11 Best Winter Perfumes of 2022

As you switch your wardrobe for the different seasons, you should also change your fragrances with the seasons. In the winter time you'll want to wear your heavy, dark, warm, mysterious fragrances and that's because those fragrances do well in cold air. Winter air makes perfumes softer so it's my favorite season to wear perfume because you can wear bold scents.  I enjoy fresher scents in the summer and sweeter more gourmand scents in the winter. If you've gone the whole winter so far with no one smelling you (because you work from home and aren't dining indoors) wear all your heavy hitters now! But go easy on the trigger spray. The cold temperatures and ice on the ground can really suck, but perfumes are the best mood-lifters. Wearing fragrances every day is part of my self-care routine. I don't feel the need to save my fragrances for special occasions. So, I've round up my favorite winter perfumes to elevate your vibe, even if you only wear them at home or to the grocery store.


Having that beautiful scent about you makes you instantly more inviting to other people around you. I've looked for scents that really reflect me as a person because I think finding a great scent only makes you more attractive. Having a diverse fragrance wardrobe is as important to me as having clothes to wear to different types of occasions and seasons. I feel I only need about 5-8 core, favorite scents per season plus a few decants. Before I got into perfume I only had one bottle that I only wore to the club at night. I sometimes long for those simpler times but I could never go back.  So I don't think I'll ever finish a perfume bottle. 

I've divided up my list by olfactory category. You can buy samples of most of these fragrances from Lucky Scent and Oil Perfumery sells dupes of many of them. 

Amber

All three of these scents are unisex and come in various sized bottles at different price points. These two do smell a little bit similar to each other, but I find them each beautiful in their own ways. Some people feel the Grand Soir leans masculine. Grand Soir lasts longer and has the added touch of Vanilla and Tonka that make it smell more gourmand. 

Dior - Ambre Nuit
This is a unisex fragrance that is classy and smells so expensive.  Overall I mainly get notes of amber and rose but there is something spicy about this one. It's warm, charismatic, sexy and alluring. The lasting power is incredible.  It's a very complex fragrance. 


From the house of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, I know everyone on TikTok loves Baccarat Rouge 540, seems to be the starter perfume for every perfume expert on there. It's a nice fragrance but everyone is wearing it and its so over saturated with so many dupes.  Here are my favorite scents from MFK:

A unisex fragrance with notes of  amber, benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean and labdanum. Grand Soir means Big Night in French. I find this fragrance to be classy, decadently rich, sophisticated and breathtaking! It lasts 8 hours and through a shower! It's cheapest to order directly from the house and they will engrave the bottle for you. I've been wearing it a lot this month.

Imagine being surrounded by an ethereal vanilla white amber cloud. This gentle fragrance has notes of juniper berries, nutmeg, coriander, musk, amber, woods and vanilla. It's a soft, warm comforting scent that sits close to the skin but has incredible longevity. While it is an amber fragrance, the strongest notes are the nutmeg and coriander and it's a bit powdery. This is a good  everyday fragrance as it's soft, gentle and feminine. It's the opposite of loud, the scent is like being wrapped in cozy cashmere.  

Gourmand

Kilian Angels’ Share a unisex scent, rated one of the top best new scents of 2021. There's two versions of this bottle, they both look the same but one has the words French Montana on it as it was a collaboration with the rapper (after the perfume's creation). I love the presentation of the bottle, it's real crystal and looks just like a glass of cognac. The notes are cognac, cinnamon, tonka, oak, praline, vanilla and sandalwood. It opens with the scent of cognac then dries down to a boozy, sweet, woody fragrance. Imagine a boozy apple cinnamon pie. The cognac in it make it more suited for winter or nighttime special occasions. 


Kilian - Love don’t be shy extreme -  I like the extreme version not to be confused with the regular version which Rihanna's assistant accidently mentioned was her signature perfume.  It has notes of marshmallow and rose and is one of the most beautiful perfumes I've ever smelled. After I bought this I considered never wearing another perfume again. 


Vanilla

None of these smell like a vanilla cupcake or bath and both works candle, these are both a very sophisticated take on vanilla. 

Nishane - Ani
A warm woody vanilla with an effervescent bergamot opening, then it changes over time to a spicy ginger with cardamom. I wore this every day in December because it smells like Christmas. I got lots of compliments on it! it's a stunning fragrance! It's dreamy, delicious, inviting, warm and comforting. This also comes in a hair perfume at a lower price. A hair perfume has less alcohol so it's safe for your hair and your hair can hold a scent longer than your skin. It's considered a unisex fragrance. It was not an immediate yes situation for me, but then we formed a soul tie.
Xerjoff is an Italian brand that has 134 fragrances and this is their number one best seller. Lira is a beautiful buttery caramel, zesty gourmand. The blood orange note gives it a lemony feel. It's sweet, sugary vanilla thus creamy, rich and delicious. Even though the notes sounds like a dessert its still gives off that dense, quality, expensive price tag feel. If you want something beautiful and unique that no one else around you probably has? Get Lira as it's beyond gorgeous. It comes in two sizes, a hair perfume and a body wash. 



Oud

Oud comes from the Agarwood tree (that is molded) which is popular in Arabian perfumes and has an intense aroma. Some say oud smells like gasoline, but the benefit of it is that the perfume lasts all day long because it's so strong! 


A fruity oud and the notes of strawberries and peaches makes the oud very light. The leather note smells more like a soft suede. There's a mix of rose, saffron, amber and ginger to make it smell rich and inviting. The oud, leather, and bourbon vanilla in the dry down add very nice depth and complexity to the scent.  This smells expensive, high class and gorgeous, it's a stunner! 

A rose and oud combo. With notes of woods, rose, incense, resin, myrrh, and floral, this is a powerful scent. Thus, I only wear it when the temperature is under 30 degrees. This fragrance was not love at first sniff for me, I had to grow into an appreciation for it. The oud is dirty and smoky but the longevity is insane. It has a spicy vibe like walking into a spice shop. The scent is unisex. You can only purchase directly from Dior but it comes in different sizes.

A rose and oud combo. All I wore last winter was this fragrance! It has a massive trail and lasts for 32 hours on your skin!  The notes are oud, praline, rose, vanilla, guaiac wood, copahu balm. This used to be the crown jewel of my collection, its just so stunning. It has a beautiful dynamic between dark and sweet as a very thick syrupy rose praline decadence in a bottle. Even if oud is not your thing, you should definitely still give this a try. This is billowy cloud of creamy vanilla praline goodness.

A rose and oud combo. I love this so much more than Montale's Roses Musk.  This is a huge rose bomb and the longevity and projection is a beast. The dry down is very musky, metallic musk. I feel like this fragrance is very feminine and youthful. 







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