enough to wear one for a week or so, and a 10ml gives weeks of daily wear. Our 30-day money-back guarantee covers decants you have opened and worn.
The icons this page leads with
The perfumes this page leads with, and the notes each house lists for them.
For women
- Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium: Orange blossom and pear over bitter almond and coffee, then cashmere wood, cedar and patchouli. Launched in 2014.
- Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue: Apple and bellflower over bamboo and jasmine, then amber and musk. Launched in 2001.
- Mugler Alien: Jasmine sambac over cashmeran, then amber. Launched in 2005.
- Mugler Angel: Bergamot and cassis over apricot and blackberry, then amber, caramel and chocolate. Launched in 1992.
For men
- Creed Aventus: Apple and bergamot over Moroccan jasmine and patchouli, then ambroxan, birch and cedarwood. Launched in 2010.
- Terre d'Hermès: Grapefruit and orange over flint and pelargonium, then benzoin, cedar and patchouli. Launched in 2006.
- Dior Homme Intense: Lavender over ambrette (musk mallow) and iris, then vetiver and Virginia cedar. Launched in 2011.
Unisex
- Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540: Jasmine and saffron over ambergris and amberwood, then ambroxan, cedar and fir resin. Launched in 2015.
- Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille: Spicy notes and tobacco leaf over cacao and tobacco blossom, then dried fruits and woody notes. Launched in 2007.
- Tom Ford Black Orchid: Amalfi lemon and bergamot over fruity notes and lotus, then amber, incense and Mexican chocolate. Launched in 2006.
Where to go next
For perfumes that fly lower, see our underrated perfumes; for the heaviest base notes, our long-lasting perfumes. Or read our guides to the best perfumes for women and the best perfumes for men.
Guides to read next
- Best perfume for women: 18 picks by style, from fresh to amber
The best perfume for women is the one in the style you already love. Eighteen women's perfumes grouped by style, compared side by side, and a three-decant way to find yours before you buy a bottle.
- Best perfume for men: 18 picks by style, and the aftershave question answered
The best perfume for men is the one in the style you already reach for. Eighteen men's perfumes grouped by style, compared side by side, an "if you wear this, try that" ladder, and what aftershave really means.
- Safe blind buy perfumes: easy styles to wear before you buy the bottle
The safest blind buy perfume is one you wear first. Twelve easy-to-wear perfumes grouped by style, from fresh to warm, and how to try each one before a full bottle.
Questions about iconic perfumes
What is the most iconic perfume of all time?
There is no single answer, but the classics that set a style and stayed on sale for decades come closest. The oldest on this page are Acqua di Parma Colonia (1916), Guerlain Vétiver (1959) and Dior Eau Sauvage (1966). Each comes in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml, filled from the original bottle.
What are the most iconic perfumes for women?
The women’s classics this page leads with are Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue and Mugler Alien. Trying classics of different styles, from warm amber and white florals to fresh fruit and sweet praline, tells you quickly which kind of classic you actually like.
What are the most iconic men’s fragrances?
The men’s classics this page leads with are Creed Aventus, Terre d'Hermès and Dior Homme Intense. Men’s classics run from citrus cologne and iris to lavender, vetiver and ambroxan. Each comes in a 3ml decant to try first.
What makes a perfume iconic?
Three things: it set a style other houses followed, it stayed on sale long after launch, and people still recognise it on someone else. Popularity alone is not enough; staying power is.
Do classic perfumes smell the same as they used to?
Not always. Houses revise formulas over the years, often because some ingredients become restricted or unavailable, so a perfume from 1990 may smell different from a bottle bought today. We decant from original bottles of the perfume as it is sold now, and a 3ml is the easiest way to judge that version before a full bottle.
How do you choose the perfumes on this page?
A perfume is listed when it launched in 2015 or earlier and has at least 10,000 community ratings: old enough to have lasted, known widely enough to be recognised. We also add the oldest classics we stock by hand, even with fewer ratings. The most widely rated come first, then our bestsellers.
Are these original perfumes?
Yes. 10ML sells only original perfumes. Every 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decant is filled by hand from the original bottle, with nothing added. We are independent and not affiliated with the perfume houses. If a scent isn’t for you, tell us within 30 days of delivery and we refund what you paid for it, even if you have worn it.
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Not sure yet? Start with 3ml.
Wear a perfume for a few days before you commit. Most scents come in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml, decanted from the original bottle.
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