Issey Miyake's perfumes whisper with chic, and they've just launched a brand new blend
Issey Miyake's fragrances celebrate the natural world, right down to their ingredients, and I, for one, am hooked
Like a breath of fresh, ocean air and the scent of sun-warmed florals, Issey Miyake's perfumes are both sheer and lingering all at once, softly cocooning your person in ethereal notes that never fail to please.
As a fragrance lover and beauty writer, scent is one of my favourite topics of conversation. Discovering someone's signature is my idea of small talk, and while all brands and blends are a personal, subjective choice, there are a few that, if named, send my heart aflutter. Of course, any of the best long-lasting perfumes are lovely choices for an everyday scent, but if you were to single out one of the best Diptyque perfumes, for instance, I'd instantly trust your taste - and consider you very chic indeed. The same goes for a certain Japanese brand, which, in my opinion, is very underrated, especially where its ethos and nature-inspired fragrances are concerned.
Issey Miyake explored: the best scents and why we love the brand
Before anything else, let's talk fragrance. Issey Miyake offers a range of elegant scents, from creamier options to pure, aquatic florals, and having been lucky enough to try an array, these are the four I recommend for versatile spritzing...
My top Issey Miyake perfume picks
RRP: from £72 for 30ml | Notes: Orange blossom, pistachio and green mandarin
Boasting 90% naturally-derived ingredients and a luxe-looking bottle inspired by the fashion house's signature angular handbag, Lumière d’Issey is a sparkling celebration of light. It signals a new creative direction for the brand and is a beautiful example of an amber-floral. To me, it smells like sun-warmed skin, with notes of shining orange blossom, creamy pistachio and juicy green mandarin all bouncing off each other to create this breezy burst. Like the rest of Issey Miyake's line, though, it's not sickly or overpowering. Instead, it lingers softly, offering a very chic and intimate aura that wafts around you. I, for one, cannot wait to wear this through the summer. And while you shouldn't judge a perfume by the bottle, its stylish design really does mirror what's housed within...
Who should buy it: those seeking a warm, sunny scent
RRP: from £61 for 30ml | Notes: Posidonia accord, ylang-ylang and vanilla
This is actually the fragrance I spritz before heading to the gym or on a very balmy summer's day because of how dewy and fresh it is. The blend of Posidonia accord and ylang ylang delivers a salty splash, while vanilla adds a softness and delicately musky-sheerness that I just adore. It's there, but not there, like the smell of seawater on warm, suncream-covered skin. It's unlike any other perfume I've smelt before in that it's so delicate and lightweight and yet long-lasting. I can still smell it on my clothes days later, and never tire of it. Aquatic florals, which this blend is a very chic example of, are also proving very popular among the 2026 fragrance trends - so if you want to be ahead of the curve, don't sleep on this gorgeous, oceanic scent.
Who should buy it: someone who loves beach walks and wants to smell like the ocean, sparkling in the sun
RRP: from £79 for 50ml | Notes: Neroli, bergamot, magnolia, rose and dreamwood
For another L'eau d'Issey option, Eau & Magnolia is a lovely choice, especially if you're a lover of floral fragrances. It's effortlessly elegant and light, with notes of neroli and magnolia swirling around fresh bergamot and warm dreamwood. Picture florals softly bobbing around a shimmery lake, illuminated by a hazy, summer sun - that pretty much encompasses this scent. Again, like the rest of the L'eau d'Issey line, this fragrance is sheer and lightweight, but that doesn't mean it disappears. In fact, I find it clings to my skin very well, and I just love how elegant and expensive this scent is, proving that often, simplicity is the key to really radiating chic.
Who should buy it: fans of white florals and soft, woody blends
RRP: from £53 for 30ml | Notes: Almond milk accord, solar lilac accord and musk
If you've been loving the milk perfume movement, A Drop d'Issey needs to be on your radar, with its sunny-sweet blend of almond milk, solar lilac and musk. It's warm and deliciously creamy, but in no way sickly. Instead, there's this almost fluffy softness, like soft linen bedding billowing in the wind, or a cosy white towelled dressing gown against bare, just-showered skin. It's light, with that signature dewy, watery base that Issey Miyake is so famous for, shining through. I'd also like to take a moment to talk about the pebble-like bottle and spray button. There's something so pleasing about spraying it, and I love how the sleek bottle sits on my dresser. A true feat of minimalistic design and elegance, all around.
Who should buy it: those seeking a fresh, creamy solar perfume
About the scent collections
Issey Miyake is arguably most famous for its first and original L'eau d’Issey perfume, which was designed to capture "the scent of water on a woman's skin," and can be easily recognised by its sleek, tapered bottle. The brand has since expanded the collection to include five other variations of the iconic aquatic floral, including Solar Violet and Pivoine. Up until March 2026, the brand only offered one other line of women's scents: A Drop d’Issey, which again showcases a few variations of the same blend (in a similar way to Chanel's Chance), revolving around the hidden beauty and mystery of nature.
This year, though, they've launched Lumière d’Issey, which not only boasts a completely new and sparkling aroma but also a nod to the fashion side of the brand. Its bottle was actually designed to allow light to travel through the triangular facets, further conceptualising the luminous feel of the scent. Said triangles and the overall shape also pay homage to the brand's Bao Bao bags, which feels so fun and really brings both sides of the brand together into one, modern and beautifully radiant scent.
Looking at Issey Miyake's collection as a whole, each fragrance is grounded in minimalism and elegance, seeking to capture elements of the natural world, be it the purity of water or sunlight. As for which to invest in, I can attest to the sophistication and longevity of each of Issey Miyake's scent families, having tested blends from each.
About the brand
What began as a fashion house in Japan, founded by designer Issey Miyake in the '70s, has since expanded into a household name in the fragrance world, too, following the launch of the first L'eau d'Issey scent in 1992. The brand is now touted for its minimalistic and modern, airy perfumes. As mentioned, Issey Miyake builds upon its scents, rather than releasing just one and moving on. I, personally, think of the brand as almost a capsule wardrobe of fragrances, as it offers subtle and elegant variations on each blend, to cater to a range of tastes, occasions and seasons. It's like finding a comfortable, perfectly-fitting t-shirt and buying it in several versatile shades. Especially in the case of the brand's iconic L'eau D'Issey line.
What also endears the team and me to the brand is its transparency and commitment to nature, with several of the blends being vegan and or reaching up to 93% naturally-derived ingredients. The brand's new launch, Lumière d’Issey, for instance, is certified vegan and features 90% naturally derived ingredients, with its stylish bottle also being made out of 15% recycled glass.
Each perfume feels very intentional, with the concept and inspiration behind each blend shining through. They're a perfect balance of tradition and modernity, and are ideal for those who prefer minimalism with their everyday scents, as opposed to very complicated or seasonal aromas.
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