12 Pricey Perfumes That Are Worth Every Spritz

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With new fragrances dropping faster than ever before, the world of perfume has never been more expansive than it is now. Between long-time cult-classic colognes from heritage perfumers to modern eaus from up-and-coming brands, there are countless options available suited to every personality and style. And while finding your signature scent doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg, it certainly can if you want it to be.

So what exactly sets an ultra-luxury fragrance apart from its more attainable counterpart? For starters: the craftsmanship of the master perfumer who concocted the delightful elixir. The price also bumps up depending on the natural materials that were used on the bottle. And then, of course, how the bottle is designed can only raise the cost of things.

There's no denying that splurging on a premium perfume will set you back hundreds and thousands of dollars, but think of the advantages: Not only are you buying a one-of-a-kind scent created from the finest ingredients in the world, but you're also scoring a spray that most will likely not have.

Here, 12 of the world's most expensive perfumes—from sophisticated leathery scents to fresh and floral ones—that are worth every spritz.

Les Royales Exclusives Jardin dAmalfi Fragrance

British perfumery Creed, creator of fragrances beloved by Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, introduced this Royal Exclusive scent in 2011 to celebrate the house’s 250th anniversary. The notes are an olfactive evocation of an Italian garden—effervescent, sunlit citrus, soft rose and apple, woody cedar, vetiver, and cinnamon—and the hand-blown Pochet bottle features an open-neck pour, to facilitate lavish slathering.

Key Notes: Mandarin, Apple, Rose, Cedar, Vetiver from Haiti

Roja Haute Luxe

Roja Dove is a lavish, flamboyant perfumer, a man who isn’t afraid of even the most decadent overdose of exquisite ingredients. Haute Luxe is a chypre oriental that practically drips money. Stuffed to the brim with rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang, and grounded with earthy, spicy, ever-evolving base notes of ginger, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, woods, resins, and ambergris, a fresh batch of Haute Luxe is whipped up every year, and limited to 500 bottles.

Key Notes: Rose, Bergamot, Clove, Rose, Amyris

Amorem Rose Parfum Presented in a Lalique Crystal Flacon

An opulent, smoky rose, crafted by master perfumer Maurice Roucel with notes of Bulgarian Rose, Saffron flowers, Baltic Amber and Mahogany wood, Amorem Rose is housed in a Lalique crystal flacon, "Les Hirondelles," representing the flight of love. Could there a more suitable vessel for this spectacularly OTT tribute to the Queen of Flowers?

Key Notes: Rose, Saffron, Amber, Mahogany Wood

Power For Women

You could do worse than gifting a perfume lover—or just a lover—with this ode to boss ladies. Sensuous musk, warm sandalwood, and leathery oud characterize the rich juice, but it’s the bottle that puts it over the top: a metallic orb finished in polished onyx enamel and encrusted with 2,026 Swarovski crystals.

Key Notes: Musk, Sandalwood, Oud

Flowerbomb Haute Couture

In celebration of its 17th anniversary, Viktor & Rolf unveiled this limited edition—like, really limited, there are only 30 in the world—3-D printed gold bottle of the house's iconic scent. It may cost a bomb, but it is pretty much guaranteed to deliver explosive joy.

Key Notes: Centifolia Rose, Sambac Jasmine, Cattleya Orchid, India Osmanthus

À La Rose Eau De Parfum

Another almost inconceivably petal-packed eau—containing 250 Grasse centifolia roses per bottle. And for those not yet willing to pony up for the celebrated perfumer's bespoke services, which start at $35,000, a way to own a Kurkdjian masterpiece for a relative steal.

Key Notes: Rose, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Musk

Original No. 1 Feminine Perfume

Clive Christian’s No. 1 Imperial Majesty, created in 2006 and issued in a limited-edition run (as in, 10 bottles) of diamond-studded Baccarat crystal flacons, was named the World’s Most Expensive Perfume by the Guinness Book of World Records. That elite bottle is no longer available, but you can snag this less expensive one at $750, a bargain by comparison. Prepare to be bowled over by a complex composition of floral amber, fruity mirabelle plum, and sensual musks.

Key Notes: Amber, Mirabelle Plum, Musks

Symphony

What's even more divine than a scent composed by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud that dances in the air with notes of ginger, grapefruit, and bergamot? A Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton perfume bottle, so beautiful as to be heirloom-worthy. If you really want to splurge, all five perfumes in the Louis Vuitton Les Extraits Collection are also available housed in a special signature monogram Flaconnier carrying case—truly the ultimate luxury for a fragrance lover.

Key Notes: Grapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger

Rose Prick Eau de Parfum Decanter

For when you promise someone a rose garden. This 8.5oz decanter of Tom Ford's wild bouquet of roses (inspired by the designer's private collection of botanical beauties, naturally) is totally OTT.

Key Notes: Rose de Mai, Bulgarian Rose, Sichuan Pepper

Eleganter Schwan 06 - Limited Edition Perfume

Albert Krigler was inspired by Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle (the model for Disneyland’s iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle) when creating this warm, romantic rose-and-sandalwood eau, and named it after the historic site’s famous swans. An early 20th-century favorite, it was recently re-introduced by the storied fragrance house as a covetable limited edition.

Key Notes: Rose, Sandalwood, Pear, Iris

Spiritueuse Double Vanille – Eau de Parfum

The L'Art & La Matiere collection from Guerlain offers a tantalizingly premium scent journey, with options to customize the bottle and add personalized engraving. Spiritueuse Double Vanille is vanilla par excellence—cast aside expectations of sweet dessert sillage and instead imagine a smoky, woody take on the note, with flashes of jasmine, ylang ylang, and cedar.

Key Notes: Wood, Rum, Cedarwood

More: The 15 Best Vanilla Fragrances to Wear Now

Tuberosa

For those who appreciate truly sublime tuberose and the beauty of exquisite natural ingredients, Tuberosa from luxurious artisanal perfume house Cultus Artem is a bloom of white flowers, with swathes of sophisticated sandalwood and spice.

Key Notes: Tuberose, Gardenia

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