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What celebrities smell like, according to celebrities

A few years back, a close friend received a once-in-a-lifetime invite to attend a fancy Oscars party and it turned out to be the ultimate people-watching event, packed with stars. The next day she couldn't wait to give me a full report, including what certain A-list celebrities looked like in person, who they talked to and — specifically and in detail — how they smelled.

This might seem like odd info to share but, truly, if you've spent any time around famous people, you'll notice their personal aromas are (often) astonishingly pleasant. Just ask Emma Stone, who, upon running into Jennifer Aniston at this year's Golden Globes, exclaimed, “Jesus! You smell really good!” and, after giving the Friends actress a light sniff, asked, “What is that? Is that what you always smell like?” (Aniston, oblivious to her own super scent, modestly replied, “Yeah.”)

Truth is, Americans have been obsessed with what famous people smell like for decades. In 1952, sales of Chanel No. 5 soared after Marilyn Monroe told Life Magazine that she slept in nothing but a few drops of the famous French perfume. In the 1960s, high-end perfumiers began courting famous women to hawk their scents (Audrey Hepburn reportedly loved her custom Givenchy fragrance, L’Interdit, so much she asked the designer not to release it to the public. He eventually did, and she modeled for the campaign).

Actress Marilyn Monroe poses for a candid portrait with a bottle of Chanel No. 5 on March 24, 1955 at the Ambassador Hotel in New York City, New York. (Photo by Ed Feingersh/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

By the 80s, actresses caught wise to the trend and began designing — and profiting off — their own branded spritzes. In fact, once the 2000s rolled around, nearly every major star had her own special eau de toilette (think NYC by Sarah Jessica Parker, Fancy by Jessica Simpson and Glow by Jennifer Lopez). However, not all fragrance empires are created equal: Elizabeth Taylor's remains the most profitable — her estate earns upwards of $75 million per year off White Diamonds alone, even decades after the actress's death.

While celeb-branded perfumes may be enticing, there's something a bit more intimate, not to mention thrillingly voyeuristic, about uncovering a signature scent an iconic luminary is not paid to praise. Perfume is a luxury item, after all, which makes these finds extra alluring and aspirational: If you had all the money in the world, how would you choose to smell?

Luckily, famous people can't stop sharing this info with the world. From a familiar $10 perfume oil to the top-of-the-line eau de toilette adored by the first female billionaire (hint: she's a domestic diva!), here are a few of our favorite celebrity perfume picks.

Drew Barrymore: Triloka Patchouli Perfume Oil

Unlike in the '90s, this distinctly musky oil isn't just for the lady running the "grain" aisle at your local food co-op or the hackey-sack hippies hanging out on your college quad. Today, America's sweetheart/daytime host Drew Barrymore wears this affordable perfume oil (even if it's most associated with Phish shows). According to the star's website: "Drew feels her best with a drop of Triloka Patchouli Perfume Oil on her wrists and neck. The fragrance transports her to a lush, luxurious place each moment she catches a slight scent."

$11 at Amazon

Jennifer Garner: Byredo Gypsy Water

Have to say, I love the idea that Jennifer Garner, a woman I associate with the clean smell of Ivory Soap, is in real life devoted to this sexy, vanilla-sandalwood scent. Among a certain set of jet-setting ladies, Byredo Gypsy Water is legendary (Sienna Miller and Rihanna are also fans) for its unique, distinctly smoky vibes. Garner told Vogue last year that she’s “been wearing it forever.”

$225 at Nordstrom

Oprah: Kai Perfume Oil

This subtly floral, gardenia-based oil has legions of famous fans — there’s an entire page devoted to them on Kai’s website. It launched in 1999 and since then, the light roll-on has become an in-the-know fragrance staple for celebs and everyday folks alike. Oprah, for her part, loved the Kai signature scent so much, she included it in her Favorite Things List of 2007, and even requested the oil be made into a customized body butter, which she raved about on her then-daily talk show.

More than a decade later, reviewers still can't get enough of it: "The smell of heaven‘s garden in a bottle," raves one 5-star reviewer.

"Smells amazing," proclaims another. "I always get compliments when I wear it. Floral scent, really yummy."

$54 at Amazon

Salma Hayek: For Her by Narciso Rodriguez

Would you like to smell like Salma Hayek? Pick up a bottle of Narciso for Her (Getty Images)

When asked if she has a "signature scent" in a 2015 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Hayek offered up this iconic fragrance from designer Narciso Rodriguez. To say it's popular is an understatement: A bottle sells every 15 seconds worldwide, even 22 years after its launch.

With a combination of light rose and just a hint of patchouli, For Her is well-balanced, elegant and both floral and woodsy. "It's very musky," Hayek shared with Harper's Bazaar.

$65 at Amazon

Nicole Kidman: Torn by Henri Rose

"I have fallen in love with all of Michelle Pfeiffer's Henry Rose fragrances," Kidman told People magazine in 2019. "My favorites are Torn [shown] and Last Light." Actress Kate Capshaw is also taken with the vetiver-and-vanilla unisex scent.

$120 at Sephora

Jennifer Coolidge: Flora Carnivora by Henry Rose

In an interview with Elle Decor in 2022, the White Lotus actress explained just why she loves this jasmine-neroli-orange-blossom blend (also from Pfeiffer's line, Henry Rose): because it's both all-natural and makes her feel at home. “When I was 13, I would wear every chemical I could think of. And when you’re a kid, you’re never thinking about ingredients. Now I have to be careful," she said.

$120 at Sephora

Angela Bassett: Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet by Christian Dior

Lynda Carter: Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle

“I used to wear Coco by Chanel. But now I wear Portrait of a Lady," Carter told New York Magazine in 2023. "It’s one of the most famous scents in the world. I always get compliments: ‘Oh, you smell so good.’ That’s the key. I don’t get as many compliments when I wear other things.”

$100 at Nordstrom

Martha Stewart: Fracas by Robert Piguet

Stewart is known to be a bit fickle with her personal fragrances but this scent remains close to her heart: The tuberose and jasmine perfume was created by a dear neighbor who gifted her a bottle prior to his passing at age 93. "He would induce me to bring over a six-pack of Corona beer and he would give me a bottle of Fracas," she told Allure in 2021.

$185 at Amazon

Helen Mirren: Un Jardin En Mediterranee by Hermès

Who doesn't want to smell like a classy dame? Helen Mirren shared this favorite scented spritz with Glamour back in 2020, calling it her "go-to perfume." Fragrance scholars say it's a light mix of bergamot, lemon, mandarin orange and fig leaf, which makes it bright and spicy, just like the ageless beauty herself.

$156 at Nordstrom

Jennifer Aniston, multiple fragrances

That Jennifer Aniston perfume Emma Stone was overheard fangirling over? According to InStyle, it may have been this uber-popular scent from Jo Malone. The mag says this bright citrus-floral cologne is an Aniston fave (it's also a signature scent of stylish celebs such as Katie Holmes).

$84 at Amazon

However! According to Women's Health, Aniston prefers this old-school Frenchy floral scent, which just happens to be the perfume I saved up for and wore in my suburban Philadelphia high school to seem worldly and très parisien.

$33 at Groupon

OK, in the interest of fair and accurate reporting — I am a journalist, after all! — the only scent-savvy businesswoman Ms. Aniston has for sure recommended is, in fact, her own. This breezy perfume was "inspired by the beach at sunrise with new hopes at dawn" and is meant to reflect the actress's "timeless beauty, spirited personality and serene elegance."

$49 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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