Many factors can make us choose that specific fragrance to wear each day. Whether you choose a scent based on your outfit and appearance, your day-to-day routine and environment or simply your mood, the season can also impact your choice a great deal.
Since different fragrances are best for different times of the year, you can narrow down what you like in a wintery perfume by checking out some top picks below for chilly days, like the Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison, which is ideal for a night out.
What to know before you buy a winter perfume
Understand why a seasonal perfume matters
While heat can make smells and aromas much more potent, odor molecules and their resulting scent don’t move and lift as much or as quickly in colder temperatures. Plus, our nasal receptors bury deeper in the wintertime for protection from the dry cold, weakening our sense of smell. For this reason, if you like long-lasting, noticeable fragrances a strong, heavier perfume is ideal during the winter months.
Aside from this, it’s natural and intuitive to gravitate toward scents that match the desires of the season. For instance, you might like a light, refreshing fruity scent in the summertime and something that reminds you of rich, cozy comfort like warm vanilla in the winter. Winter scents tend to match that fuzzy feeling you get from oversized, comfy sweaters, scarves and blankets.
Look at base notes
There are top, middle and base notes in every perfume and your favorite rich, sweet and warm winter scent is this way because of the base notes lingering at its core. Base notes are the most important notes during colder months because they hold a fragrance together and are typically the strongest and longest-lasting of all notes.
For a great winter perfume, you’ll want notes that are warm, woody, sweet or spicy, such as:
Amber
Vanilla
Honey
Musk
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Clove
Leather
Patchouli
Saffron
Sandalwood
Oakmoss
Cedarwood
Any of these scents can be layered on top of one another to create the perfect combination that works for your style and preference. These types of base notes are also often balanced with a bit of citrus like grapefruit, orange or bergamot.
Go for an eau de parfum
Usually, an eau de parfum is ideal for winter instead of the more common eau de toilette or eau de cologne. This is because eau de parfum has the highest concentration of perfume of the three, at about 20%. This means eau de parfum is denser and will last longer and more intensely — which is great for colder days.
Try it before you buy it
No matter what time of year it is, winter included, the best thing you can do before committing to a new fragrance is to sample it on your own skin ahead of time. Perfume smells different on absolutely everyone and different from how it smells directly from the bottle. You want to love it, especially if you’re putting out a fair investment for it, so don’t skip this step.
To get the best sense of how a fragrance will smell on you:
Lightly spray it on your wrist, elbow or another warm pulse point — but don’t rub it in. This lets the perfume warm up and release its scent without its molecules being broken up which can rush the scent-revealing process and make you miss out on the entire fragrance profile.
Wait a minimum of 15-30 minutes, so you can explore the full fragrance once it’s mixed with your body chemistry and its top notes have fully worn off.
If you can, try out the perfume in different environments. The weather and your surroundings can impact how a fragrance smells once you try it on.
Winter perfume cost
Winter perfumes and fragrances of all kinds typically range in price quite a bit. You’ll find inexpensive fragrances with less oil concentration for as low as about $5, about $30-$60 for middle-of-the-road fragrances and over $100 for many higher-end and higher-concentrated perfumes.
Winter perfume FAQ
What are the best winter perfume fragrances?
A. The best winter fragrances are often richer, denser and heavier than others. Look for spice, amber, vanilla or musk notes, or go for the woodsy family of cedarwood, sandalwood or patchouli notes.
What is the right amount of perfume to wear?
A. This will be different for everyone! To see how much perfume is best for you, lightly spray yourself once or twice, about 3-6 inches away from your wrist or another pulse point. Check how strong the scent is coming off on you. If you think you can take more once it’s settled in, go ahead and spray again. Repeat the process until you’re happy with the scent’s intensity (it’s always good to get a second opinion on this, too).
Which winter perfume should I get?
Best of the best winter perfume
Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison for Women: available at Amazon, Sephora and Ulta Beauty
Our take: If you love something a little rich, sultry and sweet, you’ll love Hypnotic Poison and its notes of orange blossom, jasmine, vanilla and tonka bean.
What we like: This is a very feminine, sensual fragrance — perfect for date night.
What we dislike: Some find this perfume reminiscent of incense, root beer or licorice, but most find it strong on vanilla, which might not be in your aroma profile.
Best bang for your buck winter perfume
Gloria Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Jardin A New York: available at Amazon
Our take: With notes of gardenia, petitgrain, peony, jasmine, neroli, amber and cedar, this wonderful floral winter fragrance is an amazing value for the money.
What we like: This is a fragrant, flowery and feminine scent that evokes fresh romance.
What we dislike: It lasts long enough, probably up to five hours, but you could find other fragrances that last longer.
Honorable mention winter perfume
Michael Kors Midnight Shimmer: available at Amazon
Our take: Michael Kors does it again, this time with jasmine petals, opulent vanilla, soft musk and woodsy notes — perfect for the winter months.
What we like: This super long-lasting, captivating fragrance will last all day long and is the perfect finishing touch for an evening out.
What we dislike: It’s a bit on the pricey side, though you get what you pay for. Some wearers of this scent didn’t get the vanilla aroma quite as intended.
Emma Caplan is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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