In a world where vanilla perfumes, rose fragrances, and the likes of Santal 33 reign supreme, patchouli perfumes are severely slept on, if you ask me. And I’ll be honest: they weren’t really my thing either (I pretty much always want to smell sweet and edible), until I realized that patchouli, which generally smells earthy and musky, doesn’t have to exist on its own as a one-note scent. Once I realized that some of the best perfumes contain patchouli, I learned that patchouli perfumes aren’t just woodsy and heavy—they can also be sweet, floral, and fresh, too. Now, I’ll wax poetic about the versatile powers of patchouli until the end of time.
So if you’re new to patchouli, or you’re in the meh camp like I used to be, it’s time you step into 2022 and add a patchouli fragrance to your collection, whether you want a floral springtime scent, a sweet Valentine’s Day perfume for date night, or a spicy winter fragrance. I’ve personally sniffed dozens of patchouli perfumes, and these ones are a few of the best:
Our top picks for the best patchouli perfumes of 2022:
There are a lot of patchouli perfumes out there, so for the full breakdown of my favorites, keep scrolling, then keep reading about what exactly patchouli is, how it smells, and which other scents it pairs best with.