The Ultimate Guide to the Best Perfumes for Winter
BY JENNY JUNG
Your seasonal scent wardrobe starts here. Hint: Cherry is having a serious moment!
12 JUN - 2025
Reinvented and irresistible — cherry emerges as fragrance’s most surprising comeback.
There’s something about winter that calls for a shift — not just in fashion, but in your scent wardrobe. As the colder months creep up on us, our go-to fragrances of citrus, salt and bright florals start to feel out of step. In their place? Richer, deeper perfumes that echo the mood of this autumn season: warm amber, soft woods, spiced florals and cosy musks that linger and transform throughout the day. Whether you’re craving a classic fall perfume or a new-season discovery, these are the scents that rise to every occasion. Let’s check them out together.
@aesop
@byredo
Elie Saab Elixir Love EDP
Elie Saab’s Elixir Love is the olfactory equivalent of velvet draped over bare skin. It is undoubtedly luxurious and unapologetically romantic with heart notes of neroli and rose. This floral-oriental fragrance leans into autumn with a creamy base of oakmoss and sparkling top notes of cherry and damask rose. The Lebanese designer’s background in haute couture shines through in this scent: feminine, structured and glamorous.
Elie Saab, Elixir Love, EDP, $200 NZD.
Armani Stronger With You
Armani Stronger With You is a fragrance technically marketed towards men, but in today’s world where scent is fluid, this one deserves a place in everybody’s collection. Stronger With You is a warm, sensual blend of pink pepper, cardamom and marron glace accord, all grounded by smoky vanilla. If you love By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela, Stronger With You is the next chapter with an even deeper and smoother profile. Perfect for date nights, or to pair with black heels and a long coat.
Armani, Stronger With You, EDP, $135 NZD.
Aesop Aurner
Aurner is Aesop at its most poetic — cerebral, grounded and quietly seductive. This genderless fragrance opens with Roman chamomile and pink pepper, offering a bright, herbaceous bite that settles quickly into the heart of magnolia leaf and cypriol, an earthy note traditionally used in Indian perfumery. Sandalwood anchors the dry down, adding a creamy, meditative warmth that lingers close to the skin. It smells like introspection, like incense caught in wool. Rooted in ritual and refined restraint, Aurner feels more like a mood than a moment — and for lovers of perfume with soul, it’s a masterpiece.
Aesop, Aurner, EDP $275 NZD.
Think Italian romance with a gothic twist. This intensified version of the beloved Born in Roma scent turns up the volume with a heady mix of jasmine, vanilla bourbon and benzoin resin. It’s quite strong but refined, the type of perfume that clings to a silk scarf or leather jacket long after your night out. Valentino’s design ethos: bold femininity, always with a little edge, translates here with rich warmth and a glamorous, high-octane finish.
Valentino, Donna Born in Roma Intense, EDP, $230 NZD.
BYREDO Anamaliqué
With a name that suggests wilderness, Anamaliqué by BYREDO is autumn’s most enigmatic pick. This is not a perfume for wallflowers. With suede, civet and a skin-hugging musky warmth, it lives in that liminal space between primal and polished. Floral notes like freesia and violet leaf soften the edges, but it’s the animalic undercurrent that draws you in. Inspired by the duality of human instinct and artifice, this scent is wearable philosophy — perfect for niche fragrance lovers with a beautiful story.
BYREDO, Anamaliqué, EDP, $496 NZD.
Abel Fragrances The Apartment
Crafted in New Zealand and rooted in sustainable perfumery, The Apartment aims to transport the wearer to the epitome of Parisian chic. At first spritz you’re met with the boozy notes of tart cherry, rum and cacao. With time, tuberose, jasmine and myrrh reveal themselves to create a warm, rich and inviting fragrance. Abel’s commitment to natural ingredients means the scent wears close to the skin, unfolding quietly throughout the day. It’s autumn nostalgia in a bottle — comforting, intimate and deeply modern.
Abel Fragrances, The Apartment, EDP, $270 NZD.
Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl
The iconic stiletto-shaped bottle hints at what’s inside: this is a scent with attitude. Very Good Girl opens with playful redcurrant and lychee before deepening into rose and vetiver. It’s flirty, yes, but it’s also surprisingly nuanced. For many, this fragrance carries cultural significance as a go-to for big nights out or major celebrations — a scent memory marker wrapped in red lacquer. For today's purpose, Very Good Girl is the perfect fragrance for autumn nights where you want to channel your inner femme fatale.
Carolina Herrera, Very Good Girl, EDP, $233 NZD.
Shiseido Ginza Night EDP Intense
While the original Ginza feels perfect for daytime activities, Ginza Night is what you reach for when the sun goes down. It’s smooth, sultry and just a little mysterious. Opening with punchy blackcurrant and radiant pink pepper, it quickly slips into something deeper: a hypnotic swirl of jasmine, tuberose and the kind of woody amber that meshes with the skin. There’s a quiet tension between the floral heart notes and the darkness from the smoky patchouli, cashmeran and incense that gives this scent that true late-night energy. It’s not loud, but it lingers and becomes one with the wearer. I imagine this fragrance to look like the city lights blurred through a rain-soaked window — vibrant neon hues against the dark horizon. If this sounds like a bit of you, this fragrance is a secret amongst luxury niche perfume lovers.
Shiseido, Ginza Night, EDP Intense, $233 NZD.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense EDP
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Intense EDP is the red bottom shoes of fragrances — chic, sensual and undeniably luxurious.
It’s a musky white floral, but not the kind you’ve smelled a million times already. The peach and bergamot add a juicy brightness before melting into creamy musk, velvety white petals with a soft touch of vanilla and vetiver at the base. This concoction is dreamy and rich without the headache. Perfect for day or night, this is the kind of scent that boosts your confidence without begging for attention.
Narciso Rodriguez, For Her Intense EDP, $146 NZD.
Final Thoughts
Autumn is the season of slowing down, of leaning into texture, depth and the comfort of rituals. The right fragrance doesn’t just complement your outfit, it shapes your mood and anchors important memories. Whether you’re drawn to rich gourmands or earthy tones, each of these scents captures a different facet of the season — from fireside intimacy to red leaves littering the ground. As the days grow shorter, let your perfume speak louder.
RELATED STORIES
GIVEAWAY
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to Chatty Chum's mailing list to receive the latest in beauty and lifestyle news, giveaways and the launch of our Editor's Collection boxes.