Fragrance has the miraculous power to transform our mood.
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, spritzing a delicious aroma can do wonders to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder – best paired with a SAD lamp, cosy blankets and a warming fire. And there is actually a scientific reason for this.
The nose is sometimes referred to as the “window to the brain” as it is the shortest sensory nerve and the quickest route from environment to brain. Molecules are detected by the nose which sends electrical signals to the olfactory bulb. This is why smell, memory and well-being are so inextricably linked.
Perfume is a deeply personal choice and while many of us may have a signature scent that we wear all year round, there are deeply rooted associations between specific notes and the time of year - something that is ingrained in childhood and linked to the foods that we eat and the festivals that we celebrate.
It is a longstanding tradition in the fragrance space to reserve rich, heavy and enveloping aromas for when the temperatures plummet, bringing a warming feel that may be overwhelming in the summertime.
Scents that sit under the umbrella of wood, oriental and those with notes like tonka bean, caramel and vanilla are favoured due to their intensity and complexity as well as spicey touches like cinnamon, cardamom, and clove.
But that is not to say that the typically fruity and fresh summery scents should be left to gather dust. Take the winter season as an opportunity to get creative with layering to give them greater depth.
We have selected the latest winter perfumes to add to your cold-weather scent wardrobe below.
Merit Retrospect Extrait de Parfum
Two years in the making, Merit wanted to perfect its foray into the fragrance category and so took a meticulous approach to its formulation. Retrospect comes after 200 rounds of development and is a rich and enveloping aroma that only gets better with wear.
The complex sense is composed of notes of bergamot, pear, and aldehydes, a heart of jasmine, synthetic rose, rosemary, violet, and orris, and a bottom of vanilla, musk and moss. The result is clean yet somehow rich too where the floral centre develops with a warming finish. In testing, 86 per cent agree they can still smell the fragrance on their skin after 12 hours of wear.
Buy now £79.00, Merit
Jo Malone Fir & Artemisia Cologne
A classically Christmassy cologne, Jo Malone has set the woody note of fir at the centre of this seasonal scent. It is woven with aromatic artemisia – a freshness that lightens the deep, sensual leather note.
Buy now £124.00, John Lewis
Vyrao Mamajuju
A homage to the richness of the earth, Mamajuju is the eighth fragrance from Vyrao’s Yasmin Sewell. The balance-providing elixir is a tribute to Mother Nature and combines 12 ingredients selected to boost self-esteem, memory and relaxation. These include sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, nutmeg oil and pink pepper.
Buy now £165.00, Vyrao
NEST New York Vanilla Bourbon Eau de Parfum 50ml
Tapping into one of the season’s most popular fragrance trends, Nest has spotlit vanilla for its warming winter elixir but forget any preconceived notion of the category as overly sweet as the New York-born fragrance label has balanced its saccharine touch to reflect the sensual cocktail bars in its namesake location, using vanilla bourbon absolute with orange bitters and caramelised brown sugar. It even takes a floral turn with night-blooming jasmine before drying down with soft musk for a deep, seductive base.
Buy now £82.00, Cult Beauty
DISCOTHÉQUE Heathens Cowboys Santaana Winds eau de parfum 50ml
Discothèque was founded to recreate the party spirit of the world’s most iconic, late-night establishments where each of its candles takes inspiration from a club, time and ambience and are housed in vibrant exteriors. Now the seductive scent label has expanded into personal fragrances, and it follows a similar approach.
The seven unisex aromas are designed to evoke a seductive spot in the global party capitals. Baise Moi On The Dancefloor, for instance, takes its cues from Les Bains Douches in Paris, a 19th-century bathhouse with attendees including Andy Warhol, performances from Prince and Depeche Mode and is attributed with giving designer Philippe Starck and resident DJ David Guetta their worldwide acclaim. The name may not be safe for work, but the scent is woody or aromatic.
Heathens Cowboys Santaana Winds reflects the glamour and “unrestrained debauchery” of LA’s Helena’s - a no-photo private member’s club beloved by Marlon Brando, Madonna, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep and Prince. It has top notes of palmarosa, amyris, sweet grass, tea leaf, a heart of sandalwood, cedarwood, cardamom and a base of golden amber, white musk, and suede that combine to create the green-woody aroma.
Buy now £120.00, Selfridges
Bottega Veneta Colpo di Sole - Eau de Parfum
Venice is the inspiration behind Bottega Veneta’s latest fragrance collection – the first under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy. To reflect its reputation as a hub of cross-trade, the five-strong line-up takes elements from all four corners of the world.
Colpo di Sole is a warming aroma that intermingles touches of French Angelica oil and orange blossom absolute from Morocco that brings sunshine to the darkest of winter days.
There is also Come with Me – a mix of citrusy Italian bergamot with the powdery violet of French orris butter, Acqua Salemerges to mimic saltwater on skin and the rich Déjà Minuit that combines geranium from Madagascar with the spice of Guatemalan cardamom.
The bottles have been mouth-blown with air bubbles in each and are set in green Verde Saint Denis marble - two elements integrated into Blazy’s Winter 24 show space and stores.
Buy now £350.00, Bottega Veneta
Who Is Elijah Nomad Eau De Parfum 50ml
Impulse personalities will like Nomad from Aussie brand Who Is Elijah. The versatile fragrance can be worn any place, any time and by anyone, achieved through its ingredients which belong to no less than three scent families. Amberwood sits at the heart with Bulgarian rose and ambergris, sandwiched between saffron, Egyptian jasmine and almond at the top and cedar, fir resin, mush and moss at the base. Despite the mix, it's a very light scent.
Buy now £80.00, Boots
