Ylang ylang is a yellow floral note, commonly used in female perfumes. On its own, the note of ylang ylang is great, but when used in a beautifully crafted fragrance, it can be magical. But what are the best ylang ylang fragrances for women?
What Is The Note Of Ylang Ylang And How Does It Smell
The note of ylang ylang is a yellow floral note, loved for its rich and sweet scent. Typically, the note of ylang ylang has a fresh and floral scent, supported by sweet and almost sour undertone. This can sometimes come across as a little woody or even as the scent of bananas.
On its own, the note of ylang ylang is already fantastic. The sweet scent of yellow florals is beautiful and can stand on its own just fine. However, when it’s combined with certain other notes, some true masterpieces can come to life. Mixing this note with other floral notes or some woody notes can make it pop even more, creating an even nicer scent. Below are some of the best ylang ylang fragrances for women, in no particular order!
1. Le Labo Ylang 49
Scent: Le Labo Ylang 49, the name says it all. This is a fantastic ylang ylang-based fragrance with a rich and heavy scent. This fragrance opens with a rich scent of woody notes, supported by that beautiful note of ylang ylang. These come together to create a rather lovely scent that appears both strong and slightly fresh. A little while after the opening, the fragrance turns a little warmer. This is mainly due to the addition of more woody notes and there’s even an earthy note present here. Overall, you get a rich and strong fragrance with a nice balancing freshness of floral notes.
Notes: The notes of Le Labo Ylang 49 are vetiver, patchouli, benzoin, oakmoss, sandalwood, ylang ylang, and gardenia.
Best for: Le Labo Ylang 49 is a fantastic fragrance that, although strong, can actually be worn all year long. Even though it does lean slightly more towards the cooler seasons, you can also wear it during the summer, just make sure you apply appropriately. Throughout the year, you’re best off wearing this fragrance casually, either during the day or night. This fragrance has a relaxed quality to it that wouldn’t work too well in a formal setting but excels in a casual one. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Chanel No.5
Scent: Chanel No.5 is one of the female classics. This is an insanely popular fragrance, and for good reason. This fragrance opens with a fresh scent of aldehydes, supported by a bunch of fruits and florals. These all come together to create a classic and timeless scent that will never go out of style. After the opening, the florals become a bit more powdery, giving the fragrance a classy feel. In the base, some woody notes are present, as well as a subtle sweetness. In the end, you’re left with a true classic with a gorgeous scent of florals and woods.
Notes: The top notes of Chanel No.5 are bergamot, peach, ylang ylang, neroli, and aldehydes. The middle notes are iris, lily of the valley, rose, and jasmine. The base notes are patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla, vetiver, and sandalwood.
Best for: Chanel No.5 is one of those fragrances that will never be out of place. This fragrance will work just as well in the summer as it will in the winter. Throughout the year, there really aren’t many occasions where this fragrance won’t fit in either. You can wear it casually, to a date, to a fancy dinner, but also to the office. This fragrance does have a slightly more mature vibe to it, which makes it fit better with a more mature woman, but this can be disregarded if you like the scent. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia
Scent: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia is a gorgeous fragrance with a fresh and clean scent. This fragrance opens with a gorgeous scent of citruses and palm leaves, creating a tropical and happy scent. Quickly after the opening, a bunch of floral notes are added, These give off a clean and intriguing scent that blends in nicely with the tropical opening. When this fragrance starts to dry down, a creamy, sweet scent of vanilla is added, strengthening that tropical feel.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia are palm leaves, lemon, and bergamot. The middle notes are lily, ylang ylang, and tropical fruits. The base notes are vanilla, tuberose, and musk.
Best for: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia is a stunning warm-weather fragrance, perfect for the spring and summer. During those months, this fragrance will provide you with a fresh and happy scent that fits in perfectly with the higher temperatures. Throughout the warmer months, you’re best off wearing this fragrance casually throughout the day, but you can also wear it formally as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Femme
Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Femme is a gorgeous floral-based fragrance with a rich and slightly powdery scent. This fragrance opens with a beautiful scent of ylang ylang and orange flower, immediately introducing that floral, feminine scent. These two floral notes also give off a powdery feel, giving the fragrance a classy and luxurious feel. A little while after the opening, a hint of cedarwood is added, giving the fragrance a warm undertone.
Notes: The notes of Maison Francis Kukrdjian APOM Pour Femme are cedar, ylang ylang, and African orange flower.
Best for: Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Femme is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance is mainly based on white and yellow floral notes, which are on the fresher side. This makes it perfect to be worn during the warmer months, where a fresh scent like this fits right in. During the warmer months, you can easily wear this fragrance casually, and, due to the luxuriousness, you can also wear it formally as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. Guerlain Samsara
Scent: Guerlain Samsara is a lovely fragrance with a powdery and woody scent. This fragrance opens rather fresh with a bunch of floral notes and some citrusy notes. All these floral notes give off a fresh, but also powdery feel, making for a classy, up-scale scent. After a little while, the woody notes start to appear, giving the fragrance some backbone and making it a little warmer. In the dry down, some creamy sweetness can be detected, but this fragrance is mainly about the florals and woods.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Samsara are lemon, bergamot, ylang ylang, peach, and green notes. The middle notes are rose, jasmine, orris, narcissus, violet, and iris. The base notes are musk, amber, tonka bean, vanilla, sandalwood, and iris.
Best for: Guerlain Samsara is a fantastic fragrance that you can wear all year long. This fragrance has a gorgeous combination of fresh florals and warm woods, allowing it to be worn during both the warmer, as well as the colder seasons. Throughout the year, you can easily wear this fragrance casually, either during the day or the night. And, because of the classy, powdery feel, you can also wear this one formally as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
Scent: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is a gorgeous fragrance with a strong, feminine scent. This fragrance opens with a bunch of citrusy notes, creating a fresh and vibrant opening. Quickly after the opening, some floral notes are added, giving the fragrance a bit of depth and making it a little stronger. When this fragrance starts to dry down, hints of musk, vanilla, and patchouli can be detected, ensuring for a rich and luxurious dry down. Overall, you get a truly stunning fragrance that definitely deserves its popularity.
Notes: The top notes of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle are bergamot, orange blossom, mandarin, and orange. The middle notes are ylang ylang, rose, jasmine, and mimosa. The base notes are vetiver, vanilla, opoponax, white musk, patchouli, and tonka bean.
Best for: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is a beautiful, classy women’s perfume that works great in every season of the year. The combination of the fresh opening and the richer dry down allows it to be worn all year long. And on top of that, you can also wear it on any occasion as well. It works great as a casual daytime fragrance and it’s also clean enough for the office or any other formal setting. This is a true superstar that works great with any woman. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Diptyque Eau Moheli
Scent: Diptyque Eau Moheli is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh take on ylang ylang. This fragrance opens with a fresh scent of ylang ylang and other floral notes, supported by a fresh and spicy undertone of ginger. The ginger in the opening gives this fragrance a lovely ‘kick’ and makes it strong, but keeps it fresh as well. After a little while, a fresh scent of vetiver and pink pepper can be noticed. These lift up the fragrance even more, leaving you with a strong, fresh, and almost tropical and exotic scent.
Notes: The notes of Diptyque Eau Moheli are ginger, pink pepper, incense, patchouli, benzoin, vetiver, ylang ylang, and floral notes.
Best for: Diptyque Eau Moheli is a fragrance made to be worn during the spring and summer. The fresh and vibrant scent of florals and fresh spices is perfect for those warmer days, as it smells exotic and almost tropical. During those warmer months, you can easily wear this fragrance casually throughout the day, but you can also wear it formally as well. Due to the rather natural smelling scent of this fragrance, you really can’t go wrong with it. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Annick Goutal Songes
Scent: Annick Goutal Songes is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet scent of florals. Upon the first spray, you’re immediately greeted by a bunch of floral notes. Both white florals, such as jasmine, as well as yellow florals, such as ylang ylang are present, making for a fresh and classy scent. After a little while, a sweet undertone of vanilla presents itself. The creamy sweetness of the vanilla blends in perfectly with the fresh, yet also sweet floral notes. In the end, you’re left with a creamy scent of florals.
Notes: The notes of Annick Goutal Songes are frangipani, Tiare flower, ylang ylang, jasmine, and vanilla.
Best for: Annick Goutal Songes is a fantastic fragrance that you can wear all year long. Throughout the year, there really isn’t an occasion where you can’t wear this fragrance either. It’s extremely versatile, classy, and likable all throughout. However, this fragrance does have a slightly more mature feel to it, making it work better with a more mature woman. Of course, if you like the scent, then you can wear it, regardless of your maturity. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille
Scent: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille is a lovely fragrance with a fresh scent of vanilla. When you first spray this fragrance, you’ll pick up beautiful hints of fresh florals. These florals, however, do have some weight behind them, coming from the note of vanilla. The vanilla gives off a creamy, natural scent that blends in beautifully with the florals. After a little while, a nice dose of jasmine is added, giving the fragrance a natural sweetness, leaving you with an overall fantastic fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille are ylang ylang and carnation. The middle note is jasmine and the base note is vanilla.
Best for: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This is a very unique warm-weather fragrance, as it features vanilla as one of the main stars. This ensures you smell different from the crowd, which is always nice. During the warmer months, you can best wear this fragrance casually throughout the day. This isn’t really a beach fragrance, but wearing this in a city on a warm day is just perfect. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
10. Lancome Poeme
Scent: Lancome Poeme is a beautiful floral fragrance with a sweet and slightly powdery scent. This fragrance opens with a gorgeous mix of yellow and white floral notes, supported by some fruits. Shortly after the opening, some more floral notes are added, as well as some green notes. These come together to create a fresh, strong, and powdery scent. When this fragrance starts to dry down, hints of creamy vanilla and tonka bean start to appear, blending in perfectly with the powdery florals and leaving you with a beautiful dry down.
Notes: The top notes of Lancome Poeme are mandarin, datura, bergamot, green notes, plum, peach, poppy, narcissus, and blackcurrant. The middle notes are jasmine, rose, freesia, tuberose, orange blossom, vanilla flower, leather, ylang ylang, mimosa, and heliotrope. The base notes are orange blossom, vanilla, musk, cedar, amber, and tonka bean.
Best for: Lancome Poeme is a beautiful floral-based fragrance with a slightly stronger scent. Due to the stronger, sweeter scent, you’re best off wearing this fragrance during the colder months. Here, it won’t come off as strong and offensive, making it a better fit. During the colder months, there really aren’t any situations where you cannot wear this one. It’s perfect for casual daytime wear, perfect for nighttime wear, and classy enough to wear formally. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
11. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc
Scent: Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is a fantastic fragrance with a sweet and tropical scent. This fragrance opens with a creamy scent of coconut and floral notes, immediately setting that tropical tone. After a little while, some fresh spices are added, giving the fragrance a bit of backbone. This is also the moment where the note of pistachio starts to appear, giving the fragrance a soft and nutty undertone. Overall, this is a truly gorgeous fragrance with a sweet and creamy scent of coconut and floral notes.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Soleil Blanc are pistachio, pink pepper, cardamom, and bergamot. The middle notes are ylang ylang, tuberose, and jasmine. The base notes are coconut, benzoin, tonka bean, and amber.
Best for: Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is a gorgeous fragrance with a tropical scent. This, of course, makes it perfect for those warm summer days. During those warmer months, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, whether you’re going to the beach, hanging out with friends, or just relaxing at home. You can also wear this fragrance to the office if you’d like, as long as there is a somewhat casual work environment. Overall, though, this is a gorgeous, versatile warm-weather fragrance. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Prada La Femme Intense
Scent: Prada La Femme Intense is a beautiful fragrance with an alluring scent of florals. This fragrance opens with two yellow floral notes, ylang ylang and frangipani, accompanied by a few white floral notes. These immediately create a fresh, yet sweet and seductive scent. A little while after the opening, hints of vanilla and patchouli start to appear, giving the fragrance a sweet undertone. All the while, there’s a clean, almost powdery undertone present. In the end, you’re left with a truly fantastic fragrance with a sweet and fresh scent of florals.
Notes: The top notes of Prada La Femme Intense are ylang ylang and frangipani. The middle notes are jasmine sambac, orange blossom, and tuberose. The base notes are iris, vanilla, vetiver, and patchouli.
Best for: Prada La Femme Intense is a fragrance with a rather sweet scent, which makes it work better during the colder months. Here, you can wear this fragrance either casually or formally, as it works nicely in both settings. However, this fragrance might be at its best at night. The alluring and seductive scent is perfect for a night out or a date. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!