Twinkling lights, tinsel, and spiked cider will all get you in the holiday mood, but there’s another way to feel festive fast: Fragrance. The right perfume will pull you out of the cold temperatures into a winter wonderland. Notes like vanilla, juniper berry, bourbon, and cedarwood represent what we love about the wintry months.
No matter if you’re into delicious gourmands or sensual scents—or the many moods in between—there’s a seasonal scent out there for everyone. Here are the best festive perfumes to get in the holiday spirit.
Heretic Parfum Blood Berry
You know the feeling of dropping berries into a glass of champagne? This captures that ambiance with its effervescent sweetness. If you prefer your berries on the tart side, this is the perfume for you. It starts bright and fresh, but it’s grounded with cedar, magnolia, and black currant buds.
Burberry Goddess
Burberry
Vanilla is a fan favorite for good reason, and the holiday season is the best time to wear the gourmand goodie. This warm and sweet perfume is a vanilla triple threat, formulated with vanilla infusion, vanilla caviar, and vanilla absolute. Of course, it can be worn solo, but it’s also great for layering.
The Maker Fire
The name says it all—this scent really is fire. Warm and deep, but also a little sweet and spicy, it certainly has heat. With notes like juniper berry, tobacco accord, and Tahitian vanilla, it feels like lying next to a fireplace on a bearskin rug.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
The holidays are all about sparkle and shimmer, and this iconic scent perfectly brings that notion to life by capturing the essence of Baccarat crystal in olfactive form. It rightly earned its fame as a head-turner. Warm yet glittering, it evokes a fabulous party with jasmine, saffron, cedarwood, and ambergris.
The 7 Virtues Buttercream Haze
When you want to wear your dessert instead of eat it, this scrumptious scent will do the trick. Deliciously sweet, there’s a good chance it’ll conjure memories of baking with your family for the holidays.
Tom Ford Ombré Leather
You know when it gets to the point where it’s too cold to keep wearing your favorite leather jacket, but you put layers under it to stay warm and wear it anyway? That’s the vibe of this perfume, which gives off a cool air without even trying. The warm and spicy genderless scent spotlights black leather, violet flower, and jasmine.
D.S. & Durga Deep Dark Vanilla
Leave it to D.S. & Durga to put a slightly subversive spin on vanilla. Crafted with real vanilla absolute to give it a true gourmand status, it’s deeper and darker than a typical vanilla fragrance. You can thank pink pepper, green vanilla leaves, and dark patchouli for that effect.
Krigler Good Fir 11
Krigler
When Albert Krigler traveled from Chicago to San Francisco in 1910, he was captivated by the peaks dotted with pine trees, which he captured in this scent. Crisp and fresh, the woody perfume immediately takes you to a higher elevation. Its alpine muse is brought to life with vetiver, musk, and pine needles.
Fenty Eau de Parfum
The ultimate gourmand, it’s warm, sweet, spicy, sensual, and a little bit sexy, because Rihanna. Though it can be worn year-round, something about it makes it just right for winter. The warm floral features magnolia, musk, and Bulgarian rose.
Ellis Brooklyn APRÉS Eau de Parfum
No matter if you prefer hitting the slopes or the après ski festivities, this perfume brings alpine freshness to you wherever you are. A winter wonderland all bottled up, the warm wood is earthy and grounding. The combination of juniper berries, bourbon, and cedarwood makes for a sweet take on the forest.