The mercury is quickly plummeting, there’s a noticeable bite to the frosty air and our favourite cashmere scarves and sheepskin jackets have been released from their temporary retirement, and liberated from the depths of the wardrobe. Winter is back upon us once again, and alongside our beloved layers, it’s high time to accessorise with fragrances that celebrate all things warming, spicy, woody and seductive - those scents that exude an altogether cosier sensuality, and which draw loved ones a little closer to the fire.

I’ve got to say, when it comes to favourite fragrances I certainly tend to gravitate more towards the deep and the dark. There’s something about those combinations of rich resins, dry woods and crackling spices that speak directly to my soul - so much so, in fact, that the hottest of summer months often see me eschew perfumes altogether.

Let’s dive into a realm of wintry fragrance, and highlight the scents - some time-honoured favourites, some brand new discoveries - that never fail to turn up the heat when there’s frost creeping at the windows.

Lalique: Encre Noire

Let’s get this out of the way first of all: I love Encre Noire. Love, love, love it. Lalique may have made their name as a producer of luxury glassware items, but their forays into perfumery over the past few years have been deeply impressive; they’ve forged a space in the world of sophisticated French fragrance which is entirely their own, and Encre Noire has very much been a flagship release from the very beginning.

Encre Noire (‘Black Ink’, for those wondering) is a quintessentially wintry perfume. It captures a fragrance reminiscent of forest floors - deeply woody, earthy and a little deathly, but in the best possible way. Decadent, profoundly sensual and more than a little mysterious, I’ll be wearing it for many autumns and winters to come.

Top notes: Cypress
Heart notes: Vetiver
Base notes: Cashmere Wood, Musk

Juxbox: Beat Cafe

I’ve been really enamoured by the Jusbox perfumes that burst onto the scene a couple of years ago; this Italian perfumery house takes its inspiration entirely from different pioneering musical genres and artists, capturing them in extremely high-quality fragrances that evoke ambiences that extend far beyond the sense of smell. Among my personal favourites is Beat Cafe, which takes its cues from the folk and protest music of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.

It’s a massive thwack of comforting leathery, smoky and woody scents, perfect for winter nights in or walks through frosty streets. Rebellious yet grounded, it’s a perfume for the gentleman who never shies from making an impact - no matter where your musical tastes might lie.

Top notes: Black Pepper, Coriander, Cognac accord
Heart notes: Cistus Labdanum, Black Leather, Tobacco
Base notes: Vetiver, Cedarwood, Benzoin Balm

Issey Miyake: Nuit d’Issey

I can’t help but be impressed by Issey Miyake’s range of men’s fragrances, despite them - on paper, at least - not being quite my cup of tea, so to speak. Whereas I’m generally drawn to the intensely warming, spicy and incense-like, Miyake perfumes tend to lean fresh, aquatic and vivacious. Nuit d’Issey, however, absolutely belongs on this list of unmissable winter fragrances, for no reason other than it’s absolutely magnetic.

Woody-spicy with a leathery backbone, it maintains the house’s signature sharpness and crispness - there’s plenty of zip and zest in there from the bergamot and grapefruit - while still dialling up the essence of mystery from all the rich patchouli and incense on offer. It’s sexy while still remaining completely distinctive… and that’s exactly what I look for at this time of year.

Top notes: Grapefruit, Bergamot
Heart notes: Leather, Various Woods and Spices, Black Pepper, Vetiver
Base notes: Incense, Ebony Tree, Patchouli, Tonka Bean

Tom Ford: Tobacco Oud

Tom Ford’s signature collection really needs no introduction; the provocateur of men’s contemporary fine fragrance has pretty much redefined the industry in his own image, with an extensive line of incredible scents to match pretty much every season, every outfit and every personality. Tobacco Oud does what it says on the tin, and does so with the kind of savoir-faire and swaggering confidence that never fails to make a bold impression (especially in the winter months) on everyone who encounters it.

A measure of whisky, plenty of smoke and leather, the eastern exoticism and eroticism of oud… I mean, what more could you possibly want from a perfume to wear when it’s cold outside?

Top notes: Whisky
Heart notes: Various Spices, Cinnamon and Coriander
Base notes: Tobacco, Oud, Incense, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vanilla, Cedar, Benzoin

Bentley: Become

Bentley has seriously impressed with its perfume releases over the past decade, standing head and shoulders above its luxury automotive competitors in this particular field. Become is a fantastic case in point: there’s no real need for one of the world’s most iconic car brands to release a perfume quite this good, or quite this distinctive and irresistible… and yet Bentley’s launches just seem to keep getting better and better.

Become is woody, aromatic and deeply masculine, and manages to maintain an utterly sophisticated trail without being overly complicated or challenging. It’s a great choice for an autumn walk or night on the town during the winter months, with an array of festive notes coming together to magnificent effect.

Top notes: Orange, Madagascar Pepper, Bergamot
Heart notes: Juniper, Myrrh, Cedar
Base notes: Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli

DS&Durga: Well-Dressed Werewolf

I’m a relative newcomer to the mad world of DS&Durga, an NYC imaginarium of contemporary scents that continues to astonish and amaze with each and every release. If anything this perfume house has arguably too much character and too many ideas… but for those of us who love perfumes that push the envelope and celebrate a truly distinctive global swagger, they’re an absolute joy to uncover.

Well-dressed Werewolf is, let’s be real, an absurd name for a perfume. It’s a contradictory scent through and through, as well - there’s a hint of vintage 1950s allure alongside a bang-up-to-date contemporary appeal, there are masculine notes alongside surprising florals, there’s fur and jasmine jostling for attention in the heart of the fragrance, and thwack of animalistic castoreum at the base. I love it. I’ve no doubt you’ll love it, too.

Top notes: Cedar, Labdanum, Hay

Heart notes: Fur, Jasmine, Violet

Base notes: Castoreum, Patchouli, Ambergris

Cold Front, Warm Notes. Unmissable Men’s Winter Scents.

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