The key to romanticizing your life with all 5 senses. From sweet to smoky, we’ve compiled a list of perfumes along with individual note profiles and descriptions to help you choose your signature scent for the colder months ahead.
I have pretty bad luck with my favorite fragrances somehow disappearing, being discontinued, or being extremely expensive, so with my favorite fragrances being almost gone for good, I began the search for a new scent.
At Houndstooth + Herringbone, we believe knowledge is power and that an informed shopper is a smart shopper, who is more likely to be able to leave a store with only exactly what they came in looking for. After being bombarded by less-than-knowledgeable, buzz-word-reciting sales associates at a Macy’s location in one of the outer boroughs, my romantic idea of fragrance had once again been squashed by consumerism and the puzzled, frustrated faces of a dozen associates who realized I would not be an easy sell. They seemed much more interested in the men shopping for their wives/ girlfriends, an easier target due to their expected “ignorance” in the fragrance department.
Describing a perfume simply as “nice” or approaching me as I passed just by asking “Versace?” wasn’t going to cut it.
Now that we’re past that clearly emotionally charged story, we can break down and explore what makes a fragrance.
What Makes a Perfume?
The art of perfumery is an ancient one, but for once, we’re going to skip it’s rich history, and define it simply as a mixture of fragrant essential oils/aroma compounds and alcohol.
The “concentrations” of the aromatics give a fragrance its strength. These strengths are most commonly categorized by these French labels:
The exact same fragrance can be produced in various concentrations, so be wary when purchasing that you have the level of strength you want to wear. These strengths work the same way in cologne as well.
“Eau” in French meaning “water” and “toilette” meaning “washing/grooming”, an eau de toilette was historically applied to the skin directly after shaving or bathing due to its lighter concentration of aromatics compared to perfume. In the mainstream US market, a fragrance is typically one of the last 3 on the right.
Eau de toilettes should be reserved for the spring and summer months, and should be swapped with a parfum or eau de parfum in the fall.
Olfactory Fragrance Notes
The “notes” of a fragrance are the individual scent ingredients that all work together in harmony to create a full-bodied perfume. Scents have a stronger link to emotion and memory more than any of the other senses in humans. Certain smells remind us of specific locations, seasons, holidays, experiences, people, etc.
Scent is important, and over the last few years I’m sure some of you lost it for a period of time. There is no time like the present to romanticize fragrance in our everyday lives. Whether we indulge in the form of burning candles, brewing fresh coffee, cooking, baking, decorating our homes with live florals, pulling our clean laundry out of the dryer, slathering our loofah in body wash, or spraying all the clothes in our closet with our favorite fragrance, we do, naturally, enjoy “good scents”.
Accords
A fragrance accord is much like a chord in music, where 3 scent ingredients are combined to create a distinct accord. Perfumers definitely do take liberties with copywriting unlikely accords like “crisp autumn air” or “fresh rainwater”.
Modern perfumes have 3 accords; the top (or head), the middle (or heart), and the base.
- The top notes are the “opening” of the fragrance, which evaporate quickly, lasting only about 5-15 minutes before giving way to the heart accord.
- The heart, or middle accord of the fragrance lasts the next 20 minutes to an hour.
- The base notes are the heaviest, molecularly, and last the longest out of all the other notes, at least 6 hours. In my experience, a good perfume’s base notes will last until the next time you bathe.
Fragrance Families
Olfactory notes or accords belong to larger “families” of similar notes. The basic categories are: Floral, Fresh, Woody, and Oriental.
Other categories used to describe notes within these families are:
- Gourmand
- Fruity
- Aquatic
- Citrus
- Spicy
- Earthy
- Smoky
- Aromatic
- Musky
- Green
- Amber-y
These are typical results on fragrance quizzes, or categories retailers like Sephora or Ulta use to organize the perfumes they carry.
Scents that are overall fresh, citrus-y, or aquatic tend to be lighter spring/summer scents, while gourmand, spicy, woody, smoky, and aromatic fragrances are heavier and thus better suited for colder months. Florals and some fruits can be paired with any other notes, any time of the year.
Gourmand Notes
Gourmands tend to be classified as sweet confectionary or food/beverage which is often synthesized for use in fragrance.
- Marshmallow
- Coffee
- Almond
- Cocoa
- Caramel
- Toffee
- Cognac
- Vanilla
- Tonka Bean
Woody/Earthy Notes
- Sandalwood
- Balsam
- Cedar
- Moss
- Tobacco
- Amber
- Resin
- Patchouli
Aromatic Notes
- Lavender
- Vetiver
- Sage
- Lavender
- Basil
- Mint
- Incense
- Davana
- Smoke
Animal Notes
- Leather
- Musk
Cold Weather Perfumes
Here are 6 of my new favorite scents for this autumn/winter season
Eilish – Billie Eilish
At the time of writing this article, Eilish No. 2 has not yet been released, but has been described as a more woody, spicy, “sultry” and “dark”.
$24-68
This fragrance is my new guilty pleasure. The top notes are bright and crisp with berries and citrus, but this fragrance truly shines from its heart and base notes. The accords blend to create this feminine musky, woody, cocoa and vanilla dream that is deeply indulgent. The sweet, coziness of the tonka bean on this fragrance’s dry down was a reminder to make sure to smell the nozzle first before spraying when sampling perfumes.
- Top: Sugared Petals, Mandarin, Red Berries
- Heart: Spices, Cocoa, Vanilla
- Base: Woods, Musk, Tonka Bean, Amber
This is an amazing debut from Billie Eilish in the realm of fragrance. I have been pleasantly surprised by “celebrity” fragrances in recent years, beginning with Ariana Grande, then KKW Beauty, and now, Billie Eilish.
Sì Intense & Sì Passione– Giorgio Armani
$30-138
Sì Intense
A new fragrance from Giorgio Armani, I was excited when this was released as the original Si didn’t quite pack the punch I expect of a designer perfume. Si Intense is similar to Si Passione in its intensity, but is much more refined and sophisticated, and could be worn as a daytime or everyday fragrance. The earthiness of the resin and davana ( a tea-like aromatic Indian herb) ground this fragrance in a more mature expression of sensuality. The packaging feels super luxe, and would adorn any vanity effortlessly.
- Top: Blackcurrant
- Heart: Isparta rose, davana
- Base: Benzoin resin, patchouli
Sì Passione
Si Passione is a slightly more sexy and fruity. There is a Passione Intense, which I have not tried yet, but it’s described as a more woody, floral version of the original Passione. The blackcurrant and rose in this perfume is seductive and indicative of it’s name.
- Top: Blackcurrant nectar, pear
- Heart: Rose and jasmine
- Base: Vanilla and cedarwood
Ébène Fumé– Tom Ford
$70-285
When sampling this perfume I couldn’t decide whether I would prefer it on myself or on my man. This unisex fragrance is proof of what Tom Ford does best: bottling the strongest, most exact identifiable notes. The smokiness of the burnt wood, pepper, leather, and Palo Santo make this fragrance lean more masculine, and is very heavy and cozy for colder months. When your nose is a little tired of sweet marshmallow gourmands, Ebene Fume will definitely cleanse your “palette”. Other notable mentions in this family from Tom Ford are the slightly more feminine/sweet Tobacco Vanille, and the less smoky, more woody Oud Wood.
- Top: Palo Santo smoke, black pepper
- Heart: cistus, rose, leather
- Base: ebony wood, blonde woods
Good Girl– Carolina Herrera
$15-112
This moody scent was a surprise favorite of mine. I’d never tried a Carolina Herrera perfume before, but from the warm floral jasmine opening of this fragrance, I was intrigued. The tonka bean, almond, and coffee notes in the heart and base make this perfume feel deep, complex, and full-bodied. This will be a must-have for date night over the next few months, and I’m looking forward to trying the other incarnations of this scent.
- Top: jasmine, tuberose
- Heart: almond
- Base: coffee, tonka bean, cocoa
‘REPLICA’ By The Fireplace – Maison Margiela
$32-144
*Eau de Toilette*
The “REPLICA” series of perfumes by Maison Margiela really plays into the fact that scents are tied directly to memories. The fragrances are labeled with dates and locations of which the fragrance is a captured memory. By The Fireplace is a unisex scent that is a woody, spicy, slightly sweet and smoky that smells like a romanticized version of what a real wood-burning fire would smell like, and is a little less literal than the Tom Ford fragrances. Other favorite fragrances for the season from this collection are: Jazz Club (cocktails and cigars), Coffee Break (creamy coffee), and Autumn Vibes (woody trail).
- Top: orange blossom, cloves
- Heart: chestnut, wood, juniper
- Base: vanilla, balsam, woods
Honorable Mention
Yes, I know this one is discontinued, but I’m still wearing it to this day and won’t stop searching for a dupe with similar refined, floral, powdery notes.
Nude Sand – KKW Beauty
- Top: musk mallow, pink peppercorn (baie rose), mandarin orange
- Heart: iris, freesia, peony
- Base: vetiver, musk, tonka bean
Conclusion
The prices listed above include the travel sizes for these perfumes, which I typically purchase first before shelling out the money for a full-size bottle. When perfume shopping, I typically spray the perfume on the test strips of paper or ribbon provided, but it should be stated that this the most efficient way to sample scents, but not the most accurate. The unique pH levels and oils in a person’s skin will change how a perfume smells on them, so taking a sample or buying the travel size first can give you some time to experience the scent on your skin before making a commitment.
I hope this helps you navigate perfume shopping with more confidence.
Good Luck and Much Love XOXO,
