5 best-selling women's and men's perfumes in France

Read the detailed comments about each of the 5 best-selling women's perfumes and 5 best-selling men's perfumes in France. This article will help you choose the perfume that suits you best.

By Daniel Pescio, Brazilian perfumer based in Paris

Our recommendation for where to buy perfumes in Paris is the store Fragrance de l'Opéra. The perfumery offers discounts and gifts to readers of Conexão Paris.

Click here to read the article about Fragrance de l'Opéra, find out what the gifts are, and download the discount voucher.

The podium of the best-selling women's perfumes in France hasn't changed much compared to previous years.

Julia Roberts is here to stay! The #1 best-seller, La Vie Est Belle continues to enchant hearts. This signature fragrance from Lancôme is the olfactory interpretation of absolute happiness, but its sales dropped more than 6% in 2015.

A Floral Gourmand with notes of orange blossom, iris, patchouli, vanilla, "praliné" (candied hazelnuts) and woody notes, La Vie Est Belle exists in 5 versions: L'Eau de parfum Intense, l'Eau de parfum, l'Eau de parfum Légère, l'Eau de toilette, and l'Absolu de Parfum. But the real secret is Julia's smile!

Maintaining the 2nd place, J'Adore symbolizes absolute femininity with sophistication and glamour. A Fruity Floral bouquet, inspired by the Champaca flower and Magnolia, the perfume opens with notes of melon, peach, pear and evolves to lily of the valley, freesia, jasmine, rose, and orchid, finishing with soft notes of cedar and musk. Its numerous versions can leave us a bit confused. J'Adore Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, L'Absolu (divine!!!), J'adore L'Or, Extrait de Parfum, Touche de Parfum, Voile de Parfum...

If you like J'Adore, you should try the wonderful floral perfumes from Dior's Exclusive Collection.

An unquestionable success from Guerlain, La Petite Robe Noire exists in more than 10 versions, alongside a complete line of scented body products, perfumed makeup, and accessories like scented gloves, scarves, bags, and even a phone case and tea!!!

Another fruity oriental gourmand with notes of cassis, refreshing flowers, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, marzipan, and praline. If you want to know about all the latest perfume news, subscribe to Guerlain's newsletter.

With the sophistication and elegance of Chanel perfumes, Coco Mademoiselle is a modern, cheeky fragrance for free-spirited and independent women. Coco Mademoiselle is defined in 4 olfactory gestures: L'Eau de Parfum, la Touche de Parfum, le Twist and Spray, and the Parfum for Hair. A fruity chypre with notes of orange, bergamot, grapefruit, lychee, rose, jasmine, contrasting with patchouli, vetiver, and vanilla.

Chanel also has an Exclusive Collection of high-quality perfumes, sold only at brand stores and select department stores.

"A woman without perfume is a woman without a future," Coco Chanel once said. Chanel N°5, occupying the 5th position in the French sales ranking, is just 5 years away from the grand centenary celebration of this global perfume masterpiece. If you haven't tried this timeless classic, you can start with the beautiful Eau Première version, which is very elegant.

Floral with notes of aldehydes, bergamot, ylang-ylang, May rose, jasmine from Grasse, orange blossom, lily of the valley, sandalwood, oak moss, musk, vetiver, vanilla, and civet.

Gisele Bündchen continues to be Chanel's muse, not only for Chanel N°5 but also for the Beige makeup line.

Certainly, other top-selling fragrances include Miss Dior (Chérie), Angel, Opium, Flower by Kenzo, and Shalimar.

For men, the ranking is a bit different, marked by the launch of Invictus by Paco Rabanne.

Chanel makes a strong comeback to the top spot with its latest success, Bleu, a fougère with notes of lemon, grapefruit, mint, lavender, Australian sandalwood, and vetiver. The brand continues to be a reference for quality and sophistication, both when buying your own perfume and when choosing a gift.

Jean-Claude Ellena, the perfumer of Hermès, has announced his retirement from the maison but leaves behind several elegant and extremely refined perfumes, as he always knew how to create. His collection of Colognes is the most diverse and elegant that a luxury house could have.

Terre d'Hermès is a woody citrus perfume with notes of grapefruit, orange, mineral notes, shiso (green and menthol notes), flint, vetiver, benzoin, and oak moss. The central "accord" of this olfactory composition is the classic from the Grasse school, Grapefruit and Vetiver.

It's worth remembering some famous perfumes already created by Ellena: Déclaration Cartier, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert Bulgari, First by Van Cleef, Eau de Campagne by Sisley, Cologne Bigarade Frédéric Malle, Bois Farine L'Artisan Parfumeur, and many others.

Hermès also has an exclusive collection of perfumes, Hermessence! You must try them; they are true olfactory poems!

A woody aquatic perfume, a neo-marine trend different from the perfumes of the 90s, with a salty, metallic note in contrast with slightly sweet notes. Melon, grapefruit, bay leaf, guaiac wood, and oceanic notes. Invictus, like many modern masculine perfumes, relies heavily on synthetic amber to enhance longevity and projection. Invictus is not so invincible after all; it lost the top position to Bleu by Chanel!

Created over 20 years ago, Le Mâle still seduces men with its virile presence and barber shop atmosphere. Fougère-Oriental with citrus, mint, anise, artemisia, lavender, orange blossom, spices, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, and tonka bean. Like Invictus and One Million, Le Mâle has a striking presence, showcasing its masculinity with all the virility of the genre. It gained two positions compared to 2014.

Slowly, this perfume that was launched in the "bling bling" era, where men flaunted their gold chains, women, cars, and suitcases full of money, is losing its strength and has dropped another position. An oriental perfume with citrus notes, mint, rose, spices, patchouli, cedar, amber, tonka bean, tobacco, and leather, with sweet touches, which was rare in male perfumes. In 2015, the brand launched One Million Cologne version.

In this "Star Wars" competition, only perfumes belonging to large corporations survive, as they are the only ones capable of investing tens of millions of euros in each launch and supporting marketing campaigns in the following years. On average, 25% of the price of a perfume is absorbed by marketing and communication strategies.

GALERIES LAFAYETTE: Gifts for purchases over 50 euros made at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, click here for more information and to download vouchers.

FRAGRANCE DE L'OPÉRA PERFUMERY: €10 discount for every €150 spent at Fragrance de l'Opéra - click here for all the information and to download the voucher.

CARRÉ OPÉRA PHARMACY: 10% discount on purchases made at Carré Opéra Pharmacy - click here for all the information and to download the voucher.

HOTEL SAINT ANDRÉS DES ARTS (charming 4-star in Saint Germain): 10% discount + 1 bottle of wine + breakfast - use the code paris-story.com when booking on the hotel website, click here to access.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: 5% discount on your Travel Insurance with the code paris-story.com. Travel insurance is one of the documents that may be required for your entry into Europe, click here for more information.

TICKETS: 5% discount on tickets, tours, and experiences sold on Tiqets using the code paris-story.com, click here to access the site.