scents of autumn
Here is the second installation of my perfume recommendations, solely based on the moody nighttime vibes of autumn:
J’adore Eau de Parfum by Dior. An absolute winner by “clean girl” standards. The packaging is incredible and eye catching, which is important when you have a collection. It’s a floral scent, with notes of ylang-ylang, damascena rose, and jasmine. My best friend describes this scent as seductive, with heavy notes of jasmine, which is always a good thing. Although it’s made up completely of florals, I wouldn’t describe it as overpowering or like an “old lady” perfume that some florals can become. While I’m recommending this for fall, it wouldn’t hurt to add this to your Christmas list.
Desertland by Oribe. The brand aptly describes this scent as “capturing both the sandy heat of the day and the cool vastness of the quiet night”. If you lean away from sweet scents and tend to find yourself drawn to more masculine scents, this ones for you. It balances a feminine seductive quality with a musky undertone. This scent transitions wonderfully from a summer day to an autumn night.
La Panthere by Cartier. Now this one’s a real winner in my eyes. It was gifted to me by my mother, and is a crown jewel of my collection. This scent includes gardenia and apricot, and is described as “a caress on the skin”. These are balanced by the addition of a “chypre” base, giving this fragrance a moody depth that’s perfect for the increasingly dark days of fall. I’ve never met someone else who’s owned this scent and find it to be exciting in its uniqueness.
Autumn Vibes by Maison Margiela. While technically this is considered a men’s fragrance, this scent has earned it’s place in the list…It’s in the name! I don’t personally own this one, so I called in backup. My best friend describes this fragrance as “exceptionally nostalgic, as Margiela’s perfumes tend to be. It’s very woodsy, and leans to the masculine side of unisex. Something about it just smells rich, perhaps the cedar note. It smells just like walking in freshly fallen leaves on a rainy day. A fall staple.” I’d say there’s no higher praise to an autumn scent than that. She does tend to lean towards masculine scents while I’m pulled in by florals. She told me to note that this one is not a sweet scent. Margiela encourages you to “feel at one with nature” by adding pink pepper, coriander, and nutmeg to a base of cedarwood, oakmoss, and balsam fir. All I know is you can’t go wrong with a Replica scent.
Red Rose by Jo Malone. An absolute classic. This cologne is a masterpiece in Jo Malone’s layering repertoire. Depending on your personal preferences, you could create a layered floral scent that’s all your own. Or add this scent to a deeper, more masculine cologne. It’s very versatile, never leaning too far into sweetness or musk. You could close your eyes and imagine a rose directly under your nose. It’s described as “the essence of a modern love story”, also appropriately called, “pure”. There’s an added base note of beeswax, incorporating a deep honey scent. If you’re a Jo Malone, or scent layering fan, this one is incredible. Grab this if you want to bridge the gap between summer love and winter romance.
Honorable mention: Melrose Place by OUAI. This perfume was given the tag line, “one-ouai ticket to LA”, as the brand attempts to bottle the sunsets and valet parking the melrose area is well equipped with. This one is great if you’re still clinging to wisps of the summer season. The rosey scent contains hints of bergamot, lychee, and cedarwood. Just reading those notes, I know you can understand why I included this in my fall rec list. It’s easy to receive a sample of this when buying their hair products (especially at sephora), so see of you can get your hands on a tester of this if you ever get a chance.
