Part of what makes fall such a wonderful season is the ushering in of a new wardrobe. But it’s not just time to update your clothes—it’s also time to update your fragrance wardrobe. From fruity to floral, masculine to gender neutral, there’s a new scent out there for everyone. These are the best fall fragrances.
Bottega Veneta Illusione for Him and Bottega Veneta Illusione for Him, $118 and $123, Macys.com and Macys.com. The best things come in pairs, like these his and hers fragrance, and both will transport you to Italy. For Him conjures a man of mystery walking the cobblestoned streets of a quaint Italian town, thanks to citrus contrasting woods. For Her is all about a sunny villa, represented by a woody floral.
NARS Audacious, $180, narscosmetics.com. It was worth the wait for NARS to introduce François Nars’ very first signature fragrance. It looks and smells as amazing as one would expect. Deliciously intriguing, it was created in partnership with nose Olivia Giacobetti. A blend of contradictions, white frangipani and smoke of incense mingle with tiare flower, ylang ylang essential oil, white musk and sandalwood.
K by DOLCE & GABBANA, $94, sephora.com. There’s a reason the bottle is topped with a crown—it wants you to feel like a king! And the juice is regal indeed. Inspired by the hills of Tuscany and the Mediterranean sun, you’ll feel like an Italian ruler with the warm, earthy and bright scent. Sparkling blood orange, Sicilian lemon, juniper berry, clary sage, cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, geranium and lavandin make a majestic match.
Tom Ford Metallique, $150, tomford.com. The high shine bottle looks futuristic and what’s inside feels ahead of its time, too. An ultra modern take on femininity and florals, the sleek and unique scent blends white flowers with vanilla and sandalwood for a perfume that doesn’t smell like anything else out there.
Lancôme Idôle eau de Parfum, $59, lancome-usa.com. Zendaya is the famous face of the latest fragrance from Lancôme, which is fitting since it’s meant to be a scent for the next generation. Light and lovely, youthful and sweet, the sparkling floral features a rose heart with jasmine, pear accord and Italian bergamot. Once you’ve spritzed it all up, you can bring your empty bottle to any “La Recharge” station at Lancôme counters to refill and help the brand with their sustainability efforts.
Yves Saint Laurent Libre, $78, yslbeautyus.com. Yes, this perfume really will set you free. A bold and beautiful makeover of a classic floral perfume, the sophisticated scent features lavender essence from France with Moroccan orange blossom and musk accord. Plus, the bottle itself looks like a fashion accessory, with the gold chain around its neck that’s a tribute to the house’s it bags.
Krigler Palm Dream 219, $365, krigler.com. In case the name didn’t give it away, this unisex scent is inspired by the upper echelon lifestyle of Palm Beach—think polo matches, fetes at historic mansions and sun-soaked beaches. Spicy yet sweet, with a dry, woody feel, the scent captures all that, with its intoxicating combination of orange blossom, raspberry, leather, vanilla, cedarwood, amber wood and orris.
Gabrielle Chanel Essence, $105, chanel.com. While many perfume bottles bear Chanel’s name, it wasn’t until 2017 that Chanel created a fragrance to pay homage to her when she was still Gabrielle, before she reached global fame as Coco. Essence is the latest iteration of it, and like its namesake it’s bold, daring, and sophisticated—we’d save this one for when you need to impress. The boss lady vibes come courtesy of jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and grasse tuberose.
KILIAN Rolling in Love Eau de Parfum, $240, bykilian.com. Think of the sensation of passionate love—fire, romance, spice, excitement—and you’ll have all that in this bottle. Founder and creative director Kilian Hennessy teamed up with perfumer Pascal Gaurin to take his creations in a different direction. Meant to evoke a single emotion, the “white” perfume spotlights ambrette seeds, almond milk, iris, freesia, and musk.
BYREDO Slow Dance, $175, byredo.com. Remember standing around at a school dance in junior high? Ben Gorham, the founder of BYREDO does, and captured that youthful sincerity with his latest unisex fragrance. The top note of sweet myrrh represents sensuality, while amber is all about those intoxicating vibes. Labdanum, geranium, violet and a base of vanilla and patchouli round out the mix.
Cartier Les Heures Voyageuses Oud & Menthe, $380, Cartier.com. Deep and sultry, the juxtaposition of wood and mint is unexpected. In-house Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent puts a spin on oud with freshly picked mint leaves, giving it a burst of freshness. We can imagine wearing this in front of a burning fire in a chateau in the forest.
Diptyque Perfumed Bracelets, $90, diptyqueparis.com. Leave it to Diptyque to come up with a fresh way to wear fragrance. The bracelet, which can be cut to your custom length, is infused with perfume. The gold-plated clasp means you can wear it whenever you want. When your skin touches the thread, it releases the scent, so now you can justify talking with your hands. It comes in three scents: Do Son, Eau Rose and Tam Dao.
Tory Burch Knock On Wood, $138, bloomingdales.com. This woody floral is just as charming and clever as its name. Like its bright, bold bottle, it’s ideal for autumn. You can almost smell the leaves changing early in the season when you take a whiff of Turkish rose essential, Sicilian blood orange, Haitian vetiver oil and magnolia.
Hermetica DarkOud Eau de Parfum, $195, us.hermetica.com (Available in October). Deep and mysterious, the oriental fragrance is rich and luxurious. It’s green inside and out, from the striking refillable bottle of recycled glass to the fragrance molecules that are sustainably sourced. The exotic spiciness comes from rose absolute, saffron molecule, myrrh and cardamom.
MEMO Paris Oriental Leather, $295, us.memoparis.com (Available in October). The elegant bottle features imagery of a starry night sky over desert mountains, which is exactly what this smells like. Dry yet warm, rich and mesmerizing, it’ll make you feel like your feet are in desert sands after dark. In addition to patchouli and leather, there’s anise seed, cinnamon, vanilla and lavender.
Azzaro Wanted, $105, Macys.com. Named for the mysterious girl oozing with sex appeal and charm, Wanted nails it with a blend of pomegranate, ginger flower and dulce de leche. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that model Georgia Fowler is the face of the floral oriental gourmand fragrance.
Twilly D’Hermes Eau Poivrée, $133, hermes.com. When a perfume bottle is wearing a chic little hat and an Hermés scarf, you know you’re going to love what’s inside, and this doesn’t disappoint. You immediately notice the spicy brightness of the pink peppercorn, and then the rest of the notes hit a second later, like rose and patchouli.
Molton Brown Flora Luminare, $160, moltonbrown.com. Even when there isn’t any water in sight, you’ll feel like you’re on an island getaway when you spritz this on. The bottle of sunshine mixes bitter almond, neroli, tiare absolute, sandalwood and musk. The glass flacon is refillable and is topped with a one-of-a-kind orbed resin cap.
Chloé L’Eau, $119, Sephora.com. Chloe has cornered the market with feminine fragrances and the latest version of their beloved classic is no exception. It shares the same iconic dainty bottle, but the juice is a lovely coral hue spotlighting magnolia. Bright top notes of lychee and grapefruit meet mid notes of rose absolute, magnolia and jasmine, with a base of cedarwood, musk, amber, and oak moss.
Kenneth Cole Mankind Legacy, $80, kennethcole.com. New York City’s architecture is the muse behind this cologne, hence the bottle’s metal band that symbolizes the steel structures. The juice itself gives off urban vibes, with notes sourced from all over the globe. There’s clary sage from France, mandarin oil from Italy, nutmeg oil from Indonesia, fir balsam oil from Canada, California pink pepper, rosemary from North Africa, amyris from the Dominican Republic and vetiver from Haiti. Like New York City itself, it’s a melting pot!
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist The Mist, $45, macys.com. The classic eau de parfum is now available in a lighter mist that’s ideal for layering and designed to be spritzed all over the body. It features the same cozy concept of being wrapped in soft cashmere, with lily of the valley, orchid and sandalwood.
Aramis Limited Edition Special Blend, $88, lordandtaylor.com. Their muse is the gentleman who appreciates the finer things in life, like aged whiskey. In fact, that’s even one of the notes, along with oriental wood, cedarwood and tonka bean. We have a feeling Ron Burgundy would approve.
Jennifer Lopez Promise, $65, ulta.com. Promise is actually JLo’s twentieth fragrance! The name comes from Lopez’s encouragement for us to make promises to ourselves and keep them. It hits you like a thousand flowers, which is fitting for JLo herself. Specifically, those blooms are orris, jasmine sambac and honeysuckle, with Italian tangerine, pink berries and nashi pear rounding out the woody floral.
