Why the season matters
As temperatures drop, perfumes diffuse more slowly and stay closer to the skin. Base notes, woody, resinous or leathery, take over from summer's citrus. It is the ideal season for chypres, whose moss and patchouli evoke a damp forest floor, for supple leathers and for spices such as pepper, cardamom and cinnamon. Dark fruits such as plum, fig and black cherry echo the imagery of orchards and harvests. Textures thicken without becoming heavy: a dry woody or a light amber works as well by day as in the evening. In our selection, Mitsouko, Terre d'Hermès, Tuscan Leather, Lost Cherry and Tam Dao illustrate this in-between palette well, each offering a different shade of the season's warmth. It is also the best moment to rediscover a signature you set aside in summer.
