Baby, it’s cold outside: Scents to combat Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter
Brrrr … baby, it’s (been) cold outside, especially if you live in parts of the U.S. and Canada. Old Man Winter has given many of us quite a workout in 2017 and so far into this new year. And I’m in the Deep South so haven’t had it nearly as bad re: snow and ice as some of you have. (Of course, you folks in the Southern Hemisphere have a different set of temperatures to deal with, so feel free to share with us.)

I am glorying in my warm and toasty comfort scents: Guerlain’s Encens Mythique and Cuir Beluga, Chanel’s Coromandel, the original Coco, and Le Labo Vanille 44, among others.

I’m holding my scented wrist up to my nose each day as I make a run for it between my car and my destination. And even in my fragrance-free office, a bit of scent lingering on a coat sleeve offers a nice bit of warming. Old Man Winter has me wondering if I shouldn’t invest in one of those ski-mask looking thingies (balaclava, sp?), although they do look a bit creepy. But my velour hats are getting quite the workout, along with my red scarves (to hide the lipstick stains, ha!) to wrap over my nose and mouth. A furnace went out in one section of our office right after Christmas and those convertible mittens came in mighty handy, I must say.

But getting back to fragrance: I really, really need to get organized one of these days and have all my cold-weather scents in one drawer or spot, and the warmer weather ones in another, so I can just go in, browse and dab or spritz to my heart’s desire according to the season. One of these days …

So if you’ve been in the deep freeze, what are you wearing to keep Old Man Winter at bay? I am excited because we have a day in the 50s forecast for later this week. Whoo-hoo — a heat wave!! And I’ll think twice about complaining this summer when the thermometer heads into the 90s (but alas, I can’t promise no gripes if it hits triple digits!).

  • tiffanie says:

    Over the past few weeks I have turned to Ambre Narguile and L’air du desert marocain over and over again. They work nicely as an alternating pair of spicy deliciousness and resinous warmth. I love them both.

  • March says:

    I HATE THIS WEATHER. That is all.

  • Musette says:

    I’m always up for No5 but in the Polar Vortex weather I gravitate towards two of Neela Vermeire’s gorgeous creations: Bombay Bling and Trayee. Bling is just hot pink and sunny orange and Trayee has a little peppery note that heats (and suns) up the day – or night.
    This is also the time for vintage Arpege. Of course, ANYTIME is the time for vintage Arpege, which cheers me up something fierce.

    xoxoxoA

  • jenbat says:

    Ooh, I agree with all your warming scent choices. I would also throw Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant onto the pile.

  • eldarwen22 says:

    I have dragged out my Amouage collection and started wearing them (Epic, Lyric and Memoir). I have been wearing Shalimar and SDV as well. The biggest issue that I am having is this sub-zero temps and making my skin phenomanlly dry.

  • AnnieA says:

    Ambre des Merveilles is quite cuddly.

  • Portia says:

    Hey Ann,
    We are just off 50C here this week.
    Today I wore Le Labo Jasmine 17. Tonight I’ve had Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise to cool my sweaty ass down.
    Portia xx

  • Heidi C says:

    I’m so excited it’s going to be merely freezing (30) as opposed to way-sub-freezing (-5)! I’ve been wearing many of the same — Coco, Cuir Beluga — and also Cuir de Lancome, Vol de Nuit, and Fumerie Turque. Also, this is about the only time of year I can get away with Samsara. I recently ordered a bunch of classic skank from STC — Shocking, Scandal, My Sin, Tabu, Bal a Versailles — so I’ve been amusing myself with them.

  • trabuquera says:

    Drab, dark, dank, short winter days here in the UK so it’s the time for the heaviest of heavy hitters … Coze, Anubis, Idole, Arabie, Czech & Speake Frankincense and Myrrh, CDG Black … warm toasty spices to heat from within.

  • rosarita313 says:

    I’m one of the few that enjoys cold, snow and winter in general and this is my favorite time of year for perfume. Coco, Shalimar, Les Nereides Imperial Opoponax & Patchouli Antique, Black Cashmere, Black Orchid, Obsession…..bring it on! Oh, and DSH Inner Sanctum too. New to my list this year is DSH Chinchilla and Zoologist Civet, which I loved last summer but it’s even better in the cold. Hypnotic Poison is a bedtime favorite and at the moment, I’m in love with Chanel No 5 all over again. I kind of want to scent everything right now: there’s my local handmade soap in the shower, body scrub, the in shower lotion, out of the shower lotion, various oils and potions. You need a lot to stay moisturized and for scents to fight their way through the layers of sweaters up to your nose 🙂 stay warm!

    • Kathleen Smith says:

      You mentioned more beautiful favorites rosarita313, and I also recently pulled out Hypnotic Poison after sever years of not using. Isn’t it gorgeous?

      • rosarita313 says:

        And you said Arpege, which I forgot. Hypnotic Poison is indeed gorgeous. When it came out, I was driving my daughter and her friends to the mall all the time and I would always smell HP, couldn’t tell if I really liked it but I started craving it, finally bought a bottle and fell in love 🙂

        • Kathleen Smith says:

          I love scent memories! Hypnotic Poison takes me 10 years back when I worked evenings and would cuddle on couch with my two previous boxer dogs wearing HP to unwind before bed! ??

  • Kate E. says:

    My cool weather scents are my favorites but I live where winter is short and mild. Encens Mythique got my my first fragrance complement just the other day! I’ll be breaking out my Tauer samples this week and hoping we stay below 60F.

  • Tara C says:

    No weather worries here in San Diego. Wish it were just a bit cooler to wear my real heavy-hitters (Rundholz 3.April.1968, Absolue pour le Soir, Mancera Black Line) but like you I have been enjoying Coco, Coromandel and Cuir Beluga, along with Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Dulcis in Fundo and Au Coeur du Désert.

  • Kathleen Smith says:

    Your favorite comfort scents are the same as mine! The Guerlains and Chanels you mentioned are my favorites as well. I’ve also been wearing Shalimar and Arpege this past week. I also have been spending time with samples and today discovered Creed Angelique. It is gorgeous as a comfort scent and sadly discontinued and unavailable. I think surprisingly Denver is one of the few areas of the country that doesn’t have unusually cold weather!