PSA: It's the sweet-smelling revival of hair perfumes! (2025)

Hair perfumes were a handbag essential for the Y2K groovy chic – ’twas a golden age of scent dominated by the likes of Britney Spears Fantasy and So...? body sprays. Now, they’re back and it seems that every major fragrance house, haircare founder and beauty brand, more generally, wants a piece of the sweet-smelling action, natch. But we know what you’re thinking. ‘Why do I need to use a tailored hair perfume over my regular fragrance?’ Well, you could use the latter, but it’s certainly not advised (hi, drying alcohol!). So, instead, we recommend the following formulas designed specifically for scenting your mane. Tried and tested, bb!

Hairstylist, consultant and trend forecaster Tom Smith shares his thoughts and tips on the hair perfume hype...

Baccarat Rouge 540 fans, your haircare routine just upgraded with the adjacent scent specifically designed to be used on your locks. The iconic spicy musk is warm and multi-dimensional but above all, ✨rich✨.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian delivers on both formula and quality, with this hair mist lasting for hours on end.

Lia Mappoura, beauty writer

As someone with fine strands, I was sceptical about using hair perfume from a brand that is known for its hair oil. Worries about a greasy, weighed-down feel vanished when I spritzedthe formula into my locks. My hair wasn’t particularly gleaming after use, but the gorgeous, unintrusive floral scent did linger hours later.

Lydia Venn, senior entertainment and lifestyle writer

FABLE & MANE's hair oil mist has a floral, oriental scent that blends precious red hibiscus and floral jasmine, which transports you to the gorgeous city and warmth of Madurai in India. *Books flight, immediately*

Thanks to its nourishing oil consistency, not only does this mist provide long-lasting scent (that does not dwindle until your next hair wash) but shine, hydration and smoothness, too. Though, if you've got fine hair, do apply sparingly to reduce a build-up of oil and grease on the roots.

Lia Mappoura, beauty writer

Dior is a failsafe option when it comes to smelling expensive and their Jasmin des Anges hair perfume is no exception. It smells like a light cloud of honey and apricot – aka, the sweet scent of the French Riviera. No, I haven't been but one can imagine...

Like Dior's legendary body perfumes, their hair fragrances last all day. You may get lost in the scent but others will certainly pick up on it. Just prepare for endless compliments!

Victoria Jowett, former beauty director

Think about those fruity scents you wore in your youth: Sweet, citrusy and, erm, headache-inducing (I'm looking @ you, Nicki Minaj perfumes). Well, you'll be glad to know that while it has fruity notes, this Jo Malone scent is sophisticated AF. Once you spritz it on, you'll be immediately hit with the smell of fresh pears, wrapped in a floral blanket and mellowed out with a hint of patchouli.

Whilst the notes aren't overwhelming, it lingers (subtly) for pretty much most of the day!

Lia Mappoura, beauty writer

Sixty Great British pounds is a lotto spend on a non-essential hair product. But, if you have been dying to try a Byredo scent, add this to your basket – it smells like the eau de parfum. While it has no haircare benefits (like the skin scent, this one’s front-loaded with drying alcohols), the scent lasted all day. When I gave my jumper a spritz, it lasted on that, too.

Keeks Reid, beauty director

If you fancy pretending you’re sunbathing on an exotic beach when, in reality, you’re sitting at your desk in a chilly office, this Phlur product is the vibe. Not only does it have a sweet, divine scent, but it lives up to the long-lasting hype – I could still smell it eight hours after spraying. It’s a super light mist, so my hair didn’t feel sticky post-spritz.

Zoe Shenton, site director

They say it smells like an English garden in bloom... I wouldn’t go quite that far, but I did like thefloral-tinged scent, and it added a lovely shine that I appreciate as a lazy girl. The smell doesn’t last, but it has UV protection to stop colour fade. So, all this spritzing is doing my hair some good!

Catriona Innes, commissioning director

If you love Chanel's iconic Mademoiselle perfume, you're going to want to double up with the hair perfume equivalent. With notes of orange, rose and heady patchouli, the formula has a seductive quality that makes it perfect for dates. Who needs Tinder?

Impressively, this hair perfume lasts for 6+ hours (yep, we tested it)! Whilst the lighter notes of orange and rose fade, patchouli lingers for hours and hours.

Lia Mappoura, beauty writer

Contemplating a Diptyque splurge? The hair mist’sa little more affordable than the eau de toilette, and still delivers the iconic Papier balmy scent. Due to going nose blind after 20 mins of wear, I put it through its paces via the hug test. Lydia (Cosmo’s senior ents writer) and my mother confirmed notes of white musk at 9am and 7pm. Impressive, much?

Lia Mappoura, beauty writer

With an ultra-fine spray, you needn’t worry about excess hair weight – even when your ’do is freshly washed! The fragrance isn’t really long-lasting, but I had no issue topping up and the scent is super fresh, so after a few Ariana Grande-inspired hair tosses, I had the clean girl aesthetic on lock. The biotin added a boost.

Amy Ellis,SEO executive