The Best Fall Fragrances Leave an Intoxicating Trail of Musk, Amber, and Leather

A dip in temperatures and a splash of color on the trees calls for a dab—or three—of the best fall fragrances. Ambery, woody, musky, and surprising, the best scents of the season include cult classics, fresh launches, and new twists on familiar ingredients. (As it turns out, citrus is a new It note for fall.) To save you from a perfume headache after an excess of spritzing, we’ve put our pulse points to the test to distill the most divine scents for fall 2024.

Vogue’s Favorite Fall Fragrances of 2024:

In This Article:

From Victoria Beckham’s “masculine” take on vanilla to Santal Jardin’s rumination on an incense-cleansed temple and Maison d’Etro’s heady ode to Tunisian orange blossom, the below edit represents Vogue editor and industry expert picks for the best fragrances to cozy up to this fall. If you can’t pick just one, rest assured: Just as fall fashion calls for layering, most of these scents smell twice as nice with a perfumed pairing—and there are no rules for wearing them. “What’s great this season is that more and more fragrances are universal and can be worn by any gender identity,” says Linda Levy, president of the Fragrance Foundation. “There are a lot of fabulous scents out there to try.” Here’s to a wonderfully fragrant fall!

Jo Malone Hinoki & Cedarwood Cologne Intense

• Why we love it: The latest addition to Jo Malone’s Cologne Intense collection bottles the clearing, grounding feel of forest bathing in Japan. At once woody, fresh, and mysterious, the cologne has prominent notes of cedarwood and hinoki. Like all Jo Malone scents, this is unisex and made for layering—but it’s a scent that stands alone. Spritz it in the morning and prepare for subtle, spa-like wafts of forest floor throughout the day.
• Notes: Cedarwood, hinoki
• This smells like: Waking up early to take a solo walk through the forest.

Glossier You Doux Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Since its 2017 launch, Glossier You has been a cult classic for a fresh, subtle, clean-skin kind of scent. In October, the brand expanded its fragrance portfolio with the release of two new scents. You Rêve is a fruity, sweet gourmand, while You Doux—a woody scent—has a warm, spicy depth that pairs well with the crisp fall air. In a minimalist glass bottle that looks like frosted cream, the scent opens with sweet violet, followed by an incense-like blend of palo santo, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Notes: Sweet violet, palo santo, frankincense, myrrh, ambrette, ambrox
• This smells like: Like the original You, the woodsy new release has musky base notes that smell slightly different on everyone—but it carries the general vibe of lingering in clean sheets on a languid Sunday morning.

Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette

• Why we love it: A Vogue editor favorite, Margiela’s Jazz Club fragrance is a go-to for fashion and style writer Christian Allaire. “I love spritzing this for a night out—and it’s by far my most complimented scent from strangers,” he once wrote. Notes of pink pepper and rum and tobacco leaf absolute round out the sweetly smoky scent, which lends itself to a night of firelight, expertly poured cocktails, and melodious riffs.
• Notes: Pink pepper, rum absolute, tobacco leaf absolute
• This smells like: Vogue editors have olfactory proof that this smells like New York’s coolest guys.

Diptyque Paris Lilyphéa Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Inspired by water lilies—those found in nature and those in Monet’s “Nymphéas” series—Lilyphéa is a part of Diptyque’s newest collection. Launched in September, Les Essences de Diptyque offers imaginative takes on majestic elements in nature, ranging from desert roses to coral and mother of pearl. Though inspired by watery blossoms that bloom in the spring and summer, Lilyphéa’s spicy, powdery notes of cardamom, vanilla, and violet leaf give it the grounding quality of a hug.
• Notes: Cardamom, violet leaf, vanilla
• This smells like: An olfactory cashmere scarf.

Tom Ford Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: From Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection, the heady scent proves just how sexy stone fruit can be. Top notes of black cherry and cherry liqueur get a bitter edge with almond, while jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, and cedarwood add a sultry, woodsy edge—as if cherries sprang from moonlight forests instead of sunlit orchards. Unisex and layerable, the fragrance has a quality that Ford has described as a “candy-like gleam.”Glossy and cherry-red, the display-worthy bottle has its own sweet gleam.
• Notes: Black cherry, cherry liqueur, bitter almond, rose, jasmine sambac, sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood
• This smells like: An elicit, moonlit rendezvous in a fantastical orchard—where the dress code is leather and smudged lipstick.

Maison d’Etto Verdades Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: The first launch in three years from Maison d’Etto— an artisanal fragrance house based in New York—Verdades opens with delicate notes of neroli and ozonic accord. The eau de parfum has a sweet, floral heart of jasmine and Tunisian orange flowers absolute, while warm, spicy base notes of vanilla bean and Indonesian patchouli tie it back to fall. Designed in collaboration with perfumer Julien Rasquinet, the fragrance offers a unique take on orange blossom: Instead of capturing the fresh, green aspects of the citrusy ingredient, its aroma is akin to pressing one’s nose deep within the flower’s petals and inhaling its honeyed scent.
• Notes: Tunisian neroli, ozonic accord, jasmine and Tunisian orange flower absolute, vanilla, Indonesian patchouli
• This smells like: Sitting on the warm golden sand of a Tunisian beach while the sun sets, with a sprig of orange blossoms tucked into your hair.

Maison Louis Marie No. 4 Bois de Balincourt Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Jessica Chastain has a habit of spritzing on Maison Louis Marie’s spicy, forestry scent—and it’s a hard one to break. “I can’t quit this right now,” she told Vogue while misting herself with the perfect-for-fall perfume in her Beauty Secrets video. With a heart of nutmeg, vetiver, and cinnamon wrapped in an earthy blend of sandalwood, cedarwood, and amber wood, the perfume is a popular pick from the Los Angeles-based fragrance house, which prides itself on clean, plant-based formulations and recyclable packaging.
• Notes: Sandalwood, cedarwood, cinnamon, nutmeg
• This smells like: Baking a pie in a cottage surrounded by autumn trees, with the windows left open and woodfire smoke drifting in.

Dries Van Noten Vanille Camouflage Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: A green take on vanilla, Dries Van Noten’s eau de parfum pairs galbanum—an earthy resin derived from Mediterranean plants—with the beloved fall spice. The leathery, resinous scent layers vanilla bourbon absolute with ambery woods and notes of sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and fig accord. The unexpected combination mirrors Van Noten’s nuanced approach to his art, which he once described to Vogue as: “beauty with something strange beside it.” With a porcelain base bearing watercolors, the bottle is a display-worthy perk.
• Notes: Galbanum, cypress, fig accord, ylang ylang & sandalwood, vanilla bourbon absolute, ambery woods
• This smells like: Inhaling a crushed vanilla pod in a lush, Mediterranean forest.

Sana Jardin Incense Water Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: London-based Sana Jardin infuses its layer-able fragrances with flower essences believed to have healing powers. In the Incense Water Eau de Parfum, Moroccan rose meets incense and patchouli for a smoky, heady scent designed to soothe emotions, open the heart, and inspire spiritual growth. The perfume is inspired by the ritual of burning incense to energetically cleanse temples, and it also makes a social impact. Sana Jardin’s essences are derived from flowers handpicked by female harvesters in Morocco.
• Notes: Incense water, rose, patchouli
• This smells like: Getting lost in meditation on the bank of a Moroccan river.

Guerlain L’Art & la Matière Patchouli Paris Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Inspired by a stroll through Paris at night, the newest scent from Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matière collection mixes aldehydes (which give perfumes a sparkling quality) with iris patchouli, musks, ambergris accord, and vanilla. Woody, earthy, and impossible to resist, the distinctly French scent has dominant notes of patchouli and vanilla. It’s unisex, but not for wallflowers of any gender—its alluring mix of notes is sure to draw attention.
• Notes: Iris, patchouli, vanilla
• This smells like: Taking a late-night walk home from an underground jazz club—ducking into a secret lounge for one more nightcap along the way.

Byredo Desert Dawn Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: The Swedish fragrance house has gained cult status for addictive scents—like the coveted Mojave Ghost—that channel the desert in all its isolated intrigue. This new fragrance, which launched in September, was inspired by the dry heat and creative inspiration that swirls through a desert at dawn. Notes of sweet, spicy cardamom mix with woody sandalwood and cedarwood, while vetiver and silk musk add a sultry touch. Despite its heady notes, the unisex scent has a light touch—rather than overwhelming the nose, it smells like driving past the desert with the windows rolled down.
• Notes: Cardamom, rose petals, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, silk musks
• This smells like: A road trip through the southwest.

Victoria Beckham Beauty 21:50 Reverie Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Victoria Beckham’s latest fragrance was inspired by a deliciously romantic evening in a Javanese rice field. “[My husband David and I] were in the middle of this rice field, having dinner just the two of us. At 21:50, just as the sun was setting, all of the rice fields lit up with tiny candles,” Beckham told Vogue. “He had arranged to have tea lights put into the rice fields. It was such a beautiful surprise.” The new Eau de parfum commemorates the romantic moment with a fresh twist on a classic fall spice. “There are a lot of vanilla fragrances out there, but I wanted ours to smell like it was steeped in nature,” Beckham said. “There is something unexpected about ours, with the grassy notes, that make it very masculine for a vanilla fragrance.”
• Notes: Amber, vanilla, cedarwood, tonka bean
• This smells like: Now that I know the scent’s impossibly romantic origin story, it’s hard to get it out of my head—this will always be what I imagine David and Victoria’s house smells like as the candles are lit, the sun goes down, and they start plotting their next trip to Java.

Perfumehead Room No. Extrait de Parfum

• Why we love it: To design this atmospheric, unisex scent, Los Angeles-based Perfumehead took inspiration from its surroundings. Room No. mixes fragrances meant to conjure a lusty night at the Chateau Marmont, and breathing it in feels like suddenly landing somewhere with a fireplace, stacks of edgy art books, and a fireplace—somewhere expensive, and perhaps a little dangerous. With base notes of leather, vanilla, and milky musk, the woody, spicy scent also has hints of bergamot, nutmeg, black tea, and palo santo.
• Notes: Bergamot, nutmeg, orris butter, black tea, palo santo, cashmere wood, leather, vanilla, milky musk
• This smells like: Stumbling out of a hotel party at dawn, wearing a borrowed leather jacket with a hint of woody cologne on the collar.

D.S. & Durga Coriander Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: A second-skin scent with a spicy twist, D.S. & Durga’s Coriander was inspired by the hills of Odesa. Light and layer-able, the scent channels Black Sea breezes carrying the scent of cool spices. It opens with pepper, coriander, and juniper needles, and has an herbaceous heart of geranium, clove stem, and clary sage. The base of musk, magnolia, and mace (a delicate note reminiscent of nutmeg) add a compulsively sniffable layer of warmth.
• Notes: Coriander, pepper, juniper needle, geranium, clove stem, clary sage, musk, magnolia, mace
• This smells like: The tail-end of a picnic on the cliffs, when the sun starts to set, cooling breezes waft by, and the cashmere sweaters come out.

Kilian Paris Rolling in Love Perfume

• Why we love it: From Kilian Paris’s Narcotics collection—which is filled, of course, with heady and addictive scents—this fragrance takes its cues from a trail of white ingredients. Its glossy, red-lacquered bottle hints at a slightly edgier quality, which Vogue contributor Kayla Greaves has teased out by adding a touch of darkness. “Creamy and warm, the juice’s key notes of almond milk, iris, and musk are the perfect pairing for a dark, leathery scent,” she wrote.
• Notes: Almond milk, iris, musk
• This smells like: Falling into a bed of white flowers while petals swirl down from above.

Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady Perfume

• Why we love it: Isabel Archer, the free-spirited heroine of Portrait of a Lady, inspired Frédéric Malle’s classic scent. The fragrance wraps Turkish rose—a honeyed, full-bodied bloom—in earthy notes of patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense, while blackcurrant and raspberry add a touch of zest. The bold rose perfume is a cult classic and a favorite among Vogue editors. And, though it launched in 2010, the fragrance has an old-world feel, as though it’s infused with secrets whispered among women of the Victorian era.
• Notes: Turkish rose, patchouli, incense
• This smells like: The fragrance’s nose, legendary French perfumer Dominique Ropion, once described Portrait of a Lady to Vogue: “[It’s] a Baroque symphony: an oriental with an enormous dose of Turkish rose,” he said. It took hundreds of tries to get it right.”

Amouage Guidance Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Omani perfume house Amouage infuses its scents with traditional Middle Eastern notes, reimagined through the lens of Western perfumers. In Guidance—a warming, ambery floral from French nose Quentin Bisch—notes of saffron, rose, jasmine, and osmanthus are grounded in a warm and creamy base of sandalwood, ambergris, and vanilla. I’ve been spritzing this on nonstop all fall. It feels warm and inviting, yet refined and mysterious. Wearing it is like exchanging air kisses with someone very chic, catching a powdery, intoxicating whiff of their perfume, and being forever more haunted by the question: What was she wearing?
• Notes: Pear, frankincense, hazelnut, saffron, rose, jasmine sambac, osmanthus, cistus, sandalwood, akigalawood, ambergris, vanilla
• This smells like: Strolling through the garden of a Middle Eastern palace, wrapped in a shawl imprinted with the fragrance of an incensed mosque.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: This ambery musk pairs spicy, floral notes of coriander seeds with vanilla, nutmeg, and juniper berries. It’s woody, creamy, floral, and fresh all at once—fluid, if you will—and it makes a captivating addition to any fall fragrance wardrobe. The scent’s counterpart, Gentle Fluidity Silver, contains the same notes but puts juniper berry front and center for a fresher, more herbaceous feel. The unisex fragrances can be layered, worn alone, or—if you’re feeling lavish—spritzed into the air to bring a rarified vibe to any room.
• Notes: Nutmeg, vanilla, juniper berries, amber woods, coriander seeds, musks
• This smells like: Sipping a gin frappé on a French patio, while listening in on a glamorous couple’s riveting back-and-forth.

Ellis Brooklyn Apple Love Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Ellis Brooklyn founder Bee Shapiro says she designed Apple Love to channel “a juicy apple orchard vibe”— but with a cosmopolitan edge inspired by, what else, the Big Apple. While I’m partial to Ellis Brooklyn’s Salt in the summer, my annual craving for Apple Love peaks this time of year. Its notes of apple, peach skin, muguet, plum blossom, sugar cane, and vanilla feel like an invitation to embrace the more whimsical side of fall. I wore this with a denim dress and a fall hat for a pumpkin-patch date with my son.
• Notes: Apple, peach skin, muguet, plum blossom, sugar cane, vanilla
• This smells like: The late-night hours of a posh fall wedding, with candles still burning and servers passing miniature caramel apples as a midnight snack.

Lake & Skye 11 11 Vanilla Eau de Parfum

• Why we love it: Lake & Skye’s 11 11—which smells to me like a clear blue sky—is in my permanent fragrance rotation. With a base of organic sugar-cane alcohol, the unisex, musky white amber feels mystical, grounding, and uplifting, and it was designed to capture the scent of ocean water on the skin. This fall, I’m layering the original with its vanilla-rich counterpart, which debuted in September. Lavished with vanilla crème and marshmallow notes, the woody floral musk veers from overly sweet territory with sea salt, crisp star apple, and a base of sheer amber, teakwood, and skin musk.
• Notes: Sea salt, star apple, vanilla crème, marshmallow, passionflower, sheer amber, skin musk, teakwood.
• This smells like: A pristine ice cream parlor by the ocean.

What are the best fall scents?

Levy gravitates toward vanilla gourmands, leathery, fruity, and woodsy scents in the fall. Some of her favorites for the season are Lake & Skye’s 11 11 Vanilla, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s 21:50 Reverie, Tom Ford’s Eau d’Ombre Leather and Montblanc’s Extreme Leather, and the fruity Brown Girl Jane Carousel. She’s also taken with Guerlain’s Patchouli Paris, which “makes it feel like a moody Parisian club night,” she says, while dubbing Diptyque’s Lilyphéa a “daytime delight.” Chiaka Nomura, a perfumer at IFF who’s created scents such as Hinoki in Hinoki by Scents of Wood, says: “A timeless treasure in my [fall] collection is Shalimar from Guerlain. The classic fragrance is like a golden sunset, bursting with an overdose of citruses.” Nomura calls Sexual Sugar by Michel Germain “irresistible, with mouthwatering notes [of wildberry and crystalized sugar] that perfectly complement the season.”

What types of fragrances are popular in the fall?

According to Levy, “The excitement for fall 2024 is the debut of new fragrance collections. From gourmand to florals and fruits, there is an abundance of notes, ingredients, and scents that are creating newness in fragrance. What’s exciting is the range of ingredients, from rhubarb to cardamom to cumin. There’s spice and sweetness to the season with dark fruits such as black currants and leathers added in.” Shapiro adds: “I find fall fragrances have more spices, richness, and warmth. Also, gourmand fragrances continue to be popular—especially the yummy, creamy ones. Vanillas also do so well for fall.” At IFF, Nomura says they’re “seeing a fresh twist on fall fragrances with the introduction of citrus notes.”

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