When smell triggers vivid, emotional, and deeply rooted memories more directly than other senses, fragrance plays a big role in the game of romance. They can enhance or dim feelings of attraction, overturn tones from saccharine to spicy and vice versa; it is the most curious experience of flavour, which mirrors the way love is abundant in kind and intensity.

With respect to the diversity of the most universal, human emotion, we have gathered here some scents that might fit (or fill up) your idea of what a perfect romance smells like to you. From classic, enveloping aromas to the more unorthodox, one-of-a-kind blends, scroll for the latest fragrances that we think Valentine’s Day should smell like this year.

Amaffi Hot Heart

When the look of the bottle is as important as the fragrance, consider Amaffi’s Hot Heart. The fiery blend of grapefruit and cardamom with cypress, musk and oak moss makes for an enduring scent that screams modern romantic, and this is all packaged in a striking hexagonal glass bottle that comes encased in a velvet-lined black, lacquered, wooden box. If a temporally-ambiguous romance like the upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights is up your alley, this one’s for you.

Chanel Bleu de Chanel

This iconic men’s fragrance is as much an obsession for the women as much as it is for the men for various reasons. Bleu de Chanel’s fresh, aromatic, and woody blend of citrus in lemon and grapefruit; spices from pink pepper, ginger and nutmeg; woods like sandalwood, cedar and vetiver; and incense, is what the Jungkook of BTS smells like right now — need we say more?

Aesop Above Us, Steorra

This new addition to Aesop’s exploration of sensorial fragrances is inspired by a poem by Mayuzumi Madoka titled ‘Shooting Star’, and explores what one feels when looking at a star-strewn sky — and if this literature link alone isn’t romantic and subtle enough, the components of the scent will convince you otherwise. From sparks of bergamot, cardamom and peppery elemi, a woody and leathery Cypriol heart beckons before the rum-like finisher of vanilla bean accentuates the scent’s ambery warmth. Now this is a good tale to tell when gifting the thoughtful bookworm.

YSL Beauty Libre Vanille Couture

The YSL Beauty Libre Vanille Couture embodies the luxury of gold both inside and out. This fragrance infuses LIBRE’s characteristic bold orange blossom and lavender signature with the richness of vanilla caviar accord — crafted from a unique quality of Bourbon vanilla absolute and infused with gold rum liquor. This is an expression of sensuality that speaks for itself.

Rare Beauty Feel Seen Body & Hair Fragrance Mist

While not a fragrance, the Rare Beauty Find Comfort Body and Hair Fragrance Mist is good for those who take a more carefree and spirited approach to love. Honeydew melon and the crisp ocean breeze provide a gentle and fresh sense of wonder that also gives both skin and hair up to 24 hours of hydration. Now what could be better than a full-package glossy finish that gives that inside-out afterglow effect from head-to-toe?

Le Labo Thé Noir 29

If love for you is less of a drama than it is a gently reeling, pulsating and persistent presence, Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29 could be what you need. An ode to the black tea leaf and its craft, Thé Noir 29 exemplifies richness with a softness that is never forced, thanks to the permanent oscillation between the light of bergamot, fig, and bay leaves and the depth of cedarwood, vetiver, and musk. A special extraction of black tea leaves wraps up the composition by bringing to the formula a dry, leafy, hay, tobacco feeling in the dry down — making this the perfect kind of scent to wear to an intimate setting where what’s sensuous and addictive comes from close contact.

Dior Sauvage Eau de Forte

The water-based composition of the classic Dior Sauvage is sharper, cooler, and more noticeably fresh — as the description accurately encapsulates with the words “a majestic waterfall, spraying mist as it bridges the air of the sky and the earth”. Softened lavender, sensual almond and liquorice give way to woods and tenacious musk water, elevating each note’s presence before melting into the skin — bringing out portrayals of Sauvage that differ with each wearer. So if presence is something you are aiming for, try this.

OUAI Santorini Hair and Body Fragrance Mist

Toning it down again to a more fairytale kind of love is OUAI’s Santorini Hair and Body Fragrance Mist, where the idyllic scenes of a whirlwind romance in the Mediterranean islands takes shape in a light and luminous blend of juicy peach and orange, with delicate honeysuckle and warm amber. Best if you are commemorating an actual memory of a magical golden hour, wind-swept hair and ouzo al fresco in Santorini, or if that’s somewhere you are going to travel to; they say manifestation works wonders.

Balenciaga Fragrance To Be Confirmed

Like a time-lapse of a blooming flower, Balenciaga’s To Be Continued combines uses an exclusive kimono tulip accord, crafted from night-blooming flower extracts, to translate the iconic Balenciaga ‘Tulip’ silhouette into a fragrance. It strikes a note inspired by steamed Silverneedle tea — created from a CO2-extraction of Chinese tea leaves. Its facets remain crystallized yet elusive, lingering just beyond perception; if your kind of love lingers between the stages of infatuation and and genuine tenderness, this amorphous expression is for you.

Byredo Rose Of No Man’s Land

It’s no surprise that the rose appears again in a Valentine’s Day listicle, but no two rose-led fragrances ever truly smell the same. For Byredo’s Rose of No Man’s Land, the flower is unruly and left to bloom in it’s full, wild form, opening first with a burst of pink pepper, breaking through the earth to reveal a heart of rose absolute and raspberry blossom, before finishing off with a salve-like base of papyrus and white amber. This scent is designed to honour the compassion and grace held in the face of adversity, and could very well be a testament to the love that appears in your life. If so, you know what to do.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our February 2026 issue.