The 9 best smelling body lotions that leave skin nourished and fragranced all day long
These formulas will moisturise, soothe and leave your skin with a chic scent that lasts
A great way to take your body care routine to the next level is by drenching yourself in one of the best-smelling body lotions or creams, formulas that not only nourish the skin and support its barrier, but also impart a gorgeous scent on your skin that lingers.
While the main job of a best body moisturisers is to hydrate and nourish the skin, a scented formula is also an excellent way to enhance and boost the longevity of even long-lasting perfumes. Jane Foultson, who owns skincare brand Emma Hardie, says this shouldn't be underestimated: "A pleasant aroma can transport the senses, and using a body cream or butter with a fragrance you like can be a real mood enhancer." You can either opt for the same fragrance as your signature perfume, or layer something with complementary scents for a bespoke scent.
Whether you're wanting a luxe, lightweight lotion to layer with the best perfumes for women or to slather yourself in a rich cream before you head to bed, you're in the right place for the best recommendations. Our beauty team has tested many a scented body moisturiser over the years and has broken down the most nourishing, gorgeously fragrance creams in detailed reviews below. Here are the formulas you need to know about...
Best-smelling body lotion deals
These deals were last checked on 13/10/26, and we will continue to do so to ensure that all of the products below are still in stock, still discounted and, most importantly, are the very best deals around at the moment.
The 9 best-smelling body lotions, reviewed by our beauty team
RRP: £28 for 220ml | Notes: Citrus, floral, cedarwood, sweet orange
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire, Annie Milroy
When I told the beauty team that I was working on this list to find the best-smelling body lotion, this was mentioned by three different team members straight off the bat. Beauty writer Annie Milroy was a particularly vocal advocate, describing it as smelling like "pure happiness, like your favourite summer holiday."
When I tried it, I immediately understood why the team loves it so much. It's energising, bright and sunny, and the cream itself has a lovely, whipped texture that sank in quickly. As well as an oil blend, the formula also features a moisture lock complex to help your skin hydrated for 48 hours – resulting in a really nourishing treat. The jar is also refillable; simply hold on to it once empty and purchase a new cartridge.
RRP: £36 for 15ml | Notes: Pistachio, salted caramel, vanilla
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
You probably could have predicted this cream would feature somewhere on this list. Sol de Janeiro is a brand known for its rich, gourmand scents and ultra nourishing body creams. In fact, each of the latter was a worthy candidate, but I had to go for the original purely for the cult factor – it's the body cream that launched a thousand copycats, after all.
Ingredients-wise, there's cupuaçu butter, açai and coconut oils, plus caffeine-rich guaranà extract, making for an indulgent cream. The combination of pistachio, vanilla and salted caramel is very sweet, akin to the most dazzling dessert in a Parisian patisserie. I know that could all sound sickly, but it's still nicely balanced and quite sunny and warm in reality. Every time I catch a whiff of it, I let out an involuntary "ahh".
RRP: £49 for 450ml | Notes: grapefruit, Italian bergamot, vetiver, hinoki, orange blossom, amber and eucalyptus
Reviewed by: Naomi Jamieson
Infused with seaweed extracts and niacinamide, this lotion is truly a treat for the skin and senses. The formula is rich and feels instantly hydrating, but still absorbs easily, making it a great option for wearing underneath clothes in the daytime as well as your pjs at night. It's the scent, though, that really captured my heart. Crisp bergamot and earthy vetiver meet warm woods and amber, to surround you in the chicest and most comforting aroma.
It really lingers too (even on your clothes), and as someone who favours woody perfumes, I love to layer it with similarly green and warming blends. And while it is a tad pricey, the size of the bottle does actually make it very good value for money, especially when you compare the price per ml with some of the others on this list.
RRP: £33 for 300ml | Notes: Rhubarb, grapefruit, vanilla, rose
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
While Molton Brown London also makes a dedicated hand cream with this scent, I'd argue that the texture of the body option is pretty similar – light, sheer and non-greasy – meaning, in a way, you get two products in one. This scent is very heavy on the rhubarb, which I absolutely love; it's tart, zingy and incredibly uplifting.
This is another great brand if you're looking to match your body cream to perfume; the Eau de Toilette is one of my favourite scents for summer, so I loved that I could enjoy this best fruity perfume in another form thanks to the hand and body lotion.
RRP: £38 for 200ml | Notes: Moringa seed, citrus
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
Fans of this brand’s much-loved best cleansing balm will love this body butter, which smells exactly like it. If you haven't smelled the cleanser, the best way to describe its scent would be essentially a spa in a jar. It's herbal and relaxing, with zingy citrus notes to revitalise your mind.
This is the richest buy on this list – definitely more of a body butter than a lotion, but that means it's incredibly nourishing, making it the best body cream for dry skin on this list. That's because it's infused with a blend of natural oils, including hemp seed, blackcurrant seed and moringa.
RRP: £64 for 175ml | Notes: King william pear, freesia, patchouli
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
Did you know that the best Jo Malone London fragrances are also available as body products? No best-smelling body lotion guide would be complete without a mention from this iconic brand. English Pear and Freesia is my favourite; it's fruity but still grown up, balanced with floral notes of freesia and patchouli. The blend of cocoa butter and sweet almond oil gives it a really rich, creamy texture. This doesn't mean it's heavy, however – it works into the skin beautifully, impressively smoothing scaly legs in minutes.
It's also worth noting how luxurious the packaging is – it's a seriously weighty jar. Sure, you don't have to spend this much money on body lotion, but if you're looking for a gorgeous beauty gift idea (for yourself or a loved one, of course), look no further.
RRP: £30 for 200ml | Notes: Frangipani flowers, monoi, macadamia
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
ELEMIS makes some of the best skincare products around, so it makes sense that their gorgeous bodycare products work just as hard to overhaul tired limbs. The lotions feature a blend of rich oils, including macadamia, sesame and monoi, to deeply nourish even the thirstiest of skins.
The team battled it out over this and the more oceanic Sea Lavender and Samphire scent – but Frangipani is a real favourite of mine and I got the final say (smug). The reason I love it so much is that it feels really warm and inviting. The florals take centre stage, but the sweeter macadamia notes give it this enveloping feeling. To me, it's the best-smelling body lotion to use in the winter if you want to really thaw frosty limbs.
RRP: £42 for 200ml | Notes: Ginger, lemon, lime, bergamot
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire
The ingredients in this cream are both tangy and zingy, like a ginger shot for your skin. That little revitalising kick means it serves a dual purpose – in the summer, it'll refresh sun-soaked limbs, while in the winter it'll invigorate your skin.
As well as its invigorating scent, the texture of this cream is also worth mentioning – I found it incredibly light but luscious, a bit like freshly whipped cream. Rich in oils, it also works to cocoon the skin in nourishment, making it a pick-me-up in more ways than one.
RRP: £22 for 215g | Notes: Lavender, tonka bean, cocoa
Reviewed by: Rhiannon Derbyshire & Naomi Jamieson
This nighttime body has gone viral a couple of times for acting a bit like a bath soak for sleep and helping people fall asleep quicker and sleep more deeply. The best sleep aid beauty products can lean too heavily on the lavender and are a bit pungent as a result. However, this isn't the case with this yoghurt-like lotion; the lavender is mellowed by cocoa butter and tonka bean, and it feels nicely relaxing without being aggressive about it.
"Aside from its luxuriously thick formula, the smell of this stuff is just heavenly," adds digital beauty writer Naomi Jamieson. "I love being able to smell soft traces of lavender on my skin as I nestle into bed, but I think you could get away with wearing this during the day too – particularly if you love floral fragrances. I personally enjoy the ritual of slathering this on before bed as part of my wind-down routine, especially in winter when my skin is extra dry and in need of some TLC."
How we tested the best-smelling body lotions
A selection of the best-smelling body lotions tested for this guide
Every product we featured here was tried by at least one member of our beauty team before making it onto this list of the best-smelling body lotions. Some of them are even longstanding tried-and-true favourites that we've loved for years.
To narrow down this edit, we tried a lot of options, from cult classics to newer launches. We wanted to include buys at every budget that would also cover all scent preferences, so slathered ourselves with a huge variety of options to ensure that this list was definitive and had something for everyone. When testing these body lotions, we made sure to consider the following factors to decide which ones would make it into the final guide.
- Scent: First and foremost, we obviously had to love the scent, but it also had to last on the skin throughout the day. We also made sure to get several opinions on each cream, as scent is quite subjective.
- Moisturising abilities: again, this may sound like an obvious one, but as well as smelling great, these lotions also had to work well functionally as body lotions – otherwise it's like you're applying one of the best perfumes for women in non-spray form. We tested each one on its ability to nourish and soothe the skin, and how long that moisturisation lasted.
- Skin benefits: The inclusion of other beneficial skincare ingredients, rather than just humectants or emollients, is a good sign. These facial skincare-worthy ingredients can really be the thing that sets them apart from your bog-standard lotion. If they have them, they'll usually be flagged in the specifications.
- Price: Scented products can get a little wild in the price tag department. To that end, we wanted to ensure that each buy included in this guide was really worth spending hard-earned cash on, in order to help you find those that are the ultimate value for money.
How to choose from the best-smelling body lotions
There are a few things to consider before buying a fragranced body cream or lotion. Most important is the scent itself, as this is personal and very subjective. We would therefore suggest opting for formulas that share similar or complementary notes with your go-to perfumes - especially if you're hoping to layer them. Sol de Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, for instance, would pair beautifully with a sweet, gourmand scent or a summery perfume that smells like sun cream.
The formula, in general, should also be taken into consideration. If you want a glow-boosting cream, invest in a body lotion that has a bronzing shimmer, or if deep and lasting hydration is the goal, opt for a cream that is packed with oils. We all have different wants and needs for our body moisturisers, so be sure to invest in a cream that meets yours - especially if you hope to wear it daily
If you have very sensitive skin, as you probably already tend to do, we would recommend steering clear of scented lotions, though, as many fragrances an irritate. At the least, you should test a small amount on a patch of skin first to see how it reacts 48–72 hours later.
Our expert panel
Rhiannon Derbyshire is Senior Beauty Editor at woman&home and other women's titles. During her career, she's specialised in beauty, fashion, interiors and health, but beauty remains her favourite topic. Since embracing her natural hair texture, she hasn't looked back, making her our go-to in-house expert in nailing a curly hair routine.
Naomi is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to makeup but specialises in fragrance and nail trends – sharing her expertise on the latest beauty buys and must-have manicure styles. As well as showcasing her beauty knowledge, she reviews products and shares personal shopping recommendations.
Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty launches, trending buys and personal product recommendations, from makeup and hair to skincare and nails – and, of course, many scented body creams.
Annie Milroy is the Beauty Writer for woman&home and other publications. After eight years working in the fashion & beauty industry, she left the fashion world behind and now writes about everything from lightweight foundations, her favourite perfumes, to natural-looking fake tans and scented boty lotions.