5 scents to wear right now, according to fragrance experts

The best scents this fall range from sweet, salted caramel to warm, earthy saffron.

Kristina Strasunske/Getty Images

Business Insider spoke with two fragrance experts to learn which scents are in this season.
Vanilla remains a popular choice, and other gourmand scents, like salted caramel, are great, too.
More complex scents, including saffron and amber, are also quintessential fall fragrances.

One of the best things about fall is its scents.

It’s the time of year when the air smells like pumpkin-spiced cookies, smoky bonfires, and something sweet baking in the oven or simmering on the stove.

Fortunately, many popular autumnal fragrances can help you capture the warmth and comfort of the season and take it with you wherever you go.

So, Business Insider spoke with two fragrance experts about some of the top scents they recommend wearing this fall.

Gourmand scents are going to remain popular among perfume wearers.

A plate of salted caramel candies. — Gourmand scents, like salted caramel, will remain popular throughout the fall.

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Vanilla has been one of the most popular cold-weather scents for years, and it’s here to stay.

Susan Ankersen, perfumer and cofounder of Susan James Fragrances, said gourmands — or scents that smell like they can be eaten — will remain popular throughout the season.

“They’re edible, like cookies, candy, you know, salted caramel — all those kinds of gourmands, I think, are going to stick,” she said.

Ankersen said she’s also noticed fruity, berry scents, like raspberry, being paired with traditional gourmands to lighten them up, because they “can be a little heavy and cloying” on their own.

Nutty scents are in, and they also mix well with other gourmand notes.

A bowl of roasted almonds. — Almond, pistachio, and other nutty scents mix well to create signature fall fragrances.

meowwelove/Shutterstock

Nutty scents, such as pistachio and almond, are also popular this time of year, Ankersen said.

They pair well with other gourmands, like vanilla (warm and creamy) or cinnamon (rich and spicy). Think: Smells that might remind you of passing by carts selling almonds roasted in sugar on a chilly fall or winter day.

Saffron is a complex scent that can be warm, spicy, and honey-like.

A saffron crocus surrounded by saffron. — Saffron comes from a flower commonly known as the autumn crocus, which only blooms in the fall.

ZhakYaroslav/Shutterstock

Denise “Kuumba” Piazza, founder of Kuumba Made, which produces fine fragrances and oils, said saffron is among her favorite scents for fall.

“It has so many different tones with it,” Piazza said. It’s got earthy, spicy, and warm notes.

The spice itself comes from the stigmas of the flower crocus sativus (more commonly known as the saffron crocus), which are a beautiful crimson shade of red reminiscent of colorful fall foliage.

The flower only blooms in the fall, which makes saffron all the more perfect for the season.

Amber is what autumn smells like if you could bottle up the season.

A close-up of amber/sap falling from tree bark. — Ankersen described amber as a heavier scent.

Virginie Vaes/Getty Images

Ankersen and Piazza both pointed to amber as a great choice for the season.

It’s a complex scent that packs in a sweetness like honey with the earthiness of the woods, making it a wonderful blend you might associate with autumn.

“Amber is made of benzoin, patchouli, and vanilla, so it kind of has more of a depth,” Ankersen said.

Boozy and smoky scents are staples on their own, but work even better together.

A glass of whiskey on the rocks with an outdoor fireplace in the background. — Birch tar and cognac are two examples of smoky and boozy scents that are good for the season.

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Imagine sitting in a leather armchair in a dimly lit home library, sipping whiskey out of a crystal glass with a fireplace burning.

This cozy feeling is what Ankersen says the combination of boozy and smoky notes in fall fragrances brings.

“If you think of just what’s going on around the holidays, you have the mulled wine, you have the warm drinks,” she said … and perhaps even sitting in front of a fireplace — another reason smoky notes feel especially fitting for the colder months.

Look for fragrances with notes like birch tar, which has a smoky and leathery aroma that can evoke a cozy feeling, or cognac, which can be oaky and warm.

These also pair well with other fall staples, like cardamom.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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