Best Perfumes for Winter

For a lot of us, it’s WINTER!  Gorgeous snowfall, followed by ice storms and subzero temps, pipes busting and sidewalks-cum-ice rinks.  Oh, yes.  Glorious Winter!  In the midst of all that bounteous, shivering beauty, wrapped in layers of fleece and wool and red noses and chapped lips, there’s the question:  What Perfumes to Wear?  One minute you’re wrapped up like the Michelin Man and the next you’re in some 78-degree oven of an office.   It’s a SPESHUL time of year!

But there are some really lovely perfumes that blossom in the subzeroes…..some are lush and some are perversely counterintuitive!  Here, without further crabbing erm, ado, is the Posse list for Best Perfumes for Winter!

Musette:  You know I wrote that intro, of course.  In the Posse pantheon, there is no one who hates Winter more than I do.  That I still live in the Midwest is a testament to my unerring stupidity – but it does make for some interesting perfume discoveries.

Shattered Glass:  awhile back (last winter, maybe?) I wrote a post about the gorgeousness of aldehydes in winter – the sparklier, the better!!  My two favorites, Chanel No 5 perfume and Gold extrait, have now been joined by Gold’s sister, Dia (in extrait).   Worn inside, they are lovely but if you really want to see a prism of gorgeousness, wear them OUTSIDE, in freezing temps!   It’s almost worth getting frostbite for!

Snoozy Beauties:  Come winter, I make like a bear.  It’s dark?  I’m showered (do bears shower?) and in bed.  Can’t help it.  It’s the only place I feel safe from the Cold Monster.  I usually snuggle into the reading pillow and snooze  erm..read (one of my favorites is Mexico Houses of the Pacific  “read it to me again, Mommy!  Tell me about the mythical people who fly away to hot, sunny climes”  Bedtime is also when I do a lot of testing of the ‘snugglies’, which is a lot of fun.  You know of my love for Epic, especially the afterparty,  but I also love suede-y scents for this time of year.  Daim Blonde – Lawdamussy but it’s gorgeous.  Wearing it at night, in bed, allows me to really focus on it – if I wear it during the day it takes over my focus and costs me money! LOL!  Chanel Cuir de Russie parfum over Diptyque Creme Riche – the rose in the cream rounds out the leather in the CdR, rendering it insanely perfect.  Or, mo’ betta perfect, as it’s already perfect.

Wacky-but-Wow!:  This is the time for (drumroll, please) IRIS!  Yeth!  That rooty wonder, that gets a bit oily in summer, just…..perfection in Winter.  Who knew??? My favorites right now:  Iris 39 (the body lotion is gorgeous, too) and Ramon Monegal Impossible Iris.   Perfect for daytime and they transition well from warm inside-to-freezing outside and back again.  Xerjoff and Mythique, two of my other faves, seem to do better in early Spring.

From Tom (ohhhh, how jeally am I?)

Winter hasn’t been especially wintery here in SoCal- as a matter of fact it’s been in the mid 70’s here and fry as a bone. So I’ve been reaching for some summery classics recently- ones like Eau de Sud, the often overlooked Annick Goutal that I love, and Eau Sauvage a classic that I have an ancient and beloved bottle of (I am almost afraid to smell what they’re selling these days under the new rules about what you can and can’t use in perfumes.) At night when the temps plummet into the high fifties I’ve been dabbing myself with Musc Kublai Kahn, or another old favorite, Rahat Loukoum. Sometimes the old favorites are the best..

Gorgeous Portia is enjoying Summer, But she has fond Winter memories!

Last year I most wore:
Ambre Ceruleen by Huitieme Art because it’s soft, warm, lavish and easy. The most softly caramel type amber that could also be a fuzzy blanket
Vanille by Mona di Orio and it is comfortable beyond belief, like a favourite pair of old jeans or a polo shirt that you know suits you. Vanille is a boozy citrus/amber/woods dream
L’Heure Convoiteé II Cartier is a crisp and watery vase full of powdery carnations. It seems counter intuitive to wear something like this but it is gorgeous in the sub zeros.
Lys Soleia by Guerlain as a reminder of summer, its musk/fruits/white flowers all combine to make me feel warm and happy
Sun by Jil Sander with the lovely jasmine overload over the top of a thousand resins and plumped up by a fun bouquet is a great mood lifter, and smells fabulous for mext to nothing

I also wear more moisturiser in winter and love Keihl’s Original Musk Lotion, Amouage Gold & Dia Body Lotions and Vivienne Weswood’s Boudoir Body Lotion all got loads of wear under my pretties (which I read as ‘panties’!  Musette needs some new eyewear).

Lovely Ann has some fabulous choices!

Laboratorio Olfattivo Alambar: Not sure when it debuted, but it’s new to me, and I am grooving on this smooth, smooth amber that’s not complicated, just easy wearing and oh-so yummy.  A little cinnamon, a little cocoa, a little vanilla add to its allure, but it’s so well-blended that its unlikely to turn off those who hate gourmand scents. I’m wearing it from a dab sample and can’t wait to get my hands on more and try it sprayed.

Trayee: It’s been around a while, but is still pretty wonderful, especially for winter. Neela Vermeire’s creation is incense done just right, softly spiced, yet with a little twist to let you know that this hails from India, baby.

Comme des Garcons Blue Encens: This is incense on ice that I’ll be tempted to spray year-round. I love its comforting yet interesting vibe. It really does have that hot/cold dynamic going on, with the warm incense and the chilly spice of cardamom, pepper, and something else in the notes lending a cool sheen (the artemisia, perhaps?).

What are you wearing this Winter?  What kind of Winter are you having?  Is it even Winter where you are (shhhh!)

For more Winter Perfume Fabulosity, head on over to Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, The Non Blonde, Bois de Jasmin