Mother’s Day is right around the corner (you’re forgiven if you forgot—this is, after all, a holiday celebrating the notoriously patient and understanding parent). On May 12, 2024, mothers of all kinds should receive their well-deserved flowers, both literally and figuratively. But if you’re looking to up your gifting game this year with something just as chic, strong, and unique as the mother or mom figure in your life, consider an elegant bottle of perfume. The bouquet will last considerably longer than a floral arrangement, and a thoughtful scent feels special enough to celebrate the caring heart of any loving mother. Below, W’s editors share the scents they’ll be giving mom this month.
For Mother’s Day this year, I’ll pick up a bottle of Narciso Rodriguez’s Musc Noir Rose (I might have a hard time doing so—ever since it started popping off on TikTok as “the French girl perfume,” it’s sold out in many stores) for my mom. In this fragrance, top notes of plum and bergamot are accented by spicy pink pepper, while rose and vanilla give the scent a grounded feel. It’s perfect for spring, and my mother will surely be a fan of this perfume’s flowery, uptown feel. —Maxine Wally, Senior Digital Editor
This is the perfect scent for my dearest and best girlfriend, who is the epitome of natural beauty. She relishes Malibu weekends by the beach and has been eating organic since before you were born. I am certain that she will wear Windows Down from Henry Rose daily. It delivers a perfect fusion of clean grapefruit, neroli, and jasmine with the most precise hint of musk to ground the overall fragrance. It’s gorgeous yet purposefully understated, just like her. I love all of Henry Rose’s fragrances; they’re crafted under strict standards for ingredient safety and sustainability, are EWG Verified, and are Cradle to Cradle Certified as well. —Maryam Lieberman, Contributing Beauty Editor
My mom has loved floral scents exclusively for as long as I can remember. (She passed the obsession down to me as well—I was only allowed to wear L’Occitane’s Eau de Miel for years when I was a kid.) Finding her some soft and sweet floral aromas for Mother’s Day is at the top of my list. Aerin’s Rose de Grasse Joyful Bloom is the perfect vibrant floral, with lush Indian rose, sparkling bergamot, and warm sandalwood, which will make her feel like she’s entering a garden in full bloom—as she should do on Mother’s Day! —Che Baez, Associate Visuals Editor
This is the only perfume I’ve ever worn. The rose scent is perfect for Mother’s Day because it’s subtle and timeless. This particular fragrance has a long history at Santa Maria Novella; in 1381 the Dominican friars would use rose water as a perfume and home remedy. —Allia Alliata di Montereale, Senior Style Editor
My mom is the most beautifully vibrant and radiant person I know. She’s warm, loud, and lights up every room she walks into. So it seems only fitting to get her a perfume that also does just that. I’ve recently been trying the Lost Cherry scent by Tom Ford which smells, yes, like a cherry—but it has notes of almond which offsets the intensity of the fruity scent and makes it a little sweet. It’s my version of a warm hug to thank my mom for being the hero that she is. —Tori López, Associate Fashion Market Editor
One spritz of J’adore Parfum d’eau had me back in my childhood home, watching my mom dash around the house leaving trails of fresh floral scent behind her. What I love about this scent (besides that poten nostalgia it evokes) is that it’s soft and inviting, clean and ever-so-subtly sweet at the same time. To put it simply, you’ll want to hug anyone wearing J’adore Parfum d’eau—a fitting compliment for all the maternal figures in your life. —Abrigail Williams, Associate Social Media Manager
I love a fresh, crisp, and particularly clean scent. It always provides a little pep in my step when I spritz it first thing in the morning. Throughout the day, I like to reapply to refresh my scent and mood—and I always go back to this Issey Miyake fragrance. It brings me so much joy and lightness, and there’s no question my mom deserves that, too! —Oona Wally
I purchased Carthusia’s Eau de Parfum Mediterraneo at their flagship boutique in Capri, Italy during a trip I took with my mother a few years ago. Both she and I still have the fragrance, to this day: it’s the perfect warm-weather scent to add to your collection. As someone who finds most floral or citrus perfumes overpowering, this scent is unique in its lightweight and fresh formula. But rest assured, a few spritzes will have you smelling like the most delicious Italian lemon garden. —Matthew Velasco, Staff Writer, News
Lately, my love for fragrances has skyrocketed, partly because spring has officially hit New York City. Bulgari’s Allegra Passeggiata gives me all of the vibrant scents of the season that I adore, mixing them with a warm musk that doesn’t allow the fragrance to get too floral. If you’re buying for yourself, this is the perfect scent for day-to-day wear (it’ll last from your mid afternoon walk to an early dinner and well into the night). It also happens to be the perfect scent for the special mother in your life! —Amir La Sure, Lead Accessories Assistant
Fleurrissimo is the ideal fragrance if you want to impress your very intimidating, lock-jawed, super-WASPy mother in law who, god bless her, seems to think she is Babe Paley reincarnated. This floral incantation has been beloved for decades by European royals (and most likely Rosamund Pike’s character from Saltburn). It has a gentle medley of the most delicate, silky tuberose, iris, and violet. Wearing this fragrance will surely have mom feeling like a princess herself, parading around in her East Hampton compound among her litter of King Charles Cavaliers, and finally loving you. —M.L.
I’ll be gifting my mom Juliette, the newest fragrance from the brand Juliette Has a Gun, so that that she’ll have an incredible scent to wear all year long. Its notes of dark cherry and pink pepper might be a departure from her normal fragrance choices, but the cashmere flower and jasmine absolute will soon convert her into a fruity-floral parfum lover. —C.B.
This one’s absolutely going to my mom, who deserves the world, along with this beautiful, timeless fragrance. Scent is personal and can be tricky, but you can’t go wrong by gifting this French winner; it satisfies the floral lovers and the musk lovers at the same time. Here, rose is highlighted with patchouli, cinnamon, and sandalwood to give it depth and stature—just like the woman who raised me. Frédéric Malle always crafts beautiful scents and this is by far his most popular scent, which resonates with women of a certain age who still can light up any room. —M.L.
Ferragamo’s newest scent, Signorina Unica, may just be my favorite perfume of the season. I love this fragrance because it’s a balancing act—a daily activity nearly every mom can understand—of so many amazing notes. The flowery base evokes a kind of youthful confidence, while the vanilla and wood notes add a smooth layer. It’ll be a hit as a Mother’s Day gift, without a doubt. —A.L.S.
This fragrance is the perfect gift for the effortlessly chic jet-setting mom who’s always on the move, never without her impeccably curated wardrobe (which she never shares with you). Reminiscent of a scene captured by Slim Aarons, I envision it as the signature scent of a glamorous Italian women of the ’70s, adorned in their finest ocean-blue Pucci headscarves. The notes carry a profoundly feminine aura here: a unique basil, shiso leaf, and citrus combo that is really hypnotic. All she needs this summer to pair it with is a caprioska cocktail—and your love, if she’ll take you away with her. —M.L.