Winter Perfumes: Warm, Spicy and Woody Scents

When the evenings draw in, a lot of people reach for something warmer than the citrus and florals they wore in summer. There's no rule that says you have to, but the scent families most people associate with winter are easy to name: spice, amber, leather, vanilla and wood. This guide explains how to choose between them, and where our two fragrances sit.

How to choose a winter fragrance

Start with the mood you want rather than the label on the box. Warm, spicy fragrances feel bright and lively at first and softer as they settle. Woody fragrances feel drier and calmer, more like a wool jumper than a fireside. Both are winter favourites for good reason.

• If you like warmth with a bit of edge: look for pink pepper, clove, leather and amber.
• If you prefer something quieter and drier: look for cedarwood, sandalwood and aromatic woods.
• If you can't decide: try both on your own skin. A fragrance can smell very different on you than it does on a paper strip.

Wondering what those notes actually smell like? Our guides to amber, leather, cedarwood and sandalwood go into more detail.

Warm spice and amber: Peppery Amber

Peppery Amber is our spicy amber Eau de Parfum. It opens with pink pepper and clove, settles into a heart of leather and cedarwood, and finishes on amber and vanilla. The vanilla is there to soften the edges, not to make it sweet.

It suits anyone looking for a warm spicy perfume that isn't sugary. If you want more of the amber family, the spicy amber perfume collection explains how it compares with better-known names.

Aromatic woods: Broken Cricket Bat

Broken Cricket Bat is our woody aromatic Eau de Parfum. Pink pepper and cardamom open it, cedarwood sits at the heart, and sandalwood and oud form the base. It started from a single memory, of a well-used bat at the end of a long afternoon, and it smells more like warm wood than smoke or spice.

If woody scents are what you're after, see the woody aromatic perfume collection.

Winter perfume for men, for women, or for anyone

Plenty of people search for a men's winter perfume or a women's winter perfume. Both of ours are unisex: neither was written to a gendered brief. These notes aren’t inherently masculine or feminine; choose the scent profile you enjoy. What makes a fragrance read masculine or feminine is usually what sits alongside them.

So if you're shopping for yourself, choose the scent family you like. If you're shopping for someone else, you only need to guess whether they lean warm and spicy or dry and woody. More on that in our unisex perfume collection.

A note on evening wear

Winter means more evenings out, and many people keep a warmer fragrance for those. Peppery Amber is the one we'd point you to for an evening: the spice and leather give it a warm, spicy character. For a wider comparison, read our guide to spicy perfumes for women and men.

Not sure which? Try both first

The Discovery Duo contains one 1.5ml sample of each fragrance: the same Eau de Parfum as the 50ml bottles, in a size made for testing on your own skin. It's the simplest way to find out which suits your winter before choosing a full bottle.

Choosing a perfume gift for Christmas

For someone who enjoys warm spice and leather, Peppery Amber is our spicy amber perfume to explore. For a woody perfume gift with cedarwood, sandalwood and oud, consider Broken Cricket Bat.

If you are unsure which scent they would choose, a perfume discovery set makes a small Christmas gift or perfume stocking filler without asking them to commit to a full bottle. The Discovery Duo includes two 1.5ml Eau de Parfum samples, one of each fragrance. For individual options, read our perfume samples guide.

Planning a Christmas gift? Check our shipping and delivery information before ordering.