As much as I love gourmand fragrances—scents with mouthwatering notes like vanilla and caramel—I’ve become obsessed with finding the best milk perfumes. As it turns out, I’m not the only one. A quick search of this perfume trend on TikTok elicits thousands of videos reacting to sugary, musky, woody, and even fruity takes on lactonic scents.
“Milky fragrances are a natural evolution of the vanilla trend,” says Bérénice Watteau, a perfumer at DSM-Firmenich. “Vanilla has been everywhere in recent years, and milk adds a new dimension—more creamy, more enveloping, and even more addictive. There’s also a growing trend toward fragrances that feel skinlike, emotional, and signature-worthy—milky scents capture that perfectly.”
As a beauty writer who covers the latest notes dominating the perfume world, I asked my network of perfume experts for their favorite recs. The Commodity Milk Personal Eau de Parfum was picked the best overall for its fusion of softly woody and lactonic notes. We were also drawn to the vanilla ice cream facets of By/Rosie Jane Dulce, and the mango-sticky-rice-inspired Le Monde Gourmand Riz de Mangue. Below, find your signature scent among our favorite milky perfumes below.
The best milk perfumes, at a glance:
We began by asking for recommendations from multiple beauty editors and fragrance experts. We then tested milk perfumes by evaluating their notes, how well they each played up their milky accords, and how long they lasted. We also took into account the perfumes’ scent trail, or sillage—that delicious smell they leave behind as you move through a room.
Best Overall: Commodity Milk Personal Eau de Parfum
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Original photo from Ariel Wodarcyk testing Commodity Milk Personal Eau de Parfum
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Commodity Milk Personal Eau de Parfum
- What we love: Creamy, woody, and sweet without being cloying; smells amazing on everyone we’ve tested it on; an easy, everyday scent
- What could improve: May not be sweet enough for fans of gourmand fragrances
In Milk Personal, toasted marshmallow, mahogany, and tonka bean mingle with Iso E Super, a synthetic fragrance molecule beloved for its smooth, woody facets. “This is the OG Milk, and it doesn’t get much better,” says Emma, the fragrance influencer and perfumery student behind the popular @perfumerism Instagram and the TikTok account @perfumerism. (She’s got a 45-plus-part TikTok series dedicated solely to finding the best milk perfumes.) “Between the fluffy marshmallow notes, the warm woody notes, and the toasted sesame, this scent is the perfect complex yet simple and addictive milk,” she says.
Each of Commodity’s fragrances comes in three iterations: Personal, which sits close to the skin like a warm embrace; Expressive, a slightly amped-up version; and Bold, the loudest of all three. We chose Milk Personal as our favorite milk perfume for its woody, inviting vibe and soft creaminess.
Best for Women: By/Rosie Jane Dulce Eau de Parfum
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Original photo from Ariel Wodarcyk testing By/Rosie Jane Dulce Eau de Parfum
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By/Rosie Jane Dulce Eau de Parfum
- What we love: Less than $100, great sillage
- What could improve: Not available in 3.4 oz.
Named Glamour’s best affordable perfume for women, Dulce combines creamy vanilla, brown sugar, and a tempting dulce de leche accord with the warm earthiness of hinoki woods. Sweet, sexy, and miles more complex than your standard vanilla perfume, it boasts all-day longevity and an impressive sillage. Plus, it’s a highly rated perfume on Amazon with over 600 reviews.
“Personally, I have more than 200 scents in my perfume collection, yet I’m constantly drawn to Dulce,” Glamour contributor Mary Honkus wrote previously. “The aroma sticks around much longer than some of my most expensive bottles—I’m talking days—and it’s a total compliment magnet. Every time I wear this, someone tells me I smell divine.”
Best for Men: Philosophy Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette
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Original photo from Ariel Wodarcyk testing Philosophy Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette
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Philosophy Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette
- What we love: Light, airy, and not too sweet; classic lactonic scent
- What could improve: Sillage
With notes of vanilla, heliotrope, and tonka bean, this scent is described as being “as soft as a passing cloud.” It’s smooth, creamy, and the least sweet of the lactonic fragrances on this list.
“I was initially drawn to Fresh Cream because I had read multiple online reviews calling it subtly sweet, which I agree with,” says Glamour contributor Ariel Wodarcyk. “I love to bake in my free time, and this scent reminds me of the airy, fluffy sweetness of a homemade whipped cream. I could see myself reaching for this on its own as a comforting everyday scent, or layering it with other favorites in my fragrance collection to give them a creamy quality. This would be especially beautiful paired with a tea scent, or a light floral to add some extra depth.”
Best Musky: DedCool Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
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Original photo from Ariel Wodarcyk testing DedCool Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
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DedCool Mochi Milk Eau de Parfum
- What we love: Lightly sweet; crowd-pleasing vanilla scent
- What could improve: Smells primarily like vanilla, amber, and musks; can be hard to detect other notes
