What makes a ‘winter perfume’?
Our sensory experiences are inextricably seasonal: through the materials we wear, the food we consume and subsequently, our relationship with taste and smell. In the same way that savouring a rich mug of hot chocolate during the height of August has little appeal, dousing oneself with crisp and ozonic fragrance notes can be somewhat jarring when it’s bitterly cold outside.
Temperature also dictates a perfume’s sillage (the scent trail left by the wearer), projection (the distance it travels from the wearer) and also the way in which scent molecules interact with the skin. Heat decreases longevity; cold increases it. But the opposite is true with sillage and projection, meaning that gourmand, spicy, or resinous notes (often used in the base of a perfume) can become cloying in summer, but infuse the air with a much-needed sense of warmth during winter.
Below is a list of fragrances that do just that, ranging from niche scents designed by innovative independent brands to modern classics from major luxury houses.
Leather fragrances
Dior
Inspired by the iconic John Galliano designed Saddle bag of the early 2000s, Dior’s Cuir Saddle is a leather fragrance that, like the bag itself, stays close to the skin, melding with it to become a natural extension of its wearer. Master perfumer Francis Kurkdijan, describes the fragrance as ‘trompe l'oeil’ or ‘nude leather’ that straddles the line between the raw, animalistic qualities of traditional leather fragrances and the subtle intimacy of skin fragrances. It’s an ideal choice for those who want a sophisticated winter fragrance that is warm without being overtly rich.
Floral fragrances
Dries Van Noten
Violet fragrances are hard to get right, easily veering into an old-fashioned powdery-floral or the chalky sweetness of Parma Violets, but Dries Van Noten’s take on the ingredient takes on a new complexity thanks to the addition of sesame and barley. The warm, nutty quality of those ingredients proves a perfect foil for violet, together creating Velvet Violet, a truly unique take on the classic ingredient.
It’s softness means it transitions nicely between seasons, but it’s a particularly nice winter choice for those who prefer floral scents, but want the depth and complexity that suits the season.
Acqua di Parma
Acqua di Parma is synonymous with Italian sunshine and its signature fresh and citrussy colognes. But ‘Luce di Rosa’, with rich floral notes of Bulgarian Rose and verdant geranium has a darker facet to its character: a grounding of vetiver, guaiac wood and cedarwood, finishing with the embrace of musk.
Perfumer H
Rose With Insect from cult favourite brand Perfumer H is a dark reimagining of a classic rose fragrance with succulent notes of peach and neroli, spicy cardamom and metallic aldehydes inspired by the glint of an insect's wing. It is a unique interpretation of a classic rose fragrance that, in the words of Perfumer Lyn Harris, ‘evokes a tainted idyll where perfection is unsettled, and fragility becomes desirable.'
Vanilla fragrances
Marissa Zappas
Joining the roster of fragrances created by Marissa Zappas for her namesake brand is ‘Carnival of Souls’, inspired by the 1962 B-movie of the same name. (It was fittingly released on 31 October, to mark Halloween). With notes of mimosa cream, violet, saffron and vanilla, plus incense and musk, Zappas has described it as a ‘melancholic celebration of life (and death), and the radiant psychedelia of survival’.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton's ‘Fantasmagory’ is one of the newer additions to its Les Extraits Collection, a line of perfumes for which in-house nose Jacques Cavallier Belletrud reinterprets classic perfumery notes into idiosyncratic new fragrances.
‘Fantasmagory’s’ central focus is a remarkably pure vanilla note. To create it, the brand cryogenically freezes a whole vanilla pod prior to CO2 extraction, producing a scent that is ‘akin to smoothing a vanilla pod's natural essence directly over bare skin.’ Almond notes add a creaminess to the vanilla’s natural sweetness, while the addition of CO2-extracted ginger adds a touch of freshness. Visionary architect Frank Gehry designed the bottle with soft curves and a silver cap inspired by the appearance of a wind-blown flower.
Tabacco fragrances
Maison Crivelli has earned star status among niche fragrance houses thanks to its potent, long-lasting blends that draw on its founder’s often unusual memories— having a coffee in a volcano, drinking hibiscus tea in a gemstone market—to create unconventional scents. Tobacco Carnaval is the brand’s newest fragrances and also one of its best, inspired by the hedonism of a late-night party during carnival. A blend of rich tobacco with the caramel-like sweetness of rum, it’s a scent made for those who want something warm and spicy from their winter fragrance.
Fruity fragrances
Vyrao’s Ever 11 scent combines the dark, juicy quality of black cherry with smoky patchouli and soft rose. It’s an unconventional fragrance that is a velvety winter-ready interpretation of the fruity scents usually suited to warmer weather days. As with all Vyrao scents, Ever 11 was developed in conjunction with the IFF department that studies the neuroscientific effect of scent on emotion. According to their studies Ever 11 improves self-esteem by 97 percent, and a spritz of its opulent notes certainly, in our experience, makes you feel better than you did before
Skin fragrances
The Nue Co
The Nue Co’s ‘First Milk’ is an ideal choice for those who prefer their winter fragrances to be more subtle. One of three scents in the brand’s ‘nostalgic’ functional fragrance line, with scents that use neuroscientific research to trigger certain emotions, ‘First Milk’ is designed to evoke the infantile comfort of a person’s first scent memory. Made with notes of almond milk, tonka bean, and iris, this ‘skin fragrance’ infuses the natural scent of its wearer with an intimate, creamy quality that lives up to its promise of being instantly calming.
Frederic Malle
‘L’Eau d’Hiver’, created in 2003 by nose Jean Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle, translates to ‘winter water’. The perfume has been rather accurately described by the brand as ‘fluffy’ and ‘like a perfect scarf, warm and light at the same time, inviting you to curl up with it’. Weightless enough to be worn all year round with top notes of bergamot, the heliotrope in its base notes provides a gourmand and powdery base.