Winter’s Biggest Fragrance Trends Offer a Scent for Every Mood

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Winter is about getting cozy on the sofa with a fluffy blanket, but it can also mean dressing up in your sparkliest outfit and clinking champagne glasses at midnight. It’s ice, snow, and bracing winds one moment, then roaring fireplaces the next. The season’s duality is reflected in this winter’s biggest fragrance trends. “We enter a season that craves shelter and shock in equal measure,” says Douglas Little, Heretic Parfum founder.

There are sharp, icy scents that smell like a brisk walk in the snow, whether that’s in the mountains of Hokkaido or a forest in the Adirondacks. There are deeply sensual fragrances that use musk, leather, and white florals to evoke the scents and sensations of hiding under the sheets with someone you love. The prevalence of pink pepper gives many winter perfume launches the brightness and effervescence of a bottle of bubbly on New Year’s Eve.

And, of course, there are the warm, comforting gourmands that continue to dominate fragrance shelves, whether from small, indie boutiques like Arielle Shoshana in Washington, DC, or national retailers such as Ulta Beauty. “Gourmands are still having a moment, but with new ingredients and new pairings,” says master perfumer Honorine Blanc. “For example, vanilla will be paired with leather, nuts, boozy notes, and [the results] will be much more multifaceted and mischievous."

Overall, “winter fragrances are leaning warmer and more inviting, but still with a modern, fresh vibe,” says LaRen Johnson, fragrance expert at ScentMatch. “They wrap you up like a soft blanket but still carry a cool, sophisticated edge, perfect for a season that mixes comfort with celebration.” Keep reading to find the perfect scent, no matter your mood or preference for getting through the cold winter months.

Colognes Are Making a Comeback

After years of heady “beast mode” scents roaring through the perfume market, brands are again dipping into the lightest end of the perfume spectrum: the eau de cologne, which typically contains the lowest concentration of perfume oil before you get into body spray territory, says Bella Varghese, fragrance development manager for fine fragrance at DSM-Firmenich. Invented in the early-18th century by an Italian barber living in Koln, Germany, cologne tends to be composed of “aromatic, citrusy, and floral notes, emitting a fresh, citrus-forward, light and airy scent,” Varghese adds.

If you’re a millennial or older, your father, brother, or partner probably owned a cologne growing up. Now a new generation is discovering the category. Spate Data shares that, since last year, searches for the category are up 24.4% on TikTok and 101.1% on Instagram. At Ulta Beauty, Linda Suliafu, vice president of fragrance, is “noticing growing interest in colognes and classic fragrance profiles, particularly as more brands are launching modern takes on traditional scents.” Those brands include DS & Durga, Ellis Brooklyn, and Snif.

Fresh yet powerful, Ellis Brooklyn founder Bee Shapiro wanted her new Worth Avenue scent to “address head-on what a classic cologne means.” The scent’s deep, blue-colored juice—reminiscent of ’90s-era colognes—reinforces that goal.

Ellis Brooklyn

Worth Avenue

$120

Amazon

$120

Ellis Brooklyn

Like Worth Avenue, which layers typical citrus and lavender notes over an atypical woody base, many of these new colognes offer depth and complexity to the category, says Varghese: “Colognes of 2025 are more faceted in the sense that they still have a fresh structure, but have added undertones of woods, moss, or ambery notes.”

Pink Pepper Is the Note of the Season

Pink pepper is like the Labubu of fragrance notes—it’s everywhere. From luxe perfumes like Balenciaga Extra, mass launches such as Coach Gold, and indie debuts including Bañomaria Finca, pink pepper is the unexpected and ubiquitous note of the season.

Balenciaga

Extra Parfum

$320

Balenciaga

Coach

Gold Parfum

$138

Amazon

$138

Ulta Beauty

Bañomaria

Finca

$165

Bañomaria

Every new pink pepper perfume smells wildly different. Henry Rose French Exit is a lush, sun-speckled floral. Dossier Lost Americana is smoky and full of wintery spices like nutmeg and myrrh. Noyz Only Human is a skin-enhancing musk with a touch of woody sweetness. Orebella Eternal Roots offers a fruity burst of lychee and raspberry paired with smoky woods. What they all have in common, however, is an inexplicable energy and immediacy.

Henry Rose

French Exit

$120

Nordstrom

Dossier

Lost Americana

$49

Dossier

Noyz

Only Human

$85

Ulta Beauty

Orebella

Eternal Roots

$100

Ulta Beauty

Pink pepper is far from new. DSM-Firmenich first used the extraction in 1995 in Estée Lauder Pleasures. Contrary to its name, pink pepper is not a peppercorn; it’s a dried fruit from the Schinus molle tree, a species native to South America. “The bright berry has a unique, spicy profile that brings a sparkling brightness that enhances the energy of a fragrance,” says Varghese. The note is versatile and multi-faceted, adds Blanc: “It’s easy to use because it has a peppery, woody, citrus facet but is also floral; it helps to give vibrations to the fragrance structure and brings brightness to otherwise dark constructions.”

Estée Lauder

Pleasures

$115

Amazon

$118

Nordstrom

$118

Ulta Beauty

Pink pepper took off after the success of Pleasures, and its sudden resurgence may speak to today’s mood, says 27 87 founder Romy Kowalewski. “Right now, I think people are drawn to notes that feel sparkling, vibrant, and dynamic, a counterpoint to heaviness,” she explains. “Pink pepper delivers exactly that—an effervescent lift that feels modern, restless, and alive.”

Fragrance Brands Are Letting It Snow

Those dreaming of a winter wonderland can quickly transport themselves there with a spritz of one of many new, snowy-smelling fragrances. Dubbed the “polar plunge trend” by Arielle Shoshana founders Arielle Shoshana and Katri Haas, scents like d’Annam Sakura Snow, Imaginary Authors The Language of Glaciers, Serviette Frisson d’Hiver, and Andrea Maack’s Flux all evoke a chilly aroma with snow or ice accords.

d’Annam

Sakura Snow

$160

d'Annam

Imaginary Authors

The Language of Glaciers

$115

Imaginary Authors

Serviette

Frisson d’Hiver

$175

Serviette

Andrea Maack

Flux

$245

Andrea Maack

Now, anyone who has been skiing or in a snowball fight knows that snow doesn’t have a noticeable smell—it is water, after all. Instead, perfumers re-create the cold, powdery, crunchy, and crystalline qualities of snow through a blend of cooling aromatics, airy musks, and crisp florals. “Aldehydes create a sparkling, airy, soapy, and sometimes edgy impression right on top; aromatic notes like mint or eucalyptus feel sharp, fresh, and instantly cooling,” explains Varghese. “Floral notes like rose oxide, lily of the valley, or even violet leaf, impart a crisp and green effect with a watery chill, while musks at the back feel clean, airy, and skin-like, adding a snow-like softness.”

Fragrance Brands Are Letting It Snow

Says Shoshana, “I cannot overstate the extent to which gourmands continue to dominate the perfume landscape.” By mid-September, Shoshana and Haas had already launched four new gourmands at their boutique. Meanwhile, Ulta Beauty customers, Suliafu notes, still can’t get enough of delicious-smelling eau de parfums: “Our guests have been showing a strong preference for gourmand fragrances with warm, comforting notes like vanilla, caramel, and amber,” she says.

For winter, however, “sweetness is no longer the star but a supporting character—balanced by soft woods, florals, spices and musks,” says Matthieu Sucheyre-Bouquet, director of education and events at Interparfums. “The result is scents that are more nuanced and textured, comforting yet elevated. They’re not just a treat but a statement of elegant restraint.”

With dozens and dozens of new gourmands hitting shelves this winter, it’s hard to narrow down to a few favorites. That said, we do love the decadent coffee-cherry blend in Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Cherry, the honeyed banana in 28 87 Hakuna Matata, and the brown sugar-laced chypre that is Miu Miu Miutine. Liis Celestial Object, with its quince, rice paper, and tonka bean, manages to be simultaneously cozy and ethereal, while Octavia Morgan Vanillin Supreme uses white florals and a splash of rum to add depth and complexity to Madagascar vanilla.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Moonlight Cherry

$305

Bloomingdales

$305

Neiman Marcus

27 87

Hakuna Matata

$230

27 87

Miu Miu

Miutine

$172

Nordstrom

$172

Ulta Beauty

Liis

Celestial Object

$175

Revolve

$175

Liis

Octavia Morgan Los Angeles

Vanillin Supreme

$150

Ulta Beauty

“Gourmands are moving beyond playful sweetness into richer, more sensual territory,” explains Octavia Morgan, founder of her namesake brand. “Edible notes like roasted chestnut, smoked honey, cherry, plum or dark cacao are paired with resins, woods, and spices, and the result are fragrances that feel luxurious, indulgent, and seasonally perfect.”

Fragrance Is Getting Friskier

Many of winter’s new fragrances belong on a different type of naughty list. While perfume has long been associated with sex and sensuality, this season many brands are being more overtly erotic, whether through notes, narratives, new technologies, or a combination of all three.

Perfumers have plenty of ways to create sexy and sensual fragrances. “Florals like rose, tuberose, or jasmine can be deeply seductive and narcotic; spices like pepper, clove, or cardamom can convey intriguing heat,” says Varghese. “Ambery resin, rum, tobacco, and vanilla give off a warmth, sensuality, depth and allure. Musk is also known for its sensual, primal, and quietly sexy character, while leather—which is very trendy right now—can be used to induce a raw, animalic, and provocative scent.”

The latest titillating scents check off all of the above: L’Objet Blindfold uses musks and synthetic animalic notes to evoke a heightened sense of intimacy. Altaia Woo(e)d combines cardamom and leather to draw people in for a whiff, and Vyrao’s new Ludeaux and Ludatrix scents take it one step further with lipstick and latex accords.

L'Objet

Blindfold

$250

L'Objet

Altaia

Woo(e)d

$223

Altaia

Vyrao

Ludeaux

$190

Revolve

$190

Bluemercury

Vyrao

Ludatrix

$190

Revolve

$190

Bluemercury

Many of these scents also tap into the new technologies developed by the fragrance oil houses to analyze how scent molecules can impact emotions. Vyrao’s eaux contain notes the brand claims inspire feelings of sensuality, intimacy, and self-confidence. The same goes for Charlotte Tilbury’s More Sex, a musky leather fragrance meant to inspire your inner seductress. (It’s important to note, however, that these technologies do not have blind, placebo-controlled studies conducted outside the fragrance industry, and therefore should not be used in place of medical intervention if you’re dealing with a low libido.)

Charlotte Tilbury

More Sex

$150

Nordstrom

$150

Revolve

$150

Bluemercury

With politics and mainstream culture pushing conservatism right now, these fragrances feel like a little form of olfactive rebellion. “For the past few years, fragrance has been dominated by comfort, safety, and the cocooning effect, shielding us from a very unstable world,” says Heretic’s Little. “But there’s only so long you can hide under the covers. What we’re seeing now is a collective appetite for reawakening, for reclaiming sensuality and physicality.”

For the Heretic founder, whose new Blood Berry eau de parfum is a “fruit [fragrance] for the sinner, not the saint,” these types of scents are not just about sex; they’re a reminder that we’re alive—and desirous. “I think the surge you’re noticing in the industry is really an echo of where people are emotionally. We’ve been starved of touch, of closeness, and scent is the most primal way to bridge that void.”

Meet the experts

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• Honorine Blanc is a French-born, New York-based master perfumer at DSM-Firmenich.
• Romy Kowalewski is the creative director and founder of 27 87 Fragrances in Barcelona.
• Douglas Little is the founder and executive creative director of Heretic Parfum in Los Angeles.
• Arielle Shoshana is the founder of Arielle Shoshana, an indie fragrance boutique in Washington, DC.
• Octavia Morgan is the founder of Octavia Morgan Los Angeles.
• Bee Shapiro is the New York-based founder of Ellis Brooklyn.
• Matthieu Sucheyre-Bouquet is the director of education and events at Interparfums.
• Linda Suliafu is vice president of fragrance at Ulta Beauty.
• Bella Varghese is fragrance development manager for fine fragrance at DSM-Firmenich in New York.

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