10 Best Fragrances for the Holiday Season
‘Tis the season to be daring. It’s nearly time to reinvent yourself for the New Year, so why not start small with a new holiday scent? Our favorite fragrances this winter are warm, inviting, sensual and unique, the perfect balance to the impending snowflakes and dropping temperatures. Check out 10 to try now — just in time for party season, where all your friends can ask about the sweet scent you’re wearing.
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Balenciaga, B.($82 for 1.0 oz)
It’s hard to peg B. exactly — an intoxicating scent that’s at once succulent, sweet, woodsy, floral and otherworldly. Top notes of lily of the valley bell, violet and green edamame accord, slowly transform into iris, cedarwood heart, ambrette seeds and cashmeran wood on the end. Although it feels luxuriously appropriate for the season’s festivities, we could see the fragrance becoming our 2015 signature.
Tocca, Margaux ($68 for 1.7 oz)
Warm and sensual, Tocca’s Margaux was made for moonlight and firelight with its hints of vanilla, blood orange, cashmere woods, warm musk and black jasmine — so cozy up with a warm blanket while the weather outside is still frightful. But with notes like bergamot blossom, green gardenia and amberry violet, you can still keep spring in mind.
Tom Ford, Patchouli Absolu ($215 for 1.7 oz)
All of Tom Ford’s fragrances pack a punch with their presence, and his new fall launch is no different, reinventing a note he’s mastered in the past: patchouli. If you like scents that echo the mystery and drama of the season, opt for Tom’s latest — or gift to someone who’s been extra-good this year.
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Estée Lauder, Modern Muse Chic ($60 for 1.0 oz)
This year, Estée Lauder put a new twist on its classic Modern Muse fragrance, replacing notes of mandarin, honeysuckle nectar and amber wood with an ultra-feminine tweaked blend that includes sweet plum, stargazer lily, golden honey and agarwood. Hint, hint: pair it with your party dress on NYE.
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Avon, Luck ($30 for 1.7 oz)
You’d never guess Avon Luck is a bargain buy at just $30. Perfect as a light, youthful scent to freshen up your day-to-day, it combines sparkling citrus, lush red berries, smooth white florals and just a hint of sandalwood. This one’s for the modern traditionalist who loves versatility, you can take it from last-minute shopping to a late-night party.
Lancome, Trésor ($55 for 1.0 oz)
Match the romance of the season with Trésor, a scent that brings Paris home in pretty packaging. Top notes of apricot blossom and rose, combined with heart notes of lilac, iris, peach, and base notes of amber, sandalwood, musk and vanilla, make for a scent that’s not too sweet, not floral and not too fruity. Rather, it’s something all its own.
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Viktor & Rolf, Flowerbomb Snowflake ($120 for 1.7 oz)
Viktor & Rolf has updated its perennial favorite Flowerbomb, with this holiday season’s Flowerbomb Snowflake. The scent is reminiscent of the cult classic, but a step more daring with its notes of Sambac jasmine, centifolia rose, cattleya orchid, ballerina freesia bloom and patchouli. Wear it through the holidays, right on into the New Year. It screams celebration.
Jo Malone, Wood Sage & Sea Salt ($60 for 1.0 oz)
Jo Malone has bottled up a clean counterpoint from the fruity, floral and sugar-coated scents on the market if you just can’t stick to convention. Woodsy and inviting, it smells like earth and the sea with top notes of ambrette seeds, followed by its namesake sea salt and sage. Just imagine a chilly, blustery day at the beach, and you’ll have it.
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ERH1012, deadofnight ($295.00 for 0.3 oz)
A scent unlike anything we’ve ever encountered yet, deadofnight counts Helena Christensen as its creative director and bottles its Oudh from matured agarwood out of the Borneo rainforest. Green top notes are followed by a mix of jasmine, amber, sandalwood and white musk. Deep, warm and strikingly different, just one dot of the oil will have everyone at the party asking if you mix your own scent.
Anna Sui, La Nuit de Bohème ($65 for 1.7 oz)
For the wild at heart, La Nuit de Bohème is a little bit of spice — followed by everything nice with its lively notes of champagne citrus, golden apple, and Haitian vanilla orchid, Indonesian patchouli and amber resin. Exotic and warm, it reminds us that hotter days are on their way — even if we’re in the middle of the polar vortex.
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