The Internet Is *Obsessed* With Cherry Perfume So I Tried Them All & Found the Best (2024)

Tart Deco is one of my favorite perfumes, full stop. Of all the perfumes I wear, it's the one that earns a "What perfume are you wearing?" the most from strangers—both immediately after application and hours later. The combination of cherry and vanilla gives it a nostalgic gourmand quality that people can't quite put their finger on, and that's precisely why I love it. And, at just $65 a bottle, Snif's affordable fragrance makes it easy to try this perfume trend without serious financial commitment.

The scent evolves over time, starting out sweet and gourmand before settling into something more woody and spicy as the hours go by. What makes Tart Deco the best cherry perfume, at least IMHO, is that the actual cherry notes seem to last longer than those of other popular designer perfumes I've tried—and for a fraction of the price.

• Key notes: Cherry, rose, jasmine, mimosa, birchwood, vetiver and vanilla
• Sizes: 0.33 fl oz for $25 or 1 fl oz (+ a 2 ml sample) for $65

Glowing customer review: "People notice this perfume. It's hard not to. It smells unlike anything I've ever tried... I wear this every day and it always turns heads."

When it comes to cherry perfumes, few scents are duped as frequently as Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. You'll understand why as soon as you give it a sniff. While it's definitely on the sweet side, it's not too sweet thanks to notes of bitter almond, sandalwood and cedarwood.

Though Tom Ford Lost Cherry is definitely one of the most popular cherry perfumes out there, it's not one of the most long-lasting. You'll need to reapply every few hours for the cherry notes to really stand out, and it doesn't fade into something more sultry the way some other cherry scents do. But with that being said, Lost Cherry smells so freaking good that it's earned a permanent spot on my perfume shelf.

• Key notes: Black cherry, tonka bean, almond, rose, jasmine, sambac, sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood
• Size: 0.33 fl oz for $80, 1 fl oz for $250, 1.7 fl oz for $395, or 3.4 fl oz for $615

Glowing customer review: "The perfect perfume, the perfect smell. It’s expensive but it’s worth every penny. When the smell dries on my skin the smell is even better. It’s a warm cherry smell that’s extremely sexy and elegant."

Those who prefer a warmer, woody cherry scent will fall in love with Kayali's Lovefest Burning Cherry. Its sweet cherry and raspberry notes mingle nicely with the warmth of praline and woodiness of patchouli. Though it certainly has a nostalgic fruitiness to it, the final scent is far from juvenile.

And, PSA: Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry makes a great choice for anyone gift-shopping for a perfume lover because its scent profile is versatile enough to please anyone's nose. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little woody—what's not to love?

• Key notes: Cherry, raspberry, bergamot, praline, palo santo, guaiac wood, patchouli
• Sizes: 0.33 fl oz for $29, 1.7 fl oz for $100, or 3.4 fl oz for $138

Glowing customer review: "This is my favorite Kayali fragrance! I get so many compliments when I wear it. I was worried it would be too close to my Tom Ford Lost Cherry, but it has more complex notes, so I end up reaching for this one more."

Looking for a new scent that no one else is wearing? Cherry perfume—more specifically this brand-spanking-new cherry perfume from Juliette Has a Gun—will make the perfect signature scent for summer.

It's crisp and clean-smelling enough for work while still being musky and nutty enough for date night. Expect to be surprised (in a good way!), even if you've been wearing cherry perfumes for ages. Because as one reviewer put it, "This is not just a perfume...it’s a whole mood."

• Key notes: Cherry, pink peppercorn, jasmine, Ambroxan, Cashmeran
• Sizes: 0.25 fl oz for $34, 1.7 fl oz for $115, or 3.3 fl oz for $150

Glowing customer review: "The DNA of this fragrance is extremely familiar yet different at the same time... Don’t let the pink pepper notes scare you, it’s a gorgeous fruity floral scent. This has pretty good lasting power and would be a great fragrance for an evening out."

If you're keen on clean perfumes (and even if you're not...yet), I'd suggest The 7 Virtues' Cherry Ambition. Cosmo editors and Sephora reviewers agree, it smells just as good and lasts just as long as other cherry perfumes—plus, it's vegan, clruelty-free, and hypoallergenic.

"I brought this perfume to Greece with me last summer, and I got loads of compliments from locals, so you know it's good," says Beth Gillette, beauty editor. "It's not your standard, ultra-sweet or boozy cherry perfume; instead, it smells sophisticated and warm."

• Key notes: Cherry, vanilla, sandalwood, cognac, amber, guaiac wood
• Sizes: 0.34 fl oz for $32 or 1.7 fl oz for $88

Glowing customer review: "It's a spicy, sharp, and warm cherry with some vanilla and sliiight musk. It lasts all day on me and has lasted multiple days on my clothes. This fragrance makes me feel sexy and like that girl."

"YSL Black Opium Over Red is a fairly easy blind buy, especially if you like the original Black Opium, but prefer more gourmand scents," says Beth Gillette, beauty editor. "When I spritz this on my clothes, I can smell the cherry goodness until I do laundry. It's so fresh and sweet but not at all cloying or heavy."

Black Opium Over Red is great for my vanilla perfume girlies looking to branch out. The citrus helps perk up the tart cherry and the warm coffee adds a nice depth to the vanilla notes. Believe me, this bb is a must-smell.

• Key notes: Cherry, mandarin, jasmine, orange blossom, coffee, vanilla, patchouli
• Sizes: 0.33 fl oz for $35, 1 fl oz for $95, 1.6 fl oz for $130, or 3 fl oz for $160

Glowing customer review: "This perfume is a lovely delicate mix of vanilla and cherry without being overwhelming sweet like other perfumes with similar scent profiles. This perfume is not as strong as the original (in a good way for me) and I have had people ask me what perfume I’m wearing at the end of the day!"

"Tom Ford Electric Cherry is my favorite scent for going out," says Daisy Maldonado, associate shopping editor. "It's legit the cherry on top of a good outfit before you hit the town."

Electric Cherry is more floral and musky than the original Tom Ford Lost Cherry, but it still has plenty of fresh, fruity cherry notes. "The morello cherry and warm musk combo is just so enticing and sexy with just the right amount of spiciness and fruitiness," says Maldonado. "While the jasmine is a main note, it's not overtly floral or super sweet."

• Key notes: Morello cherry, jasmine, musk, pink peppercorn, ginger
• Sizes: 1 fl oz for $250 or 1.7 fl oz for $395

Glowing customer review: "My favorite of the three Tom Ford cherry fragrances! Vibrant, juicy, flirty scent that is both bold and 'to the skin.' It starts off smelling like cherry punch and dries down a bit muskier, making it ultra-feminine and sexy. Definitely a compliment magnet."

One spritz of Truly's Ma Chérie perfume mist, and you'll be transported to a mid-2000s mall. With gourmand notes of cherry, chocolate, and caramel, it has all the sweetness of the old-school body sprays you bathed in without smelling quite so childish—and it's v affordable! Because it's a mist and not a perfume, it layers easily with other perfumes and scented products.

• Key notes: Cherry, chocolate, salted caramel, almond
• Sizes: 3.4 fl oz for $24

Glowing customer review: "I can't even describe how great this smells. I normally only buy designer perfume but this stuff is DIFFERENT. Anytime I wear it I have multiple people ask me what I have on bc it smells so freakin good!"

If you don't like your scents overly sweet, then you'll love Guerlain's L'Art & La Matière Cherry Oud eau de parfum. Its sweet cherry and rose notes lighten up the richness of the oud wood and leather base, lending an androgynous sort of sexiness that even had my guy friends asking if they could borrow a spritz.

As with all of Guerlain's bougie Parisian perfumes, Cherry Oud isn't the best pick for those on a budget, but my personal wear tests confirmed what I heard on #PerfumeTok: one or two sprays will truly last you all day. A day or two later, I could still smell a hint of Cherry Oud on the sweater I'd worn, but I can't say the same for Tom Ford's viral cherry perfumes.

• Key notes: Cherry, oud, leather, rose
• Sizes: 3.38 fl oz for $395 or 6.76 fl oz for $580

Glowing customer review: "The cherry brightens this up a bit so that the leathery woody facets don't overwhelm. Sharp, spicy, but bright and sweet blended in. Very sophisticated, but yes, prominent—not subtle...Worth every penny. I could bathe in this."

As someone who doesn't typically love woody, leather-heavy scents, I was pleasantly surprised when Cherry Smoke ended up being my favorite of the three Tom Ford cherry perfumes. Don't let the smoke part of the name fool you into thinking it's going to be too smoky. It's surprisingly fresh and fruity.

Honestly, it doesn't smell thaaat different from the brand's Lost Cherry scent, so if you're a fan of the OG, you should definitely try it. The additional notes add a nice richness and depth to the nutty almond and sweet cherry accords.

• Key notes: Cherry, saffron, leather, apricot, osmanthus, cyproil
• Sizes: 1 fl oz for $250 or 1.7 fl oz for $395

Glowing customer review: "I wanna gate keep this fragrance so badly! I love love love this. Every time I wear it, I’m complimented by both men and women."

If you prefer a true floral perfume, try something with notes of cherry blossom—as opposed to straight-up cherry—that can be worn solo or layered over one of the other cherry perfumes on this list. In addition to cherry blossom, this fresh, floral scent from Jo Malone features notes of bergamot, lemon, and rosewood that bring just the right balance of citrus. Though it's a hint more soapy, for lack of a better word, than other floral cherry scents, it's overly powdery.

• Fragrance family: Floral
• Key notes: Cherry blossom, bergamot, rosewood, lemon
• Sizes: 1 fl oz for $82 or 3.4 fl oz for $158

Glowing customer review: "If you love gourmand fragrances, this is the perfect perfume to layer with. It is light, but I think that's why it works so well for layering."

When researching cherry perfumes for this story, I noticed something interesting: both positive and negative reviewers noticed that cherry accords don't seem to last as long as other perfume notes—and after wear-testing a dozen or so, I have to agree. While other woody and spicy base notes would last the entire day, the cherry notes at the heart were completely gone within two or three hours. Whether it was Tom Ford Cherry Smoke or Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry, I needed to reapply in the afternoon to maintain the full effect.

The TLDR: Yes, cherry is a good perfume scent, but it seems to require multiple applications throughout the day. I'd suggest that, once you truly fall in love with a scent, you grab an extra rollerball or travel-sized bottle for easy top-offs on the go.

Oh, so you're a one-and-done kind of girlie? Prioritize a cherry perfume with long-lasting base notes—like patchouli, amber, or musk—that will continue to mix with your body chemistry long after the head notes fade. As the scent evolves throughout the day, it almost feels like you're wearing multiple perfumes.

Find the right fragrance family

Cherry is just one note to consider when selecting a new cherry perfume. Check the key notes in the fragrances you currently wear to get a better feel of what fragrance family you like. Does it contain woody notes like sandalwood and vetiver? White florals? Citrus? Vanilla? Keep an eye out for these notes as you shop for a new cherry perfume to get a better read on the scent.

Choose your bottle size wisely

Though it may be tempting to grab the smallest, least expensive bottle, you can save some serious cash by upgrading to a larger size. Splurging on something with a lower price per ounce will pay off in the long run.

Not ready to commit? Grab a rollerball of a few popular cherry scents to determine which is the best cherry perfume for you—or just to add a little variety to your life. Then treat yourself to a full-size bottle once you've found your fave.

Be ready to splurge

By now, you're probably asking yourself why are cherry perfumes so expensive? Chances are, you're also wondering if Tom Ford Lost Cherry is truly worth the splurge, and the answer is yes.

There are plenty of affordable cherry perfumes on Amazon—but did you notice that none of them made the list? It seems authentic cherry notes are hard to create. Reviewers of these Amazon dupes were adamant that the cherry notes smelled artificial and sickly sweet compared to their luxury counterparts.