Best Scents for Fall

  Wow! I can’t believe it’s here!  Summer was just yesterday.  But yesterday’s gone.  So ..Autumn it is.  and, don’t tell anybody, okay? (but I kind of like it) Autumn brings with it some intriguing options for scent.  Like Baby Bear’s bowl of porridge, it’s neither too hot nor too cold, so a lot of weather-challenged  scents work really well .

Musette:  I’m just beginning to think of Autumn, though the weather here is pushing me hard – we’re sleeping under a light comforter these evenings and when I take the boys out for that last night’s potty, I feel a little comfier if I’m wearing a second layer.  On those nights I’m loving I Profumi di Firenze’s Ambre Grisea, with that salty, Brittany tang.  I really love to wear this during the first nippy-ish days when I can wear a cableknit car coat, preferably in cream.

Two Guerlains are perfect for Autumn (well, they’re all perfect, period.. but you already knew that, didn’t you?)..one Old School, one New.  I used to wear  both current & vintage Mitsouko all the time, then something happened and suddenly it was too weird in Summer and too bitey in Winter.  Autumn brings out the lush peach notes of the vintage and softens the slicey gasoline punch of the current, making it the perfect accompaniment to a tailored wool jacket.  A lusher Guerlain for Autumn is Encens Mythique d’Orient, spicy and slightly overblown (but not hefty enough for hot Summer days), it really opens up when you come in from a brisk walk into a warm room.  Add a small fire in the fireplace and you have a lovely olfactory Autumn experience.

Portia’s Best Fall Scents: These are the ones I was reaching for during Australia’s autumn this year:
Mona di Orio: Vanille has been on high rotation for its wonderfully boozy, spicy and citrus fresh take on the warmth of vanilla. It’s so comfortable you can wear it with sweats and so elegant it will also go with your invitation only DIOR Couture gown.
Parfums DelRae: Amoureuse was also seeing a lot of skin time. Lily, big fat raunchy lily and herbaceous spices backed by an extremely animalic honey note that growls its sensual intention quietly behind the pretty floral offerings. For a minute I thought I’d found my HG and with the amount of spritzing I’m doing it will be a finished bottle by the end of 2013.
Guerlain: L’Heure Bleue EdP (modern) is a wonderfully soft and fluffy haze of mystery that works best on my skin during the cooler temps and the current formulation doesn’t seem to have the dirty growl of yesteryear, which makes it perfectly safe for everything.
Mancera: The Aoud was a gift from one of my BFF last year bought during her trip to Selfridges in Oxford St London. It is a wonderful statement fragrance full of the dark, fecal and some of the medicinal swagger of oudh but washed over by a patina of flowers, saffron and sandalwood. These guys are just getting started so look out for them.
CHANEL: Coco Parfum so here is a mildly amusing tale. I was recently on eBay and found someone selling a Coco Parfum, nobody but me bid on it and I got it for a song. When it arrived I hardly even looked at the bottle but spritzed down my top and off I went. After about 10 minutes I was like, OMG! This isn’t CHANEL No 5!! I’ve been ripped off!! But it smelled so amazing that I have been coming back to use it quite regularly over the real CHANEL No 5s. So now when I was going to write a story about falling head over heels for a fake (again) I just noticed it’s because it’s a frickin’ Coco. Ha Ha ha What an idiot.
La Via Del Profumo: Milano Caffe has also been getting more than it’s share of the love since it arrived, excellent coffee, smoke, leather and humanity with a twist of chocolate to sweeten the deal.

Ann’s picks:

Si Lolita de Lempicka: This lovely has been around for a while now, but it seems perfect to usher in the end of summer and the start of fall. Its understated florals settle softly on a gently spiced cushion of pink peppercorn, elemi, tonka bean and patchouli, perfectly mirroring the change of seasons. I just wish it lasted a bit longer. But bonus points for an adorable bottle, with its cute, four-leaf clover shape sporting a jaunty polka-dot scarf.

Amouage Beloved Woman: Here’s hoping Musette won’t shoot me, 😉 but I’ve been giving some love to one of her besties from a while back: Amouage Beloved Woman. When it debuted, I really thought it was well-done, but just wasn’t for me. But of late, something about it (the clary sage? its intricate layers?) has me longing for it. This is one beautiful but complicated lady. Its elegant yet earthy vibe seems just right for fall.  (Musette here:  why on earth would I shoot you?  I would rather sniff you! LOL!  Beloved is gorgeous!!! Glad you are enjoying it.  Perfect for Autumn!)

Serge Lutens’ de Profundis: I’m grooving on this scent’s offbeat florals cloaked in greeny-dark goodness. Although it might seem most suitable for spring, I find its chrysanthemum presence and its somewhat bittersweet aura ideal for autumn as well.

March sez:  Writing this a couple days before it posts — it’s been super-hot here, and today … it feels like fall!  YEAH BABY.  I am so over the mid-90’s heat and humidity, and I like summer.  This time of year makes me want to phone Uncle Serge for his plummy scents and rich spices.  Today I’m going to wear Fleurs d’Oranger.  It smells like gold and orange to me, and what could be more fall-ish than that?  Also I know it’s a cliche but no doubt I’ll get a head start on October with some CB I Hate Perfume Burning Leaves, with and without Gathering Apples.   Unsurprisingly, they are perfect together.  While I’m rummaging through the cliche department, I’m going to pull some cuddly vanillas off the rack.  If you like woodsmoke scents and vanillas, try wearing them at the same time!  It makes the vanilla less sweet and the smoke less stark.  Finally, like Musette I’ll be dusting off my bottles of Mitsouko.  There’s no wrong time for Mitsouko.  I love her even when she hates me for waking her up too early in the morning or dragging her to the mall for socks.  She is, and will always be, my queen, but she’s a bit much for me in the sultry summer.  Once it cools off she’s welcome any day of the week.

For more Fabulousity for Fall, head on over to:   Now Smell This; Grain de Musc; Bois de Jasmin