Fall is the season of slowing down. After an entire summer of activity and engagements, it’s a reminder to look inward, seek comfort, and cultivate intentional routines. In other words, I see fall as an opportunity to embrace the concept of hygge (you know, the Danish word that describes a feeling of coziness and contentment?). This year, I’ve been leaning into it more than ever. In fact, I’ve made a conscious choice to be more deliberate, purposeful, and careful in my routines—focusing more on the things that make me feel comfortable and content. When it comes to my beauty routine, that means investing in gentle yet effective skincare products. It means treating my sun-damaged strands with intense moisture masks. It also means switching out my summery perfumes for those that smell warmer and more inviting. Basically, I want to smell like all the things that bring me joy, whether that’s my favorite sweater, a warm cup of coffee, a new book, or the autumn air. Ahead, see the 15 fall fragrances I’m eyeing for my personal hygge revival.
As soon as I smelled this new fragrance from Ellis Brooklyn, I knew it was the perfect one to kick off my cozy perfume collection. With notes of bourbon vanilla bean extract, cocoa shell, and frangipani, it strikes me as a soft and universal scent.
If I had to describe it as an experience, it would be someone you love making you cookies. Don’t think it smells cheap or saccharine, though. It’s more so warm and inviting, like a grown-up version of all the vanilla perfumes I was drawn to as a teenager.
This one’s a classic, which is why I always make sure I have it on hand for fall and winter. With notes of orange flower, clove oil, chestnut, and vanilla accord, it successfully re-creates the warmth and coziness of a crackling fire. It’s not too smoky or overbearing, just warm and comforting.
Initially, I was drawn to this scent because of the description. With notes of coconut water, fig leaves, and sandalwood, the brand says it combines strength with softness. Not to be dramatic, but isn’t that the perfect way to describe the concept of hygge? It’s a duality we all desire.
Beyond the description, the scent is woody and complex. I’ll be wearing it all season long.
This perfume was recommended to me by Beauty Director Erin Jahns. I told her about my commitment to coziness and my search for fitting fragrances, and this was one of the first she spoke of. In her words, “I love Tom Ford Ébène Fumé for fall and winter. It’s heavier, but not cloying. Rose plus palo santo accord is basically my dream scent I never knew I needed.”
Because Erin never leads me wrong, I knew I’d love this scent too. And I did. It’s definitely on the heavier side, but that just adds to its warmth, spice, and mystique.
Clearly, I can’t get enough of Maison Margiela fragrances. This one, aptly named Autumn Vibes, is meant to re-create the scent of a woody trail and red leaves in Montreal. With notes of red berries, cardamom, cedarwood, and moss, it’s both crisp and inviting.
This fragrance can be described as a “powdery floral.” It combines white geranium blossom, budding tulip, and musk, with pot flower. Even though it’s a floral fragrance, it’s not too bright or sweet. Instead, it’s subtle and elevated, making me feel more grounded than energetic.
My fall fragrance collection wouldn’t be complete without this perfume from Skylar. It’s creamy and spicy with notes of cinnamon bark, roasted almond, and spiced ginger. It might be on the nose, but it works. It works so well that I feel like I can’t wear it without a sweater and boots.
This scent is one that I keep coming back to (and I’ve heard endless compliments about). It combines bergamot, cyclamen, and saffron with sandalwood and amber. To put it simply, it’s warm, spicy, and sultry.
Remember how I said I want to smell like the things that bring me joy, including a new book? This is the fragrance that does that for me. With bergamot, cedarwood, and sandalwood, it’s somehow fresh, crisp, and comforting all at once—like sitting down to read a freshly purchased book from your favorite bookstore.
This was another one recommended by Beauty Director Erin Jahns, but it just so happens to be a personal favorite as well. In Erin’s words, “it makes me feel like an ocean-salted nymph living in a cozy cabin off the coast of England.” If that’s not the perfect way to describe this fragrance, I don’t know what is.
This one is warm and comforting but in an unexpected way. With notes of bergamot, Tuscan leather, and patchouli, I expected it to be heavy and smell almost like cologne, but there’s a surprising freshness about it. I know I’ll wear this one when I want to lean into the academia aesthetic that’s going viral on Instagram and Tik Tok. (Oh, and it’s another beloved member of Erin’s perfume wardrobe.)
This one’s an oldie but a goodie. It’s a fragrance that makes me feel like I’m wearing my favorite sweater in that it evokes the same warm and comforting feeling. It’s all thanks to notes of Virginia cedarwood, vanilla orchid, and musk, which make for a cozy combination.
While I could wax poetic about almost every single Byredo fragrance ever created, there’s something particularly special about this one. It combines notes of maté, black currant, black tea, violet leaves, birchwood, and papyrus, for a unique effect. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit grounding—perfect for fall.
I love the name of this fragrance, but obviously, it has to smell good too, and it does. With notes of green grass, vetiver, freesia, patchouli, and vanilla bean, it’s heady but in a good way. It makes me feel like an old-Hollywood starlet wearing a silk dress in a dimly lit jazz club. (Is that too specific?).
If you’re someone who likes more subtle skin scents, this one is for you. It’s just as comforting as the other fragrances on this list, but not in an obvious way. With notes of fresh musk, copaiba oil, salted praline, and Madagascar vanilla, I’m convinced it makes me smell like myself but better.
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