We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Style Beauty 10 Floral Fragrances That Will Remind You Of Your Southern Grandmother These nostalgic scents are signature-worthy. By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough Sadik is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 23, 2024 Photo: Photo: Robbie Caponetto, Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Sometimes, it doesn’t take more than just a whiff of a familiar fragrance for memories to come flooding in that evoke the scents and sights of your favorite people and places. There are those tried-and-true fragrances that generations of Southern women have undoubtedly passed on through simply wearing them, and many of them happen to smell just like your grandmother's garden or blooming state flowers. There's something forever classic about a floral perfume. Remembering how your grandmother smelled when she walked into the house, or what your mother would spritz before a special occasion, is what brings the nostalgia that can make you seek it out later in life—even if it’s just the same sentiment, such as a floral perfume of romantic gardenia, of breathy jasmine, or of enchanting rose, just like they wore. Here are 10 iconic floral perfumes that have adorned Southern vanities for quite a long time, and why it might be time to get your own bottle. The Old-School Trick For Making Perfume Last Way Longer On Your Skin undefined Lancôme Trésor Eau de Parfum PHOTO: Amazon $85 at Amazon $85 at Ulta $120 at Sephora It's easy to feel special when wearing this perfume, which feels meant for dressy occasions or whenever you need a coat of confidence. You get the elegance of rose, mugent, and lilac, with the sparkle of peach and apricot blossom. First launched in 1952, the bottle has that old-fashioned feel you could imagine your grandmother passing by at the department store and making her signature scent. undefined Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne PHOTO: Jo Malone $86 at Nordstrom View on Jomalone.com View on Macy's Jo Malone is the master of creating classic scents that keep it simple while building up a strong scent profile that is unmistakable amongst others. While each fragrance in its collection captures a different feeling and personality that might appeal to different people, a customer favorite prevails in the one of the more unique floral fragrances you'll find: Nectarine Blossom & Honey. Why? Because instead of veering more strongly scented and sometimes powdery as so many floral perfumes do, it captures the sweetness and freshness of the outdoors, with notes of just-ripe cassis, delicate nectarine blossoms, and acacia honey. undefined Tocca Eau de Parfum Florence PHOTO: Tocca $86 at Nordstrom $86 at Ulta View on Tocca.com Packed with the most alluring of florals—jasmine, violet, gardenia, tuberose, blue iris—this is a scent basically made for those who feel romantically about things like summer tomatoes, picnics, and breezy sundresses. It's complex to the point of being its own entity altogether, and no one will be wearing something similar in the same way you'd swear that no one has ever smelled as good as your mom. undefined Aerin Wild Geranium PHOTO: Sephora $143 at Amazon $150 at Nordstrom View on Esteelauder.com We couldn't go further without giving this standout floral its due love. This perfume was invented as an ode to wildflowers themselves, and when the South is aburst with brightly colored wildflower blooms, it smells just like this scent up close, which is rooted in fresh geranium, but made even more enchanting with notes of tuberose and narcisse. undefined Clinique Happy PHOTO: Clinique $108 at Amazon $85 at Nordstrom $25 at Walmart It's hard not to be happy when wearing this scent, which is perhaps why it quickly became a best-seller after launching in 1998. It's crisp, but delightfully floaty and citrusy, making you feel like the most "morning person" version of yourself. Floral, thanks to Hawaiian wedding flower and bergamot, and fruity, thanks to grapefuit, it is about as far from the stuffy rose perfumes your great-grandmother might have favored, but perfect for your fun-loving Southern granny who hangs out in her garden. undefined Bvlgari Eau Parfumée Au Thé Vert PHOTO: Bvlgari $59 at Walmart $115 at Neiman Marcus $115 at Macy's The best way to describe this incredibly unique scent is that it seems to wrap its wearer in a cloud of something no one can quite put their finger on, but cannot help but want another enchanting whiff. Since it came out in 1992, it's been the definition of crisp and elevated, with Bergamot citrus notes, earthy green tea, warm beeswax, and tonka bean. It somehow feels familiar, like how your grandmother smelled when she floated into the room with perfect curls and lipstick. If you want to feel transported back in time, this one will take you there. undefined Dior Holy Peony PHOTO: Dior View on Dior.com Is there a prettier and more angelic flower than peony? Hardly, and this scent is a total sonnet to its beauty and pure fragrance, capturing the delicate, fleeting notes in a way that does the unique flower justice. As a result, it's irresistibly luminous and romantic for those who want to tap into their most feminine side, and it'll make you blush as much as its fluffy bloom. undefined Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds PHOTO: Amazon $28 at Amazon $72 at Macy's $16 at Fragrancex.com This nostalgic scent might seem dated to some—after all, it's been around for over 20 years and is the passion project of quite the legendary maker, Elizabeth Taylor—but it's so packed with fresh flowers that it can hardly be called stuffy or out-of-style. Elizabeth Taylor admittedly never left the house without two things—her diamonds and her perfume—and her fragrance follows its wearer in a feminine cloud of violet, rose, jasmine, and lily. undefined Houbigant Paris Quelques Fleurs L'Original Eau de Parfum PHOTO: Houbigant Paris $220 at Amazon $105 at Nordstrom View on Walmart It wouldn't be a floral perfume appreciation moment without referencing this absolutely iconic scent. After all, the fragrance is a labor of love fitting for anyone who wants the purest floral essence and to smell like a garden incarnate: around 15,000 flowers are said to be curated to make just a single ounce of it. Fun fact: Princess Diana wore Quelques Fleurs on her wedding day, and it's no secret that Southerners have always had love for the people's princess. Her kind demeanor seems to feel just a bit Southern! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit