The Season of Plenty Upon Us: Autumn Fragrances to Savor

Now that the temperatures are slowly cooling and the humidity is falling (but any occasional showers are still crisp and cool instead of grim and ghastly) my mood is picking up. I look forward to students' backpacks, hot coffee with long cinnamon sticks, turning leaves, lightweight cashmere knits and new books! Many and varied new books  for every  single  taste.
And there's another unforeseen but important plus in the coming season. Finally one can go out in mixed company with more than a single spray of perfume behind one's knees. Rejoice!

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Yves Saint Laurent design 1975 shot by Helmut Newton

Fall in many places on the northern hemisphere is a time when the temperatures really drop. We can savor the opportunity to favor a more concentrated version of our preferred fragrance. If you like something in eau de toilette, give a try to the eau de parfum or even extrait de parfum version. These are usually richer in base notes which evaporate much slower, meaning you will be surrounded by your perfume for longer. If that was bothersome in the summer it is now desirable when the weather is cool and your more delicate scents feel insignificant.

For those of you wanting to explore ways to expand the potential of your existing fragrance wardrobe I have analyzed a good bit of ways in my article on Fragrantica: Falling into Fall Patterns. 

For those who want to see my personal choices for this autumn season here's a brief "looking forward to" (as the temperatures haven't dropped enough yet) I have compiled.

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A VERY PERSONAL PERFUME SELECTION OF 12 SCENTS FOR EARLY FALL 

NB. All linked names open up fragrance reviews. 

Bottega Veneta eau de parfum

Almost a modern classic. This fruity leathery fragrance possesses the classiness of yesterdays with the contemporary edge of a modern seductress. My newish bottle is also the gift of a very dear friend. 

Bvlgari Black (original)

For years I have loved this rubbery smoky vanilla by Italian jeweller Bulgari with the passion it justly deserves but have worn it sparingly. Now that they have substituted it with a different men's scent by the same name it gains a twisted nuance; "what is it you're wearing?" Try and guess dude.

Dame Perfumery Dark Horse 

A player if I ever saw any in liquid form! Rich and addictive but also fresh and charming. A study in contrasts. 

Diorling (2000s re-issue)

The finest leather scent this side of Doblis (Hermes) and one that is ineffably sharper without cutting anyone's skin. Though this is also good in summertime alongside my beloved Bandit (Piguet) or Etro Gomma I have not worn this one in what seems like ages. Life is short and I should remedy this misstep.

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Guerlain Mitsouko (mostly vintage Eau de Toilette and Extrait)

The eroticism that shouldn't be erotic. There's just something to the way the previous sentence rings,  isn't there? Explore Guerlain's classic Mitsouko (great deal HERE btw) if you want to find out just how this theorem works. 

Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur extrait 

Succulent florals with a gourmand touch are a difficult genre but perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has created a masterpiece under the inspired guidance of Neela Vermeire. The entire line is highly worthwhile your time and investment actually.

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I just love leather gloves!

Paco Rabanne La Nuit 

Another leather fragrance and you might be discerning a pattern so far. If so you're not far off the truth. Although I like leathery smells in the summer too (because they cut through the humidity of it all) autumn weather is more fit for those with animalic notes. Slot taken by this discontinued vintage marvel. 

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely eau de parfum 

One needs something to fall back upon (no pun intended) for days when they can't be bothered to think about stuff; when they're already overwhelmed. I was reminded of this light musk fragrance with abstract florals due to another dear friend and I think I'll finish off my bottle this year (and probably replenish).

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Serge Lutens  Boxeuses 

The niche interpretation of the above mentioned Bottega Veneta edp recipe (samples available for the latter HERE). So good and so beautiful in its stewed prunes hue that I want to bathe in it.

Serge Lutens Vitriol d'Oeillet

A rather recent acquisition of a frarance bottle and just the right dose of piquant spiciness of cloves to render this floral an intriguing companion to quiet nights. 

The Body Shop Red Musk

A whiff of pipe tobacco and dried apricots smell remnants on a beloved's dressing gown is an image I can take to bed and get very pleasant dreams. 

Tom Ford Prive Santal Blush

One of the silkiest sandalwoods in modern production and that says it all. It's not anything like you expect and should fit a multitude of lifestyles and skins. Men's as well as women's.


So I'll have these in rotation for the beginning of autumn it seems. I might enrich with orientals and more chypres as time goes on so I'll update mid-fall.
What are YOU looking forward to wearing this season? Share it in the comments below the article.


Related reading on Perfume Shrine: 
Trick or Treat: Top Fall Fragrances
Falling in Love: Scents and Treats for Autumn
Matching Perfume to Fall's Trendiest Fashions
Perfume Primers: Chypre Fragrances for Newbies 

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Chanel Les Exclusifs Boy: fragrance review

It's hard to go wrong with an aromatic fougere; men have been conditioned to opt for them and women to respond to them as "the natural scent of men" since at least the end of the 19th century when Jicky by Guerlain became the first to make an impact. Lavender and musk plus a spattering of sweeter notes is the basic recipe but each maker gives them their spin.

Chanel made Boy (after "Boy" Capel, a lover of Coco's) in their boutique range Les Exclusifs to appeal to those men who want that steadfast tradition in a sleek modern bottle and who don't mind a bit of a retro touch. This is what perfumer Olivier Polge (son of Jacques who was head perfumer for 3 decades) envisioned I'm sure.

What I smell distinctly after the top note of sharpness is the heliotrope and tonka which give a slight effect of marzipan paste; they elevate lavender from the usually medicinal territory into something softer and cuddlier. Hard to find this not fitting any occasion, casual, office or night out.

In the grip of a heatwave

Melting doesn't beging to describe it global warming be darned. We had a cool May and a rainy July to only suffer through a tremendously hot July. The question of fragrance only makes me queasy most days. However there are a few respites.

beach in Halkidiki (Greece) via

Contrary to the perennial line-up of Light Blue (D&G) and Infusion d'Iris (Prada) which so many local women choose to wear on the hottest days, I opt for biting green chypres with piercing fangs. Chanel No.19 fragrance, especially in the less rosy and more vetiver-rich eau de toilette version, manages to sit on my bosom with the starchy iris of its heart and make me feel dry and groomed even when I can almost feel the droplets of sweat collect on the base of my throat. Curiously enough the heat makes it bloom and feel terribly sexy as well, with the bitter galbanum reacting perfectly to cut through the humidity like a scimitar. Bandit Eau de Parfum (Piguet), on the other hand, cuts with the startling bite of a bullwhip, and that's such an unlikely relief when it's hot as hell and you need that slap to wake up and get on with your day! If most people need pick-me-ups when drunk, consider me one (among others) who needs a taser when it's hot and humid. Other fragrances which serve me well in the heat are Sycomore by Chanel, Philosykos by Diptyque (review here and there's some Philosykos history background too) and Guerlain's Vetiver for men.

Much like the Spanish Inquisition, as immortalised in the words of Monty Python, my weapons of choice are "fear and surprise, surprise and fear." They seem to work pretty well.

And for those fully intending on embracing their sweat there are cumin and sweaty-like fragrances which the PerfumeShrine highlighted a while ago...

Bulgari Petits et Mamans: fragrance review

The top of a baby's head. The milky breath. The soft, soothing chamomile note of a baby soporific infusion. The talcum powdered bottom. The peachy smooth skin of small kid's short and squishy limbs. The intense tenderness of cradling one's own child in their arms. How could anyone capture all those glorious moments in a single scent?

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One simply can't.

They come with their own avalanche of overwrought anxiety, triumphant elation, sleepless nights and the relief of seeing the small ones grow day by day. But if you concentrate on getting the impression, rather than the actual kaleidoscope of the wild mix of feelings one gets upon having a baby, you can't go wrong by opting for Petits et Mamans by Italian jewelers Bulgari (or rather spelled in the Latinized pavements style Bvlgari)

This downy soft and comforting blend of vanilla powder, chamomile and iris starchiness replicates the feathery light feel of kids' natural scent and projects as inconspicuously as its realistic equivalent. Before they start scratching their knees falling off the bike or having their own free will imposed on you whereupon they become boys and girls rather than asexual "kids". If there is a Platonic idea of how kids smell, all innocent and cherubic, it's Bvlgari's Petits et Mamans. Like the name says on the label, moms can borrow it as well. For remembrance's sake or for partaking in the joy.