Festive Fragrances We Adore

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Byredo Velvet Haze

Speaking of velvet, let’s begin with this masterclass in supersoft textural perfume. Creamy coconut, rich cocoa and earthy patchouli create an addictively sweet and nutty swirl, like biting into a sinful-but-sublime truffle. Once the sticky notes smooth away, a dreamy “cotton musk” takes over and blurs your senses into a happy, hazy, soft-focus bliss– hence the spot-on name.

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Acqua di Parma Colonia Essenza

The invigorating, crisp and super-chic original Colonia has been simmered down to a deeper, more laid back and sensual elixir with amber, vetiver, jasmine and white musk to ground all those flighty citrus pings. It’s akin to a tuxedo jacket that began its outing sharp and composed, then gradually as the evening progresses it’s lost its bow tie, unbuttoned its collar and collected far too much mischief along the way.

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Clean Reserve Avant Garden Nude Santal & Heliotrope

If you like your fragrances powdery and pillowy, you’ve hit the golden ticket here as comforting woods, creamy petals and lickable vanilla envelop you like warm protective arms. Because of these human-esque flavours, this perfume melts into your skin and stays hooked for hours, creeping gently into your clothes and hair until it is a physical extension of you – a virtual halo of extra-ness that can handle whatever winter throws your way, from frosty woodland walks to a glamorous festive party.

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Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Eau de Parfum

Well-balanced, strong, XL, out-out perfumes are hard to come by: they’re often not punchy enough, or so punchy they walk into a room before you do and suffocate the crowd. This maxi-scent is bold and ballsy, but sinks in close so that only those in your personal space can get a hint of what’s beneath. The spicy oriental mix is dark, naughty and theatrical, with floral sweeps of black orchid, rose, magnolia and jasmine, finished off with a syrupy and boozy base of honey, vanilla and rum.

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Jo Loves Christmas Trees Room Fragrance

While this isn’t a personal scent to wear on oneself, this home fragrance is so breathtakingly beautiful it is worthy of a place on your mantlepiece so you can treat your living space as lovingly as you would your skin. Jo Malone MBE has captured the most accurate aroma of Christmas here – it’s why we chose it as our special scratch’n’sniff scent for the cover of Inside Space’s Christmas issue (available to download, but definitely worth finding in stores nationwide to smell the cover!). Mixing fresh pine with incense, amber and lavender, it evokes the exact scent when you crack open the box of gleaming baubles and tinsel after months in storage. What rises is a sweet, nutty, soft-yet-fresh plume of nostalgia, anticipation, excitement and comfort that quite literally makes you shut your eyes as the familial love floods your senses. Christmas Trees isn’t just a smell. It is a feeling.