10 inspired perfumes for women, from Monday morning to the dance floor

Inspired perfumes for women are eau de parfums built around the character of a well-known designer fragrance: the same family, the same main notes, the same feeling when you walk into a room. Ours are numbered rather than named, and each one says plainly which designer scent inspired it.

The ten below are not ranked. Nobody wears the same scent to the office, a wedding and a club, or if she does, she has had some feedback. So they are grouped by when you would reach for them: every day, weddings and occasions, and nights out.

How to choose inspired perfumes for women

The quickest route is the scent you already love. Find the dlt number inspired by it, read the notes, and check it is the side of that fragrance you liked: the bright opening, the floral heart or the warm base.

If you are starting from nothing, choose a family. Our scent finder filters by Fresh, Sweet, Dark, Floral and Amber. Fresh and Floral tend to suit daytime and heat. Sweet, Dark and Amber come into their own in the evening and in winter.

We get asked about the best perfumes for ladies South Africa has, and the useful answer is a question back: for what? A scent for a December wedding in Stellenbosch is a different thing from one for a Joburg office in July. The lists below do that sorting for you.

All ten are eau de parfum at 20% fragrance oil, in 50ml and 100ml.

Every day: the office, campus and the weekend

dlt/38 · inspired by Lancôme Idôle

Pear and bergamot, clean and fresh. Rose and jasmine through the middle, light, with white musk and vanilla at the base.

The office, the client meeting, the coffee shop where she does her best work. Clean enough for nine in the morning, nice enough for after. dlt/38, inspired by Lancôme Idôle.

dlt/32 · inspired by Chanel Chance

Pink pepper and lemon, bright and fizzy. Jasmine and iris through the middle, then patchouli and white musk at the base, clean.

Court, the office, coffee with the girls on Saturday. It works from eight in the morning without being too much by five. dlt/32, inspired by Chanel Chance.

dlt/12 · inspired by Lancôme La Vie Est Belle

Blackcurrant and pear to start, iris and orange blossom through the middle, then praline and vanilla underneath, comforting.

All day, every day, no occasion required. It is a favourite jersey and it is meant to be. dlt/12, inspired by Lancôme La Vie Est Belle.

dlt/29 · inspired by Ariana Grande Cloud

Lavender and pear, light to start. Coconut and praline through the middle, with vanilla and musk underneath, soft as a jumper.

Lectures, coffee, the walk home, and nights out when the dress is doing most of the work. Easy to wear, hard to get wrong. dlt/29, inspired by Ariana Grande Cloud.

dlt/40 · inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue

Lemon and green apple, cold and bright. Bluebell and white rose through the middle, cedar and amber at the base, light.

Summer, daytime, every day. Beach, braai, the office in a heatwave. Spray freely, it is meant for hot weather. dlt/40, inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.

Weddings, lunches and occasions

Florals with a bit more presence, for days with a seating plan.

dlt/28 · inspired by Parfums de Marly Delina

Lychee and rhubarb, pink and bright. Rose and peony through the middle, with vanilla and musk at the base, soft and clean.

Weddings, christenings, Mother’s Day lunch. Days you want to feel like a pink dress without wearing one. dlt/28, inspired by Parfums de Marly Delina.

dlt/09 · inspired by Dior J’adore

Ylang-ylang and rose, full and warm, with jasmine doing the heavy lifting. Pear and plum keep it from getting serious.

Weddings, Christmas lunch, anything with a seating plan. Somebody’s aunt will tell you she wore this at her own wedding. Let her finish. dlt/09, inspired by Dior J’adore.

dlt/22 · inspired by Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Bergamot and lychee, bright to start. Rose and jasmine through the middle, polished, then patchouli and vanilla at the base, very grown up.

Board meetings, interviews you are giving rather than having, weddings where you are seated near the front. dlt/22, inspired by Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.

Nights out: inspired perfumes for women for the evening

dlt/33 · inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium

Coffee and pink pepper, dark from the first second. Orange blossom and jasmine through the middle, with vanilla and patchouli at the base, sweet and very long.

Concerts, clubs, birthday dinners that move venues. Not for the morning after, it will still be there. dlt/33, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium.

dlt/13 · inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

Saffron and jasmine, sweet and strange. Amberwood through the middle, airy rather than heavy, with burnt sugar and cedar at the base. It sits just above the skin rather than on it.

When you want to be asked about it. Bought for a woman, stolen by a man, worn by both. dlt/13, inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540.

Two bottles cover most of a year

If you are buying more than one, pick from different groups: one everyday scent and one for nights out is the simplest pair. Add a wedding floral if your December calendar is already full. The price per bottle drops when you buy more bottles of the same size.

None of these yours? There are 63 scents in the range. Browse the scent finder, where every dlt number shows the designer scent it is inspired by.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best perfumes for ladies in South Africa?

It depends on the season and the occasion more than on any one bottle. For hot days, something fresh like dlt/40, inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. For evenings and winter, something warmer like dlt/33, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium.

Are inspired perfumes eau de parfum or eau de toilette?

Ours are all eau de parfum, at 20% fragrance oil. Eau de toilette usually has a lower concentration of fragrance oil.

Can men wear these?

Some of them, happily. dlt/13, inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, is worn by men and women alike. Scent has no rules about who wears it, only about where.

How fast is delivery?

We courier from Cape Town to anywhere in South Africa in 2 to 4 working days. Delivery is free from R500.