Winter signals the arrival of some of my favorite things: sweater weather, holiday films, seasonal sales, and a new fragrance wardrobe. As temperatures drop, we don’t just trade lightweight shirts for pullovers — we also reach for scents that feel better suited to cold weather.
Frédéric Malle once said, “Perfumes are exactly like garments. You don’t wear a fur coat in the summer, and you don’t wear a bathing suit in the middle of December… unless climate warming gets worse.”
And we tend to agree. Perfume evaporates faster in warm weather, causing its top and middle notes to smell more intense. In contrast, fragrance evaporates slower in cold weather — this means your scent stays closer to your skin and, therefore, smells subtler.
That leathery scent you love may be an amazing choice during Christmas market shopping, but not so much during the summer — have you ever smelled leather after it's been sitting in the sun all day? Exactly.
Colder temperatures allow you to experiment with an entirely new range of fragrances that you might not want to touch while spending a day on the beach.
Generally, lighter notes — think citrus and florals — are better suited to the summer, while cold weather calls for sweeter fragrances. These often take the form of gourmands, perfumes with edible-smelling notes.
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to perfume — we’re not saying you need a smell like a walking hot chocolate this winter walk (though that certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing). But fragrance beginners might find it helpful to build seasonal fragrance wardrobes.
We've curated an array of fragrances that will keep you warm during the colder months. Regardless of where your tastes sit on the fragrance spectrum, we’re sure you'll find something that will make your winter much more fragrant.
Shop the best fragrances of 2024 below.
Matière Première Encens Suave
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2019
Notes: somalian frankincense, benzoin siam absolute, bourbon vanilla absolute, spanish labdanum absolute, venezuelan coffee
You'll love this if: You sneak a shot of bourbon in your morning coffee once in a while.
Editor's Notes: Encens Suave smells like a boujee coffee shop that turns into a smoky, dimly lit bar at night. A blend of bourbon, spices, and hot coffee, it’s a recipe for a perfect winter night.
XerJoff Amber Star
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2013
Notes: amber, cedarwood, ylang-ylang, guaiac wood, gurjun balsam, myrrh, bourbon, vanilla, benzoin, sandalwood, opoponax
You'll love this if: Your cashmere sweaters aren’t seasonal, they’re a way of life.
Editor's Notes: Amber Star feels like all of my favorite parts of cuffing season. It’s inviting, seductive, and intoxicating. It’s basically a situationship in a bottle.
Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2018
Notes: oud, frankincense, raspberry, benzoin
You'll love this if: Moving to UAE is on your 2024 checklist.
Editor's Notes: The hype is real here. Fruity and spicy, with hints of leather, Ombre Nomade is what I imagine a night out at 1OAK Dubai smells like on New Year's Eve.
Room 1015 Cherry Punk
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2020
Notes: cherry, saffron, Sichuan pepper, jasmine absolute, mimosa, violet, black leather patchouli, tonka bean
You'll love this if: You wear leather year-round.
Editor's Notes: Cherry Punk is as steamy as a Berlin club during the winter. You can't go wrong here if you’re looking for a scent that oozes sex.
Régime des Fleurs Falling Trees
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2016
Notes: cypriol, elemi resin, juniper, tree moss absolute, frankincense absolute, oak, myrrh, benzoin
You'll love this if: You wish you owned a winter cabin
Editor's Notes: Imagine strolling through a pine-covered forest in a down jacket and a cashmere scarf. You might be in the woods pretending you're Henry David Thoreau or just enjoying a break from the city. Either way, Falling Trees captures the crisp smell of the woods in the wintertime.
Dries Van Noten Rock The Myrrh
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2022
Notes: cypress, pink pepper, myrrh, Indonesian patchouli, suede, benzoin siam, labdanum
You'll love this if: You still believe in Santa Claus
Editor's Notes: The cozy myrrh from this Dries Van Noten immediately pulls me into the holiday season. This is what I wear while sitting by the Christmas tree, anxiously waiting to open the gift I’m going to pretend I haven't been begging for since the start of the year.
Initio Atomic Rose
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2019
Notes: Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, bourbon vanilla, Egyptian rose, Italian bergamot
You'll love this if: You're attending an Old Hollywood-themed New Year's party this year.
Editor's Notes: Fun fact: Hollywood legends, from Marlon Brando to Sidney Poitier, wore rose perfumes. If you want to smell like a big-screen star, Atomic Rose is your next pick.
Kerosene Followed
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2022
Notes: caramel, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, amber
You'll love this if: Starbucks is too lowbrow for you.
Editor's Notes: Think of a rich cup of Colombian coffee paired with a toasty pain au chocolat. Taste that? That’s what Followed smells like.
Tom Ford Noir de Noir
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2007
Notes: saffron, black rose, black truffle, floral notes, patchouli, oud, vanilla, moss
You'll love this if: Your partner’s favorite gift is flowers and chocolate.
Editor's Notes: Tom Ford's private blend collection is home to a range of winter scents, but we feel Noir De Noir deserves a little extra love. With notes of chocolate and rose, it’s date night in a bottle.
Gurelain Spiritueuse Double Vanille
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2007
Notes: frankincense, pink pepper, bergamot, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, vanilla, rum, benzoin
You'll love this if: There is nothing about your life that is “vanilla,” but you’d love to smell like vanilla on your next weekend winter trip to Saint Moritz.
Editor's Notes: If you love the smell of vanilla but don't have a sweet tooth, Spiriteuse Double Vanille is for you. It’s dry rather than syrupy, recalling a vanilla rum and tonic.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Release Year: 2016
Notes: benzoin siam, vanilla, Brazilian tonka bean, Spanish labdanum, lavender, Venezuelan tonka bean
You'll love this if: You've Googled "how to smell like old money."
Editor's Notes: Grand Soir is the king of wintery amber fragrances. It’s timeless, like a Jil Sander Coat or an Auralee wool cardigan. This is an investment fragrance you’ll come back to year after year.
In the meantime have you tried fragrances with cannabis notes?
