It took me 9 years to find this signature autumn scent (and I'm a beauty editor) (2024)

If the scent below looks familiar, it's because it belongs to the same family as Angels' Share. Kilian's Liquors Collection pay tribute to his French Hennessy heritage in the alcohol industry. Old Fashioned (launching 1st September) is an homage to whiskey. But before you worry it will blow your head off, it won't. It's a refined, mellow rendition that conjures swilling a glass tumbler of scotch while reclining in a leather armchair. It reads relaxed and unisex – wheat captures the malt while davana essence picks up on the slightly floral note in whiskey. Cedarwood and styrax nod to the aged barrels for a demure and mindful way to wear whiskey.

The best autumn sandalwood scent

Tom Ford Santal Blush Eau de Parfum

This is a rich, confident woody scent, with a little mysteriousness thrown in. It opens enthusiastically, scattering spice as it goes, but it's softened from behind with creamy ylang ylang, jasmine and rose. As for the dry-down? It's all about warm, grounding sandalwood and cedar. It's a shower and a grower, since the complicated, comforting scent unravels as it goes. Plus, it counts Taylor Swift among its fanbase.

The best autumn skin scent

Phlur Soft Spot EDP

If a heavy autumn perfume is not your bag, Phlur's newly released Soft Spot offers up a delicate skin scent with autumn in its dna. Sheer florals (jasmine, freesia and waterlily) make up the top notes but the amber and sandalwood in the base make for a nuzzly but lightweight fragrance.

The best bohemian autumn scent

Cosmoss Sacred Mist Eau de Parfum

If autumn makes you think of walks through moss-carpeted woods and soil made damp from the early onset of rain, Cosmoss Sacred Mist might be the one for you. It has a mysterious shimmering mystical feel (as does autumn, the season that celebrates Samhain) and it was specifically designed to uplift auras. This one's for bohemian babes looking for a spiritual scent that calms and cleanses the soul. Notes include bergamot, tuberose, black pepper, oak moss and cedarwood.

The best oud autumn scent

Kayali Oudgasm Vanilla Oud 36 Eau de Parfum Intense

This scent will have you feeling cozy and warm in no-time. It doesn’t get anymore autumnal than this with its hearty wood and oud notes and the added touch of vanilla and praline. All you need is your favourite blanket and book.

The best woody autumn scent

Phlur Somebody Wood Eau de Parfum

Phlur's Somebody Wood has become something of a cult classic for autumn, offering up a soft sandalwood. It opens with a burst of citrus, balanced out with leathery saffron before cosy sandalwood, amber, vanilla and cedar join forces to provide a nuzzly, woody landing. It has a nostalgic, pencil-shaving feel about it. Not too heavy, but very wholesome.

The best amber autumn scent

Maison Francis Kurdjian Reflets d’ambre Eau de Parfum

If you're familiar with Maison Francis Kurkdjian scents (see also: Baccarat Rouge 540), you'll know that delicate airy eau de toilettes are not the aesthetic. Reflets d'ambre is another show-stopper centred around a confident (and rediscovered) amber note. Amber scents headlined the '80s when power perfumes like Guerlain Shalimar and YSL Opium ruled the fragrance charts but the old-money aesthetic has helped renew its appreciation among a whole new generation. It opens with a bold explosion of warm amber before mellowing into a spicy creamy cashmere blanket on skin. What could be more autumn?

The best earthy autumn scent

Le Labo Thé Noir 29 Eau de Parfum

If perfumes were clothes, this has the feel of a worn-in leather jacket: soft but strong. It manages to feel cosy, tough and edgy all at the same time. Majoring on a black tea note (created with bay leaf, fig and bergamot), it has a lush, earthy smoothness, but vetiver, tobacco and hay in the base bring a hazy, smoky grit that keeps things interesting.

For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

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