To Every Season, a Scent: 7 Fresh Perfume Picks For the Gift-Giving Season

Who doesn’t love the idea of someone having a signature scent that defines their style, year in, year out? Your fragrance could be dating you, though, if it’s the same spritz you fell in love with a decade or two ago. Our advice: Keep your beloved perfumes on hand but play the field. Explore. Experiment. Indulge. A new fragrance that is both of the moment and in step with your personal style provides a certain je ne sais quoi that can not only energize your wardrobe but put a little swing in your step, too. Take the holidays as a seasonal cue to add some sparkle to your repertoire. 

Tastes change and trends come and go. It’s the case for all aesthetic expressions, decor and cuisine, fashion and beauty, and fragrance. Each generation has made its unique olfactory statement. Think back. If the ’80s was your social playground, chances are you have a nostalgic love for rich, spicy perfume: One whiff of YSL’s Opium or Calvin Klein’s Obsession and you’re time-travelling in your miniskirt and shoulder-padded blazer. 

An aromatic capsule of the ’90s, on the other hand, would smell of Angel, Thierry Mugler’s smells-good-enough-to-eat spritz. The innovative meld of sweet vanilla, cotton candy, amber and patchouli notes crafted by perfumer Olivier Cresp has spawned generations of copycats and is credited as modern perfumery’s first gourmand scent.

 

Today’s pop culture perfume leanings likewise reflect the zeitgeist. Diversity at the beauty counter translates to innovative combinations of ingredients, the emergence of new indie brands, a rebuff of the old-school gender binary categorization and a barely there sheerness that simply feels modern. Take, for instance, the new-release woody-amber James Eau de Parfum from the influential British niche brand Atkinsons London 1799. It combines keynotes of bergamot and pink peppercorn, white flowers, violet leaves, patchouli and musk. It is gender-fluid, simultaneously citrusy and floral and woody. It’s rich but not heavy. It suits both a swimsuit and a fine suit.

The advantage of having lived a little is that you know what you like. Take your favourite fragrances as the starting point and explore what’s new in that scent space. You love the jasmine, sparkle and ylang-ylang brightness in your beloved Chanel No. 5? Chances are you’ll feel good in one of the brand’s sublime and recently launched Les Exlusifs scents. Perhaps something sheer, floral and fruity from the iconic fashion house or even – gasp! – from another brand.  

Scent is not just a frippery, it is one of our most fundamental senses and the first one fully developed in the womb. Smell and emotion are stored as one memory in our brain’s complex and intertwined limbic system. When you experience scent, that olfactory impression heads straight to your olfactory bulb. From there, the info travels to the limbic system, which includes many interconnected components such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. These are the structures that govern emotion, motivation and behaviour. So why not let science help guide your fragrance-shopping strategy? 

Tap into your memory bank to a time and place where you felt your boldest, sexiest, most-confident self – perhaps a place, city or setting that was mesmerizing and even life-changing. Imagine the scent of that moment. Now, doesn’t that feel like the perfect, inspirational place to start when selecting a new  fragrance?

On that note, here’s to tiptoeing out of your comfort zone this holiday season with a fabulous new scent. It is undeniably the accessory that telegraphs your personality and style immediately – without saying a word.

 

 

Essential Fragrances For You and Yours

 

1. For Floral Fanatics

When classics like Chanel No. 5 and Dior’s J’adore hold pride of place on your dressing table, make a modern move with Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Paris. The woody-floral fragrance sparkles with sheer notes of rose, citrus, peppercorn and patchouli. Another option: Carolina Herrera Good Girl Blush. This cheeky-chic floral has a heart of peony with warm vanilla and sunshiny ylang-ylang. For something more dramatic, there’s Serge Lutens Collection Noire La Fille de Berlin, which celebrates the iconic rose but with stem and
thorns attached.

2. For Fruit Lovers

Peach, pear, plum: If fruity fragrances have long been your go-to – maybe Lancôme’s Trésor or the yummy Juicy Couture original of 2006 – try the latest from Paco Rabanne: Lady Million Royal. It whips together a bouquet of jasmine, tuberose and orange blossom with notes of pomegranate and a sultry, wood-amber-musk essence. There’s also Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia, with berry notes, patchouli and sweet magnolia. Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle will also appeal with its juicy mix of bergamot, green pear and vanilla.

3. For Gourmands

Thierry Mugler broke the fragrance mould with his Angel perfume back in 1992. Those who have been wearing the spritz since then might consider an update. Try Lust for Sun from Juliette Has a Gun. You’ll smell a tiny bit like dessert, given its solar notes of coconut and vanilla, but in an elevated and delicious way. The new Hermès Tutti Twilly is also fresh and charming with flowers, ginger, lychee and musk.

4. For Beach BUMS

Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Giò and Davidoff Cool Water are icons of ozonic scents. When you’re drawn to the beach and other watery, spa-like escapes in your scent choices, try Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey Pivoine Intense. It’s an aquatic scent injected with delicate florality and fruit. Maison Margiela Replica Sailing Day is another ozonic spritz with marine notes in combination with spice and orris (iris root). The result is both oceanic and soothingly aromatic.

5. For Forest Fans

You’ve worn Dior Fahrenheit, Bleu de Chanel and Tom Ford Oud Wood. We too appreciate the timeless allure of sandalwood, cedar, vetiver and patchouli. For an update, explore the latest Issey Miyake spritz, L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme Vétiver Intense and the new-release Atkinsons James Eau De Parfum. The former is a woody aromatic that spotlights ginger, clary sage and vetiver, while the latter is a spectacular warm, amber-floral scent with a refined dry-down of vetiver and patchouli.

6. For Citrus Seekers  

Can’t get enough of Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue and Acqua di Parma’s Colonia? We applaud your good taste, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t head to the Guerlain counter for a fresh fix. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver and Mandarine Basilic Forte each possess lemon as their central character and then weave fragrance magic via innovative citrus and herbal pairings. They’re divine.

7. For Flora and Fauna Enthusiasts

Do not, we repeat, do not discard your iconic Dior Eau Sauvage, but do head directly to your nearest Hermès fragrance counter to inhale the latest olfactory creation from perfumer Christine Nagel. Hermès Un Jardin à Cythère is many things: citrusy, woody, green and grassy. Nagel describes it simply as “blond.” Another apt label would be “elegant.” For an additional aromatic option, check out the new Yves Saint Laurent Libre L’Absolu Platine perfume, with its sensual floral mix of orange blossom and lavender accords. 

A version of this article appeared in the Dec 2023/Jan 2024 issue with the headline ‘To Every Season, A Scent’, p. 96.

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