Balletcore or Grunge? Here’s How To Pick a Perfume That Matches Your Aesthetic

Fragrance is a powerful tool that can say a lot about who you are. With the endless array of perfume options out there, choosing your signature scent can get pretty overwhelming.

This is where we dive into the trendy aesthetics all over our TikTok FYPs, exploring each of them to identify the one we resonate the most with.

When you’ve identified your personal style, all that is left to do is to pick out the right perfume to complement you.

In this article, we gather 10 of the trendiest aesthetics, with fragrance recommendations for each one to boot.

Whether you lean towards feminine fruity-florals to channel your inner coquette, or prefer heavier, masculine fragrances fitting of the grunge life, there’s something for everyone!

Mob Wife

Less is not more, at least when it comes to the mob wife aesthetic. This means big blowout hairs, animal prints, and smokey eye makeup. If any of those things describe your style, you probably fit into what Hollywood commonly portrays as a mob wife.

To win the heart of an audacious gangster, you would need some spunk of your own. Complete your look with fragrances that are rich and sultry. Even better if it smells of booze and cigarettes.

Kilian Paris Angels Share

Kilian Paris Angels’ Share smells of rum and raisin, sprinkled with cinnamon spice and a dash of vanilla praline. In other words: booze.

It commands attention and lingers in your mind long after your first whiff—much like the mob wife who turns heads in every room she enters.

Kilian Paris Angels Share retails at S$395 and is available at tangs.com.

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

With just one spritz of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, you’ll find yourself stepping into the finest VIP-only club; the smell of tobacco laced with creamy vanilla and sweet wood sap engulfing you the moment you walk through those doors.

One thing’s for sure: you’ll be making an impression with this fragrance.

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille retails from S$450 at Tom Ford boutiques, as well as tangs.com.

Clean Girl

Its name says it all: the clean girl aesthetic is minimal and fresh, paying homage to one’s natural, unadulterated beauty.

The no-makeup makeup look has been all the rage in recent years. Pair that with a wardrobe of wearable basics and your trusty Stanley cup, you’d ace the clean girl look the way these “clean girls” do it best—effortlessly.

Nothing epitomises a clean girl more than a fragrance that screams “fresh out of the shower”. (That, and their glowy glass skin.) To nail this aesthetic, you want something that smells subtle and refreshing, like soap and musk.

Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath

A sure-fire way to achieve the clean girl aesthetic is to look and smell clean.

Infused with soap bubble accords, hints of rose, coconut and white musk, you’ll smell like you just stepped out of a comforting and warm bubble bath with this Replica fragrance.

Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath retails at S$220 at Maison Margiela boutiques and counters, as well as sephora.sg.

Clean Reserve Warm Cotton

Another way to effortlessly achieve the clean girl aesthetic is to opt for a fragrance that smells like you, but better.

This skin-loving musk is soft and fresh, and smells just like your favourite t-shirt you had just taken out of the laundry. Its comforting blend of bergamot, peony, and amber is subtle enough to go unnoticed, but that’s precisely the goal here.

Clean Reserve Warm Cotton retails at S$136 and is available on sephora.sg.

Cottage Core

If frolicking in the garden and putting flowers in your hair is your idea of a good time, you might be cottage core at heart.

While the idea of residing in a quaint cottage amidst florals and greenery is closer to fantasy than reality in an urban city like Singapore, you can still adopt elements of this popular trend into your own wardrobe and lifestyle.

Now, all that is left to do is to put on your prettiest flowy dress and channel your inner Disney princess. Oh, and maybe spritz on a fragrance that smells of flowers and dew?

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca

While it’s not everyday you get to walk barefoot in freshly cut grass dripping with dew here in Singapore, a girl can imagine. The fastest way to make your fantasy a reality lies within this bottle.

Springtime flowers blend with revitalising spearmint leaves and green tea accords to create this refreshing floral fragrance. Just a spritz is all you need to transport to a magical forest like those you read about in fairytales.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca retails at S$191 at Guerlain boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Penhaligon’s Lily of the Valley

Bergamot, lemon, and sandalwood come together in a creamy blend, setting the stage for the star of the show, lily of the valley.

Throwing in some rose, ylangylang and jasmine accords for a refreshing, floral touch, this fragrance smells of a blooming orchard in a flower field.

Penhaligon’s Lily of the Valley retails at S$251 at Penhaligon’s boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Coquette

If your style inspo is Lana Del Rey, or the Victorian women donning corsets and petticoats back in the day, your aesthetic might fall under the coquette category. Think bows, lace and frills—the girlier, the better.

The coquette aesthetic celebrates femininity, not shying away from hyper-feminine elements that are flirty and romantic. To properly convey the girly charm of this aesthetic, you need a sweet, floral-fruity fragrance to tie the look together.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian À La Rose

The story behind this fragrance is enough reason for why it’s the perfect coquette perfume.

Dubbed as a “tribute to femininity”, the À La Rose combines the scent of 150 Damascena roses from Bulgaria, and 250 Centifolia roses from Grasse, for a rich rose-scented base, topped off with pear and lychee notes for a refreshing twist.

The combination of delicate and sensual elements of this musky floral fragrance is everything you’d envision femininity to smell like.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian À La Rose retails from S$235 at Maison Francis Kurkdjian boutiques, as well as escentials.com.

Parfums de Marly Delina

While the bottle of this fragrance alone screams coquette, it is its creamy, sweet fragrance that landed it its popularity today. The coquette aesthetic has taken over TikTok (and our Pinterest feeds), just as Parfums de Marly’s Delina dominates PerfumeTok.

Its fragrant blend of Turkish rose, lily of the valley and peony is enriched with tangy lychee and rhubarb, with white musk and cedarwood accords deepening the fruity-floral combination.

This fragrance is girly and playful, the very essence of this charming coquette aesthetic.

Parfums de Marly Delina retails from S$240 and is available on amarisbeauty.com.

Light Academia

Light browns, beiges, plaid and leather form the skeleton of a light academia look. If khaki paperbag trousers are your go-to pants, then it’s pretty much official: you can’t get any more light academia than this.

When you dress like you spend your free time reading in the library or catching up on some work at a cosy café, it only makes sense for you to smell like books and a warm cup of coffee, drizzled in warm milk.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée

The key to nailing a light academia fragrance is to opt for a woody scent. Throw in some creamy vanilla accords and you’ll get the aroma of a cosy library café.

Vanille Insensée by Atelier Cologne does exactly that. It combines Madagascar vanilla with woody moss, spicing it up with lime and cilantro for an unexpected yet addictive twist.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée retails at S$115 and is available on amarisbeauty.com. It is going at S$80.50 at the time of writing.

Diptyque L’Eau Papier

Rice steam emulates the scent of paper, blending harmoniously with mimosa and blonde wood to create a subtle musk reminiscent of an old book.

It doesn’t take a bibliophile to pull off this fragrance, just someone who looks like they would fit right into a cosy nook in a quiet library, or an art exhibition.

Diptyque L’Eau Papier retails from S$173 at Diptyque boutiques, as well as escentials.com.

Dark Academia

Dark academia is like the broody older sibling of the light academia aesthetic. Unlike the light neutrals used in light academia, this aesthetic incorporates darker, moodier colours like black and forest green.

If people often describe you as someone with an air of mystery, or your room looks like it could be on the set of Harry Potter, put on those leather boots we know you have lying around somewhere at home, because it’s time to get you a fragrance fitting of your aesthetic!

Opt for smokey and woody fragrances to convey the dark and pensive mood that surrounds dark academia.

Maison Margiela Replica Whispers in the Library

Maison Margiela describes this scent as “the mutter of turning pages and discreet whispers”, which is pretty much the epitome of dark academia.

Pepper, benzoin and vanilla create the familiar scent of books, with cedarwood adding to the smell of aged wood in an old library.

With mystery comes intrigue. This woody, oriental scent does not command too much attention, yet has a presence you’ll find hard to ignore.

Maison Margiela Replica Whispers in the Library retails at S$220 at Maison Margiela boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Penhaligon’s Opus

In comparison to the lightweight, airy fragrances we chose for the light academia aesthetic, a smokey fragrance like Penhaligon’s Opus is everything we imagine nerdy wizards to smell like.

Woody accords set the foundation of this fragrance, with cedarwood, Australian sandalwood and Gaiac Wood making up the bulk of its base notes.

With musk, cinnamon, English clove rose, and bourbon black pepper thrown into the mix, you get an evocative fragrance that’ll draw people in—like the secrets hidden in the chambers of an old library.

Penhaligon’s Opus retails at S$251 at Penhaligon’s boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Old Money

The old money aesthetic can be summed up in two words: preppy and vintage. (‘Blair Waldorf’ works too.)

If you dress like you could fit right into an episode of Gossip Girl, or like you spend your weekends journeying out at sea on your family yacht and dining at fancy restaurants, you probably rep the old money aesthetic.

Whether or not you’re actually a trust fund baby, you can still channel that energy by smelling expensive. Think warm and spicy vintage perfumes, the kind your mum wore when she was younger.

Gucci Bloom

Just like how the old money aesthetic pays homage to the classics, white floral notes like tuberose and jasmine are notes you can’t go wrong with.

This fragrance smells fresh and rich—double meaning! Powdery accords also add a vintage touch to this timeless fragrance.

Gucci Bloom retails from S$155 at Gucci boutiques and counters, as well as sephora.sg.

Diptyque Eau Capitale

This Parisian-inspired fragrance carries woody chypre accords, a blend of citrusy bergamot and patchouli, layered with a bouquet of fresh roses. AKA brunch at the fanciest café in Paris, overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

You might be miles away from the Parisian landmark (and those buttery croissants you dreamt of last night), but Diptyque’s Eau Capitale can close the distance with every spritz.

Diptyque Eau Capitale retails at S$278 at Diptyque boutiques, as well as escentials.com.

Balletcore

Balletcore marries everyday fashion with the art of ballet. Think tulle skirts, bodysuits, and ballet flats.

While seemingly effortless and laid back at first glance, a lot of thought goes into this aesthetic, just like how ballerinas undergo years of training and strict guidelines, unbeknownst to the public who only sees the effortless glamour of ballet.

Just like how this aesthetic isn’t too flashy, the perfect balletcore fragrance is subtle with a hint of modern femininity.

Giorgio Armani Si

A soft and seductive fragrance complements the sensual balletcore aesthetic like how a skin-tight leotard altered to perfection complements a ballerina.

Airy floral accords mellow down the musky blond wood drizzled in deep blackcurrant nectar, creating a chic yet elegant fragrance that is equal parts subtle and enchanting.

Giorgio Armani Si retails from S$143 at Giorgio Armani boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Another fitting alternative for the balletcore aesthetic is Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle — a floral-fruity fragrance laced with warm amber elements for added sensuality.

Floral accords of jasmine and rose lighten up the scent with a hint of freshness, while patchouli and vetiver deepen the fragrance with a layer of wood.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle retails from S$205 at Chanel boutiques and counters, as well as tangs.com.

Strawberry Girl

With spring transitioning into summer, there’s no better time than now to attempt the strawberry girl aesthetic.

If powdering the apples of your cheeks with a juicy strawberry pink blush isn’t enough pizzazz for you, adding fake freckles could really tie the whole look together. (Now you’re just missing a pretty sun dress.)

To smell the part, a fruity gourmand fragrance is the only way to go. Sweet berry and vanilla notes come together to create a fragrance that smells like strawberry cream cake — everything we imagine a strawberry girl to smell like.

Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris

There’s no denying that the strawberry and raspberry notes in Yves Saint Laurent’s Mon Paris were a huge contributing factor to why we deemed it the strawberry girl fragrance—it literally smells of strawberries.

Don’t worry about it being too sweet; its floral, musk, and wood accords water down its saccharine notes, taking you into a blooming garden, where juicy strawberries are sprouting amidst springtime blossoms.

Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris retails at S$264 at YSL Beauté boutiques and counters, as well as sephora.sg.

Burberry Her

The scrumptious blend of berries — blackcurrant, blueberry and raspberry— in Burberry’s Her is elevated by fresh floral and musky elements. Jasmine, violet and white wood add a hint of summertime sweetness, transporting you into a springtime picnic or garden party.

This fragrance deepens into dry amber and powdery musk, layered beneath its signature floral-fruity accords, creating a sweet aroma reminiscent of our favourite dessert.

Burberry Her retails at S$270 at Burberry boutiques, as well as sephora.sg.

Grunge Girl

Grunge girls are rebels with style (and an amazing music taste). If distressed denim, vintage band tees, and old converse high tops make your uniform, it’s pretty obvious what aesthetic you fall under.

We know the grunge aesthetic is all about looking effortlessly cool, like you rolled right out of bed and threw on the first faded flannel you see. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to make an effort with your fragrances, curating the perfect scent for your look.

To really embody the grunge aesthetic, explore smokier and grittier fragrances for an added edge.

Le Labo Thé Noir 29

Lighter notes like bergamot, fig, and bay leaves contrast its heavier counterparts, cedar wood, vetiver and musk, for a statement-making fragrance.

Enveloped in black tea leaves, Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29 dries down into a leafy scent with a hint of tobacco. There are many layers to this fragrance, much like your typical grunge girl who doesn’t play by the rules.

Le Labo Thé Noir 29 retails from S$275 at Le Labo boutiques, as well as selfridges.com.

BYREDO Black Saffron

BYREDO’s Black Saffron is like your favourite leather jacket personified. A dash of juniper berries, Chinese grapefruit, and raspberry adds a refreshing, fruity twist to the otherwise earthy fragrance.

Some even say this fragrance could smell like cigarettes on your skin, but that’s precisely why it made the cut.

BYREDO Black Saffron retails from S$297 at BYREDO boutiques, as well as escentials.com.