5 popular scents used around the world

The sweet smell of browning butter and Sunday pancakes with Mom, Purell’s acidic stench, and the scent of pumpkin pie in your childhood home… Some scents just take you back. The places you grew up and the people you love have a massive impact on your favorite (and least favorite) smells.

Still, we’re all more alike than you might think. Everyone’s got a nose, and cultures worldwide seem to gravitate towards the same few smells.

If you’re looking for a new signature scent, these fan favorite fragrances from around the world might just be the perfect map for finding your fit.

what are the most popular scents?

Vanilla may be the world’s most popular scent, but you’ll find these five scent categories anywhere you run off to. We’re not here to follow trends — but if you’re stuck in a fragrance rut, sometimes it helps to go back to basics.

woodsy scents

Smell how flannel looks with woodsy scents like cedarwood, sandalwood, eucalyptus, and musks.

We took our Sweet Ash time creating this next fragrance with moss, woods, patchouli, and fir balsam. It’s giving Bavarian Forest. It’s giving Pacific Northwest. We’re talking a fragrance more addictive than whatever Canadians put in their maple syrup. Instead of getting lost in a literal forest, get lost in this compelling scent.

Finally, we couldn’t talk about woodsy scents without throwing it back to a favorite smell: Way with Woods. It’s The Avengers of earthy, woodsy fragrances. Sandalwood, amber woods, vetiver, and other musky scents team up to save the world (or at least save you from smelling like post-workout B.O.)

floral scents

Geranium, orchid, lilac, gardenia, peony, lily of the valley — yeah, you know what flowers are. We won’t bother listing all of the bloom-based smells that make us feel like extras on Bridgerton, but uplifting floral fragrances are global fan favorites for a reason. Still, these aren’t your grandma’s florals.

Take, for example, one of our newer scents, Rose Era. This rose fragrance is silky and romantic — if you’re looking for a floral scent that’s redefining the group entirely, look no further than this fragrance. 

With a combination of rose, strawberry, clean laundry accord, ambrette seeds, white moss, and saffron, Rose Era knows what it takes to master fruity, floral, and fresh smells. But that’s not to say it’s entirely defined by its softness — what makes Rose Era so intoxicating is its aromatic base that balances out the brighter notes. 

Finally, Strawberry Moon is the best of both worlds. Earthy saffron, leather, and amber woods meet up with floral iris and jasmine to prove that opposites really do attract. If you’re having FOMO watching your friends’ IG stories at Miami Beach, this floral fragrance brings the beach to you year-round.

fruity scents

Eat your veggies, and wear your fruits. No, not those watermelon and green apple scents you used to find at the mall. Fruity smells like cassis, grapefruit, or bergamot bring zest to smoky bottles without feeling like you’re at a middle school dance.

Natural Talent puts apricot and clementine center stage next to cashmere and suede. This juicy contradiction is confidence in a bottle. Maybe they’re born with it, maybe it’s 30ml of pure charisma.

Tart Deco

Take a trip back in time with Tart Deco. To capture a little bit of that old-school, magic, you’ll want to get a whiff of this cherry scent. 

Equal parts juicy and luxurious, Tart Deco brings together black cherry, raspberry, rose, jasmine, mimosa, birchwood, vetiver, and vanilla. The result is a scent that feels simultaneously playful, mysterious, and like the life of the party. 

Part of what makes this scent so beloved is its impressive lasting power. While many fruity scents tend to pack a big punch (sometimes one strong enough to knock you out) right away, they tend to fade fast… but that’s not the case with Tart Deco. With just a few sprays, you can revel in this ‘90s throwback scent all day long.

spicy scents

Spice up your life with fragrances like cinnamon, pepper, ginger, and sea salt.

Burning Bridges is a smoky scent that’s chemically engineered to make you ten percent hotter. Okay, not really. But mixing up fresh spices and tobacco with rose, oakmoss, and vanilla is almost unbelievably bold. Spicy scents aren’t for the faint of heart, and Burning Bridges doesn’t shy away from the drama.

Scented candles, skincare, lotions, and essential oils can get in on the fragrance game, too. Cozy cardamom and cinnamon set the mood in Instant Karma, a dark and dreamy candle scent that can spice up any night, anywhere — just don’t blame us if you wake up married in Vegas.

food-related scents

Who says your favorite foods can’t make a cameo in your signature scent? Everything from fresh bread to peppermint can be elegantly incorporated into fragrances… in fact, there’s even a name for this delectable fragrance family: gourmand fragrances. 

Gourmand scents can range from intensely savory (like your favorite slice fresh out of the oven) to irresistibly sweet (looking at you, chocolate and vanilla).

If the thought of sprinkles and fresh waffle cones is enough to make your mouth water, then we’ve got the perfect vanilla scent for you. 

Featuring ice cream, madagascar vanilla, jasmine sambac, amberwood, musk, and orcanox, Vanilla Vice offers a chic take on soft serve, one of the undeniable staples of summer. 

This is the kind of fragrance that will stick with you throughout the day. No matter where you go, from the boardroom to the boardwalk, this fragrance will have you smelling like a fresh batch of your favorite vanilla bean ice cream. 

All that said, you don’t have to worry about it being too sweet (we all remember those almost sickeningly sweet scents that we couldn’t get enough of as tweens). Instead, with Vanilla Vice, you’ll find a fragrance that delicately walks the line between indulgent and sultry.

For those who are looking to make summer last all year long, check out Coco Shimmy. Bringing together coconut, pineapple, sunscreen, surf wax, sandalwood, and tonka bean, Coco Shimmy is a tropical scent that’s effortlessly cool and endlessly addictive. 

When you’re looking for a fragrance that smells creamy, dreamy, and delicious, this is the bottle you should reach for. The fruity, smooth notes of pineapple and coconut are perfectly balanced by the sun-soaked vibe of sunscreen and surf wax. To finish everything off, sandalwood and tonka bean give Coco Shimmy a depth and richness that can’t be beat. 

conclusion

These may be some of the world’s most popular scents, but you know you best. Trust your own damn nose, and use Snif’s try before you buy kit to find what you love. Whether it’s gold medal holder vanilla or something experimental like pink peppercorn, there’s no wrong way to Snif.

Sources:

Scientists reveal the world’s most popular smell | The Week

This Could Be The World's Favorite Scent, No Matter Where You Are From | Science Alert

Sandalwood - An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics