Best of Boston

Best Fragrances

2016 Best Fragrances

Colonial Drug

Newton
“The People with Absolutely No Common Scents,” reads the awning above Colonial’s front door. It’s true: Co-owners Cathy and J .P. Botindari stock their perfumery [...] read more»
2015 Best Fragrances

Colonial Drug

Newton
What's your scent? Woodsy? Spicy? Floral? Citrusy? Let the fragrance specialists at this 70-year-old institution help you discover your olfactory predilections as you sample their [...] read more»
2014 Best Fragrances

Fresh

Boston
No offense to the department-store counters we’ve frequented in the past, but our new fragrance go-to is a little less—how shall we say—in your face. [...] read more»
2013 Best Fragrances

Neil Morris Fragrances

Boston
Having had way too many perfume bottles misted in our direction over the years, we relish fragrance designer Neil Morris's sanctuary of a studio, the [...] read more»
2012 Best Fragrances

Barneys New York

Boston
While other department-store counters seem to hawk the same 10 perfumers, Barneys focuses on rich, exotic scents from lines like Frédéric Malle, Serge Lutens, Acqua [...] read more»
2011 Best Fragrances

Neiman Marcus

Boston, Natick
The biggest names in the perfume biz (Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel) are fully represented on these gleaming counters, as are scores of cult lines (Creed, [...] read more»
2002 Best Fragrances

Diptyque

Boston
Normally, we don't pay much attention to celebrity endorsements, but this time we'll take Madonna, J.Lo, and Donatella Versace's word for it. They, like all [...] read more»
1997 Best Fragrances

Colonial Drug

Cambridge
Still rubbing your wrist on that magazine fragrance strip? Quelle catastrophe! It's all too easy—and only civilized—to spend hours in this tiny wonder shop, sampling [...] read more»
1995 Best Fragrances

Colonial Drug

Cambridge
Nearly a thousand fragrances from cutting edge to classic, Arpege to Zibeline. Plus a huge selection of bath soaps. Make sure you bring cash or [...] read more»
1992 Best Fragrances

Colonial Drug

Cambridge
A no-nonscents approach to fragrance. Just the best selection in town, if not the atmosphere, maybe the universe—you get the idea. Lipsticks and sniffing instructions [...] read more»