The unconventional fragrances to wear this winter Why limit ourselves to gourmands and spices?
When winter arrives, it can feel as though perfumery has to follow a very specific pattern: vanilla, amber, cinnamon, caramel and anything that smells like a freshly baked dessert, warm, intensely comforting and sometimes almost suffocating. They’re lovely, of course, but not everyone wants to turn into a walking bakery from November to March. Fresh fragrances deserve a place in our fragrance wardrobe too, especially when we’re after something cleaner, brighter and decidedly less enveloping.
The unconventional perfumes to wear in winter 2026
Angeli di Firenze by Santa Maria Novella
Angeli di Firenze Eau de Parfum by Santa Maria Novella is a recent launch and a new interpretation of the fragrance originally released in 2006. Created as a limited edition to mark the 60th anniversary of the Florence flood, it is fresh, floral and mineral all at once. It opens with bergamot, lemon and hyacinth, before evolving into a heart of jasmine, melon, rose and ylang-ylang. In the dry-down, cashmere wood, musk and vanilla add a soft, delicate touch, while the mineral accord evokes wet stone and the waters of the Arno.
De Los Santos by Byredo
De Los Santos by Byredo is a great alternative for anyone who loves clean fragrances but wants something with a little more character than the usual laundry and soap notes. The opening features clary sage and mirabelle plum, bringing an immediate aromatic, slightly fruity freshness to the fragrance, while iris and rockrose add a powdery touch. The base notes are musk, ambroxan and palo santo.
Bête Humaine by Les Liquides Imaginaires
Bête Humaine by Les Liquides Imaginaires brings together a blend of notes we’re not used to finding in a fragrance. The opening features chestnut, cumin, violet leaf and mastic. At the heart, labdanum, Virginia cedar, karmawood and sandalwood take centre stage, while the base combines Haitian vetiver, burnt pine needles, cypriol and guaiac wood. It brings to mind those autumn days spent gathering chestnuts among dry leaves and the damp forest floor.
Hwyl by Aesop
Hwyl by Aesop evokes a Japanese forest, with hinoki trees, moss and incense. The opening features thyme, elemi and pink pepper, followed by a heart of cypress, suede and geranium, and a base of vetiver, incense and cedar.
Incense Kyoto by Comme des Garçons
Incense Kyoto by Comme des Garçons revolves around incense, cypress oil, coffee, teakwood, vetiver, patchouli, amber, everlasting flower and Virginia cedar. It evokes the atmosphere of a temple tucked away in a quiet forest, surrounded by vegetation and morning mist.