Perfume is both highly personal and powerful. One whiff of a particular scent and you're instantly transported back to another time or memory. One spritz and you may feel emboldened to take on the day or reenergized for a night on the town. Each fragrance has a personal story attached to it—which is why when I was considering the best perfumes for women, I decided to go straight to fragrance lovers around me. Here, 20 picks that garnered top notes from their wearers, from fresh scents like Clinique Happy Eau de Parfum to woody fragrances like Boy Smells Woodphoria Eau de Parfum.

I tapped fellow PureWow editors to share their favorite perfumes and offer reasons for why you (yes, you, dear reader) should get your own. Listen, we don't gatekeep here. From there, I did a deep dive into the scent notes, bottle sizes and retailers where you can find them. Keep reading to discover the best perfumes for women.

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