Favorite perfumes by famous women (Spoiler: We can all feel like Audrey Hepburn)

Coco Chanel said: “Women who don’t wear perfume are very sure of themselves, because the fragrance line chosen by a beautiful lady always accompanies the image created by her, playing in the creation of this image not the last, but the first role” . That’s why famous women attach great importance to choosing “their” perfume.

At the awesome.club, we were curious to know what scent we could smell if we were in the presence of the legendary women of the past and present. And which ones are still produced and on sale today.

Walking towards the altar, Diana exhaled the aroma of Quelques Fleurs de Houbigant Paris (pictured above). It is a floral perfume, whose first version was launched in 1913. In its composition there are notes of citrus, jasmine, lilac, tuberose and carnation. This fragrance was the first in history (even ahead of Chanel nº 5), in which there are several fragrance combinations.

In the last years of her life, the princess’ favorite was the perfume 24 Faubourg by Hermès, created in 1995. Diana’s personal makeup artist, Mary Greenwell, admitted that her famous client always wore this fragrance rich in composition of various white flowers.

Both fragrances are still in production. As a result, a new version of Quelques Fleurs de Houbigant Paris was launched in 2017. The classic version of 24 Faubourg is still popular, and nowadays it is possible to buy it in perfume boutiques.

When Marilyn Monroe was asked what she wore to bed, she responded with an iconic phrase that became famous: “I only wear Chanel Nº5”. And this is the perfume that has always been considered her favorite fragrance and is associated with her name. However, in 1959 it was sent to Marilyn at the Beverly Hills Hotel, during the filming of “Some Like It Hot”, a perfume called Rose Geranium by Floris. A receipt was found confirming this fact.

Rose Geranium perfume has since been withdrawn from the market and only exists in the form of essential oils for baths. Meanwhile, in addition to the classic version of Chanel Nº5, there are new editions, one of which launched relatively recently, in 2015.

Audrey Hepburn was the muse of Hubert de Givenchy, the founder of the fashion house. So it’s not surprising that her favorite perfume was from this brand. The fragrance L’Interdit was created especially for Audrey in 1957. The name comes from French and means “Prohibition”. Its notes are spices, citrus, peaches and strawberries, and in the heart of the fragrance it is possible to perceive iris, violet, narcissus, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley and rose.

Audrey Hepburn asked that the perfume not be put on public sale (the perfume owes its name to this fact). However, it appeared in perfumeries in 1960. L’Interdit instantly became a legend, because all women wanted to smell the same as Audrey.

We currently have the possibility to purchase this perfume, since in 2003 and 2007 L’Interdit was relaunched. Unfortunately, it is now impossible to buy the perfume in the same bottle, with a conical cap, just like the one Audrey held in her hands. Its modern design is much simpler: a rectangular bottle with the emblem of the house of Givenchy.

Now, many celebrities have their own perfume line, but Liz Taylor was a pioneer in this business. The Elizabeth Taylor brand has launched a series of successful fragrances such as Black Pearls, Passion, Forever Elizabeth, White Diamonds and others. The White Diamonds were the actress’s favorite (in the photo she has it in a special edition bottle, with diamond inlays on the cap).

In addition, the actress loved Jean Desprez’s Bal a Versailles perfume, created in 1962. It is an oriental perfume, which includes 300 ingredients, with notes of sandalwood, patchouli, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and vanilla.

White Diamonds is considered a classic and is available in perfumeries, but Bal a Versailles has long since moved into the vintage category: this fragrance is no longer available, but persevering collectors can get it.

Grace Kelly was an admirer of the fragrance Fleurissimo by the British perfume house Creed. It was commissioned specifically for her wedding, matching the bouquet. Fleurissimo is a floral perfume, and its composition includes bergamot, tuberose, Bulgarian rose, violet and Florentine iris.

Perfume house Creed continues to produce this legendary fragrance in its classic version.

The legendary ballerina has always loved Robert Piguet’s Bandit perfume. Biographers recall that Maya got used to feeling Bandit on her skin and he became an integral part of her image. She loved everything about this perfume, starting with her name.

Bandit has been produced since 1944. When the perfume was withdrawn from general production especially for the ballerina’s exclusivity, it could still be purchased in Latin America. Its aroma is rich and slightly heavy: a combination of leather, wood, spices, moss, musk and floral notes, including neroli, ylang-ylang, jasmine and tuberose.

In 1999, after a 25-year break, production of the Bandit perfume resumed. These days, you can replenish your collection and smell the same scent that would fill the room if Maya Plisetskaya had walked into it.

Kate Middleton’s favorite brand is Illuminum. This is an elite British perfume house, created in 2007. On her wedding day to Prince William, Kate chose the fragrance of this brand called White Gardenia Petals. It opens with notes of bergamot and lily, and in the heart has gardenia, ylang-ylang and jasmine.

This perfume is manufactured and is for sale. However, it belongs to the elite fragrance category, is relatively expensive and only sold in specialist boutiques around the world.

Meghan Markle loves perfume. She once admitted that if she leaves the house forgetting to wear perfume, she will have to come back. As expected of a member of the royal family, Meghan prefers British perfume houses. Among her favorite scents are two colognes (Wild Bluebell and Wood Sage & Sea Salt) from the selective perfumery brand Jo Malone. The first is a floral fragrance with notes of bluebells, lilies of the valley and rose bushes. And the second has woody and marine notes. Both are very smooth and natural.

And for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the perfume house Floris London, the official perfume supplier to the British royal court, created an exclusive fragrance. It suits both men and women and in its heart there are marine and citrus notes.

Meghan’s “bridal” perfume from Floris London was part of the private collection, which is why there is no way to buy it. But Jo Malone-branded scents are available if you want to stock your “perfume closet”.

Penelope Cruz is not just the face of Lancôme’s Trésor fragrance, this is also her favorite. In an interview, the actress confessed that she never leaves the house without throwing a drop of Trésor, as her parents gave her as a gift on the day she turned 13. This is a fruity floral scent with notes of pineapple, peach, lilac and rose.

In addition to the scent that has already become a classic, the manufacturer regularly launches new versions of this perfume.

In one of her interviews, Nicole Kidman stated that she loves to create her own scent by mixing various oils. But among the products of famous brands, the actress’s favorite is Angel, by Thierry Mugler. The composition of this bittersweet fragrance includes bergamot, tropical fruits, vanilla, caramel and also patchouli.

Angel was launched in 1992. This fragrance is still produced and, if you wish, you can smell the composition itself.

In the positive and upbeat Cameron, her favorite fragrance called Happy looks great. It has been produced since 1997 and is considered one of the most successful in the Clinique line. It belongs to the group of fruit and flower perfumes and opens with notes of apple, plum and bergamot. The heart of the perfume is composed of freesias, roses, lilies of the valley and orchids.

This fragrance is quite popular and can be easily purchased in perfumeries.

Madonna is a great perfumer. Among her favorite perfumes is Dior’s Hypnotic Poison, which belongs to the oriental fragrance group. Its composition includes apricot, plum and coconut, with a heart of tuberose, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, sandalwood, vanilla and musk.

The fragrance was created in 1998 and, in 2018, celebrates 20 years of launch. The bottle’s shape resembles an apple, which is associated with the forbidden fruit that Eve gave to Adam. And the scent of the perfume is consistent with the name Poison. It is not surprising that the French poet Paul Valéry said: “Perfume is the poison of the heart”.

Hypnotic Poison can easily be purchased from the appropriate stores. The latest version of the fragrance was launched in 2014.

Actress Vivien Leigh’s favorite perfume was Joy, by Jean Patou. It was created in 1930 and appeared during the American Great Depression. The fragrance’s name (joy, “joy”) and its scent represented a complete contrast to the financial catastrophe of that period, being a symbol of hope for better times. At that time, Joy was the most expensive perfume. It is a floral fragrance whose composition opens with the scent of Bulgarian roses, May roses and jasmine flowers. After several decades, the perfume became a favorite of another 20th century style icon: Jacqueline Kennedy.

Unfortunately this legendary perfume is no longer being manufactured.

What is your favorite perfume? Share in the comments.