These Luxe-Smelling Shampoos Will Elevate Your Scent Layering Game
Shampoos offer several benefits. For those looking to reverse dryness, it’s common to look for deep moisture and nourishment. Bond repair helps those with damaged or brittle strands. Of course, ingredients matter, but function is even more important. However, here at ELLE.com, we’re not afraid to admit that even amongst all the benefits of a shampoo, we also prioritize formulas that leave a gorgeous scent in its wake.
Just as we consider the notes in our favorite perfumes, many of our most beloved scents—including woods, musk, and florals—emerge in a single lather of our tried-and-true shampoos on wash day. Gone are the days of addressing your hair concerns with strong chemical-scented formulas or cheap-smelling floral notes that fade before you even leave the shower. These days, you can soothe dry scalp, fortify strands, repair broken bonds, and increase protein levels all while your hair smells like roses, herbs, or citrus. Thankfully, shampoos today smell even better than the ones we grew up buying at drugstores.
If there’s one thing ELLE editors are passionate about, it’s scent, which led to this guide of our editor favorites. Keep reading for the 12 best-smelling shampoos out there, vetted by ELLE editors whose favorite (and oft-heard) compliment is “you smell so good.”
All Oribe products are infused with its signature scent Côte d’Azur. The aroma is a hypnotic blend of citrus, white florals, and woodsy notes. This shampoo is also hydrating and works wonders on dry, damaged hair.
Key scent notes: Bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood
An ELLE editor says: “This Oribe shampoo marries luxury and nourishment in a heavenly aroma of woods and florals that heighten with each lather. I would buy a body wash, lotion, oil, and any other variation that could give me this scent all day long.”—Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor
Product build-up weighing your hair down? Here’s a detoxifying shampoo that breathes new life into your hair, while coating it in a bed of roses. What makes Ouai’s Detox Shampoo a viral fave is not just its refining properties, but the Melrose Place scent it's infused with.
Key scent notes: Rose, champagne, pink peppercorn, berry, lychee, amber, sandalwood, white musk, cedarwood
An ELLE editor says: “I haven’t found a Ouai scent I didn’t like. This shampoo takes the beloved Melrose Place scent, complete with rose, woods, and musk, and envelopes every strand. Beyond its scent, the Detox Shampoo clarifies even the most stubborn product build-up.”—Nerisha Penrose
For the price of your morning latte, you’re just a few lathers from giving your hair strength, stimulation, and strong scent. The formula is built around tea tree oil, which invigorates the scalp with a tingling sensation to soothe dry scalp and flakiness.
An ELLE editor says: “Giovanni has been a mainstay in my collection since college days. Every natural hair YouTuber has this in their videos, which prompted me to jump on the bandwagon. I love how the tea tree scent stimulates my scalp and leaves a cooling, albeit calming, feeling after each wash.”—Nerisha Penrose
This is one of the best-smelling shampoos out there, and part of the reason is that it smells like it could be a high-end perfume. It has top notes of orange flowers, pink grapefruit, and honeysuckle; heart notes of rose, blackcurrant, rhubarb, and jasmine; and base notes of white musk, labdanum, and tonka bean. It’s also gentle on hair and leaves the cuticle smooth. Key scent notes: orange flowers, pink grapefruit, honeysuckle, rose, blackcurrant, rhubarb, jasmine, white musk, labdanum, tonka beanAmazon rating: 4.6/5An ELLE editor says: “This is one of my all-time favorite shampoos. I love how good it makes my hair smell—it’s really subtle and clean floral. Plus, it makes my hair look incredibly shiny and frizz-free, like I just got a blowout.”—Katie Berohn, beauty editor
Not only does R+Co’s Television shampoo have every benefit you could want in a hair product (juniper berry extract, glycerin, and babassu seed oil hydrate, detox, and restore), but it also smells incredible. The fragrance in this shampoo is called “Dark Waves,” which features cardamom, pineapple, tangerine, lavender, bamboo, and blonde woods.
Key scent notes: cardamom, pineapple, tangerine, lavender, bamboo, blonde woods
An ELLE editor says: “I’ll admit, at first, I was drawn to this shampoo because I love the design on the bottle. I’m nothing if not a sucker for a beautiful product! But the scent is so incredible, I’ve actually had people ask me what shampoo I use.”—Katie Berohn
If you want a shampoo that smells good but unique, this rosemary shampoo from Necessaire is the perfect formula. It smells incredible, and the rosemary oil helps strengthen hair and nourish the scalp. Key scent notes: rosemary, mandarin, jasmine, cedarwoodSephora rating: 4.6/5An ELLE editor says: “I share shampoo and conditioner with my boyfriend, and the second I tried this, I knew he would love it. It’s the perfect unisex-scented shampoo, which is honestly pretty hard to come by! It’s such an invigorating scent, and it also leaves my scalp feeling incredibly clean.”—Katie Berohn
Beyoncé’s hair care line is as functional as it is beautiful. Created with textured hair in mind, the entire line is highly moisturizing and perfect for curl care. The line’s signature scent is warm, floral, and complex—exactly how you might imagine Beyoncé herself smelling. Key scent notes: Oud, Australian sandalwood, warm musk, night-blooming jasmine, Haitian vetiver, violet leavesCecred rating: 4.8/5An ELLE editor says: “This shampoo provides my hair with a major hydration boost after just one wash. However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t love how woody and luxurious the lather smells. Is that the reason I prefer to use this one the most? Perhaps—it truly is that good.”—Nerisha Penrose
Amika’s hydrating line is perfect for adding a burst of moisture to parched hair. This shampoo is formulated with hyaluronic acid and squalane, which help hair hold onto moisture and tame flyaways and frizz. As an added bonus, the vanilla and amber fragrance smells divine.
Our expert says: “I have type 4, zig-zag curls, which makes my hair vulnerable to breakage. To combat this, hydration is a must. Amika’s hydrating shampoo has hyaluronic acid, which leaves my curls moisturized. It also has this beautiful vanilla and amber scent that envelops my shower on wash day.”—Danielle James, contributing beauty writer
If you’re looking for the most luxurious haircare products, Guerlain has you covered. The luxury French beauty brand’s haircare line is infused with four different types of honey to nourish and repair hair and has a subtle, sweet scent to match.
Our expert says: “Guerlain’s secret ingredient in this revitalizing shampoo? Honey. Honey is a humectant that draws and keeps moisture into your hair. It also gives this product a soft, sweet smell, which I love.”—Danielle James
Most shampoos have a floral or sweet scent. This one from Malin & Goetz smells like invigorating peppermint, which helps make your scalp feel extra clean. It’s also formulated with amino acid-based cleansers, so your hair won’t feel stripped or dry.
An Amazon reviewer says: “This is my all time favorite shampoo. I discovered it during my hotel stay in Chicago and ordered some as soon as we got back. My hair feels so clean and soft and even my boyfriend likes it. Very nice smell as well.”
If there’s one celebrity known for smelling impeccably good, it’s Rihanna. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Fenty’s foray into hair care smells just as good as their often sold-out fragrances. It’s bright, slightly tropical, and warm, and the formulas are intensely moisturizing.
Key scent notes: Yuzu, golden amber, florals, coconut, vanilla, sandalwood
A Sephora reviewer says: “Not one to write reviews but I was so surprised! I have wavy curly 2c 3a hair type and after one wash it helped revive my curl pattern (I straighten it a lot).. Also smells and feels luxurious and it lathers nicely 10/10 the conditioner is good too!”
For the most gentle wash experience imaginable, Carol’s Daughter’s Wash Day Delight shampoo is made with a micellar base to cleanse hair. This helps reduce any unnecessary friction to ensure hair doesn’t get frizzy.
An ELLE editor says: “I’m a lazy beauty girl, meaning I prefer products that do all the hard work so I don’t have to. Carol’s Daughter’s Wash Day Delight is exactly that. The nozzle tip makes for seamless application to my braided hairstyles and lathers like a dream, so I know my hair is being cleansed properly. Of course, the scent elevates my wash days further, thanks to its fresh, almost floral-like aroma that adds a sweet finishing touch.” —Nerisha Penrose
As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, ELLE beauty editor Katie Berohn tested the best-smelling shampoos on the market.
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