A little spray of one of the best hair perfumes on the market gets you smelling (and feeling) fresh in five seconds flat. Unlike the traditional formulas, hair mists are made with lower alcohol content, so they don’t irritate my scalp or dry out my strands. From my all-time favorite, the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Hair Mist, to my newest obsession, the Balmain Hair perfume, I’ve collected quite the extensive collection.
The best hair perfumes for 2022 are:
- Best overall – Penhaligon’s Luna hair perfume: £40, Penhaligons.com
- Best for haircare – Jo Malone velvet rose and oud hair mist: £46, Jomalone.co.uk
- Best for summer – Aqua di Parma peonia nobile hair mist: £46, Selfridges.com
- Best long-lasting – Jo Loves fig hair mist: £45, Joloves.com
- Best budget – Sol de Janeiro cheirosa ’40 perfume mist: £19, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best scent – Byredo Gypsy Water Hair Perfume: £55 from, Libertylondon.com
- Best for every day – Ruka hair perfume: £25, Rukahair.com
- Best luxury – Maison Francis Kurkdjian baccarat rouge 540 hair mist: £75, Harveynichols.com
- Best floral – Diptyque Eau rose hair mist: £45, Spacenk.com
- Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume
- Tocca Stella Hair Fragrance
Penhaligon’s luna hair perfume – The best overall for hair perfume
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Is it really a surprise that Penhaligon‘s has created a hair perfume that smells amazing, lasts all day, and is affordable? The company, which was established in London in 1870, is renowned for its elegant fragrances, and the brand-new Luna hair perfume, which hit the market at the start of July, is no exception.
It comes in a 30ml container, which we found to be the ideal size to tuck into our handbag so we could fill up on the flowery aroma as needed during the day. We spritzed the product on our hair, but we couldn’t feel it or detect any greasiness thereafter. However, we could smell it. Given the aromas, Penhaligon‘s hasn’t been sparing with the scent. Penhaligon’s hasn’t been stingy with the fragrance, as the aromas of orange, jasmine, soft rose, and fir balsam make their mark, sitting invisibly on the hair. So, although you can top up, you probably won’t need to, despite looking small, that this bottle will last.
Add to that an apothecary-like bottle with a little bow, the classy Penhaligon’s label, and a £40 price tag, we think this is one to display on your dressing table as much as it is to refresh your hair.
Jo Malone velvet rose and oud hair mist
Best: For haircare
Rating: 8/10
This offering from Jo Malone is all about haircare. It’s been formulated so it’s suitable for all hair types while also giving strands an extra boost. The mist includes natural-derived argan oil and vitamin E to nourish the hair and encourage a healthy shine while making it smell beautiful.
The floral scent has a musky undertone that gives it an immediate sexiness, so we loved using it in the evening. It was light on the hair, as promised, but, although the scent was rich, it didn’t last as long as we would have liked, meaning we had to top up throughout the course of the day.
At £46 it is a reasonable price, but we think we’d get through the 30ml quite quickly because the scent doesn’t linger. However, we love the sleekness of the black bottle, the blend of notes, and the haircare benefits this lightweight mist offers.
Aqua di Parma peonia nobile hair mist
Best: For summer
Rating: 9/10
This delightful offering from Aqua di Parma is based on sweet and fruity raspberry and has top notes of peony which balances out the fruitiness with some freshness. It’s beautifully feminine, and when we used it, we were immediately transported to the middle of summer.
It’s a light mist just like a regular perfume and sprays easily over the hair with no greasiness, stickiness, or wetness. The bottle is sophisticated with a gold lid and pink tinted glass, which would look beautiful on display. We also love this one, because it’s a 50ml bottle and will only set you back £46. The scent is delicate, so you may need a couple of extra sprays, but because they give that extra 20ml on other similar products, we don’t mind.
Jo Loves fig hair mist
Jo Loves was founded by Jo Malone CBE in 2009 after she took some time away from fragrance post selling her original brand, Jo Malone. Unsurprisingly, although she took time away, her gift for creating delicious, high-quality scents didn’t.
The fig hair mist is the epitome of fresh. It’s a blend of fig, rose, and amber and lasts for hours. The fragrance itself is delicate enough that it isn’t overwhelming but strong enough that once you’ve sprayed it onto your hair, it stays. Like Aqua di Parma, it also comes in a generous 50ml for only £45 and is also vegan and cruelty-free which gets two big ticks from us.
Sol de Janeiro cheirosa ’40 perfume mist
Best: Budget
Rating: 7/10
If spending nearly £50 on a hair perfume seems like a lot, then look no further than Sol de Janeiro. The Cheerios’ 40 perfume mist isn’t as sophisticated scent-wise as the others, but it does still give a unique fragrance to your hair. It also comes in two very healthy-sized bottles – 90ml and 240ml – so if you love it, you can buy it in bulk.
It was a tad too sweet for our liking because it’s based on vanilla, but the scent was strong and vibrant and it did last on our hair for a while, although that much product for such a low price meant we didn’t mind topping up throughout the day.
Byredo gypsy water hair perfume
Best: Scent
Rating: 9/10
Gypsy Water is a classic fragrance from Byredo and is worn by celebrities including Sienna Miller, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Kate Bosworth, so you’ll be in good company with this hair perfume. It’s invisible on the hair and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy when sprayed – all that’s left after a spritz is the beautiful scent. It blends smokiness with citrus and spiced pepper for a truly memorable scent that perked us up immediately. This is just as potent as the regular fragrance, making it a standout scent. We can see why the celebs love it.
If an intense perfume simply isn’t for you, allow me to introduce you to this Byredo holy grail. Lighter and more diffused than the Gypsy Water Eau de Parfum, this hair perfume gives just a little extra something-something without being overpowering. It’s woody notes of pine needle and bergamot are contrasted by fresh citrus and amber, resulting in a genderless scent that you should scoop up, ASAP.
Ruka hair perfume
Best: For everyday
Rating: 8/10
This offering from Ruka Hair is affordable and healthy for our hair. It includes vitamin E, glycerin, vitamin B5 and omega 6 to nourish and build up our strand’s strength, which is particularly good for curls and has a nice scent. A blend of coconut and woody tones over a vanilla base is reminiscent of summer holidays which makes this a light, sweet fragrance.
It was a light mist – although slightly heavier than some of the others in this edit – that left a strong scent that lasted for around two hours before we felt we needed to go in for another spritz. Plus, at only £25 for 50ml, it’s a great everyday option and is definitely one to add to your fragrance wardrobe.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian baccarat rouge 540 hair mist
Best: Luxury
Rating: 9/10
So, this one is a little more luxe than the others at £75, but you do get a very healthy 70ml. For this specific fragrance, the brand has drawn on the French city of Baccarat for a woody, breezy aroma with notes of jasmine cutting through with a floral punch. We really liked how bold the scent was; just a couple of spritzes and we could strongly smell the scent on our hair. It lasted for a few hours which we were happy with and the mist didn’t feel heavy or damaging to our hair. We love that it’s alcohol-free so our hair isn’t in for any nasty surprises.
Diptyque eau rose hair mist
Best: Floral
Rating: 8/10
Before even spraying this hair mist from Diptyque we knew we were going to like it because of the bottle. It looked chic and expensive, with a black and white label that told us the scent we had was eau rose. But at £45 for 30ml, it truly isn’t that expensive.
The scent is centered around rose and light and fresh as well as being formulated with camellia oil to nourish hair. We didn’t notice too much of a difference to the feel of our hair after using the mist, but we did enjoy the floral scent. The summary notes from the perfume made us feel ready to take on the day, and we were even stopped and asked what fragrance we were wearing. Is there higher praise than that?
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume
From the sweet, honey-meets-floral scent to the amazing formula, this hair perfume is a must-have. With the brand’s proprietary Misralehi Honey as the star ingredient, it provides added shine and moisture with just a few spritzes. It’s my personal go-to for a beach day, as it’s great for taming frizz.
Tocca Stella Hair Fragrance
An amazing spring and summer scent, this blend of blood orange, lilies, and sandalwood delivers a soft, feminine smell to the hair. But, it’s the lingering citrus scent that’s my personal favorite. The best part? The mist is formulated with moisturizing oils that give the hair a subtle shine.
The verdict: Hair perfumes
If you’re looking for a long-lasting hair perfume that is a generous size, then Jo Loves fig hair mist is a great option, and if you’re on a really tight budget, then look no further than Sol de Janeiro ’40 which comes in at under £20. But for overall sophistication and value for money, we can’t recommend Penhaligon’s Luna hair perfume more.
