autumn fragrance notes

Written by GlenN Lauritz Andersson & Denis Vasilije, fragrance experts

Autumn is here, and fragrance enthusiasts often turn to perfumes that feel warmer and darker to better suit the season. We take a closer look at a selection of fragrance notes with these qualities – notes that make the autumn darkness easier to embrace.

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Summary

  • Autumn’s fragrance landscape is dominated by warm, rich and darker notes such as leather, spices and gourmand accords that create a sense of warmth and depth during the colder months of the year.

  • Leather combined with aromas such as lavender, honey or fruit adds complexity, while spices like saffron, cinnamon and pepper contribute character and balance in autumn fragrances.

  • Sweet gourmand notes such as vanilla, rum or whisky become more appealing as temperatures drop, adding a sensual and indulgent dimension to the base of autumn perfumes.

Leather is perhaps the fragrance note that has gained the most popularity in recent years and truly comes into its own during autumn and winter, when it adds warmth and weight. Leather can also uplift and boost confidence. The note can evoke associations ranging from freshly polished, oiled shoes and leather jackets to warm animal hides and more animalic references. Depending on which ingredients it is paired with, leather can take on many different expressions. Combined with lavender, for example, leather can recreate the atmosphere of a glove-maker’s workshop or a tailor’s studio. Rose, along with honey or fruit, also pairs beautifully with leather, adding different types of sweetness that balance the dryness often characteristic of leather, creating a particularly rich effect during the raw, dark autumn season.

Spices such as saffron, cinnamon, pepper and cardamom are perfect for autumn and the entire winter season. It simply doesn’t get more warming than this during the darker, colder months of the year, and depending on the spice used, different associations are created. In the Nordic countries, saffron is often associated with Christmas baking, but at its core it is an exotic spice cultivated in warmer regions for thousands of years – and an expensive one at that. Pepper in its various forms, most notably black pepper, adds a darker spiciness and dryness while also bringing a refined elegance, often serving as an excellent contrast to fresh or fruity notes to create balance and depth. Cinnamon and cardamom are frequently found in exotic fragrances alongside saffron, leather or oud, reinforcing the impression of Indian or Arabian essences, such as those found in Penhaligon’s line of oriental Eau de Parfums.

Sweet so-called gourmand notes such as vanilla, rum, whisky and honey also become increasingly desirable as we approach the darker season. They can often feel too heavy and rich during summer, but in autumn and winter we tend to seek something fuller and slightly decadent for comfort, which can also impart a sense of sensuality and indulgence. Vanilla most often appears as a rich base note in many types of fragrances, but it can also take on a distinct identity of its own, becoming almost caramel-like or even reminiscent of butterscotch. Honey works beautifully as a complement in dark fragrances together with leather, oud or woods. Rum is widely used to impart a creamy, liqueur-like sweetness, while whisky instead adds a warm, considerably smokier and fuel-like note, making it particularly well-suited to leather fragrances. Gourmand fragrances may also contain berry notes which, when combined with vanilla or green accords, transform into creamy, dessert-like compositions.

Woody fragrances, led above all by oud (agarwood), the precious wood originating from regions such as Indonesia, India and the Middle East, are likely among the darkest and richest scents one can wear in autumn. In some perfumes, an oud accord is created to give the fragrance a certain character, while others contain pure oud oil (by no means an inexpensive ingredient). Here, you can find truly heavy aromatic creations in pure oud perfumes from houses such as Bortnikoff and Xerjoff, as well as more elegant and sophisticated oud compositions from the French house Fragrance Du Bois, all of which in some form contain 100% pure oud. It is a note that provides warmth and a rich base to fragrances built around other main accords, while on its own it can become dark and overwhelming, ranging from floral-spicy or woody to boldly exotic and animalic.