Top 10 Festive Fragrances

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and the season of jolliness seems to get longer and longer. I saw ornaments in some areas of Brisbane that were already up in late October. Indeed, some online and many brick-and-mortar stores have been full of festive spirit for months. Decorations and deals galore! 

As it’s a time for giving, I’ve decided to do something I rarely do—a top 10 list. Besides my yearly best-of lists, I’ve only done one or two of these top whatever-list posts Top 10 Vetiver Fragrances. I would associate most of the perfumes on this list with a cold, wintery Christmas rather than a warm, beachy one. So, without any further ado, here’s the list in alphabetical order by brand name.

Burberry – London For Men

This one always gets a run at Christmas. The heartwarming mix of cinnamon (that note might crop up a lot) and tobacco works wonders in the colder months. But the suggestion of something herbal and pine-like in the background from the lavender and woods gives London For Men its Christmas appeal. Even the trademark Burberry fabric on the bottle looks holiday-ready.

Chanel – Paris – Édimbourg 

I haven’t used much of this Chanel as I only bought it this year. But rest assured, it’ll receive a lot of use this summer. Olivier Polge’s homage to the Scottish countryside smells like a walk through a misty pine forest. Before long, its woody vetiver backbone transports me to a log cabin with a warming fireplace. Gin and tonic in hand, I might even put the television on and watch Miracle on 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life, or the perennial Christmas classic Die Hard. Édimbourg’s green, airy character makes it an adaptable operator, taking me from day to night and season to season with effortless, reassuring ease, not unlike John McClane as he traverses the Nakatomi Plaza, picking off bad guys.

Comme des Garçons – Series 3: Incense – Avignon

An incense scent or two or three was sure to feature. After all these years, Avignon still belongs at the top of my incense list. I always get a fizzy cola feel from the opening notes. Eventually, the fizz and smoke settle, and I can detect the wood of the pews, Roman chamomile’s herbal warmth, and myrrh’s balsamic earthiness. I doubt you’ll be watching Die Hard while rocking Avignon, though. Bing Crosby’s The Bells of St.Mary’s might be more appropriate.

Diptyque – 34 Boulevard Saint Germain EdT

34 Boulevard Saint Germain was released in 2011 to coincide with Diptyque’s 50th anniversary. The name comes from the street where the original Paris boutique stood. This warm and inviting perfume features a kaleidoscope of notes, including woods, resins, clove, cinnamon, blackcurrant, and cardamom. The complex scent captures the smell of the store. But as I spray it on, I channel Perry Como and Bing Crosby and break into song …………… “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”………………..

Frederic Malle – L’Eau d’Hiver

Jean Claude Ellena’s “Winter Water” evokes snowy, icy ground. Almond, heliotrope, and balmy, powdery iris come together in his frosted love letter to Guerlain’s Après L’Ondée. It’s no lightweight rom-com, though. Still, the perfume caresses the skin like a gossamer white blanket. Wear it while reading Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen.

Hermès – Ambre Narguile

It’s Ellena again! With Ambre Narguile, he wanted to recreate the scent of a hookah lounge. It’s sweet and spicy with cinnamon, honey, tobacco, and vanilla. I think it smells a lot like spicy apple pie. It spawned a million lousy clones that come across as poorly as Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff singing on his 2004 Christmas covers album, The Night Before Christmas. Please don’t listen to the album. It may scar you for life! Instead, spray on some Ambre Narguile and enjoy one of the best sweet tobacco scents on the market.

James Heeley – Cardinal

Cardinal is the second incense on my list and is lighter and breezier than the CDG. If Avignon is an epic depiction of a Gothic cathedral, Cardinal is an entirely more intimate affair. Cardinal’s lack of bulk makes it a versatile option. This linen peppery incense veil works all year round. Amen to that!

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Tea For Two

L’Artisan’s Tea For Two smells more like a giant Christmas feast than a relaxing afternoon get-together with tea and scones. Olivia Giacobetti’s 2000 classic for the famed French house looks like a “food coma” waiting to happen with lavish notes of tea, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and gingerbread. But it’s got just the right amount of darkness to counteract the sweetness. There’s no need to slacken the belt just yet.

Milano Fragranze – Basilica

The Italian house’s representation of incense smells original and intriguing. Rather than being in the church, we seem to be in a herb garden filled with rosemary and thyme just outside the cathedral. Wafts of incense smoke drift on the breeze, and the milky, creamy middle notes evoke the smell of freshly baked savoury bread from a nearby (strangely enough) Middle Eastern bakery. Oh well, there goes the belt! It’s time to loosen it up a notch.

Serge Lutens – Santal Majuscule

I originally picked out Five O’Clock Au Gingembre for this list, but I have misplaced my bottle, much like Santa misplaced my bike in 1987; I got one in 1988. Thanks, Santa. But, Santal Majuscule works just as well for Christmas as it has Santa in the name and highlights a few notes that differ from those on my list. The sandalwood used in Santal Majuscule might not be the best, most expensive variety of the material, but it’s still buttery and creamy. It works seamlessly with the rose and the dusty cacao. And like most Serge Lutens perfumes, the note pyramid never truly represents what’s in the fragrance. There are always a few unexpected goodies in the Christmas stocking. Sheldrake and the elves at Serge have surely added some sticky immortelle and tonka into the composition for all the good boys and girls of Fragcomm to enjoy.

So that’s my top 10 for the season. I’ll be wearing the Chanel as my holiday scent of choice. What about you? Will you be giving or receiving the gift of fragrance this year?

All the pictures are my own. All bottles are from my collection and purchased by me.