5 Winter Fragrances

I’ve said it before but during the colder months I break out my heavier, more experimental fragrances that might be too overwhelming in the heat. These scents are long lasting, full bodied and able to cut through the crisp air.

Here are 5 fragrances that have been in my rotation this season.

Akro – Bake

Akro Bake is a vanilla gourmand that has a fresh lemon zest opening. Although the citrus fades to the background, it’s still there and gives the whole perfume a lemon cake aroma. There’s also a hint of rum in this which gives it some sweetness and decadence.

I love this perfume, it’s absolutely delicious and long lasting too. I sprayed it on my clothes yesterday and I could still smell it on my sweater the next morning. That said, it’s one strictly for the colder weather as smelling like a lemon cake on a hot day would be too cloying for me.

Akro Bake retails for £80 for 30ml.

Initio – Atomic Rose

The clue is in the name and this fragrance is definitely atomic. Initio Atomic Rose is definitely a jammy rose bomb with Bulgarian and Turkish rose, hints of vanilla and amber. It also has some spice from pink pepper and I pick up a certain booziness in it despite no notes hinting as such.

Atomic Rose is definitely a compliment getter as it’s such a bold fragrance. I usually wear it on a night out as 1 -2 sprays can fill a room. Many people say this can be worn year-round but for me this is a colder months only fragrance as it’s strong and spicy. Despite it lacking any freshness, I wouldn’t say this was a mature rose. The sweetness of the rose plays off the vanilla, amber and pink pepper to keep it relatively youthful.

Initio Atomic Rose retails for £174.25 for 50ml.

Le Labo – The Noir 29

I’ve reviewed Le Labo’s The Noir 29 before but this is essentially a multifaceted black tea fragrance with fig. It’s sweet, smoky, earthy and woody all rolled into one, thanks to the fig, tobacco notes, hay, cedar and vetiver. This one also performs really well, and is something I reach for on an evening out in winter.

The Noir is such a sophisticated and complex fragrance that smells like nothing else I’ve come across. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fig perfumes. Hands down this is my favourite I’ve tried from Le Labo.

The Noir 29 retails for £172 for 50ml and you can buy it from Cult Beauty here.

Jo Malone – Myrrh and Tonka

Jo Malone’s Myrrh and Tonka perfume is essentially a slightly sweet and spicy perfume that’s easy to like. This is another one of my cold weather evening scents due to its rich resinous quality that I think could be overwhelming in warmer climates.

I know Jo Malone fragrances aren’t famed for their performance but Myrrh and Tonka is different. I get at least 8 hours of wear out of this with a moderate – strong projection. It also pairs well with other Jo Malone fragrances to create an even more complex and unique scent.

You can read my review of Jo Malone’s Myrrh and Tonka here.

Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka retails for £116 for 50ml and you can buy it from LookFantastic here.

Jo Malone – Pomegranate Noir

Pomegranate Noir is the newest addition to my collection – I think I bought it at the end of October last year. This is a gorgeous red berry scent with cloves, patchouli and guaiac wood. To me, I mainly get spicy red berries with a hint of earthiness from the patchouli. Wearing it makes me think of Christmas and mulled wine.

While I think Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir is interesting enough to wear by itself, pairing it with Myrrh and Tonka takes it to another level. The fruits of Pomegranate Noir combine with the resinous quality of Myrrh and Tonka to create a fragrance that’s spicy, sweet, earthy, and slightly woody. It smells like a balsamic mulled wine and it’s just perfect for winter and a combination I wore regularly over Christmas.

Again, this is a perfume that lasts and projects well on the skin, despite Jo Malone’s reputation. If you’d like to read about this fragrance in more depth, you can read my review of Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir.

Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir retails for £56 for 30ml and you can buy it from LookFantastic here.

Do you rotate your perfumes dependent on season, or do you have one or two signature scents?

How to buy perfume for less

I’ve built my fragrance collection by stacking discounts, cashback and referral credit – and you can do the same.

See my tips for saving money on perfume →

*This post contains affiliate links