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How To Choose Your Signature Autumn Winter Perfume


Abbey Perfumery winter perfume collection

If you’re ready to find a new signature scent, or you’re simply wanting to feel more seasonal, you’ve got to read our Abbey Perfumery Autumn-Winter perfume guide.

As we step into the colder months, we often find ourselves purging and updating our wardrobes to prepare for the season ahead (and to help distract ourselves from the cold and wet days!)

Although a warm and cosy outfit definitely helps lift my mood,it doesn’t always make me feel complete. If there’s one thing that can make me feel even better, even on my blah days, it’s a beautiful, luxurious fragrance.

As we head deeper into autumn and winter, now is the perfect time to explore new scents to carry with you through this next season. Our team at Abbey Perfumery have put together the ultimate go-to guide, to help you pick your perfect autumn/winter perfume.

What are the key fragrance families for the autumn-winter season?

Let’s start with some (not so boring) basics!

Scents can be categorised by the fragrance wheel (a bit like a colour wheel for fragrance fans). The wheel is centred around four main ‘families’, each with their own sub-family. Naturally you're likely to gravitate towards a certain based on your favourite type of fragrance, but we think a change in season is a great opportunity to experiment, have a bit of fun and get creative with your perfume choices.

For our team, the Autumn/Winter season is all about cosy, rich and indulgent fragrances. The type of scents that almost feel like they are going to wrap themselves around you, like a cosy scarf on a wintery morning. Those that fall under the ‘wood’ and ‘oriental’ family, often containing earthy and spicy base notes, are perfect for the forthcoming winter months.

The 'Wood' family

For a scent that’s inspired by the forest, and has a real warmth, look no further than the woody fragrance family. Known for their luxurious textures, if any fragrance can be cosy, it’s one that is based around notes of nature.

Common Woody Notes-

  • Sandalwood
  • Oud
  • Pine
  • Patchouli
  • Cedarwood

Our top picks

Bramble Smoke 

This is our go-to for winter parties. Bramble Smoke is totally unusual and oozes opulence. This autumn perfume has a rich, smoky oud base, which is balanced indulgent Bulgarian Damask Rose. The blackberry notes found in this bottle give a lift to round off the perfume beautifully. It's one of our biggest head turners - and definitely one to wear if you want to get noticed!

Joe Smooth

If there’s one thing that can make me feel warm, even on my freezing cold days, it’s Joe Smooth . With top notes of Arabica Coffee beans and base notes of Vanilla, this perfume oozes warmth and comfort - perfect for frosty winter days.

The 'Amber' or 'Oriental' family

Orientals are a classic in perfume history, using many of the same ingredients today that were first enjoyed in India and Arabia. This fragrance family is seductive, with tonnes of va-va-voom. Orientals tend to feel ‘grown-up’ and have a warm richness to them which is perfectly suited to the festive season.

Common Oriental Family Notes-

  • Myrrh
  • Frankincense
  • Vanilla
  • Musk

Our top picks

Hooga

The best way we can describe Hooga is a ‘hug in a bottle’. The scent feels luxurious, warming, and romantic all in one. With oriental notes of myrrh and Tonka bean, this perfume is absolutely perfect for long winter walks and pub lunches. Having said this, Hooga is the best seller in our collection all year round!

Kindled Rose 

And last, but definitely not least - a beautiful scent with rose, oud, and a hint of chocolate.

Those who love this unusual perfume LOVE it, and some have been known to order 6 bottles at a time. Kindled Rose is a spicy and romantic scent, perfect for a cosy night in with a loved one.

Ever wondered why your scent doesn't last as long in the winter?

If you’ve noticed that your fragrance doesn’t last as long in winter months, you’re not alone. It's not unusual to find that the scent you doused yourself in first thing, is a distant memory come your pub visit at lunchtime.

The reason may be simpler than you think - it’s down to the fact our skin is drier.  Dry skin doesn't hold onto fragrance as well.

To ensure your scent lasts throughout the day, our team recommends opting for eau de parfum over eau de toilette. Eau de parfum contains a stronger percentage of perfume essence, meaning  it will be more tenacious, have better longevity and more intensity - perfect to face these colder months.

We’d also recommend using a fragrance free moisturiser, and letting this absorb into your skin before applying any perfume. Moisturising before you spritz will help your skin to absorb the scent, and will ensure that it lingers all day long.

Let’s find your signature perfume

Whilst finding a new perfume should be a great experience, it’s often a frustrating and expensive task. You head to the department store perfume counter, only to be sprayed with what seems like a million different perfumes - and it’s so easy to forget which is which!

Our team wanted to help you make that perfume buying experience a little easier (and less expensive!). We have created Eau de Parfum Discovery Boxes, each containing four of our carefully crafted, artisan perfumes. If you like the sound of the autumn and winter scents we have mentioned today, try our ‘Luxe’ collection.

Oh, and did I mention all our perfumes are vegan friendly, lovingly made in Sheffield, and you only pay for postage on our discovery boxes?

If you are still unsure on what winter fragrance to go for, or just want to find out more about what we do, get in touch with us, we’d love to chat!