I’ve Tried So Many Perfumes, But It’s This Surprising Scent That Earns Me the Most Compliments

Key Fragrance Notes: black cherry accord, bitter almond, cherry liqueur, sour cherry, plum, tonka bean, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver.

Arguably the gold (red, if we’re being pedantic) standard of cherry fragrances, Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry is renowned for how realistic it smells: the ripe sweet, freshness of the small stone fruit, with nutty, almost boozy warmth from the almond and vanilla notes. A grown-up gourmand for the Maraschino cherry lovers out there.

Key fragrance notes: black cherry, rose damascena, praline, palo santo, guaiac wood, patchouli.

If you struggle to satisfy your need for woody, smoky fragrances and the sweeter side of things, this perfume from Kayali is the exact spot in the middle. It’s nostalgic (like cherry lollies) and smoky (like a campfire), which blend into something complex and slightly spiced.

Key fragrance notes: cherry accord, oud wood, cardamom, cinnamon, Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose.

A fragrance that borders on the masc – it dries down to a clean, warm leather note, Cherry Oud is something of a contradiction. On the one hand, the sour cherry notes give the fragrance levity and tartness while the wood and leather base notes bolt it back to earth. It’s complex and expensive-smelling with days-long silage. Think a hint of cherry rather than a basket-full and you’ll be on the money.

Key fragrance notes: raspberry, strawberry, cherry, mandarin orange, black currant, grapefruit, musk, patchouli.

Skin scent lovers, lean in. Dior’s Rouge Trafalgar smells musky and natural with the added juicy goodness of strawberry, mandarin, raspeberry, and cherry top notes. Refreshing and clean, it brings sweetness to the forefront without smelling cloying or annoying.

Key fragrance notes: cherry blossom, bergamot, violet.

A crisp, clean-smelling fragrance, it’s the exact thing to cut through stifling weather. On the first spray, watermelon and bergamot intermingle, followed by the refreshing, sparkling middle notes of cherry blossom, pear and rose. It’s full of freshness and water, like the first sunny day of spring.

Key fragrance notes: cherry, saffron, olive, leather, smoke.

There are two Tom Ford perfumes on this list, a testament to just how good they are! Lost Cherry is another bestseller, but Cherry Smoke and Electric Cherry are our favourites. This is a much smokier, mustier scent, with sour cherry notes combined with apricot, leather and olive.

Key fragrance notes: cherry, red berries, sweet orange, almond, ylang-ylang, vanilla, tonka bean, vetiver.

Sweet, sensual and spiced, this cherry fragrance is simultaneously juicy and full of fruit while also being creamy and woody, thanks to the vanilla, vetiver and sandalwood middle and base notes. An indulgent, elegant cherry choice.

Key fragrance notes: sour cherry, pink pepper, jasmine, cashmeran, tonka bean.

Don’t be put off by the top note of sour cherry, it gives this perfume the intrigue and sharp cut-through needed to stop sweet and gourmand scents becoming overwhelming. As the fragrance sits, it transitions to creamy, fresh white florals and a softer cherry comes to the fore. Feminine and delightful.

Key fragrance notes: black cherry, saffron, pink pepper, peony, violet, myrhh, ambroxan.

This perfume is primarily a rose scent but the way it marries rose with notes of cherry and saffron creates something deeper, richer and incredibly seductive. A syrupy, jammy scent that lasts the day long.

Key fragrance notes: cherry, ginger, jasmine, pink pepper, ambrettolide, musk.

If there’s one thing Tom Ford knows about, it’s cherry. The last in our pick of the best cherry fragrances, Electric Cherry is the tantamount summer perfume. Tart and spicy (that’s the cherry, ginger and pink pepper), it morphs into something insatiably alluring – like the cherry bobbing around a cocktail glass.