Autumn is a beloved time of year for many – the oncoming chill in the air brings the promise of spooky movies watched under a blanket with a hot drink, the smells of sweet things baking in the oven, and a general sense of coziness and comfort. For fragrance lovers, it’s a chance to finally bring out some of the warmer, sweeter scents that become too cloying in the heat. For many of us, though, summer still lingers during unseasonably warm October days. Here are 7 gorgeous fragrances that, to me, capture this time of year.
22 Orris by Ledda is a surprising, unique, and captivating scent with notes including wild freesia, sheer jasmine, iris butter, sandalwood, marshmallow musks, and more. It’s warm and addictive–to me, there’s a hint of baking bread. Creamy, intimate, and comforting, this one exudes luxury, and the opening floral notes keep it from becoming too heavy. It would work as a signature scent or on an elegant evening out, and also comes in the form of a soy wax blend candle.
Tom Ford’s Santal Blush seems to have been made for autumn. The chocolate-brown bottle houses amber juice, making it the perfect decor for your dresser next to a mini pumpkin. Sandalwood, ylang ylang, cinnamon, and woods combine for a sensual, alluringly unisex scent. I love the trail this one leaves; it fills the air with a mysterious sillage that makes me think of tarot cards and black witch hats. Find it at Bluemercury.
Love Tuberose by Amouage is a new obsession of mine–it’s a bouquet of white flowers mixed with chantilly cream, making it the perfect perfume for a transition period from warm to cool. Tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine make up the top notes, which give way to the aforementioned chantilly cream, vanilla, cedarwood, and sandalwood. This fragrance is a marriage of contradiction–heady florals magically transform into a gourmand cloud, right before your nose.
When I think of patchouli, I admittedly think of fall. Its verdant earthiness lends itself to this season of crunchy leaves and campfires among evergreen trees. This note is polarizing; you either love it or you hate it. If you happen to love it, you must try Guerlain’s new Patchouli Paris as soon as possible. Perfumer Delphine Jelk calls this fragrance note “hard to tame” – but she managed to do so in an amazing way, combining it with aldehydes and musks for an addictive scent that seems to never stop unfolding on the skin.
What’s more autumnal than sipping tea under a knit throw in front of the fireplace, watching an old film in the days leading up to Halloween? What if you could capture this in a fragrance? To me, Jovoy Paris’ Remember Me does just that. A tea scent with cardamom, frangipani, and vanilla, it’s comforting, soft, and simply spellbinding. If you’re not already drinking a chai latte when you spritz this on, you’ll soon want to put on the kettle.
If you like sweet scents, Oriana by Parfums de Marly is a must. It starts out fresh with a burst of mandarin, bergamot, and grapefruit but quickly warms into a sugared orange blossom and blackcurrant scent, complemented by marshmallow, chantilly cream, musk, and more. It reminds me of cotton candy, not necessarily because of the scent itself but because of the fluffiness it brings to mind. If the color pink were a perfume, it would be Oriana. This is the perfect scent for those who love fruity florals, but want something deeper now that summer is long gone.
One of my favorite notes to wear in autumn is vanilla. Think pure vanilla extract wafting up to your nose as you bake cookies on a chilly afternoon. Margot Elena’s perfume brand, Library of Flowers, has a scent called True Vanilla that smells exactly like this. Made up of three simple notes–bergamot, dark vanilla, and amber–it’s delicious and genderless. It’s also an amazing layering fragrance. If you’ve ever wanted to dab some of the ingredient onto your wrist while mixing up the dough, you will love this one.
