Best Creed Perfumes For Women

Creed is a fashion dynasty extending now for seven generations. It was started by James Henry Creed in 1760 when Creed supplied the English court with custom-tailored clothing. Creed fragrances, however, were more a thing of legend--since their fragrances were more for aristocrats and royalty than for the general public. The first Creed fragrance was “Royal English Leather”, which he presented to King George III of England in the form of a pair of scented gloves. Over a history of 250 years, Creed fragrances have been commissioned by the royal families of Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Spain, and even were prepared for U.S. Presidents and First Ladies. From 1975, Creed started marketing its fragrances for the general public.

Creed perfumes are prepared by the “infusion” technique, using a method called maceration: flowers are soaked in a solvent, which absorbs the essence of the flowers. When dealing with delicate flowers, this is considered preferable over the more common distillation method, used by other perfume makers, where the flowers are boiled in water. The “infusion” technique is more expensive and more time-consuming--but it produces a more natural scent. You’ll find Creed perfumes that are floral, fruity, or fresh--and suitable for casual wear or for special occasions.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a Creed perfume. It'll help you choose the right type of perfume according to your tastes, read reviews, and compare prices.

You’ll see the names “perfume”, “toilet water”, and “cologne” used when discussing fragrances. Actually, each term indicates the concentration of aromatics in the fragrance, and in the intensity of the scent. The rest can be alcohol, water, and other solvents. Here is a key to the concentration of aromatics in fragrances:

• Body Mist: 1.5% - 3% aromatics. Body mists would have to be applied more often--even every hour--since the smell dissipates so quickly.

• Fine Fragrance Mist: 3% - 7% aromatics.

• Eau de Cologne (EdC): Around 5% aromatics.

• Eau de Toilette (EdT): Around 5-10% aromatics. These fragrances will typically linger for at least half a day, due to their greater concentration. Creed’s “Love in Black” is an Eau de Toilette.

Creed’s “Love in Black”

• Eau de Parfum (EdP): Around 11-15% aromatics. They last longer, usually for an entire day, and will smell more intense. Creed’s “Iris Tubereuse” is an Eau de Parfum spray, introduced in 2014.

Creed’s Iris Tubereuse

• Perfume: 20% aromatics and higher.

A lower concentration of aromatics means that the scent will linger for a shorter amount of time. Perfumes will come in smaller amounts, and will be more expensive than body mists and cologne.

• Fragrance Oils: Creed also offers “Fragrance Oils”, such as their Love in White perfume. It comes in a travel-size roll-on form, and is pure oil, with no alcohol added. It can last four times longer than typical perfumes, since it doesn’t evaporate, and imparts its fragrance for an entire day.

• Range of fragrances: Creed divides their fragrances into seven categories:

  • Citrus--These are essences derived from citrus fruit peels: bergamot, lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit.

  • Marine--These are scents that recall the smell of a sea breeze or ocean front, with a salty/sweet mix of citrus with musk. An example is Creed’s "Millesime Imperial".

  • Fruity--These have fruit essence that compliments citrus contributions. Creed’s “Spring Flower” is a fruity scent, with apple, apricot, melon, and peach, with bergamot as a tinge of citrus.

  • Floral--These are derived from fragrant flowers: tuberose, jasmine, rose, and more. The “Iris Tubereuse”, "Spring Flower" and “Love in White” are floral scents.

  • Green--These use herbs and fragrant leaves, such as green tea, mint, and verbena. An example is Creed’s “Original Vetiver”, rumored to have been designed for US President John F. Kennedy.

  • Woody--These scents employ sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, and vetiver. Base notes are typically from woody essences.

  • Oriental--These use vanilla, frankincense, and amber. Creed’s “Love in Black” is an Oriental fragrance.

Creed’s Spring Flower

• When to wear a fragrance: Clients note that fragrances have distinct “moods” to them, when they should be worn. “Love in Black” is a sensual perfume, which is more suited for the evening. On the other hand, “Millesime Imperial” is a casual scent. “Love in White” is described as “calm and classy”.

• Different notes in fragrances: Fragrances are composed of a number of scents, some of which are noticeable immediately upon application, while others reveal themselves gradually as the alcohol in the fragrance evaporates. You will see a fragrance described as having top (or head) notes, middle (or heart) notes, and base notes. As an example, let’s study Creed’s "Iris Tubereuse" fragrance:

  • Top notes: These are scents consisting of light molecules that evaporate quickly. Iris Tubereuse has top notes of galbanum, green violet leaf, and orange.

  • Middle notes: These are essences that start to reveal themselves from 20 minutes to one hour after applying the fragrance. Iris Tubereuse has middle notes of Indian tuberose, ylang-ylang, and Lily of the Valley.

  • Bottom notes: These are essences that consist of the largest molecules, that evaporate the most slowly, and are the scent that remains for hours after application. This stage is called the “drydown”, after all the other elements in the fragrance have departed.  Iris Tubereuse has base notes of Sicilian orange blossom, musk, and vanilla orchid.

Creed--is a fashion house founded by the entrepreneur James Henry Creed in 1760, when Creed supplied the English court with custom-tailored clothing. The Creed dynasty extends seven generations, up to the present CEO of the company, Erwin Creed. Creed fragrances were first prepared for King George III of England and other members of the aristocracy, and have been sold to the public since 1975. Their offerings include fragrances, bath products, and more.