8 best vegan perfumes with staying power and character

This “clean” Parisian perfume brand is ideal for those who prefer to eschew synthetics altogether. Their concoctions comprise up to 97 per cent of natural ingredients, while ingredients they deem questionable (such as phenoxyethanol, formaldehydes, Lyral and BHT) are left out.

The scent itself packs quite a fresh, citrusy wallop, without being too overbearing. Opening with a flash of zesty bergamot, a sharp bite of lemon and sparkling sweet mandarin, it slowly blooms with beautiful floral undertones of mellow orange blossom and jasmine. If you’re used to natural perfumes being flighty, fair-weather friends that linger on the skin for a matter of minutes, then this will change your mind: uplifting, yet comforting and addictively sweet.

If you don’t want your scent to wear you, as opposed to the other way around, then this subtle, powdery perfume will suit your needs down to the ground. It boasts blissful notes of floating waterlilies, a dash of grapefruit for some added brightness and a warm heart of milky tuberose, French magnolia – together with a “vintage lipstick” accord of sweet vanilla absolute. While an addictive base of sandalwood allows it to warm up beautifully on the skin. Ideal if you have a yearning for the countryside but are stuck in a one-bed flat just off the M25.

Medeau use what’s known as “green chemistry” in its vegan concoctions – utilising what’s called “bioidenticals” – a non-irritating, sustainable alternative to natural fragrance oils. Meanwhile the bottles are 98 per cent recyclable with all perfumes are formulated and bottled in the UK.

As with many vegan brands Floral Street tick plenty more green boxes than just vegan and cruelty-free. Its environmental credentials range from having compostable packaging made with FSC-certified paperboard and pulp fibres; reusable elastic bands instead of cellophane.

London poppy is a scented homage to London: a city “as tough as ever-lasting poppies”, this citrus floral is blended with punchy notes of lemon and floral orange blossom, while a base of soft cedar wood stops it from spinning away altogether. The perfect tonic to pep you up if you’ve spent the best part of an hour being elbowed on the tube.

Any English ex-pats abroad and longing for scents of home will appreciate the quirky charm of this cheery blend, a love letter to our British obsession with the humble cuppa. The black tea is taken with (vegan) oat milk and combined with hazelnut and ginger biscuits. Founder Sarah created it after moving studios to Hammersmith, an iconic South London haunt – popular for its riverside pubs, a historic music venue and no less than two tube stations.

If you’ve ever wandered down the high street on your lunch break, you might need to sit down with a cuppa to recover from the hustle and bustle (and occasional car chase). And this sweet and slightly smoky scent is the perfect tonic. No extra sugar required.

Anyone who grew up in the Eighties and Nineties will be familiar with White Musk, which has to go down in the history books as one of the most nostalgic beauty products of all time. With its fresh floral notes of jasmine and lily of the valley, heightened with warm musky undertones, its uniquely sensual, yet light and oh so wearable bouquet instantly cemented its place in the Beauty Hall of Fame. It was particularly pioneering when it first launched due to its use of cruelty-free musk (traditionally obtained via extracting a gland from musk deers).

To mark the scent’s 40th birthday, it’s had a revamp and is now completely vegan (as certified by The Vegan Society) and more sustainable too, while retaining all the charisma of the original. Plus, the bottle is now 100 per cent recyclable and made from 42 per cent recycled glass. The Body Shop have also announced its commitment to become completely vegan by 2023.

Vyrao is the latest venture for fashion mogul and street style icon Yasmin Sewell. Created to amplify the wearer’s cosmic energy, each one comes with its own supercharged crystal (Sewell herself is a trained Reiki practitioner). Yet the vegan brand is also playful and fun, and its tongue-in-cheek names like witchy woo are a nod to that. Each perfume even comes with its own Spotify playlist.

Witchy woo is created to inspire “courage and creativity” with an intriguing caldron of earthy orris, warming nutmeg and patchouli, underscored with rich frankincense and musks. The perfect scent to spritz on when you have a big meeting or event coming up and need a little extra chutzpah with your morning coffee.

Founder Imogen Russon-Taylor created Kingdom Scotland to capture the dramatic contrasts of her native landscape (further inspired by her experience working with Scottish whiskey brands) and her latest offering, kingdom botanica brings the drama in spades. A green woody floral blend, it was created to mark 350 years since the establishment of the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh – and the rare and exotic plants to that were imported and displayed there.

It opens with an intriguing sharp and verdant blend of iced Chinese plum blossom, blackcurrant stems and pine needles. It then dries down to reveal intoxicating heart notes of jasmine, frankincense and ginger lily, with a warming base of sandalwood and white musk.

Scottish perfume is definitely having a moment, with enough beguiling blends to make Rabbie Burns write reams of sonnets in their honour. Case in point is Jorum Studio, whose scents are handmade in Edinburgh by Scottish perfumer Euan McCall along with his partner Chloe Mullen – and are poetic and proudly Scottish as would befit the Bard of Ayrshire himself.

Trimerous is inspired by “that eerie silence after the Harvest” as they “await the autumnal shift”. This unusual and slightly haunting (in a good way) bouquet combines intriguing notes of carrot seed and juniper, punctuated with sharp pink pepper, given added brightness with nectarine and bergamot. It dries down to a warm base of earthy orris, together with a hint of oud, musk and incense, making for one of the most unusual and intense scents our tester has encountered for a wee while.