Naomi Jamieson
If you subscribe to the notion of seasonal scents, then autumn marks a shift towards moodier blends, peppered with smoky spices, warm musks and creamy elements. Just one spritz of these so-called autumn fragrances will envelope you in cosiness, like being swaddled in a chunky knit blanket - and we have 12 blends, in particular, to recommend.
Generally speaking, there are two types of people: those who cling to summer, mourning the end of long sunny weekends by wearing flip-flops well into boot season. And then there are those who practically vibrate at the prospect of jumper weather, pumpkin-spiced lattes and cosy evenings in. One glance at our team's bulging coat cupboards will tell you that we're firmly in the latter camp, with a plethora of autumn-centric long-lasting perfumes ready and waiting in the wings for the moment the calendar reads September. This genre of scent speaks to our cold-weather-loving souls, with its abundance of warming wood notes, elegant spices and decadently rich gourmands.
12 classic and cosy autumn fragrances, as chosen by our team
While there are merits to having timeless signatures on hand, for easy, everyday wear, nothing sparks excitement for a new season quite like a perfume to match.
"Christian Dior once famously said that, 'Fragrance is the ultimate fashion accessory; you are never truly dressed without a fragrance,'" says Carl Groenewald, Dior Parfums UK Ambassador. "As we change the clothes we wear, we too can change the fragrance we wear to suit the seasons." Jo Malone CBE, founder of Jo Loves agrees. “If you wear a beautiful linen shirt in summer, it requires a different scent to you wearing amber-coloured cashmere in winter. It's wonderful to take your fragrance up a notch and add a bit more spice or heaviness to mimic the fabric and time of the year."
So with all that in mind, these are the 12 autumn-ready blends we recommend, from the likes of Byredo to Chanel...
RRP: £56 for 30ml | Notes: pear accord, mandarin essence, vanilla, orange blossom, white flowers, black coffee accord, cedarwood essence, white musk and patchouli.
Reviewed by: Stephanie Maylor and Fiona McKim
Fiona: Plenty of autumn fragrances describe themselves as addictive but this genuinely offers the same dopamine bump as my top daily vice, because guess what? It smells like coffee. More like a sweet mocha than an 8 am black americano, but if you like a brew, chances are you'll find this as moreish as we do. It's got heady florals and vanilla to balance things out, and is distinctive enough that people will probably know what you are wearing. While the glitzy bottle has an air of the night about it, I find a spritz offers a nice energy kick on gloomy mornings.
RRP: £150 for 50ml | Notes: Ban Timmur, rum, carrot seeds, wild fig, tonka bean and cashmere woods
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim
Byredo founder Ben Gorham never just makes perfume; he creates concepts. This sounds a little pretentious, but as a Beauty Editor, I lap that kind of thing up. And even if you don't, just know that this brand never puts out a duff scent. This is described as being like the "last perfume on earth" with a distinctly Eastern-inspired cocktail of fig, Sichuan pepper, resins and plum. Whenever I wear this, it gives me a wood and spice overload, bringing to mind bonfires and incense, which does feel a bit end-of-days. But also just like a truly excellent, distinctive autumn scent.
RRP: from £62 for 30ml | Notes: pink pepper essence, orange flower absolute, clove oil, chestnut accord, gaïac wood oil, cade oil, vanilla accord, Peru Balsam and cashmeran
Reviewed by: Naomi Jamieson
Nothing screams autumn to me quite like snuggling up next to a glowing hearth, and this fragrance bottles up that nostalgic scene to perfection. Aptly-named 'By the Fireplace,' this scent opens with furls of smoke, before rich spices and warming woods envelope your senses. It's incredibly cosy, but despite its initial fiery feel, it's not overpowering. I find it to be a very close, intimate sort of scent that is both comforting and comfortable wear (compared to a heady oud, let's say.) Truly, this chic number was made for autumn spritzing.
RRP: £116 for 50ml | Notes: cypress, grapevine and moss
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim
Instead of the usual warmth, I think this autumn fragrance feels a bit chilly. Specifically, like walking in a forest, taking lungfuls of crisp air. It's green and bracing without relying on citrus for freshness, which is clever. As a cologne intense, this is more luxe and long-lasting than other Jo Malone scents. It's one of the best Jo Malone fragrances, if you ask me.
RRP: £45 for 30ml | Notes: Iso E Super
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim
Not strictly an autumn fragrance (I wear it all year round), but it does come into its own during chillier months when the Iso E Super ingredient, which reacts with your body to create a unique smell, seems to kick into high gear. It smells different on everyone, but many find it musky, woody, and enduring for an EDT. Don't expect fireworks; it's nicely low-key, but others will notice it, so definitely do expect people to ask what it is.
RRP: £172 for 50ml | Notes: patchouli, birch, styrax, and vanilla
Reviewed by: Naomi Jamieson
Le Labo is one brand that does warm and 'autumnal' scents very well. Santal 33, for instance, is often touted as a great cold-weather pick, but for those seeking something sultrier and far smokier, it's Patchouli 24 that I recommend. It blends patchouli with birch, styrax and a hint of vanilla to create a scent that is both warm and spicy, but with a silkiness to it that makes it feel so chic and sexy. Personally, I cannot think of a better combo than this fragrance layered over a cosy knit jumper.
RRP: £119 for 50ml | Notes: caramel apple, spiced rum, chocolate oud
Reviewed by: Sennen Prickett
The autumnal months are the perfect time to indulge in a gourmand fragrance, and this Kayali scent takes the cake for me. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to delicious spiced cinnamon apples, this fragrance is reminiscent of cosying up on the sofa on a rainy day with a mug of hot chocolate. Boasting a warming and almost delectable blend of notes, including spiced oud, chocolate, caramel apple and cinnamon, this rich and elegant perfume dries down to reveal a sweet yet musky aroma. That said, it’s not overly sweet, instead taking a more sophisticated, chic and grown-up approach to typically gourmand scents.
RRP: £62 for 35ml | Notes: Orange, Bergamot, Turkish Rose, Jasmine, Mimosa, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli, White Musk, Vanilla, Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Opoponax
Reviewed by: Stephanie Maylor
This was the fragrance that I wore going into sixth form. It was the fragrance I wore when I met my now-husband at the start of Year 13. It was then also the fragrance I wore on my wedding day, 10 years later, almost to the day. So naturally, it will always carry back-to-school vibes. Sparkling citrus top notes and a rich, sensual medley of deep patchouli, vanilla and white musk make this a classic ambery scent that feels so right for autumn.
RRP: £110 for 50ml | Notes: Guatemalan cardamom, grapefruit, black tea, orange blossom, Virginian cedarwood, Indonesian patchouli and leather accord
Reviewed by: Fiona McKim
A relative newcomer to my collection, this comes from a heritage French brand (Est.1830), and I'm so glad it's arrived on our shores. D'Orsay's gender-neutral scents are all worth a sniff, but this is my favourite, marrying hazy 'last days of sunshine' vibes with sexy spice and notes including grapefruit, black tea, cardamom, and leather. This may be under the radar now, but I doubt it will be for long. My advice? Get in and make this your signature scent before everyone else discovers it.
RRP: £82 for 50ml | Notes: bergamot, mandarin, pink pepper, blackcurrant, white amber, cedarwood, lime, suede, patchouli and vetiver
Reviewed by: Stephanie Maylor
You can always count on Jo Loves to concoct a classy little number. For the die-hard Jo Malovers out there, let's play a little aroma association. If Pomelo is high summer, sun-kissed skin, la dolce vita, then Amber Lime & Bergamot perfectly encapsulates the transition to autumn. The intoxicating combination of fresh citrussy bergamot and mandarin intertwined with the warmth and elegance of amber, cedarwood, and suede hark to those still-warm autumn evenings. Like LilaNur, it's a unisex scent, and an impressively long-lasting perfume. I could still smell it on my skin after showering, which was a welcome treat.
RRP: £150 for 50ml | Olfactory family: Floral | Key notes: orange blossom, jasmine grandiflorum and centifolia rose absolutes
Reviewed by: Naomi Jamieson and Stephanie Maylor
Stephanie: One for luxury lovers. If you have the cash to flash or want to treat a loved one, this is the perfect floral for autumn (and one of the best Dior perfumes around). Director of Dior Fragrance Creation, Francis Kurkdjian, sought to isolate and pick out particular J'adore flowers – orange blossom plays a big role, as well as plush jasmine grandiflorum and centifolia rose absolutes. Compared with its J'adore and L'Or predecessors, smelling this is like wearing a blindfold - everything about the fragrance is heightened, tightened and intensified. If you don't normally do florals because you find them too sweet or powdery, you'll be pleased to know this essence is warm, sensual, and certainly feels more modern than your average flower-forward fragrance.
RRP: £95 for 50ml | Notes: Vanilla absolute, vanilla caviar and lavender
Reviewed by: Stephanie Maylor
I think gourmand fragrances, which use notes that smell almost edible, feel most at home in the colder months. This one centres around a trio of vanillas (a woody vanilla infusion, vanilla caviar and vanilla absolute, in case you were wondering), which feel fitting for a season of bountiful gluts. If vanilla, three-ways sounds a bit cloying, fear not – the effect is creamy, not sickly-sweet, and the lavender brings some nice freshness to the base. It's one of the best lavender perfumes for anyone who wants a nod to the note without smelling like a sleep spray. It's also certainly addictive. P.S. This is the first refillable perfume from Burberry, which also deserves some eco props.
How we tested the best autumn fragrances
Every one of the autumn fragrances on this list has either been worn by one of our team for months, if not years, or (in the case of newer releases and scents only recently added to our collections) at least a day or two, to test how they wear, dry down and how long they linger on the skin.
They have also been assessed on price vs strength, as there's no fair comparison between eau de toilette vs parfum. And of course, we have had to take into account those all-important aesthetics, dressing table-worthiness, and, as we gear up for the festive season, their unique giftability.
What fragrances are good for autumn?
"For the autumn and winter months, l prefer a more sensual fragrance," admits Groenewald. "A fragrance that complements the warmer clothes and materials, such as cashmere, that we may be wearing at this time of year." Groenewald suggests upping the perfume ante as the weather gets colder. "This could mean changing your signature fragrance from a light Eau de Toilette during the fresh spring and summer months to a warmer Eau de Parfum during the cooler autumn months and then to an intense Parfum during winter."
According to Rebecca Herd, fragrance expert from The Perfume Shop, the notes themselves denote seasonality. "We suggest changing your perfumes with the seasons based on the ingredients within the perfumes themselves. For example, in the spring and summer months you may go for a perfume with floral and fruit ingredients, whilst in autumn and winter you may want to choose a perfume with warming ingredients such as vanilla, amber and sandalwood," she says.
Does the changing weather affect how autumn fragrance smells?
"Heat makes a perfume's ingredients dry down quicker, meaning you would be able to smell the middle and base notes quicker as the top notes of the scent would be the first to react in the heat," explains Herd. In autumn, the opposite is true, so Herd suggests choosing something heavier than an Eau de Toilette. "Eau de Parfum or Parfum are made with higher concentrations of essential oils. These perfumes usually have a woody base note, such as sandalwood, cedarwood or Benzoin, which really last on the skin."
Jo Malone agrees. "When I am in Dubai and it's quite hot, the fragrance develops very quickly, whereas in autumn in London the water evaporates slower, so you need to be slightly more patient with your fragrance." The plus side, she admits, is that this means it will linger for longer.
What are the big autumn fragrance trends?
"Bolder and more intense fragrances are set to be trending for the cooler season ahead," reports Groenewald. Their aim, he says, is not to overpower, "but simply to attract more attention."
This power perfume trend is echoed in the types of fragrances that are gaining popularity, according to Herd. "Going into autumn/winter, we will see notes reminiscent of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, as we see more Parfums and Elixirs in the marketplace."
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