Winter is upon us, the weather is cool, crisp, (and wet unfortunately!) and I don’t know about you, but I’m craving sweet, vanillas, warming woods and oud scents right now. So, I’ve gathered together a selection of my favourite cosy feeling scents for you today – enjoy!

BDK Vanille Leather

Let’s kick things off with the beautiful BDK Vanille Leather. Opening with pink peppercorn and violet accord, this scent feels instantly rich, full and sweet. The violet accord in particular works so well here, giving the set a light floral lift in the opening. The heart features a beautiful bouquet of flowers including tuberose, jasmine and orange blossom. The florals here are so well blended; they feel so sweet and smooth, and just very opulent and refined. In the base, the scent includes vanilla, patchouli, oakwood, leather, orris and benzoin. These notes work together to give a gorgeously warming, dry down, with soft leather, light woods and vanilla. I think the dry down on this fragrance is my favourite part! This scent is perfect for wearing in colder weather.

• Top Notes: Pink peppercorn, Violet accord
• Heart Notes: Indian tuberose absolute, Egyptian jasmine absolute, Orange blossom absolute
• Base Notes: Madagascan vanilla, Indonesian patchouli, Oakwood, Leather accord, Orris, Benzoin resinoid

Maison Tahité Vanille de Minuit

Another stunning vanilla scent is Maison Tahité Vanille de Minuit. This fragrance also combines vanilla with leather, but in a very different way to BDK’s Vanille Leather. Opening with smooth and creamy sandalwood, suede accord and soft leather, this is instantly a gorgeously rich and dark vanilla fragrance. Without being overly sweet, it feels wonderfully sensuous, syrupy thick, and luxuriously alluring. This one is no where near as sweet as BDK’s Vanille Leather, and feels like much more of a deeper, unisex fragrance. The heart features notes of nagarmotha, saffron and vanilla, giving the scent warmth along with a woody earthiness. The base includes vanilla and resinoid benzoin for a warming, soft-leather and rich vanilla dry down. This is another must-try vanilla fragrance.

• Top Notes: Soft Leather, Suede Accord, Sandalwood
• Heart Notes: Vanilla, Saffron, Nagarmotha
• Base Notes: Resinoid Benzoin, Vanilla

Fragrance du Bois Rude Oud

Rude Oud is absolutely not a ‘rude’ scent at all. Rude Oud is in fact a very easy going, palatable oud that most people will enjoy. Created by perfumer Christian Provenzano, Rude Oud is a is a stunning, juicy, fruity oud fragrance. The scent opens with bright and juicy notes of saffron and raspberry, leading to a heart of rose and leather. The scent is sweet and fresh, with the leather mostly sitting in the background. The base includes notes of amber and oud – the oud here is soft, mild and lightly woody, and the dry down on the scent is beautifully warm, ambery and opulent. This is another winner from Fragrance du Bois!

• Top Notes: Saffron, Raspberry
• Heart Notes: Rose, Leather
• Base Notes: Oud, Amber

Ormonde Jayne Kashmir

One of Ormande Jayne’s newest launches, Kashmir had to be included today. Described as mesmeric, pervasive and mythical, Kashmir has a wonderfully fresh and spicy opening, with prominent notes of pink pepper, cardamom and saffron. This scent is instantly rich and enticing. Soon I pick up on the Himalayan fir, and the floral notes in the heart lift the fragrance with a touch of sweetness. The fir takes you to a dense forest in the heart of winter, making this very much a scent for cooler weather. The base features deodar, sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin, incense and more, and as the scent dries down, it warms up further, feeling sweetly warm, woody and soft. Overall, this fragrance is beautifully elegant and sophisticated, and I love the cosy, comforting feeling it gives.

• Top Notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Coriander Seed, Saffron, Pink Pepper
• Heart Notes: Jasmine, Iris, Rose, Blue Poppy, Himalayan Fir
• Base Notes: Deodar, Sandalwood, Cashmeran, Benzoin, Vanilla, Patchouli, Incense, Myrrh, Musk

Les Eaux Primordiales Ambre Supermassive

I can’t get enough of Les Eaux Primordiales Ambre Supermassive. Opening with top notes of peach, apple, cinnamon, pineapple and sesame, the scent feels beautifully ambery, sweet and rich. I love the cinnamon especially, giving the fragrance a glowing, light spiciness. The heart of the scent features honey, rose, cardamom, heliotrope and rum. I mostly pick up on the sweet, sticky honey and rum here, and the base includes amber, black vanilla, saffron, musk and tobacco, resulting in a beautiful warming, sweet-tobacco and amber dry down. This is such a gorgeous fragrance that’s perfect for winter!

• Top Notes: Peach, Apple, Cinnamon, Pineapple, Sesame
• Heart Notes: Rose, Heliotrope, Honey, Cardamom, Rum
• Base Notes: Black Vanilla, Amber, Saffron, Tobacco, Musk

Amouroud Oud Tabac

If you enjoy oud fragrances, you need to check out Amouroud’s amazing fragrance collection. Oud Tabac is one of my favourites from the brand. This intensely opulent scent opens with notes of saffron, heliotrope, coriander and ginger. The opening feels lively with the spicy ginger, the coriander is also prominent, and the heliotrope and saffron and a lovely richness to the scent. In the heart, there’s notes of amberwood, olibanum, oud and tobacco, and the fragrance feels beautifully luxurious, smooth and enticing. Lastly the base, featuring musk, vanilla bourbon, cistus and cedar, leaves you with a gorgeously warming dry down.

• Top Notes: Ginger, Coriander, Heliotrope, Saffron
• Heart Notes: Pipe Tobacco NP, Oud, Olibanum, Amberwood
• Base Notes: Alaskan Cedar, Cistus, Vanilla Bourbon, Musk

Welton London L’Amour Absolu

Welton London is a brand that really doesn’t get enough love in my opinion. L’Amour Absolu was my christmas present from my husband last year, and I’ve been treasuring this beautiful scent ever since. My second fragrance from the brand (my other being Secret Amber, which is another must-have) L’Amour Absolu is a fragrance based on plum, rum, woods and vanilla. The opening is beautifully sweet and luxurious with juicy plum, as well as spicy cinnamon and a touch of coffee. The heart features woody notes blended with rum, for a warming, lightly boozy aroma, and the base includes sandalwood, musk, tonka, amber and vanilla, leaving you with a velvety smooth and sweetly woody dry down. This fragrance is truly superb!

• Top Notes: Cinnamon, Plum, Coffee
• Heart Notes: Kashmir Fusion, Oak Fusion, Rum
• Base Notes: Sandalwood, Musk, Tonka Bean, Amber, Vanilla

Maison Noir Quandoley 805

Inspired by a nostalgic luxury train journey, its eccentric characters, scenery and atmosphere, Quandoley 805 is a fragrance dripping with luxury and indulgence. Quandoley 805 opens with notes of pink pepper, cistus and oil – yes olive oil. The opening sounds interesting to say the least, and honestly the oil could have gone one way or the other, but luckily it works amazingly well. The opening feels rich and deep, warming and enticing – this is a truly beautiful fragrance! I can tell straight away that this is very much a seductive, late-night, evening or special occasion type scent. There’s also sweet and radiant ylang ylang, styrax and olibanum in the heart, adding a beautiful floral touch, as well as giving depth, and a wonderful balsamic quality to the scent. And in the base, sweet benzoin, rich vanilla and a very welcoming, soft oud, leave you with the most delectable dry down. This is such a stunning scent, like nothing I’ve smelled before – I highly recommend Quandoley 805!

• Top Notes: Olive Oil, Cistus, Pink Pepper
• Heart Notes: Ylang-Ylang, Styrax, Olibanum
• Base Notes: Benzoin, Vanilla, Oudh

Donna Karan Cashmere & Palo Santo

I had to purchase this scent from across the pond in the US because I couldnt find it anywhere in the UK. This was a complete blind buy win! Donna Karan has a beautiful new Cashmere fragrance line, with four scents each combining cashmere with other notes. Cashmere & Palo Santo is a stunning woody amber fragrance that just feels like a gorgeously warm hug in a bottle. Opening with vibrant golden peach, the scent is instantly warm and addictive. Then labdanum, palo santo and vanilla blend together perfectly, leaving you with a rich yet beautifully smooth and enticing trail. This scent is absolutely stunning, I can’t get enough of it!

• Top Notes: Golden Peach
• Heart Notes: Labdanum Absolute
• Base Notes: Palo Santo, Vanilla Bean

Plume Impression Royal Bourbon

Plume Impression Royal Bourbon is the perfect fragrance for those who love to indulge their senses in beautifully gourmand, boozy scents. Opening with a hint of pepper, sweet spices, cinnamon, and liquorice, the initial feeling from Royal Bourbon is rich and delectable, but not overly sweet, with the cinnamon and rum taking centre stage. The heart includes more of the gorgeously, boozy rum, as well as a good dose of tobacco, soft leather, and the creamiest caramel. This is where the fragrance really shines – it feels elegant, yet cosy and rich. And finally the base, where you find a touch of sweet vanilla, as well as benzoin, amber and cedarwood, leaving you with a warming, woody dry down.

Royal Bourbon really is one stunner of a fragrance! It feels opulent, indulgent, and luxurious.

• Top Notes: Liquorice, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper
• Heart Notes: Rum, Tobacco, Leather, Caramel
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber, Cedarwood

Amouroud BDK Donna Karan Fragrance Fragrance du Bois Les Eaux Primordiales Maison Noir Maison Tahite ormonde jayne Perfume Plume Impression Review Welton London