These Are Officially the Best Victoria's Secret Fragrances

by Jill DiDonato
Jill is a contributing writer for Byrdie where she covers fragrance.
Updated 08/07/20

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Victoria's Secret obviously calls thoughts of angel wings and lacey bras to mind, but the brand's beauty products actually have an impressive reach. In fact, Victoria's Secret is the top-selling fragrance brand in the U.S.—its number one perfume sold over three million bottles in 2018. If you're wondering what makes the line of fragrances so intoxicating, we've tapped Mark Knitowski, Senior Vice President of Product Innovations at Victoria’s Secret Beauty and the brand's in-house olfactory expert, to offer insight into the allure of the popular scents, as well as give a rundown of the brand's best-selling fragrances.

Ahead, Knitowski lets Byrdie readers in on the best Victoria's Secret perfumes available now.

Best Overall: Bombshell

Victoria's Secret Bombshell

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret 

A fruity aromatic floral, Bombshell is the top-selling Victoria's Secret scent. Citrus notes blend with Brazilian Purple Passionfruit, Shangri-la Peony, Madagascan vanilla orchid, and Italian pine to create a uniquely popular profile. In 2018, the brand sold over three million bottles of the classic Bombshell fragrance, according to a report published in Euromonitor.

Best Floral: Bombshell Seduction

Bombshell Seduction

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret 

A sister-scent to Bombshell, Bombshell Seduction launched in the winter of 2018. Its distinctive floral scent is warm and spicy, blending notes of pink peppercorn and sage with tuberose and musk.

Best Fruity Floral: Bombshell Intense

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Intense

 Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

The latest Bombshell fragrance to drop, Bombshell Intense hit shelves this August and is already generating lots of buzz. Notes of cherry, red peony, and vanilla give this scent a fruity and decadent trail.

Best Warm Gourmand: Tease

Victoria's Secret Tease

 Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

Tease is another top-selling fragrance for Victoria's Secret. Its notes include gardenia, black vanilla, and pear and is classified as a warm gourmand.

Best Rebellious Floral: Tease Rebel

Victoria's Secret Tease Rebel

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret 

An edgy sister-scent to Tease, Tease Rebel is an unexpected floral, blending the subtle musk scent of leather with violet and rose to create a complex and layered fragrance that breaks from floral traditions.

Best Oriental Woody Gourmand: Dream Angel

Victoria's Secret Dream Angel

 Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

The newest fragrance to join the Victoria's Secret family, Dream Angel features notes of golden berries, creamy woods, and Vanilla Absolu—a signature accord entitled Rainbow Glow meant to resemble the "brilliant flash of a prism."

Best Warm: Heavenly

Victoria's Secret Heavenly

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

Another top seller for Victoria's Secret Beauty is Heavenly, which falls in the warm fragrance family. Its profile includes notes of white musk, sandalwood, vanilla, and white peony.

Runner-Up, Best Warm: Very Sexy

Victoria's Secret Very Sexy

 Courtesy of Victoria's Secret

The warm and sultry Very Sexy fragrance has a luxe profile of vanilla orchid, clementine, and blackberry. White amber adds a creamy musk to the floral and citrus notes.

Best Fresh: Love

Victoria's Secret Love

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret 

Fresh and fruity with an aromatic sampling of apricot and juniper, Love is one of the more delicate offerings in Victoria's Secret's collection of fragrances. Its profile is powdery and smooth.

Meet the Expert

Mark Knitowski is the Senior Vice President of Product Innovations at Victoria’s Secret Beauty, as well as the brand's in-house "nose." Knitowski is constantly traveling all over the world to source fresh ingredients for Victoria's Secret fragrances.

Senior Vice President of Product Innovations at Victoria’s Secret Beauty and the brand's in-house nose, Mark Knitowski says one thing that makes Victoria's Secret fragrance so seductive is its power to "create a personality" around the wearer. "It's so recognizable and distinctive from everything else on the market," he says. Plus, a Victoria's Secret fragrance leaves a dazzling trail. "You can really smell the diffusiveness of the scent."

Knitowski travels the world—from Iceland to Morocco, the Amazon, Cuba, and the South of France—to source fresh ingredients to give Victoria's Secret scents power, longevity, and exotic profiles. Back in the U.S., his team is on the ground and in stores getting feedback from customers on their top notes. Another secret to the brand's success is the power to get ahead of trends with disruptive new product launches. "Right now, we're doing florals in a way that's not too heady," says Knitowski. "There's more of an emphasis on freshness."

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