30 Winter Fragrances That Exude Main Character Energy
Cozy up with these sweet and spicy concoctions.
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By the time cozy season rolls around, you're already neck-deep in a new cashmere sweatsuit or snuggled up under a weighted blanket—or both. But just as you stock up on your seasonal must-haves, consider updating your winter fragrance as well. Cold weather calls for warmth, and nothing can set (or change) the mood like a signature scent. Do you favor musk or florals? Sophisticated scents over flirty ones? We’ve rounded up 30 perfumes suited for all personalities, price points, and occasions. Happy spritzing—and sipping—this holiday!
The Feels: If a cozy weighted blanket were a perfume, this would be it. A few whiffs of the warm wood notes will transport you to a toasty winter cabin.
The Notes:
Top: Red Grapefruit, Elemi, Bergamot
Middle: Agarwood, Black Leather, Labdanum
Base: Incense, Patchouli, Palo Santo
Parfums de Marly Oriana
The Feels: There's a lot of fruity goodness happening in this bottle but don't be mistaken—this scent is grown with playful notes that make each spray worth it. Mandarin, grapefruit, orange blossom, raspberry, and more are melded together but it's the musk that brings in the warmth.
The Notes:
Top: mandarin, bergamot, grapefruit
Middle: orange blossom, blackcurrant, raspberry
Base: marshmallow, ambrette, chantilly cream, musk.
The Feels: Byredo captures the Indian city's spice and flavor by combining the intoxicating scent of coffee, smoky sandalwood, and amber for an olfactory tribute to Mumbai.
The Notes:
Top: davana
Heart: tonka beans, coffee
Base: labdanum, agarwood, sandalwood
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Eau de Parfum
The Feels: No, it isn't inspired by the Kilian scent Rihanna is said to be obsessed with but it's an amalgamation of the mogul's favorite notes: magnolia, musk, blueberry, tangerine, patchouli, and more. Grown, sexy, and memorable—Fenty's perfume sold out for good reason.
The Notes:
Top: blueberry, tangerine
Heart: Bulgarian rose, geranium, patchouli
Base: magnolia, musk
Ariana Grande God Is A Woman Eau de Parfum
The Feels: God Is a Woman feels like a sunny winter day. The scent is bright and light on the nose but has a subtle warmth, unlike the typical "winter" notes.
The Notes:
Top: ambrette, juicy pear
Heart: orris, Turkish rose petals
Base: Madagascar vanilla, creamy cedarwood
The Feels: Like snuggling up in your favorite weighted blanket and sipping on a caramel mocha latte, Vanilla Intensée is warm without being cliché. The scent feels less like the childish sweet smell you find in candles and more woodsy and intriguing.
The Notes:
Top: coriander, cedrat, lime
Middle: jasmine, vetiver, oakmoss
Base: vanilla, oakwood, amber.
The Feels: Spritzing on Spell on You will take you to your very own rom-com. More on that here.
The Notes:
Top: iris, rose
Heart: sambac jasmine. acacia flower
Base: musk
The Feels: Voce Viva Intensa's flirty florals are deepened by bourbon vanilla to create a sweet woodsy scent that lingers for hours.
The Notes:
Top: bergamot, mandarin accord
Heart: orange blossom absolute, jasmine grandiflorum
Base: bourbon vanilla, crystal moss accord
Parfums de Marly Cassili
The Feels: An Eau de parfum for anyone who wants to smell like the main character in every setting. It's intense yet soft and flirty, thanks to red currant, Bulgarian rose, and white florals.
The Notes:
Top: red currant, Bulgarian rose, transparent white flowers
Middle: plum accord, mimosa absolute, plumeria, petalia
Base: sandalwood, tonka beans, vanilla pod
The Feels: An intense tug of war between sweet and woodsy, Rose Gourmand is a conversation starter that works as a great layering scent.
The Notes:
Top: rose
Heart: dried amber
Base: vanilla
The Feels: With palo santo as its base ingredient, you're met with a woodsy, smoky, and earthy aroma.
The Notes:
Top: rose
Heart: palo santo wood accord
BAse: ebony wood accord, rose
The Feels: Seduction, pure seduction! This heavenly medley of mandarin, wood, vanilla, and spices feels like the climax of forbidden love.
The Notes:
Top: apple tree, cypress
Heart: vanilla, clary sage
Base: mandarin
The Feels: This gorgeous pink bottle smells like sugar and spice and everything nice. Bulgarian rose and lily florals are responsible for the "sugar"; Sandalwood and bergamot bring the "spice," while the metallic pink finish gives "nice" a new meaning.
The Notes:
Top: pink pepper
Heart: Bulgarian rose
Base: sandalwood
The Feels: This fragrance is as sexy and universal as, say, Dubai. It contains a lot of woodsy notes for a mature, grown feel but still somehow feels flirty and youthful. This scent also happens to be TikTok's newest obsession.
The Notes:
Top: saffron
Heart: rose, oud
Base: praline, vanilla and oud
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge Eau de Parfum
The Feels: If "you can't sit with us" was a scent, it would be Baccarat Rouge 54o. The scent is as sophisticated and sexy as the bottle it's packaged in, and lingers for hours on end.
The Notes:
Top: jasmine and saffron
Heart: cedar wood
Base notes: ambergris
The Feels: The bottle screams Valentine's Day, but the notes were tailor-made for the cozy winter season. Almond milk layers over musk and iris for a delicious warm floral finish.
The Notes:
Top: almond milk
Heart: iris
Base: musk
The Feels: Concepted (and created) by three female perfumers specifically women, the muse of the scent is Zendaya who shares "I always say my Idol is my future self." Touché young lady!
The Notes:
Top: bergamot and pear.
Heart: Turkish rose, rose de mai and Indian jasmine.
Base: white musk and vanilla
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum
The Feels: The newest launch from the YSL Beauté collection combines lavender essence from France with the freshness of Moroccan orange blossom. The addition of musk makes it feel edgy.
The Notes:
Top: mandarin orange, lavender, black currant and petitgrain.
Heart: jasmine, lavender and orange blossom.
Base: Madagascar vanilla, cedar, ambergris and musk
The Feels: This sunny scent is reminiscent of the French Riviera. Touches of sweet, tangy Sicilian orange will the memory of summer linger longer.
The Notes:
Top: orange peel, flowers, jasmine and citrus.
Heart: neroli and jasmine.
Base: benzoin and sandalwood
Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum
The Feels: Inspired by Angelina Jolie, she describes the scent as an invisible tattoo. Meanwhile, the quadrilobe bottle, created in 1908, established itself as one of Guerlain’s iconic shapes.
The Notes:
Top: lavender, Mandarin orange and bergamot.
Heart: iris, rose, jasmine sambac, Tahitian vanilla and Madagascar vanilla
Base: patchouli, benzoin, licorice, coumarin, Australian sandalwood and white musk
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