Cosy Cashmere-Sweater Scents
Maison Margiela
By The Fireplace Eau de Toilette, £120You wouldn’t think the scent of a fireplace would ‘work’ but trust me you’ll be licking your own arms once you’ve sprayed this on! The inspiration is roasting chestnuts on a roaring fire in a Chamonix ski lodge in 1971, and it really smells exactly like that. There are soft, smoky, slightly sooty plumes of gaiac wood embers, rich vanilla scrapings and a nutty chestnut flavour that’s so nostalgic you will want to hug your own self. It is as delicious as that crumbly-yet-creamy magical bright white chestnut flesh concealed by its blackened, roasted shell that you can’t wait to pinch and crack open – charred flecks all over the place – because the anticipation overwhelms you and that sweet reward is so worth a couple of burnt fingertips.
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Diptyque
Tempo Eau de Parfum, £153Think ‘Patchouli’. Does your mind might wander to hippy drug-smogged lounges? Forget all of that, and travel to poetic left-bank Parisian cafes during the 60s instead. Tempo is a tribute to patchouli’s aromatic oil, where all its smoky, earthy and woody warmth is brightened by freshly-torn violet leaves for grassy freshness. It’s opulent and deep and handsome and soothing, with a luminous clarity that makes it perfect for someone who usually wears splashy Eau de Colognes but needs a little cosiness in their fragrance wardrobe. It’s the fine-knit merino sweater scent to layer over your crisp-white-shirt persona.
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Tom Ford
F***ing Fabulous Eau de Parfum, £180I mean. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the sheer nerve and kahunas here? Like a chic chess piece with its sleek, matte black cloak, the regal scent within is indecently moreish. Every heady, addictive ingredient you can think of explodes into one big fragrance orgy, with chocolatey tonka bean swirled into buttery iris root, sticky vanilla dripping onto worn-in leather, and pillowy cashmerean drizzled with bitter almond oil. Yet it’s all cooled down by an outdoorsy blast of clary sage and lavender – pulling you back from full-on intoxication. It’s the perfume equivalent of Beyoncé opening a Tom Ford fashion show in NYC: bursting onto the catwalk all glossy limbs and wild hair, expertly sewn into an impossible leather couture catsuit, trailing a trench on the floor as if it’s a puddle of golden syrup that the drooling FROW are scrambling to smother themselves in. She brings you to her knees… then keeps walking. F***cking Fabulous indeed.
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Jo Loves
Red Truffle 21 A Fragrance, £49The renowned chef Giorgio Locatelli once told me the reason Italians go crazy for the smell of truffles is because they smell like hot skin after sex. Don’t worry, this fragrance doesn’t smell quite so carnal! But there is an addictive yumminess that will snake into your senses and pull you in. Here, Jo Malone MBE celebrates the nutty facets of truffles instead, elevated by an invigorating, forest-therapy blend of green fig leaves, cool pine and crushed juniper berries. Rather than being fuzzy and nuzzly like the rest of the scents in this edit, this is more like a calming cloak of quiet contemplation, a lighter option for those who want warmth without stifling heat.
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Laura Mercier
Lumiere D'ambre Eau de Parfum, N/ALet’s set an entirely different scene now – one of black-tie sophistication and midnight-under-fairy-lights glamour. In this velvety perfume, ‘Amber’ is a fragrance concept made up of warming, glowing and rich ingredients such as musk, spices, powdery florals and syrupy resins to emulate the intense radiance of amber gemstones. Texturally, it is like the softest crushed velour that slithers over skin and envelops you in the sensuality and confidence of an evening gown. But despite being a floral, cosseting and ‘oriental’ style of scent, it’s surprisingly subtle so you could definitely wear it in the daytime too.
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Atelier Cologne
Santal Carmin Cologne, N/A‘Wood’ feels like such a dry word doesn’t it? But this epic sandalwood masterpiece is anything but. It’s deep and lush and bordering on creamy, with a little smokiness that makes you salivate and a dewy glimmer of bergamot that makes your senses dazzle. When you dig your nose into your wrist to smell this scent, you are grounded and anchored into a rich, damp, earthy woodland floor in autumn that’s dappled in warm sun beams and glistening with raindrops. Imagine smelling that reassuring scene every single day, elevated by the luxury of a decadent perfume filter.
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Byredo
Slow Dance Eau de Parfum, £150I have a guilty secret: this is a personal fave of mine and I try to weave Slow Dance into every single bit of writing or presenting possible, because I need to world to smell this magnificent perfume. It also happens to be ideal for this theme, because – to me – it is the epitome of cosiness. It was inspired by the closeness and nothing-else-matters-right-now intimacy of a romantic first dance: you are together, you melt into each other; the time, music and people around you are completely irrelevant and invisible. Because the only thing you’re aware of is the scent of your partner’s warm neck and, somehow, it feels like home. The mystical blend of spiritual incense, sweet vanilla, oppoponax resin and patchouli oil is my most commented-on scent and it’s first in line when the heating goes on and – of course – when all the cashmere comes out of storage.
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