21 Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Perfumes For Your New Signature Scent 2025

By Liis Hainla. Updated: January 2025.
We may receive a commission for purchases made through the links in this post. Learn more.

Vegan Perfumes

The perfume industry has come a long way from the dark days of animal musk. But animal essences are still widely used in the perfume industry. 

To help you avoid all kinds of icky animal ingredients, we are happy to pre-scent you with the best vegan perfumes in the world. 

From freshly picked herbs to organic figs from California, treat yourself with the true embodiment of modern luxury – a beautiful vegan fragrance.

All perfumes below are both vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they are free from animal-derived ingredients and have not been tested on animals.

See also: Best Vegan Colognes

Best Vegan Perfumes 2025

The votes are in, these are the best vegan perfumes. Most are these modern blends are also unisex and suitable for both women and men.

Best Vegan Perfume Overall

1. Kierin NYC Sunday Brunch

Kierin NYC Sunday Brunch Best Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Kierin NYC

Sunday Brunch is the best vegan perfume. It’s a gorgeous blend of citruses and florals featuring bergamot, jasmine, and Earl Gray tea. This fragrance is balanced, happy, genderless, and not overpowering in any way. The blend is designed to celebrate the small moments in life.

  • What we like: positive citrusy scent, easy to wear
  • What we don’t like: it doesn’t have a strong character

Top notes: Italian bergamot, lemon | Middle notes: jasmine | Base notes: Earl Grey tea | Family: citrus floral | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Official site

Best Unisex Vegan Perfume

2. Le Labo Santal 33

Le Labo Santal 33 Unisex Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Le Labo

Le Labo Santal 33 is one of the best perfumes ever made – and it’s vegan and cruelty-free. This legendary sandalwood perfume is leathery and woodsy with lingering warmth. Instead of animal musk, it uses ambroxan – synthetic vegan musk. It’s the best vegan unisex perfume.

  • What we like: sexy sandalwood scent
  • What we don’t like: it’s quite masculine

Top notes: violet accord, cardamom | Middle notes: iris, ambrox | Base notes: cedarwood, leather, sandalwood | Family: woody aromatic | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Nordstrom

Best Fresh Vegan Perfume

3. Clean Reserve Rain

Clean Reserve Rain Fresh Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Clean Beauty

If you are looking for fresh vegan perfume, our top pick is Clean Reserve Rain. It’s a fresh citrusy scent with a warm musky base. It’s earthy and watery with notes of vetiver, bergamot, and white flowers. This perfume truly smells like rain and lasts on the skin well.

  • What we like: fresh and lasts well
  • What we don’t like: a bit too musky for some

Top notes: bergamot, chilled cucumber, water lily | Middle notes: dewy white flowers, cyclamen, muguet | Base notes: patchouli, rainforest vetiver, clean musks | Family: aromatic aquatic | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Official site

Best Floral Vegan Perfume

4. Ellis Brooklyn Florist

Ellis Brooklyn Florist Floral Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Ellis Brooklyn

Florist from Ellis Brooklyn is our all-time favorite vegan floral perfume. It has a fragrant heart of tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine. Instead of being obnoxious like some florals, this scent is very fresh and bright with balancing notes of bergamot, pear, and sandalwood.

  • What we like: best floral blend
  • What we don’t like: it’s a bit sweet

Top notes: Italian bergamot, lemon sfuma, lily of the valley, pear | Middle notes: tuberose petals, golden gardenia, jasmine sambac, honeysuckle | Base notes: upcycled Virginia cedarwood, sandalwood spicatum, ambrox | Family: fresh floral | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Ulta

Best Fruity Vegan Perfume

5. By Rosie Jane Leila Lou

By Rosie Jane Leila Lou Fruity Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of By Rosie Jane

Leila Lou is the best fruity vegan perfume. This fruity floral fragrance celebrates life with a blend of nectarine, pear blossom, and freshly cut grass. It’s quite pear-forward making it light, fresh, juicy, and gently sweet. Paired with grass and jasmine, it smells like spring in bloom.

  • What we like: best fruity floral
  • What we don’t like: pear is not for everyone

Top notes: nectarine, freshly cut grass| Middle notes: pear blossom, jasmine | Base notes: white musk, vanilla | Family: fruity floral | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Earthy Vegan Perfume

6. Heretic Dirty Hinoki

Heretic Dirty Hinoki Earthy Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Heretic

Heretic Dirty Hinoki is the best earthy vegan perfume. It blends the woods of Hinoki and cypress with crushed herbs for a clean and calming scent. It’s the Japanese forest therapy bottled. This organic vegan perfume is also gender-free and smells sexy on everyone.

  • What we like: very grounding and alluring
  • What we don’t like: could last longer

Top notes: lemon, cedar, nutmeg, thyme, pine | Middle notes: hinoki, cypress | Base notes: elemi, wormwood, fit absolute, ambrettolide, balsam, frankincense | Family: earthy aromatic | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Credo Beauty, Official site

Best Woody Vegan Perfume

7. Boy Smells Woodphoria

Boy Smells Woodphoria Woody Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Boy Smells

Another unisex vegan scent we love is Woodphoria from Boy Smells. This woody vegan perfume centers around sandalwood and cedar. It’s unmistakably woodsy but gets softness and warmth from fig leaves and coconut. It’s an alluring scent reminiscent of an old bookstore.

  • What we like: warm and woodsy scent
  • What we don’t like: we’d love a tad more spice

Top notes: coconut water, cardamom, black pepper, fig leaves | Middle notes: jasmine, lily of the valley, suede, ambrox | Base notes: sandalwood, cedarwood, salted musks | Family: warm woods | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Official site

Best Warm Vegan Perfume

8. The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods

The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods Warm Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of The 7 Virtues

The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods is the best warm vegan perfume. This opulent vegan fragrance is a blend of vanilla, pear, gourmand caramel, and warm amber. At the heart of it is the rose. The fragrance is indulgent but not cheap-smelling. It’s a sophisticated vanilla perfume.

  • What we like: expensive warm vanilla scent
  • What we don’t like: the new formula is not as longlasting

Top notes: pear | Middle notes: rose | Base notes: vanilla, amber, caramel | Family: amber woody | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Official site

Best Spicy Vegan Perfume

9. Sana Jardin Tiger By Her Side

Sana Jardin Tiger By Her Side Spicy Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Sana Jardin

Another opulent vegan perfume we adore is Sana Jardin’s Tiger By Her Side. It’s a warm and spicy blend of vanilla, coriander seed, and cinnamon on an intoxicating base of patchouli and incense. The scent is inspired by the mythical high priestesses of ancient Egypt.

  • What we like: luxury perfume with a lot of character
  • What we don’t like: doesn’t last all day

Top notes: bergamot, cinnamon bark, coriander seed | Middle notes: Moroccan rose absolute, patchouli, benzoin | Base notes: vanilla, frankincense, labdanum | Family: spicy amber floral | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Credo Beauty, Official site

Best Aquatic Vegan Perfume

10. Abbott NYC The Cape

Abbott NYC The Cape Aquatic Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Abbott NYC

Our favorite aquatic vegan perfume is Abbott NYC. It’s a cool and crisp scent evoking a feeling of winter surfing in Cape Cod. The main notes are mint, ginger, and moss. It’s green, spicy, watery, and invigorating. The perfume is also androgynous and fits all genders.

  • What we like: very refreshing and long-lasting
  • What we don’t like: dry-down too masculine for some

Top notes: mint | Middle notes: ginger | Base notes: moss | Family: aromatic aquatic | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Credo Beauty

Best Solar Vegan Perfume

11. Phlur Solar Power

Phlur Solar Power Solar Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Phlur

Designed to evoke summery warmth and brightness, Phlur’s Solar Power is our favorite vegan solar perfume. It’s a citrusy floral cocktail of red mandarin, bergamot, neroli, and orange blossom on a base of solar musks and sea salt. It’s fresh and warm all at the same time.

  • What we like: it’s very sensual and summery
  • What we don’t like: not very strong (fits for layering)

Top notes: Italian red mandarin, sun-drenched bergamot, jasmine absolute | Middle notes: neroli, orange flower | Base notes: driftwood, solar musk, sea salt | Family: fresh solar musk | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Gourmand Vegan Perfume

12. Skylar Boardwalk Delight

Skylar Boardwalk Delight Gourmand Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Skylar

Skylar Boardwalk Delight is the most delicious vegan gourmand perfume. It features the “edible” notes of juicy raspberry sorbet, coconut milk, cotton candy, and vanilla. It’s sweet and powdery but also fresh and airy. It’s also available as an amazing vegan rollerball perfume.

  • What we like: best sweet gourmand scent
  • What we don’t like: we’d wish for more vanilla

Top notes: aquatic accord, watery apple, juicy raspberry sorbet | Middle notes: water lily, guava flower, coconut milk | Base notes: cotton candy, vanilla, solar amber, musk | Family: warm gourmand | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Luxury Vegan Perfume

13. Chantecaille Frangipane

Chantecaille Frangipane Luxury Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Chantecaille

Chantecaille Frangipane is the most luxurious vegan perfume. This bouquet centers around the lush frangipani flower. Balancing the floral heart, it has bright opening notes of orange and violet leaves and a warm ambery base. It’s a complex and elegant perfume.

  • What we like: sophisticated, airy, long-lasting
  • What we don’t like: we’d wish for more frangipane

Top notes: orange, violet leaves, water hyacinth | Middle notes: muguet, frangipani, ylang ylang, jasmine | Base notes: vanilla, musk, cedarwood, amber| Family: amber floral| Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Nordstrom, Official site

Best Affordable Vegan Perfume

14. Pacifica Dream Moon

Pacifica Dream Moon Affordable Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Pacifica

Our favorite affordable vegan perfume is Pacifica’s Dream Moon. It’s a blend of pink rose, sandalwood, and patchouli making it a deep musky scent with balancing floral qualities. It’s cheap but it doesn’t smell cheap. The perfume is inspired by the full moon.

  • What we like: musky but not overpowering
  • What we don’t like: not long-lasting

Top notes: pink rose | Middle notes: sandalwood | Base notes: patchouli | Family: floral woody musk | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Ulta

Best Vegan Layering Perfume

15. DedCool Milk Fragrance

DedCool Milk Vegan Layering Perfume
Courtesy of DedCool

DedCool Milk is the best vegan layering perfume. This vegan amber fragrance helps enhance other fragrances. It’s warm, creamy, and comforting. We also like to wear it on its own. It has a fresh bergamot opening note, a white musk heart, and a cozy amber base.

  • What we like: best layering perfume, warm and skin-like
  • What we don’t like: it’s not a very strong scent

Top notes: bergamot | Middle notes: white musk | Base notes: amber | Family: amber | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Credo Beauty

Best Vegan Perfume Oil

16. Nest New York Seville Orange

Nest New York Seville Orange Vegan Perfume Oil
Courtesy of Nest New York

Seville Orange is the best vegan perfume oil. It’s also the best vegan citrus perfume. It’s made with handpicked Spanish oranges and blended with baobab oil for an invigorating scent. With notes of mandarin, grapefruit, and neroli, this oil makes for a pure and clean citrus scent.

  • What we like: best orange scent
  • What we don’t like: doesn’t last long

Top notes: orange zest, juicy mandarin| Middle notes: pink grapefruit | Base notes: neroli blossom | Family: fresh citrus | Type: Perfume Oil

Shop on: Sephora, Official site

Best Vegan Perfume Travel Spray

17. The Nue Co. Forest Lungs

The Nue Co. Forest Lungs Vegan Perfume Travel Spray
Courtesy of The Nue Co.

The Nue Co. Forest Lungs is the best vegan perfume travel spray. It’s a fantastic anti-stress perfume that you can wear on your skin or spray your pillow before bedtime for relaxing the senses. It’s earthy and green with aromatic notes of pine, vetiver, and cedar.

  • What we like: relaxing forest scent
  • What we don’t like: it’s quite masculine

Top notes: pine | Middle notes: vetiver | Base notes: patchouli, cedarwood | Family: aromatic | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Sephora, Official site

Best Vegan Pheromone Perfume

18. RawChemistry Pheromones For Her

RawChemistry Pheromones For Her Vegan Pheromone Perfume
Courtesy of RawChemistry

Our favorite vegan pheromone perfume for women is chemical-free and made in the USA. This perfume will help you feel more confident and connected by making you smell great. Love the vanilla base with a Tiare flower heart. We also like their vegan pheromone perfume for men.

  • What we like: great pheromone perfume for women
  • What we don’t like: it’s a bit too sweet for some

Top notes: water lily | Middle notes: tiare flower | Base notes: vanilla | Family: warm floral | Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Amazon, Official site

Best Vegan Solid Perfume

19. Aromi Modern Solid Perfume

Aromi Modern Vegan Solid Perfume
Courtesy of Aromi

Aromi offers a great selection of vegan solid perfumes for women and men. Our favorite one is called Modern. It’s an earthy blend of orange, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, and ylang-ylang. It smells fantastic, it’s herbal but not too strong or overpowering.

  • What we like: very clean herbal scent
  • What we don’t like: a bit messy to apply

Top notes: orange, rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender | Middle notes: ylang-ylang | Base notes: patchouli| Family: earthy | Type: solid perfume

Shop on: Amazon, Official site

Best Vegan Perfume Mist

20. Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa 40

Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa 40 Vegan Perfume Mist
Courtesy of Sol De Janeiro

Sol De Janeiro Cheirosa 40 is the best vegan fragrance mist. Spritz it on your skin and hair and enjoy a sizzling blend of black amber plum, blackcurrant liqueur, jasmine, orchid, and vanilla woods. The scent is youthful and fun and inspired by the first Carnaval Ball in Rio.

  • What we like: a youthful long-lasting scent
  • What we don’t like: can be a bit overpowering

Top notes: black amber plum, Crème de Cassis | Middle notes: jasmine blooms, Brazilian orchid | Base notes: vanilla woods, warm musk | Family: warm floral | Type: perfume mist

Shop on: Amazon, Sephora

Best Vegan Perfume Dupe

21. Dossier Inspired By Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Dossier Inspired By Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Vegan Perfume Dupe
Courtesy of Dossier

Dossier Woody Oakmoss is a great vegan perfume dupe of Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle. It’s a similar powdery chypre fragrance with notes of bergamot, rose, oakmoss, and patchouli. Dossier also has great vegan dupes of MFK Baccarat Rouge 540 and YSL Black Opium.

  • What we like: great affordable duper, long-lasting
  • What we don’t like: it’s strong and powdery

Top notes: bergamot, orange, peach | Middle notes: jasmine, rose, patchouli | Base notes: oakmoss, vanilla, vetiver | Family: chypre| Type: Eau de Parfum

Shop on: Official site

Best Vegan Perfume Set

Maison Louis Marie Perfume Oil Discovery Set

Maison Louis Marie Vegan Perfume Set
Courtesy of Maison Louis Marie

Vegan perfume house Maison Louis Marie offers the best vegan perfume set. These 5 vegan perfume testers allow you to try all their bestsellers. The set features perfume oils of their warm sandalwood scent with other spicy, earthy, floral, and woodsy blends.

  • What we like: all 5 perfumes are great
  • What we don’t like: rollerballs are not for everyone

Shop on: Sephora, Credo Beauty

Vegan Perfumes By Ingredient

Vegan Perfumes By Ingredient
Courtesy of Lavanila and The 7 Virtues

If you are into a specific perfume ingredient such as vanilla, vetiver, or rose, here are more vegan perfumes for you to choose from:

Best Vegan Perfume Brands

Vegan Perfume Brands
Courtesy of Abbott NYC and The 7 Virtues

Looking for vegan perfume houses? These perfume brands are 100% vegan and cruelty-free:

  • Abbott NYC – clean PETA-certified vegan fragrances
  • Aesop – luxury vegan fragrances from Australia
  • By Rosie Jane – vegan fragrances hand-mixed in LA
  • Clean Reserve – non-toxic natural vegan perfumes
  • DedCool – gender-free vegan fragrances made in LA
  • Floral Street – cruelty-free vegan perfumes from London
  • Heretic – unisex organic vegan perfumes from Los Angeles
  • Kamila Aubre – organic vegan fragrances handmade in Belgium
  • Kierin NYC – genderless vegan fragrances from New York
  • Le Labo – niche vegan fragrances from Grasse and New York
  • Maison Louis Marie – fine vegan perfumes from LA
  • Moodeaux – mindful vegan perfumes, a black-owned brand
  • Phlur – certified vegan perfumes from Austin, Texas
  • Sana Jardin – eco-friendly vegan fragrances and candles from Paris
  • Skylar – sustainable vegan perfumes made in the USA
  • The 7 Virtues – ethical PETA-certified vegan perfumes from Nova Scotia

If you are looking for vegan perfume dupe brands, we recommend checking out Dossier, Twist, and Instyle Fragrances. These dupe brands are entirely vegan and cruelty-free.

What Makes Perfume Vegan?

What Makes Perfume Vegan
Courtesy of Ellis Brooklyn

A perfume is vegan if it’s free from animal-derived ingredients such as milk, honey, beeswax, ambergris, hyraceum, and animal musk. Vegan perfume is also not tested on animals nor contains ingredients tested on animals.

Like regular perfume, vegan perfume is made from a variety of botanicals like flowers, spices, fruits, leaves, grasses, balsams, and wood. In base notes, vegan perfumes use synthetic musk aka ‘white musk’ or musky plants such as ambrette.

Vegan perfumes are distilled in a mixture of oils and alcohol. Vegan perfume oils are usually alcohol-free. Common oils used in vegan perfume are coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil.

When shopping for vegan perfume, it is best you pick a product with a certified vegan label. Perfumes that include no animal ingredients can still be animal tested which makes them not suitable for vegan consumers.

For instance, these luxury perfume brands are NOT vegan since they still test on animals: Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès, Jo Malone, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Bvlgari, Burberry, and Ralph Lauren.

Animal Essences In Perfumes

Perfumers typically use animal essences as a fixative. Included in base notes, fixatives give the fragrance a more powerful and long-lasting effect. Common animal fixatives include:

  • Animal musk: glandular secretions of beavers (Castoreum), civet cats (Civet), and endangered musk deer (Deer Musk)
  • Ambrettolide: synthetic musk which may contain aleuritic acid from insects
  • Ambergris: fossilized sperm whale vomit with waxy and musky qualities
  • Hyraceum: fossilized beaver urine with similar qualities to animal musk

Thanks to the invention of synthetic musk, perfumers have virtually stopped using animal musk by now. Even Chanel No.5 quit using civet musk back in 1998 after longstanding pressure from animal rights groups. However, vintage versions of the perfume might still include it.

It’s important to note that some perfume companies have replaced animal musk with Ambrettolide – macrocyclic musk or synthetic musk. Ambrettolide can be both vegan and non-vegan. Non-vegan ambrettolide contains shellac (aleuritic acid) produced by lac beetles.

And as for ambergris and hyraceum, both are still widely used in luxury perfumes along with other animal ingredients such as honey and beeswax. If you want to make sure your perfume is animal-free, go with ones that are clearly labeled or certified vegan.

What To Look For In Vegan Perfume?

What To Look For In Vegan Perfume
Courtesy of Clean Beauty

There are a few things to consider when buying vegan perfume. Firstly, the perfume has to be clearly marked vegan or certified vegan to be sure there are no animal ingredients or animal testing involved. And secondly, the perfume should be made well.

Creating quality perfume is a true art and bad perfumes can be unbearably bad. You should always go for vegan brands that use high-quality ingredients and layer them properly. That ensures a more “expensive” scent that also lasts longer on your skin.

If you are looking for sustainable vegan perfume, make sure the perfumer uses mostly natural and organic ingredients. For instance, organic non-GMO alcohol is a good indicator of an eco-friendly perfume.

If you have sensitive skin, go for alcohol-free vegan perfume oil and avoid potentially endocrine-disrupting parabens and phthalates.

How We Review Vegan Perfumes

At Vegan Avenue, we review vegan perfumes by trying them out. We also comprise knowledge from beauty influencers and other experienced perfume users online. Our goal is to reach the most objective reviews possible. None of our reviews are incentivized by the brand.

Here are three of the main criteria we review vegan perfumes by:

  • Purity of ingredients
  • Quality of the blend
  • Sustainability of the brand

We also prefer vegan perfumes to be genderless and suitable for women, men, and non-binary people. That’s a value most newer and modern perfumeries agree with.

FAQ About Vegan Perfume

Is perfume vegan?

Perfume is vegan if it does not include any animal ingredients (such as honey, milk, or animal musk) and if it is not tested on animals.

Why is perfume not vegan?

Today most famous perfumes are not vegan because of animal testing. Until recently, cosmetics imported to China were required to be animal tested.

Do vegans wear perfume?

Yes, vegans wear perfume like everyone else. They just choose a fragrance from a vegan-friendly perfumer.

Which designer perfumes are vegan?

Most traditional designer perfumes are not vegan. But many newer ones are. The best ones are Kierin NYC, Maison Louis Marie, Le Labo, Sana Jardin, and Ellis Brooklyn.

Where to buy vegan perfume?

The best selection of vegan perfumes is available on Sephora, Ulta, Credo Beauty, and Amazon.

Is Chanel no 5 vegan?

No, Chanel no5 is not vegan since it includes animal-derived ambergris. The perfume is also tested on animals. But Instyle offers a vegan dupe of Chanel no5.

Is Maison Francis Kurkdjian vegan?

No. Maison Francis Kurkdjian is not vegan since the brand uses animal ingredients and tests on animals.

Are Kayali perfumes vegan?

Most Kayali perfumes are currently not vegan-friendly. The only vegan perfume from Kayali is currently Eden Juicy Apple.

Are Henry Rose perfumes vegan?

Henry Rose has both vegan and non-vegan perfumes. Henry Rose’s vegan perfumes include Sheep’s Clothing, Queens & Monsters, and Smyth. Some of their other perfumes include Ambrettolide which uses shellac from insects.

Is Target Good Chemistry vegan?

Yes! Target’s Good Chemistry fragrances are all vegan and cruelty-free.

Summary

The world of vegan perfumes is lush and beautiful. No more soapy fragrances, vegans today can enjoy the highest-grade designer fragrance from Kieren NYC, DedCool, Le Lab,o and many others.

While we are sad that some of our favorite vegan perfumes from Kat Von D and Stella McCartney are discontinued, there are so many new brands to explore. In addition to alcohol-based perfumes, you can also shop for alcohol-free vegan perfume oils and dry oils.

For those still looking for their perfect fragrance, there are rollerballs and testers available for most vegan perfumes we have listed. You can order some samples online first, try them out on your skin, and find the right match.

See also: Best Vegan Colognes

My name is Liis. I've been a vegan for a long time and advocate for the vegan lifestyle. Through Vegan Avenue, I write about the latest vegan news, trends, events, and all things related to the vegan lifestyle.