Three winter fragrance trends to add to your collection

There is, of course, nothing to say the same fragrance can’t be worn and loved all year round. Or that a lightweight citrus scent should only be spritzed in warm weather. However there’s something quite delightful about fully embracing all the sensory pleasures of a season – and this extends to the fragrance that’s selected to complement a wintery outfit or evoke radiance on a gloomy day. In this vein, these three scent categories offer a new approach to perfumery that’s just right for winter 2023. 

Skin scents

Fresh and clean but never simplistic, “skin scents” evoke memories of intimacy, the moniker nodding to a craving for touch and tenderness. The nickname evolved quite organically to capture this feeling and the fragrances in this group draw heavily on notes of musk and rose – complex, familiar but ever-so-slightly animalistic. They also pair beautifully with cosy knitwear, especially cashmere worn next to the skin. 

Consider these fragrances the olfactory equivalent of a coy glance through heavily lidded eyes. Spritzing one is akin to beckoning others to come closer.

Try it with: Persian Rose Perfume Oil – with its soft musk and ambery base and damascene rose heart, this is the ultimate skin scent.   

Earth notes

With the world in constant flux, who isn’t searching for something to comfort and nurture? Enter a collection of fragrance notes that are connected to the earth – grounding, reliable, inviting a moment of calm.  

It’s no coincidence that many of these are woody notes – velvety sandalwood, energy-clearing guaiac wood, noble and resinous agarwood. They are literally of the earth and they help keep us tethered to the ground.

Try it with: Bois d'Epices Parfum – with its warm, woody accord of sandalwood, cedar wood and guaiac wood, it’s little wonder this scent has become known as the ultimate mood-booster. 

Florals with a twist

Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking but for winter? That’s worthy of a second glance. The trick to wearing this ever-popular fragrance family this winter is to lean towards headier florals that are composed with other sophisticated and unexpected notes.  

With their tropical connotations, florals like ylang-ylang, orchid and tuberose may seem a natural fit for summer however they have an intensity that holds up equally in the colder months and pairs supremely well with leather and suede.

Try it with: Balinese Ylang Ylang Perfume Oil – a true year-round floral, it warms with spicy black pepper and caramelised vanilla, and dries down to reveal the lush eroticism of its namesake flower. 

Written by Michelle Bateman