WINTER PERFUMES 2024
WRITTEN BY GlenN lauritz andersson & denis vasilije, FRAGRANCE EXPERTS
Winter darkness is descending, with cold, warm blankets and candlelight as the obvious companions. Then we need to be surrounded by scents that warm, cosy and perhaps even enliven and comfort.
Here are some tips on delicious comfort scents for winter 2024.
bdk parfums – tabac rose
From French BDK Parfums we find a real upstart on the unisex front, which both warms and gives fullness. Despite the name, Tabac Rose is not a rose fragrance in the traditional sense, but a deep and very creamy story where dark plums play the main role - the plum is the only note that is the mainstay of the fragrance from start to finish. Beyond that, it changes treacherously. Those who are averse to rose need not be alarmed - the initial spicy rose note simply dies away after an hour or so and the perfume gradually evolves into a voluminous dark gourmand, with sweet fruity plums, cinnamon and dark chocolate. Even tobacco can be sensed in the drydown.
Surprising, creative and a real comfort perfume in the winter darkness for both sexes to wrap themselves in. And not least a characterful crowd puller at the party.
xerjoff – shooting stars starlight
Cardamom is a warm, spicy scent that we Swedes like to associate with winter, baking and, not least, Christmas. And Xerjoff's Starlight is undoubtedly the most photorealistic cardamom perfume on the planet - perhaps to the extent that many would argue that it is too narrow in its seasonal use, but then you should remember that in warm exotic countries, cardamom is used all year round, both as a fragrance and a cooking spice.
But surely this December just oozes for many of us - to not wear this during Christmas is almost a blasphemy, because it just has to be experienced. Soft, warm and comforting and incredibly smooth in its cardamom note, and also with rounding hints of cinnamon and almond to soften it. Almost like being transported to a bakery. One of Xerjoff's greatest masterpieces when they really make an effort to walk the line fully.
ALûSTRE – SPECTRE 575-149:
THE SHADOWS OF BERGAMOT
At first glance, it may seem odd to categorise a fresh-topped bergamot perfume as a winter fragrance, but this bestseller from Denmark's Alûstre is actually a warm, spicy scent with a distinctive sweetness that borders on gourmand. Beneath the subtle citrus are creamy layers of vanilla and tonka bean along with spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. The result is a perfume that works all year round, but comes into its own in winter with its warming gourmand spices, which on certain skin types can even evoke a note of sweet leather.
roja parfums – manhattan
For those who want something to wear to the office or to feel luxurious at the more elegant party during the dark winter months, this jewel might be something - a sophisticated unisex gem from British Roja that should be considered a sweet tobacco scent with woody elements. While many of the other scents on the list have broadly wintry elements that rely on dark or creamy, rich ingredients, this scent is light and airy, with slightly powdery yet warming sweetness from cinnamon, white musk, coconut and vanilla, flanked by dry accords from floral notes, wood, rose pepper and tobacco.
The fact that Roja's Manhattan reveals 1920s New York as a source of inspiration is evident not least in the art deco-influenced design but also in the classic retro DNA of the fragrance, but with a twist that makes it a seductive office fragrance for modern men and women who are looking for something in the subtle, sweeter segment of the tobacco fragrance category. The sense of luxury is there for the taking - there's no mistaking that this is Roja Dove at the height of its quality.