This Is the Unique Perfume Note That Immediately Makes You Smell Understated and Elegant
Rice perfumes are taking over as my most complimented scents of all time. Scroll down to discover the seven best rice fragrances, according to a beauty writer.
As someone who works in beauty, I’ve collected a lot of perfumes over the years. And with my clear personal goal of smelling as expensive as possible in mind, I like to keep track of the perfumes that earn me the most compliments from family, friends and strangers alike. Most recently, I’ve been noticing that all of my most-admired scents all have one particular note in common, and it’s not one that I ever saw coming. Enter the rice perfume.
What is a Rice Perfume?
Categorised by my TikTok FYP as part of the "quiet gourmand" fragrance category, rice perfumes are subtly sweet and creamy scents that evoke the smell of steamed rice. Because of how subtle the rice note is, it lends itself particularly well to skin scents or to give a delicate, more intimate base to bolder floral, fruity and woody notes.
The powdery, nutty, and milky appeal of rice notes has made them an increasingly popular note to use in fragrances. And the best part? They smell expensive at any price point. Below, I’ve rounded up the seven most luxurious-smelling perfumes featuring rice notes that have earned me compliments every time I wear them.
Keep scrolling to see and shop the seven best rice perfumes, according to a beauty writer.
Shop the Best Rice Perfumes
1. Best Overall Rice Perfume: BORNTOSTANDOUT Dirty Rice, £173
2. Best Affordable Rice Perfume: Zara Romance D'iris, £40
3. Best Luxury Rice Perfume: Celine La Peau Nue, £255
4. Best Everyday Rice Perfume: Ormonde Jayne Champaca, £235
5. Best Nighttime Rice Perfume: Creed Love in White, £175
6. Best Clean Rice Perfume: Diptyque Paris L'Eau Papier, £145
7. Best Gourmand Rice Perfume: Kilian Paris Moonlight in Heaven, £225
The Best Rice Perfumes, Tried & Tested
1. BORNTOSTANDOUT Dirty Rice
Key Notes: Rice basmati, amond, bergamot, milk, peony, musk, sandalwood, cetalox, cedar and vetiver.
If you’re looking for a perfume that puts rice at the forefront of its scent profile, BORNTOSTANDOUT’s Dirty Rice is the first fragrance I’d recommend trying. A subtle milky-wood top note on a warm basmati rice base, Dirty Rice is an intimate skin scent that was created to smell like "dirty and sticky" skin. It’s warm, comforting, and not to mention it lasts for hours on me. Because this perfume leans rather gourmand-y, I’d say it’s better suited to slightly cooler weather, so I’ll be wearing it until the temperature rises in high summer, and picking it back up when autumn comes around.
2. Zara Romance d'Iris Parfum
Key Notes: Rice, bergamot, iris, Tuscan iris, violet, white musk, heliotrope and vetiver.
If you read Who What Wear regularly, it will come as no surprise that a Zara perfume has made it in this expensive-smelling fragrance edit. Made in collaboration with the iconic perfumer Jo Malone CBE, Romance D'iris blends a subtly sweet rice accord with powdery iris and velvety heliotrope to create an elegant scent that genuinely smells like a designer find. It’s also extremely versatile, working just as well for days in the office as it does for evenings out with friends.
3. Celine La Peau Nue
Key Notes: Rice Powder, bergamot, rose absolute, white orris butter and vetiver.
I love an affordable fragrance as much as the next person, but there are just some perfumes that are well worth the extra investment. Celine’s La Peau Nue is a chic, powdery "bare skin" fragrance designed to evoke the elegance of 1970s Parisian film stars, and the blend of rice powder, rose absolute, and vetiver makes the scent smell very nostalgic, with it reminding me of expensive French makeup. The classy and clean nature of this perfume makes it a very safe blind buy that you won’t regret investing in.
4. Ormonde Jayne Champaca Pure Perfume
Key Notes: Rice, bamboo, neroli, pink pepper, champaca, freesia, green tea, musk and myrrh.
For my minimalists out there, Ormonde Jayne’s Champaca makes for the perfect everyday perfume. Between the aromatic basmati rice, green tea, and champaca plant, it provides a light, almost airy profile that my lovers of skin scents and clean perfumes will fall in love with. The slightly spicy pink pepper and subtly deep myrrh keep it from feeling boring and instead create a perfume that feels equally refreshing as it does comforting.
5. Creed Love in White
Key Notes: Rice, apple, orange, apricot, narcissus, iris, jasmine, rose, magnolia, sandalwood, cedarwood and musk.
In the spring and summer months, when I want an evening fragrance that doesn't feel too heavy, I turn to Creed’s Love in White. I’m not typically a lover of floral perfumes, but there’s something about the blend of iris and rose, along with a creamy base of rice, sandalwood and apricot, that reminds me a lot less of sneezy, overly hot summer days and more like a subtle and sophisticated white floral scent.
6. Diptyque Paris L'eau Papier
Key Notes: Rice steam, white musks, mimosa and blonde wood
A favourite amongst beauty editors and perfume lovers alike, Diptyque Paris' L'Eau Papier is one of the industry's favourite “clean-girl” scents. Inspired by ink and paper, this fragrance features notes of rice steam, white musks, mimosa and blonde wood. It’s extremely subtle, but if you’re looking for something with a little more depth, it can also be used as a base scent for layering. I’ve personally worn it alone when going to job interviews or important work meetings as it's noticeable enough to earn me compliments, but remains soft enough to not smell too overpowering.
7. Kilian Paris Moonlight in Heaven
Key Notes: Rice, grapefruit, lemon, pink pepper, green notes, peach, clove, mango, coconut, tuberose, orris, lactones, vetiver, tonka bean, musk, vanilla and heliotrope.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of gourmand fragrances as I usually find them sickly and overly sweet. However, the rice in Kilian Paris’ Moonlight in Heaven grounds the notes of mango, coconut and vanilla to a create a scent that feels a lot more subtle than your typical “dessert” perfume. It starts off with brighter, bolder citrus notes and then settles down into a much creamier, powdery base. To me, it’s summer getaway in a bottle, and I can’t wait to bring it with me on my next holiday.
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