Gone are the days of the nauseating, sickly-sweet body sprays of your teen years. Now, instead of offerings that smell like bubble gum, body sprays and mists have blossomed into a category worthy of your fragrance cabinet. Not only are your favourite designer brands incorporating mists into their ranges, but the budget buys of today are more elevated – meaning you can find affordable and complex scents that are anything but one-note.
Our top picks:
- Best overall: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa Hair & Body Perfume Mist
- Best value: Saltair Santal Bloom Body Mist
- Best staying power: Phlur Heavy Cream Hair & Body Mist
Curious to find a scent that best suits you? Here, you’ll find a variety of mists and sprays with fragrances that range from warm and sweet to bright and floral, all loved by GH editors.
Fans of sweet, decadent and warm fragrances will love this iconic scent from Sol de Janeiro. Caramel, pistachio and vanilla all play well together to create a delightful body mist that will stay with you all day long. You can also amp up its longevity by pairing it with the brand’s body wash, deodorant and body lotion.
This sandalwood fragrance mist delivers all those lingering earthy notes that are typical of a woody perfume, without the hefty price tag.
Pair it with the brand’s moisturiser and body wash in your next ‘everything shower’ for the ultimate indulgent relaxation routine. Plus, the big bottle means it lasts for ages, even if you’re a little generous with your spritzes.
Bright and citrus-y, this scent is ideal for a sunny summer day. It features notes of lemon, clementine and pear blossom alongside cedarwood and musk.
GH editor Adrianna Freedman says it’s her go-to layering scent. ‘I like this scent, as it smells very similar to the Ellis Brooklyn Sun Fruit perfume but is less intense,’ she says. ‘It’s also a fraction of the price from the original perfume!’
Just as gourmand and gorgeous as you'd expect, this fab scent by Phlur had the whole beauty team talking. It’s light and sugary to start, and while the notes of marshmallow and orange might make you think it would be sickly sweet, balance comes from the jasmine blossom (and a delicious kick of coconut cream). It’s addictive, light and will turn heads if you wear it out in public.
‘I love smelling nice (who doesn’t?) and being able to spritz this on to my hair without it leaving behind any residue or frizz means every inch of me smells delectable,’ says GHI lifestyle writer, Maddie Evans.
It’s perfect for a scent boost throughout the day and is much easier to carry in my bag compared to a glass bottle of perfume. ‘It’s sweet but not too strong and layers perfectly with my base perfume – usually Chanel Mademoiselle,’ Maddie adds.
Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
