The best winter fragrances will make you look forward to colder weather. Even if you already have that reliable signature scent, it may need swapping for certain occasions or seasons. In the winter, you can look for something to spice things up — even literally — with notes like coriander, ginger, and cinnamon. Or perhaps a mixture of woods, some tinged with vanilla and rum, or a seductive smoky smell. Each of these wear well during the colder months, when we all need a little extra warmth.
We’re not saying you should give up your signature scent. Hey, maybe you’ll find a wonderful woody scent year-round, even if it’s natural winter. But it’s also interesting to have a few different fragrances to rotate through each year, and one of them definitely needs to lean towards the colder half of the year. As a bonus, these are also scents that usually work well at night during shoulder season or on days all year round.
Here are our picks for the best winter fragrances for men. Find one (or more!) to add to your rotation this season.
The best new winter perfume
Aesop’s 2022 launch is the winter rookie of the year thanks to its crowd-pleasing combination of black pepper, sandalwood and frankincense. Eidesis is definitely indicated for colder days because of these passionate, pungent and woody notes, but they radiate in a subtle and alluring way day and night, both up and down buttons. It doesn’t attract too much attention by itself, which is exactly what many people want in a perfume.
Best Indie Winter Fragrance
Newbie Gabar is one of the perfume industry’s rising stars, with a trio of scents that celebrate and share the founders’ Burmese roots. “Don’t make us pick a favorite,” we plead before finally picking No. II Ground is the winner. Its perfect recipe is inspired by Myanmar’s famous and traditional Thanaka ice cream; The scent surrounds the woody shell, with embellishments of figs, saffron and sandalwood.
The sexiest winter perfume
With Nanban (and with all Arquiste scents), people will ask what scent you’re wearing and then they’ll take a note. This masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, giving way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of incense, resin aromatic and cade juniper. No embellishments there: Nanban is liquid gold.
The best winter fragrances for perennial wear
Black Gold is indisputably a winter fragrance, with all the ingredients: leather, patchouli, musk, vetiver, amber, cinnamon, nutmeg. However, the result is a remarkable degree of its seasonality. Paired with the right personality, it will also play perfectly on the beach in July.
The best patchouli winter perfume
The rhythm is harmonious with essences of earth and wood, and a hint of violet leaves to accentuate everything. It’s the perfect implementation on Quang patchouli—an ingredient that stirs the senses while warming the spirit. (The once despised note is also getting a well-deserved renaissance.)
Best skin winter perfume
One of our favorites skin perfume, this one combines sweet hero notes with sandalwood, pepper and frankincense. The heavenly ensemble wraps you up like one of the brand’s own cowhide coats.
The best vanilla winter perfume
If only there was a cocktail that tasted like this vanilla-ambrous-coriander mix. “I’ll have a dirty vanilla!” there is such a ring with it. Luckily, you can whisper that to yourself when you hover over “Add to Cart” this season, in one of the less polarizing vanilla potions available. Instead, this note invites the company with its vanilla heart and lets the other notes do the talking. Those notes include bold cedar and sandalwood, stirring patchouli, sweet amber, and the aforementioned spicy coriander.
The best Vetiver winter fragrance
Hermès has blessed us with a winter version of the original Terre D’Hermès scent. With Eau Intense Vétiver, you’ll notice less orange notes instead of pronounced woody notes and subtle spiciness (vetiver and Sichuan pepper to be exact).
The best winter fragrance for date night
There’s a time and place for something rich in frankincense, turpentine, guaiac wood, and black tea like this one: That moment is date night (first day or five hundredth day), during which Indigo Smoke creates a magnetic smoke, stirring around it. the person who wear. You can wear it year-round—but it’s best for low-light situations where you want a little extra heat.
The best non-winter perfume for winter
In many ways, this scent is the antithesis of winter, as it imagines a sunny walk through blooming Roman gardens. But many of the best scents to wear in cold weather are those that remind us of spring ahead and help us stay optimistic through the hard January. We Met in Roma also tries to warm the wearer with frankincense and iris, so it can be argued that this is, in fact, a winter scent but with a sweet floral opening.
Best dry perfume for winter
Solid perfumes are extremely underrated; it’s easy to target your pulse points (instead of losing half the product to spray the wrong way). That’s exactly what you’d do with an intoxicating scent like Calle Ocho—rich with cinnamon, rum, tobacco and sandalwood—it warms the senses instantly, and most of all, the tin can move freely, even discreetly in your pocket if you need to recharge after work.
The most luxurious winter perfume
Good Fir for Great fir in this Coloradan ode, running around other woody scents. It’s a beautiful ensemble of notes, from pink pepper and moss to vetiver and white musk—even fresh and fragrant banana leaves, spicy ginger, and sweet tuberose. Many woody fragrances dethrone the tree by being overly decorative in the formula, but this perfume combines all of those notes scientifically perfectly. (And, imagine, it will be suitable year round evergreen also wear.)
The best winter fragrances for first time users
A long-standing staple in the Boss family, Boss Bottled blends crisp apple, cinnamon, mahogany, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood and vanilla. It’s a great candidate for perennial wear, but you’ll probably want to save it for October through April for its sheer comfort. First-time perfumers will also love the scent, thanks to its universal appeal, accessible price point, and ability to elicit compliments.
The best winter fragrances for nights and weekends
Cashmere wood and tonka beans are the highlight of Byredo’s winter, opening with crunchy bergamot and Nepalese pepper (known as ban timmur). Its focus is on an exotic combination of carrot seeds, rum, and figs. The spicy-woody Mélange has an after-work air about it, making it a great perennial player to wear on cold winter nights.
