2020’s Best Perfumes That Will Fill Self-Isolation With Joy (And Make Your Shelves Look Better)

If you're not yet familiar with Jo Malone's Cologne Intense range, then you're in for a treat. All of the scents feel very opulent and indulgent and the latest addition to the family is possibly the best yet. Using vetiver and vanilla from the shores of Madagascar, I'm not overstating it when I say that this smell really is transporting. It's simultaneously warm (thanks to the vanilla) and fresh (thanks to grapefruit tea) with a hint of spice (cardamom). What I love most about it is that it lasts throughout the day, morphing into slightly different variations and providing a constant source of delight. Just when you thought you'd found your favourite Jo Malone scent, along comes another to prove you wrong.

Reinventing its iconic fragrance for 2020, Dior has given Miss Dior a fresh, floral update. The fashion house describes it as a 'declaration of love to flowers', while François Demachy, Dior's Perfumer-Creator says: 'The rose is a classic that goes with everything and thus offers endless possibilities to shape it. Imprinting one's signature on this universal flower is an exciting exercise in style.' In terms of the actual scent, while it's undoubtedly floral, there's a hint of spice too, ensuring it's not overly sweet or sickly. A modern update on rose, if ever there was one.

Trust Chanel to produce the latest innovation in perfume that we never knew we needed. Somehow, it now seems unthinkable we ever travelled without Perfume Pencils, which aren't just a ready-made Insta hit – they're also wildly practical. Whether you want to apply fragrance on the go (without annoying fellow commuters, say) or are looking for perfume that you can easily take in your hand luggage, you will love these pastel crayons, each of which deliver one of Chanel's Chance scents. You simply scribble directly onto skin for a fragrance that becomes gradually deeper as it makes contact, meaning you get everything you want from your perfume without everyone around you having to suffer the consequences. They've already sold out once, such is their appeal, but luckily are now back in stock.

If you want to be transported to the holiday you've had to cancel due to current circumstances, this limited edition fragrance will do just that. With top notes of white peach combined with orchard blossoms, it's a grown-up take on a fruity scent. Plus, the newly designed bottle will instantly cheer up your shelves.

News of a new Diptyque fragrance is very exciting indeed, and Eau Capitale is the brand's homage to Paris. It's a complex scent, one that is known as a 'chypre', which is widely thought of as the most beautiful of all the perfume families. A chypre is always multi-faceted and based around a woody scent – in this case bergamot. There is a great deal of rose present, too, which lends a sweetness to the pink peppercorns and patchouli. It is, I have to say, almost addictive. It's not one that you would want to wear every day but rather for after-dark or pure indulgence for indulgence's sake.

I was alerted to this brand by fellow beauty editor and all-round fragrance junkie Amy Lawrenson, who told me the following: 'N.C.P Olfactives looks more like a new niche fragrance brand than one masterminded by a celebrity. Created by actress Noomi Rapace, who starred in the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, N.C.P Olfactives is a beautiful collection of fragrances blended by perfumers in Paris. Each Eau de Parfum has been crafted with the fewest ingredients possible to enable you to layer with ease. The idea behind the layering concept is that we should be able to switch up our fragrances to suit our mood, situation or location as easily as we do our hair, makeup and outfits. According to the brand, perfume layering is all about the yin and yang, so balance a richer, deeper fragrance with something brighter and more sparkly. I adore 601 Amber & Gaiacwood a warm, creamy, comforting scent. Buy your favourite in the 50ml size, from £56, and a couple of the 10ml bottles, from £20, or 5ml roll-ons, from £12.

Jo Malone CBE, the woman who first created her eponymous brand before leaving to create Jo Loves, teamed up with Zara to launch a collection of truly lovely perfumes towards the end of last year. Not only are they under £26 for nearly 100ml, they're all fantastic. There is, quite literally, something to suit everyone's tastes, whether you're looking for something floral, light or something altogether deeper and more intense. My current favourite is Bohemian Bluebells, which uses lavender in a way I've never smelt before, blending it with sandalwood and musk for a truly original fragrance.

Injecting spring into your step in every sense of the word is Margiela's new fragrance. Another addition to the Replica range, this unisex fragrance evokes blossom-soaked trees and longer, sunny days with notes of pear, bergamot and blackcurrant. What's most impressive about Margiela's perfumes are that they're not in any way overpowering but do deliver a strong, lasting scent that stays with you all day. It will truly brighten a day stuck inside.

While it launched in October of last year, it's certainly worth mentioning Gucci's newest addition to the Bloom family of fragrances. A more intense, rich version of the original Bloom, Ambrosio Di Fiori adds orris and Damascena rose to the classic blend of jasmine bud extract, tuberose and Rangoon creeper to create an intoxicating, moreish perfume. As with Gucci's other perfumes, it's designed to be worn by anybody and everybody, regardless of age or gender, and really does feel like a celebration in that way. It's also not so intense that you couldn't wear it by day – a new classic in the making, mark my words.

Another update on an existing fragrance, Miu Miu has just launched its Twist perfume as an eau de toilette, lending it a fresh, airy new quality. There is mandarin and apple blossom, both set against a base of cedar wood, which grounds it without being too heavy. If you like the original, you'll love this, but if you haven't yet tried it, it's a lovely way to treat yourself.

Before Valentine's Day, Byredo relaunched its popular Unnamed perfume, which encourages the wearer to draw their own conclusions about the scent. With a blank label, the idea is that you use the accompanying stickers to concoct your own name for the perfume, giving a more bespoke feeling. Ben Gorham, the creative director of Byredo explains: 'The names of the Byredo fragrances often describe the origin of an idea, a thought that leads to a brief presented to the perfumer. With fragrance being completely subjective these names spark the imagination of the perfumer and finally the customer. They each experience the fragrance even before they smell the ingredients in the bottle. We still find it fascinating that people interpret our fragrances in so many ways.' The actual smell itself? There's a mix of pink pepper, gin accord and violet, but we'll leave that up to you to decipher…