Autumn Fragrances

As the cooler autumnal air starts creeping in, clothes are changed to adjust to the seasonal change, and so do fragrances and perfumes as well. In this auspicious time, you may want to surround yourself with a warmer and deeper scent. Although the choices of scents are inherently individual, for both him and her, autumn fragrances offer a range of fragrance opportunities.

There is a pretty dramatic shift during the transformation of the season from summer to fall, almost abruptly the temperature starts dropping, the leaves begin to fall from the trees, and the sun starts shining a little less, making the days shorter and giving scopes to the nights to stay longer. It’s neither as hot as summer nor as cold as winter – autumn – is of course the prettiest time of the year.

In this article, we’ll be discussing why we change our perfumes in seasons, what are the characteristics of autumn fragrances, and much more. 

Table of contents

• Why do we change our perfumes in seasons?

• Characteristics of autumn fragrances

• Choosing a fragrance for autumn

• Autumn fragrance notes

• Final words

Why do we change our perfumes in seasons?

You might be wondering: why do we change our perfumes according to the season? Well, there are a couple of reasons.

First of all, there is a huge impact of climate on the human body, including our sense of smell. Temperature and humidity affect the way we react to perfumes. In cooler weather, our body becomes lesser hospitable compared to the hot ones. The skin tends to lose its moisture, making it difficult for it to hold onto scent molecules in it attached to the perfume oils.

Besides, our smell receptors, also known as olfactory receptors, present in the nose that play a key role in the process of olfaction instinctively hide deeper so that they can prevent cold. This may result in a slightly suppressed sense of smell as well.

Secondly, perfumes are also very sensitive to weather conditions. Since the movement of scent molecules slow down in the cold,  they do not lift as perfectly in cool environments as they do in hot ones. This is the reason why we swap light summer perfumes with stronger and richer ones in autumn. Let’s take a look at some of the specific characteristics of autumn fragrances. 

Characteristics of autumn fragrances

Autumn fragrances depict a subtle reflection of the alterations that happen in nature in fall and therefore, they are usually warmer and stronger compared to summer scents. 

The scents of autumn incorporate everything, not only the smell of dying and rotting plants, trees, and leaves but also the activities as well that people often engage in, such as baking pies, burning wood fires, and taking hayrides, even though many people are allergic to burning wood and moldy leaves. They help recall all these memories of comfort and warmth and of getting close together with families and friends.

Moreover, the smells of autumn (or any season) differ from one place to another depending on the air, the ground, the trees, and the natural vegetation, including the fruits and flowers that emit pleasant scents. The fall smells completely different in a forest from that of a city or island. Fall fragrances include these aspects too.   

When we go from summer to autumn, the lack of humidity and cooler weather make aroma molecules cooler, crispier, and fresher.  To make up for the little lack of olfactory triggers, perfume composers find themselves forced to create deeper and richer perfumes so that the scents can turn the nose on and help people enjoy the olfactory treasures of autumn.  

Choosing a fragrance for autumn

We choose light scents, such as citrus, for instance, that can help refresh in the heat of summer days, but when it comes to choosing a fragrance for autumn, we need to focus on something that is warming and will last a bit longer.

To avoid confusion while exploring perfumes that are warming and able to last longer, we need to look at the base notes of the composition. Eau de parfum scents are usually preferable because these are more intense and fuller as they contain relatively higher perfume oil and lesser alcohol and water content compared to eau de toilette.

To make it simple for novices in the world of olfactory communication, it is assumed that in perfumes there are basically three main notes. The top notes reveal the scents you immediately smell after touching the perfumes, then the essence of the perfumes comes from the heart notes, and finally, base notes are those that last the longest.

Autumn fragrance notes

The deep sugary, earthy, and spicy notes found in amber (formerly oriental), woody, and gourmand perfumes are a perfect match for autumn.

Usually richer, warmer, and more enveloping perfumes, such as those found in the subcategory of the Woody Perfumes, including leathery scents that exert the smells of boots and animal hides, earthy notes prepared from musky oakmoss, patchouli, and vetiver, and sweet notes often accompanied by tobacco-tinged spicy and herbaceous scents, all of which that are long-lasting and filled with the rich essence of nature are ideal for the autumn. 

Perfumes of the Chypre Family, which are blended with complex animal notes, passionate bergamot, sensual patchouli, and intoxicating jasmine are also suitable for autumn. The balsamic, creamy, and warming odor profiles of labdanum, rose, and sandalwood also come into the fall fragrances.  

Final words

Scents that fit cooler climates of fall and evoke feelings of warmth and help capture the diverse essence of nature are often recommended as autumn fragrances The choices of fall scents are just limitless. They are usually richer and stronger than their summer counterparts. However, most choices include the perfumes of the Woody, Leathery, and Gourmand families.