The fragrance world truly feels limitless. From body lotion and perfume to candles and aromatherapy, scent is powerful and there is so much you can do with it. The latest major fragrance trend? Solid perfume. This form of perfume is long-lasting and gets you more out of every application than the traditional perfume—and it’s often less expensive than regular perfume. It’s quickly gaining traction with more and more brands coming out with their own solid versions of some of your favorite fragrances. Keep reading for more on the trend, including what solid perfumes are, the benefits of wearing one and the best solid perfumes to try for a long-lasting scent.
What is solid perfume?
Solid perfume is exactly what its name suggests, fragrance that comes in a solid form. Whereas with a traditional, liquid perfume it would spill if you knocked it over or tipped it upside down, these formulations are compact and won’t spill.
Solid forms of perfume are made into a balm-like formula, which are made from waxes and oils. It feels similar to Vaseline (perhaps slightly harder/more solid able to easily glide on skin.
The benefits of wearing a solid perfume
Don’t get us wrong, we love spritzing on a good ol’ traditional perfume as much as the next person. But what we aren’t so fond of is how so many perfumes start to fade nearly as soon as you put it on (and it’s even worse when you’ve splurged on this perfume). With solid perfume, you are going to get a much longer-lasting scent out of the fragrance since the formula is more concentrated.
In regular, liquid perfumes, the essential oils that give it the scent are heavily diluted with alcohol and water, which is a major reason why you find many don’t last long. But solid perfumes, also sometimes called perfume sticks, don’t have this liquid base—therefore, the essential oils aren’t as diluted and the scent is more potent.
Solid perfume also makes a great base scent if you like to layer your perfumes. One of the best hacks to get your perfume to last longer is to apply a petrolatum like Vaseline or Aquaphor to your skin first and then spritz on your perfume—the scent will “stick” to your skin longer. It’s the same idea with solid perfume, thanks to its waxy formulas.
The 7 best solid perfumes
Keep reading for the best solid perfumes that will give you a long-lasting, head-turning scent.
Glossier You Solid Perfume
One of the most viral perfumes of the past year has been Glossier You. What’s so beloved and unique about this fragrance is that it smells different on everyone since it reacts to your own specific pH levels. And the brand recently came out with a solid perfume of the scent we can’t get enough of. Glossier You Solid Perfume is warm and spicy with notes of pink pepper, iris and ambrox.
Fenty Beauty Fenty Eau de Parfum Solid Perfume
Who wouldn’t want to smell like Rihanna?! Rihanna’s beauty brand, Fenty Beauty, has an impressive solid perfume, Fenty Beauty Fenty Eau de Parfum Solid Perfume. This is great for floral lovers as it has notes of magnolia and Bulgarian rose, but the floral scent isn’t too overpowering thanks to its balancing warm musk.
Dior Miss Dior Mini Miss Blooming Bouquet Solid Perfume
This pick, Dior Miss Dior Mini Miss Blooming Bouquet Solid Perfume, is especially great to use when on the go thanks to its narrow, lipstick-like packaging. It takes up very little space in a purse or bag and is so easy to apply: simply rub the perfume directly onto pulse points and viola! It has notes of the essence of bergamot, the essence of Damascus rose, white musk and peony.
Noyz The Solid Fragrance Pair
Everything is better in pairs! Noyz The Solid Fragrance Pair is a great cost-effective pick since it’s $55 for two scents, giving you more bang for your buck. One of the scents, Noyz Unmute, is one of my all-time favorite fragrances. It’s sweet and warm with base notes of black plum, Spanish Ciste, vanilla and amber, among a few others. The other solid perfume in the pair is Noyz Love Club, which includes notes of Turkish pink rose, saffron and ebony woods.
Lush Chelsea Morning Solid Perfume
For a budget buy, look no further than Lush Chelsea Morning Solid Perfume. It’s just under $17, and even more, is vegan and has a 100% organic jojoba oil base, making it smooth, nourishing and moisturizing. The brand has a bunch of great scents available in solid perfume form, but we like “Chelsea Morning” in particular. It has notes of tonka bean, vanilla, lemon myrtle and fenugreek.
Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfum
If you want a scent that will remind you of watching the sunset on the beach, Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfum is it. With notes of tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine and amberwood, it’s the perfect floral scent that has a touch of woody warmth.
Roots Rose Radish Jasmine & Clary Sage Solid Perfume
While Roots Rose Radish Jasmine & Clary Sage Solid Perfume smells absolutely incredible and is 100% natural made with just jojoba oil, beeswax, jasmine oil and clary sage oil, it’s the packaging that really takes the cake. It has the most beautiful shell design that looks so stunning on display on your vanity.
