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For the longest time, I put myself in the category of not being a floral perfume person. Rose perfumes? Never been that fussed. Lavender perfumes? Adore them on other people, but not for me. However, after a decade working as a beauty editor and amassing hundreds of perfumes, there became a common thread in some of my most-loved and most complimented perfumes. And guess what? It’s a floral note. Specifically, tuberose.
And since making the connection, it turns out that I might be a florals person after all, with some of my all-time favourite scents being tuberose perfumes. Together, they’ve garnered me more compliments than I can keep track of, including one that had 10 people asking me what I was wearing in the space of an hour. Yep, tuberose really does have that effect on people.
What Does Tuberose Smell Like?
Tuberose is a white floral that smells creamy, milky, sweet, a little green and waxy, and even animalic and carnal. Known as “the Queen of the night” in perfumery, this intoxicating flower begins to release its scent after sunset. It’s so heady and intoxicating, in fact, that throughout history, well-to-do ladies were forbidden to walk through tuberose fields for the fear that the scent would arouse uncontrollable desire. And if that isn’t an advert for how intoxicating tuberose smells, I don’t know what is. Out of all the florals, tuberose is the most lustful of the bunch, making it particularly good for alluring and sensual fragrances that get you noticed.
Having done my beauty editor boots on the ground journalism and worn many tuberose perfumes out in the wild, I can confirm that this perfume note is a guaranteed compliment-magnet. Scroll on for the best tuberose perfumes that should come with a warning—they smell heavenly.
Best Tuberose Perfumes
1. Maison Crivelli Tubéreuse Astrale
Maison Crivelli
Tubéreuse Astrale Extrait de Parfum
Key notes: Cinnamon bark, tuberose, osmanthus, carrot seed, cistus, leather, musk
It’s difficult to put into words just how breathtaking Tubéreuse Astrale is, but if I only had three words, it would be creamy, velvety and smouldering. Inspired by Maison Crivelli’s founder’s memory of standing beneath a sky scattered with stars, surrounded by fields of creamy tuberose, it perfectly captures that sense of awe and wonder of stargazing. A floral leather at its core, it evokes the beauty of twinkling constellations in the night sky. The tuberose is milky, hypnotic and deeply sensual, made even more alluring by the warmth of cinnamon that sets your skin ablaze, and a soft, suede-like musk that lingers beneath it. There’s also a delicate peach-skin quality running throughout—fuzzy and slightly juicy—which makes the fragrance feel all the more addictive and unforgettable. I once wore this to our beauty awards and racked up 10 compliments in one hour.
2. Diptyque Do Son
Diptyque Paris
Do Son Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine, amberwood
Do Son was the fragrance that first got me into tuberose perfumes, and it remains one of my favourites in both Diptyque’s eau de toilette and eau de parfum forms, which are both alluring in different ways. The former is both creamy and bright, and feels like burying your nose into the fluffy, velvet-soft petals of a white bouquet, and has a breezy marine quality that smells like a spring walk along the coastline. If you prefer something headier and sensual, then the eau de parfum brings in amberwood that doubles down on the sensual smoothness of the creamy tuberose and accompanying white florals.
3. Matiere Premiere French Flower Eau de Parfum
Matiere Premiere
French Flower Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Tuberose absolute, enfleurage tuberose, ginger, Chinese tea leaf essence, green pear
Put simply, this tuberose perfume is breathtaking. Milky, green and sensual, this fragrance doubles down on two forms of tuberose that make the creamy flower even more voluptuous as it blooms on the skin (it lasts and lasts). Matiere Premiere perfumes focus on raw materials as the star of each scent, and smelling this fragrance is like being immersed in the fragrance house’s tuberose fields in Grasse in late summer, as the heady, hypnotic scent fills the evening air. If you want a straight-up tuberose perfume without the fuss of other notes, then I implore you to try it. It leaves a luminous trail that is a total compliment magnet.
4. Jo Malone London Tuberose Angelica
Jo Malone London
Tuberose Angelica Cologne Intense
Key notes: Angelica, tuberose, amberwood
Jo Malone London’s take on tuberose is mesmerising, like you’ve stumbled into a secret garden filled with the blooming florals under the glow of moonlight. The creamy white petals unfurl on the skin, and are contrasted with a green bitterness of angelica and warm, woodsy amberwood that makes you want to nuzzle your nose into your wrists again and again. It’s part of Jo Malone London’s Cologne Intense collection, which tends to last longer. That being said, it’s not a fragrance that overwhelms you or those around you, so if you want a more subtle nod to tuberose, this is a beauitful one that clings close to the skin.
5. Byredo Casablanca Lily
Byredo
Casablanca Lily Extrait de Parfum
Key notes: Plum, gardenia, carnation, Indian tuberose, rosewood, honey accord
I once saw someone describe this perfume extrait as “like having sex in a Bentley” on TikTok, and was immediately intrigued. This Byredo perfume smells so utterly classy and elegant. Don’t let the name fool you, for the tuberose is the standout flower in this luxurious floral scent that radiates dark, feminine energy. It opens with juicy plum before melting into the creamy tuberose and gardenia that feels like you’re luxuriating in a bed of white petals. Coupled with honey, it’s smooth and a little sweet before drying down into a warm rosewood base.
6. Zara Tuberose
Zara
Tuberose Eau de Toilette
Key notes: Tuberose, vanilla, spices
If you want to dabble in a tuberose perfume without breaking the bank, then Zara’s perfumes are a great way to experiment with this white floral note. This one has the distinctive creaminess of tuberose, coupled with a powdery quality and a hint of warming spice and smooth, decadent vanilla that makes it a great wearable entryway into tuberose scents for less than £20.
7. LBTY Fragrance Liberty 1875
LBTY Fragrance
Liberty 1875 Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Bergamot, juniper, jasmine, Indian tuberose, ylang ylang, coumarin, tobacco, vanilla
This isn’t a running-through-the-flower-fields-in-a-white-dress sort of tuberose perfume. Instead, it’s the type of perfume I could imagine a vintage velvet suit-clad woman wearing in a dimly lit, smoky bar. If you find most tuberose perfumes lean far too floral, then you have to try this take on the creamy flower, which is contrasted with spicy vanilla and tobacco that unfurls from the skin and gives it an attitude.
8. Givenchy L’Interdit Absolu
Givenchy
L’Interdit Absolu Eau De Parfum Intense
Key notes: Neroli, lavender, cardamom, orange blossom, tuberose jasmine, tobacco, patchouli, vetiver
If you’re in need of a date night perfume, then allow me to point you in the direction of Givenchy L’Interdit Absolu. Whilst tuberose isn’t the star of this perfume, it leans heavily on the white florals and has an utterly intoxicating cocktail of mouthwatering neroli, hypnotic lavender and swirling, smoky tobacco that leaves an alluring trail wherever you go as it dries down into a sensual and earthy patchouli base. It smells absolutely divine. I love it as an evening scent, but also as a winter perfume when I want to smell cocooned in an alluring fragrance.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products, including some skincare, makeup, hair and nails, over the years and work closely with trusted experts—dermatologists, make-up artists and leading industry insiders—to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.
