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Welcome to 2025—let’s start the year off smelling amazing.
I’m in Chicago, where it’s just a bit cold (18 degrees as I’m writing this), so naturally, I’m leaning toward some of my favorite scents for frigid temperatures. But don’t worry, I’ve also included a few picks that work well in places that aren’t quite as frosty. Whether you’re layering up for icy mornings or keeping it light in milder weather, I’ve got you covered. So, let’s get to it, babes—time to smell good.
***This list includes affiliate links for some products, I may earn a commission from them.
Whiskey 1969 by Thin Wild Mercury
It’s a favorite for a reason—this whiskey-scented perfume is perfect for cold-weather vibes. Great longevity means it clings to your favorite cashmere sweater, smelling even better the next day. Notes of pink pepper, cedarwood, bourbon amber, and nutmeg make this a warm, aloof scent that lasts about 5-6 hours on skin. It’s hot and aloof.
I sampled this at Ministry of Scent and haven’t stopped thinking about it. This gourmand winter fragrance has black tea, cinnamon, and clove taking center stage, eventually settling into a musky cardamom. It’s cozy but not overpowering, perfect for lounging around the house or romanticizing your life at a café, dissociating into the distance. A spicy-sweet dream for cold weather.
Voodoo Lilly by Heretic Parfum
For the goth babes: this brooding fragrance feels like burning incense in a dimly lit room. The name might suggest lilies, but it’s the black currant, frankincense, and cedar that stand out on me. Wear it when you’re gazing out a window, scribbling in a leather-bound journal. It’s a little short-lived at 3-4 hours, but it’s worth it for the mood. Also optimal for being broody.
This one gets the gothiest bottle on the list award, hands down. Inspired by Hexensalbe—aka witches’ flying ointment—a hallucinogenic salve used in medieval witchcraft, it’s as dark and mysterious as it sounds. With notes of wormwood, tuberose, rosemary, black hemlock, lichen, salty licorice, angelica, belladonna, and patchouli, this fragrance starts off bold and herbal with a heavy licorice hit. But give it time—it dries down to something surprisingly wearable. The projection is strong, so maybe keep it out of boardrooms and save it for your creative pursuits or, even better, full moon rituals. It’s witchy, dramatic, and unapologetically unique.
Rock the Myrrh by Dries Van Noten
Wanna smell rich? Look no further. This scent oozes wealth, and the bottle screams “I’ve diversified my assets.” With notes of cypress, pink pepper, myrrh, patchouli, suede, and benzoin, it’s warm, spicy, and woody—basically everything you want in a cold-weather perfume. The longevity is incredible (easily 10+ hours), which makes the price feel justified. While it works anytime, I think it truly shines in the evening. Prepare to be the slickest in the room.
Tobacco 1812 by West Third Brand
What’s a winter fragrance list without a tobacco scent? This one’s easily the sweetest of the bunch, perfect on its own or layered with another favorite. And the price? Practically unbeatable. With notes of sweet dried tobacco leaf, aromatic spices, rich honey, cocoa, tonka bean, tobacco flower, dried fruit, and exotic wood, it’s a complex blend that starts off fruity before settling into a sweet warm, tobacco-forward dry-down. Think of it as the Jenny Humphrey of perfumes—in her bad girl era, of course.
Naturally, I had to include something from Greece—after all, I’m so Greek I named a website after Greek cheese. This spicy aromatic scent is a little different for winter but totally works. It’s fresh yet warm, making it perfect for daytime wear when you want something lighter but still seasonally appropriate. With notes of orange, litsea cubeba, bergamot, pepper, rosemary, rose, musk, moss, and amber, it’s an easy pick-me-up for winter days. Opa!
Majorly hot. Think sweet liquor and the sugar cube in an old fashioned—smooth, intoxicating, and a little mysterious. With notes of whiskey, woods, ambrette, rose, ambroxin, and musk, it’s perfect for anyone but truly shines in the evening. This one’s a full-bottle-worthy scent, no question. Its projection starts strong, tapering to a more intimate vibe after about an hour. On skin, it lasts a solid 5-6 hours, but spritz it on clothes, and it’ll linger even longer. If you’re aiming to turn heads (and hearts), this is the fragrance to do it.
Definitely an all-seasons fragrance for me, but since I just bought the full-size bottle, it’s getting heavy play in my winter rotation. This is a gorgeous woody scent with a bit of an edge. Notes include fig, Madagascar black pepper, gurjun balsam, vanilla, narcissus, suede, jasmine sambac, cedarwood, oud, vetiver, white sandalwood, and musk. On my skin, the fig, oud, and vetiver really stand out, giving it a warm, slightly provocative vibe. It wears like a dream—8+ hours easily. Honestly, it’s a bit of a slutty fig.
Ummagumma Eau de Parfum by Fzotic
I’ll be honest—this one takes time to grow on you, but that’s part of its charm. It’s an evolving scent, starting out like abuelita hot chocolate. As it settles, it transforms into something smokier and more complex, with sweetened, toasted edges. The notes are a decadent mix of saffron, carnation, chocolate, tobacco, leather, labdanum, sandalwood, cedar, frankincense, tonka bean, and vanilla. It’s compelling and layered, making it perfect for a first date. Who knows—it might even be the reason you get a second one.
This is the scent for the aloof, unattainable babes who always seem a little out of reach. Beneath the exterior, though, lies a grounded and self-assured essence, and this fragrance captures that complexity perfectly. With notes of bergamot essence, French lavender essence, Bulgarian rose essence, ambrette seed absolute, Akigalawood, styrax, patchouli, Venezuelan tonka bean absolute, and Tolu balsam, it’s rich, spicy, and herbaceous. It opens slightly animalic but quickly dries down into a beautifully balanced patchouli with just the right amount of depth. Compelling, complex, and unapologetically chic.
And that’s the list! If you’re craving more, check out my Vanilla Fragrance Guide for babely, cozy picks or my Woodsy Fragrance Guide for scents that bring the outdoors in. Happy spritzing, babes!
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