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.jpg "13 best autumn perfumes, according to the Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone London")
Now that pumpkin spice season is well and truly with us, fragrance fans have swapped out their breezy summer scents in favour of cosy autumn perfumes. Of course, perfumes suited to year-round wear exist in their thousands – but as the days get darker and colder, I love a scent formulated to coddle me like my favourite chunky knit.
“I love autumn for two reasons: first of all, I love the colours,” says Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone London, Celine Roux. “I also love the feeling of back to school, when you go back to your jumpers. It feels like a renewal – more than January – you have all this good intent. I think there is something so nice about this season.”
As luck would have it, in my job as a beauty editor, I’ve been able to sniff my way through dozens and dozens of autumn scents. There have been some beautiful contenders, yes, but only a solid few have coaxed me out of my fragrance-safe zone (skin scents, light, romantic florals, earthy citruses). This lot has persuaded me to dip my toes into the spicier, warmer and delectable scents of the rainy season.
You’re probably wondering which scents are worth the investment. Fortunately, we don’t believe in gate-keeping, so we’ve enlisted the help of Celine Roux, the Global Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone London, to rely on her expertise in the world of perfumery and reveal everything you need to consider before picking out your autumnal signature scent.
Meet the expert:
- Celine Roux, the Global Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone London. Celine has worked at Jo Malone London for nearly 17 years, with her greatest global success stories including English Pear franchise, Wood Sage & Sea Salt, Peony & Blush Suede, and the expanding Cologne Intense Collection.
How are autumnal fragrances different to the perfumes you might wear at other times of the year?
“I definitely think you should switch your fragrance to be less citrus-y; less fruit-y; going towards more mellow fragrances,” shares Celine. But ”autumn doesn’t mean dark and it doesn’t mean heavy – it’s notes that are more nurturing,” says Celine.
According to Celine, autumn invites woody notes and notes of amber. “In terms of scents, I always recommend English Oak and Hazelnut {for autumn}. Whatever you wear as a scent, I think it’s a scent that has a fresh woodiness and I love to layer it with other fragrances. If you have a signature scent, adding English Oak and Hazelnut is a good way to transition in autumn,” she says.
How to layer fragrances during autumn
“There is really no rules. I think you just have to try – and sometimes, it’s easier if you use a body lotion underneath. That way, you’ll get two scents to start with,” says Celine.
“For autumn, I spray a fragrance on my coat and then spray another fragrance on my skin. You put your coat on and it feels very enveloping. I also like to have a scent on my scarf, and sometimes, I wear another fragrance in my hair,” she shares.
What are autumn’s latest fragrance trends?
“Vanilla is still very much around. It’s an amazing ingredient {for autumn},” says Celine. “It has a bad reputation because it’s used a lot in commodity products, but vanilla is one of the most expensive ingredients in perfumery. It’s extremely rich and versatile. It’s warm and it allows you to do gourmand but less sweet.”
“We are also seeing lots of fruits,” she notes. Celine also points out that not every fruity note is the same, and just because a fragrance is on the fruitier side, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for autumn. “It can be quite nurturing – it doesn’t need to be super zesty or sweet. You can also do fruit in a very comforting way.”
Which Jo Malone perfume is Celine’s favourite for autumn?
“This is really difficult. I would say Wood Sage and Sea Salt,” says Celine. “I wanted a fragrance that smelt like a cliff. The saltiness and the lovely ‘stone-y’ notes, so that was a challenge. Because what does that really smell like? How do you bring that texture to life? It became one of our bestsellers.”
“I also like English Oak and Hazelnut because there were no fragrances around Oak {when we created it}. I remember thinking – you have so many pubs [in England] with “Oak” in the name – so we needed an Oak. We had a roasted Oak ingredient that we had an exclusive on, so I will also say English Oak and Hazelnut because there is a strong storytelling around it. It cannot be more English,” she explains.
“We also just launched in Harrods a fragrance that is great for autumn, called Amber Labdanum Cologne Intense. It has quite a sexy, warm scent. It’s very unisex but with a touch of masculinity – and it lingers. I think that’s what I like about it. There is this beautiful trail and I find it very elegant,” adds Celine.
How we tested the best autumn perfumes:
Here at GLAMOUR, our fragrance expertise knows no bounds. This also means that throughout the years, our beauty team has tested hundreds of autumnal perfumes — from gourmands and skin scents, to ouds, leathery iterations, and fresher, earthier blends. As such, when curating the below edit, we made sure to include a good selection of olfactory families to please every taste and preference.
When it comes down to the actual testing process, our editors have spared no effort in ensuring that each scent is reviewed in real-life circumstances: be it on a full day in the office, at a wedding or on a date night.
When assessing each perfume’s performance, we paid close attention to factors like longevity, projection and dry down, while also noting down any reactions from people around us to see whether a certain scent is a true compliment magnet. Here, find more details on how we test.