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I adore dark, spicy, sexy scents that have an air of mystery to them. No matter the season, lean in for a hug with me, and you’ll be met with a woody fragrance. Autumnal perfumes are my entire personality. These indulgent scents linger more than most, which means they have the power to set the tone for the entire day. It’s the heady caramels, sultry vanillas and buttery musks that go hand in hand with a mulled wine and a snuggly cashmere blanket in front of a crackling fire.
I’m a signature scent kind of girl – a fragrance monogamist, if you will. I don’t play the perfume field. But I’m not immune to the hype of a cult scent. Fashion and beauty editors fawn over Le Labo – you’ll most likely find one of these apothecary-style bottles on their desk or dressing table. Santal 33 is one of the brand’s best sellers, perhaps because it smells so luxuriously expensive yet understated. In fact, it was so popular in New York at one point that articles were written about just how many people were wearing it. So yes, it’s everywhere. But the enduring appeal of Santal 33 is undeniable, especially come autumn when your dusted-off leather jacket is calling for a haze of that familiar cocktail of iris, cardamom, cedarwood and sandalwood.
Scroll through any in-the-know influencer’s grid and you’ll spy a bottle of Byredo amongst their collection. The black-domed bottles have become somewhat iconic thanks to their dream-like names and brand founder Ben Gorham’s abstract yet intriguing interpretations of scent. A modern classic, Byredo’s best-selling Gypsy Water is another aromatic obsession whose ubiquity is worth ignoring for a dose of feel-good freshness. Who wouldn’t want to be enveloped in notes of amber, pine needles and sandalwood, with an energising hit of citrusy juniper and bergamot?
Like anything, it’s most important that what we wear makes us feel good. I’m a sucker for a smoky, comforting scent – the olfactory equivalent of a cosy cashmere jumper – and the one I keep reaching for is Maison Margiela’s By The Fireplace. This one is rich, woody, spicy, and sweet all at once with a complexity that cloaks you in the scent of crisp bank notes. (Figuratively, of course. Actual money doesn’t smell so great.) The best part? It’s totally unisex so you can share it with anyone who’d also like to smell rich. Needless to say, it’s exactly what the best autumnal perfumes should smell like and yes, it is best worn while curled into an armchair beside by a blazing fire.
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This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of IMAGE.
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