A round-up of the best new perfumes to spritz into spring

Dior

The storied fashion and beauty brand has just released a new interpretation of its best-selling J’adore scent: a gourmand version called J’adore Intense, directly inspired by Rihanna. Crafted by Dior’s perfume creation director, Francis Kurkdjian, this new fragrance opens with hints of jasmine enriched with soft apricot nuances, followed by a deeper and more indulgent rose, and radiant ylang-ylang that exudes warmth. Anchored by creamy sandalwood and rich vanilla, the scent forms a luxurious experience that expresses confident sensuality.

Hermès

With Un Jardin sous la Mer, the latest addition to Hermès’ long-running Jardin series, Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel imagines an underwater garden built on mineral notes, restrained florals and a deliberate resistance to the expected. Her reference point isn’t the sea as we know it, but a memory from the island of Taha’a, off the coast of Tahiti Tahiti, floating above a coral garden just beneath the water’s surface. The result is a scent that reads airy more than aquatic. The floral heart is built around tiare, the national flower of French Polynesia, bringing a sense of lightness and freshness. Tamanu nut oil lends the composition depth and density, while mineral notes evoke coral reefs and the meeting point of land and sea, and soft musk conveys the warmth of the southern tropical sun on skin.

Byredo

Inspired by founder Ben Gorham’s personal connection to Africa, Ben Gorham crafted Bal d’Afrique as both an imaginary journey and a celebration of Africa’s rich cultural impact on dance, art and music. Intensifying the gourmand aspect of Bal d’Afrique, the new Absolu de Parfum rendition heightens the contrast between vibrant lightness and addictive depth, offering a richer, more addictive experience. Notes of bergamot, lemon and blackcurrant offer a bold vibrance, melting into the sweetness of praline, musks and violet, before drying down to reveal a dramatic base of cedar, vetiver and warm black amber. The bottle itself, meanwhile, is redesigned for the new strength, with a textured cap that nods to the Japanese wood-charring art of Yakisugi.

Gucci

Gucci Beauty unveils a luminous new chapter in the olfactory journey of Gucci Bloom with Gucci Bloom Ambrosia d’Oro. Created by Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, this floral musky creation reimagines the collection’s signature white bouquet with radiant, gilded facets. At its centre, a velvety Golden Queen Accord unfolds with velvety apricot notes, intertwined with the freshness of Jasmine Hedione and the distinctive Gucci Bloom bouquet. Jasmine Sambac Absolute adds fresh vibrancy, while Tuberose Absolute infuses the composition with sensuality.

Diptyque

Diptyque breathes new life into its iconic Orpheon scent with a lighter variation: Orpheon Eau de Toilette. The story behind Orphéon dates back to the ’60s, when the Orphéon jazz club next door to Diptyque’s boutique at 34 Boulevard Saint-Germain became a meeting place for artists, writers and musicians. The brand’s founders spent many evenings there, and the atmosphere of the bar first inspired the Orphéon Eau de Parfum released in 2021. While the original focused on a relaxed, woody atmosphere, the new Eau de Toilette, imagined by Natalie Cetto, captures the “citrus-tinged effervescence” of a night just beginning, opening with a vibrant burst of green tangerine and Japanese yuzu. Spices of juniper berries, pink peppercorn and ginger then assert their presence before giving way to a floral heart of rose and magnolia. Underneath, woody cedar and musk elegantly rounds off the ensemble, creating a balanced, luminous fragrance that evokes the spirit of Parisian nightlife.

See also: The best new beauty and lifestyle launches of March