2019 Fragrance Awards Winners: Best Perfumes and Scents

The Best Fragrances and Perfume Winners of 2019

From exhilarating new launches to instantly recognizable classics, 2019 was a memorable year for perfume lovers. Culminating in the beauty industry’s top events and expert panels, the year’s most notable fragrances were selected not only for their outstanding scents but also for their innovative packaging, visionary creators, and standout campaigns. This deep dive reveals what made each winner special and highlights the creative talents redefining how we experience fragrance today.

2019 Fragrance Awards: Celebrating Scent’s Best

Every year, the global beauty and fragrance communities gather to honor excellence at the Fragrance Foundation Awards—affectionately known as the “Oscars of Fragrance.” This rigorous judging recognizes outstanding achievements in scent creation, design, marketing strategies, and cultural impact. In 2019, both big-name fashion houses and indie innovators took home top honors, ensuring a dynamic mix of heritage and fresh perspective.

Major Honors and Special Recognition

• Hall of Fame Award: Tom Ford
• Game Changer Award: Laura Slatkin, Founder of Nest Fragrances
• Lifetime Achievement, Perfumer: Dominique Ropion (Master Perfumer, IFF)

Each of these individuals was selected not just for their commercial success, but for their enduring creativity, influence, and vision within the world of scent.
Tom Ford shared, “Since I was a child, I was obsessed with the smell of things,” capturing a passion that inspired his entire body of work.

Fragrance of the Year: Top Winners by Category

The following perfumes and brands were crowned in distinct award categories, reflecting both market preferences and artistic craftsmanship:

Spotlight on Women’s Luxury: Tom Ford Lost Cherry

Tom Ford Lost Cherry made headlines as the women’s luxury fragrance of the year. This perfume is a bold, seductive blend featuring notes of black cherry, bitter almond, liqueur, and Turkish rose, all enveloped in a rich, gourmand base. Its unique composition captured both the senses and the imagination, winning over judges and consumers alike.

Prestige and Popular Choices for Women

Jo Malone London Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne secured its place as the prestige leader, perfectly balancing floral sweetness and tart herbal tones for a fresh everyday signature scent. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande’s Cloud was crowned the most popular, demonstrating the rising influence of celebrity-backed fragrances that deliver both quality and accessibility within a mass market.

Top Men’s Fragrances

• Bleu de Chanel Parfum stood out as a refined, versatile fragrance, layering woods, tonka bean, and citrus for sophisticated depth.
• Sauvage Eau de Parfum by Dior was lauded for its resonance with modern masculinity, fusing Bergamot, Sichuan pepper, and Ambroxan notes for an energetic, magnetic profile.

Best in Packaging and Visual Design

• Women’s Packaging: Chanel No°5 Limited Edition Eau de Parfum — A reimagined icon, packaging set a new gold standard for luxury and timelessness.
• Men’s Packaging: John Varvatos JVxNJ — A collaboration with Nick Jonas, merging rock-and-roll inspiration with elegant glass and tactile details.

Judges assessed packaging for innovation, sustainability, and how well the exterior told the story of the scent within.

Outstanding Home Fragrance and Niche Creations

• Home Collection of the Year: Diptyque 34 Collection — Celebrated for capturing the spirit of Paris and timeless ambience in scented candles and home sprays.
• Perfume Extraordinaire: Symrise creation — This industry award recognized innovative perfumery outside the mainstream luxury market.

Fragrance Hall of Fame

The Donna Karan Cashmere Mist fragrance received induction into the Hall of Fame, acknowledging long-standing popular appeal and cultural significance. This legendary scent is noted for its comforting blend of Moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley, and sandalwood, and remains a cherished favorite decades after its release.

Winning Campaigns and Social Excellence

• Women’s Media Campaign: YSL Black Opium Eau De Parfum — Known for edgy, high-energy visuals and compelling storytelling.
• Men’s Media Campaign: Chanel Bleu de Chanel Parfum — Lauded for cinematic style and memorable impact.
• Best Social Media Campaign: Marc Jacobs Daisy Love — A masterclass in influencer collaboration and digital engagement, making fragrance relevant to a new generation.

Consumer Choice: Scent as Pop Culture

• Consumer Choice, Women’s Prestige: Marc Jacobs Daisy Love
• Consumer Choice, Women’s Popular: Victoria’s Secret Tease Rebel
• Consumer Choice, Men’s: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Lucky
• Consumer Choice, Influencer: @Jeremyfragrance

These awards reflect the power of community voices and fan-driven demand in shaping the industry’s most influential releases.

Profiles in Fragrance Excellence: People Behind the Scents

• Face of the Year: Martha Hunt — Recognized for her role in elevating scent through visual campaigns and iconic presence.
• Instagrammer of the Year: Mona Kattan — Celebrated for pioneering online storytelling and education around the artistry of perfumery.
• Editorial Excellence, Print: Alix Strauss for The Oprah Magazine (“What The Nose Knows”)
• Editorial Excellence, Online: Tynan Sinks for Allure (“The Beauty Of Living Forever Through Fragrance”)

These industry shapers were honored for expanding the cultural conversation around fragrance and making scent a vital topic in both traditional and new media.

The 2019 Fragrance Jury: How Winners Are Chosen

Each award recipient was selected based on a comprehensive process that blends expert evaluation, innovation criteria, and consumer engagement. Industry panels, including top perfumers, critics, retail experts, and consumer focus groups, assess:

• Olfactory quality and balance of notes
• Creativity in concept and execution
• Packaging ingenuity and sustainability
• Marketing effectiveness and cultural relevance
• Consumer response and sales impact

This diverse judging ensures both expert sophistication and broad appeal are recognized.

2019’s Fragrance Trends & Insights

• Gourmand notes rose to prominence, with edible-inspired accords (think cherry, almond, vanilla) attracting new fans.
• Influencer and celebrity-driven launches garnered massive traction and set new benchmarks for mass-market success.
• Sustainability and natural ingredients appeared increasingly in scent formulas and packaging, reflecting ethical priorities among consumers.
• Modern masculinity reflected in men’s winners: classic notes (woods, herbs) now paired with clean citrus and spicy elements for broader gender appeal.
• Social media continues to disrupt how new fragrances are discovered and shared, as demonstrated by winners in digital campaign categories.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What makes a fragrance win a top award?

A: Award-winning fragrances combine exceptional scent quality, innovative blending, distinctive packaging, effective campaigns, and strong consumer appeal, as judged by panels of both experts and fans.

Q: Are luxury or celebrity fragrances more popular in 2019?

A: Both categories succeeded. Luxury perfumes dominated expert panels, while celebrity and influencer scents excelled in popularity and consumer choice awards.

Q: How is packaging judged in fragrance awards?

A: Packaging is evaluated for creativity, sustainability, functionality, and its ability to tell a story that matches the scent’s mood and message.

Q: Can a fragrance win in multiple categories?

A: Yes. Some fragrances are recognized both for their scent and for achievements in packaging or marketing, and some become repeated favorites in consumer choice polls.

Q: Which 2019 fragrance is best for everyday wear?

A: The Jo Malone London Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne is considered extremely versatile and wearable for both day and night.

The Impact of 2019’s Awards

Fragrance awards offer more than bragging rights. Winners typically see a measurable boost in public profile, sales, and brand loyalty. Notably, these awards help guide consumers to the most celebrated and reliable new scents, while inspiring innovation for future perfumers and product launches.

How to Find Your Signature Scent

Start by considering what types of notes and fragrance families—floral, woody, gourmand, citrus—resonate with you. Explore award winners as a trusted starting point:

• Test perfumes on skin over several hours for true character
• Try fragrances in different settings (work, evening, outdoors)
• Sample both mass-market and niche options
• Let mood and season guide your choices

With so much creativity on display in 2019’s winners, there’s a new favorite for every personality and preference.

Expert Tips: Wearing and Layering Perfume

• Apply to pulse points—wrists, neck, behind ears—for lasting effect
• Layer perfumes by starting with lighter scents, then add richer notes for depth
• Moisturize skin before spraying to extend longevity
• Avoid rubbing wrists together after application, as this can break fragrance molecules

Looking Ahead: The Future of Fragrance

The record-breaking innovation and inclusivity seen in 2019 signals an exciting future for scent. As authenticity, sustainability, and diverse voices take center stage, the perfume world continues to reinvent itself—one breathtaking launch at a time.