When it comes to the best perfumes for women, I'm the first person to hold my hands up and say I'm a bit of a snob. My favourite scents don't tend to be the most popular bestsellers. I like luxury, expensive perfumes—what some might call niche perfumes. So, if you'd have told me at the start of the year that my most complimented perfume of 2024 would be a seriously hyped body mist to say I wouldn't have believed you would be an understatement. And yet, today, I am admitting that my most adored fragrance of not just the summer, but the year so far, is Ouai St. Barts Hair & Body Mist.
Body mists are having a resurgence, I know. You only have to see the millions of social media posts about the cult Sol de Janeiro perfume mists to understand just how popular these more affordable perfume alternatives are right now. But beyond using my SdJ favourites as post-shower fresheners, I haven't actually used a body mist as a perfume since I was about 10 years old. And now, here I am, a self-confessed fragrance snob, who is just one month shy of turning 30, dousing myself in a sweet, moreish body mist every single day.
