The holiday season is an undisputedly flourishing time for the fragrance industry, with home scents and perfumes topping many gift wish lists. According to NPD, last year fragrance sales jumped by 53% in the pre-Christmas period, and with the global fragrance market valued at $47.9 billion in 2022, that equates to hefty revenue for perfumery’s top contenders. From coniferous landscapes to cinnamon and apple-spiced beverages, the time of year has many traditional inspirations, but some brands are eschewing the Yuletide spirit in favor of more unconventional releases.
BeautyMatter rounds up the best of both worlds below.
Fashion brand Philipp Plein has enlisted the talents of master perfumer Alberto Morillas to create Plein Fatale, the brand’s first female fragrance. Morillas created a floral gourmand with top notes of blackcurrant, ambroxan, and pink pepper; heart notes of jasmine, tuberose, rose, and ylang ylang; and base notes of vanilla, praline, musk, amber, and sandalwood.The scent is presented in champagne bottle-style packaging.
The British luxury brand has made its mark in the perfume genre with the release of 13 alcohol-free fragrances, the “les parfums infinis” collection. Every scent was crafted by perfumer Delphine Thierry. Edition 0 is described as the Argentum signature scent, with notes of citrus, rosewood, geranium leaves, spices, sandalwood, and patchouli. The remaining 12 fragrances—Creator, Sage, Magician, Caregiver, Hero, Jester, Innocent, Rebel, Explorer, Ruler, Everyman, and Lover— are modeled after symbolic image archetypes and categorized according to the elements of earth, fire, air, and water.
Compositions range from daffodil and Egyptian cassia mixed with spearmint and clary sage (Everyman) to a fusion of kumquat, blood orange, and blackcurrant musk (Jester). The formulations are developed with Water Plant Emulsion technology in place of chemical solvents and alcohol agents in order to be extra gentle on skin and hair. Rooted in the brand’s commitment to the healing powers of silver, each eau de parfum cap contains a 925 sterling silver talisman.
Created in response to fragmentation and on-screen life, Eyes Closed is an appeal to reconnecting with the physical world. The concept translates to a floral woody scent with notes of cardamom, orris butter, carrot, papyrus, and patchouli, accompanied by a film and photography series by Alasdair McLellan entitled “The Perfect Kiss.”
Michelle Pfeiffer’s EWG and Cradle to Cradle verified perfume company is adding a new fragrance to its lineup: Char. An ode to the crisp, cool weather, the scent creates warmth with a blend of South American tonka bean absolute, Ivory Coast ginger, Indonesian patchouli, Moroccan orange flower, and Haitian vetiver. Described as “a smoky, enticing cocktail of a fragrance” by the brand and “like gingerbread cookies fresh out of the oven” by the nose that created it, IFF’s Yves Cassar, it’s sure to provide chic comfort for when the temperatures drop.
A pioneer of natural fragrance and the Slow Scent approach, Mandy Aftel has put her signature touch on the floral fruit gourmand genre. Boheme Confection—available in solid perfume and limited-edition liquid form, both as a perfume and eau de parfum—brings a depth and decadence to the genre. The scent pairs the earthy qualities of patchouli and chocolate with the dank floral facets of pink lotus, plus sweet notes of spun sugar, marzipan, vanilla, and sarsaparilla (a tropical vine plant). Last but not least, strawberry is mixed in for fruity and mouth-watering measure. The end result is a sumptuous fragrance of fascinating contrasts.
ALTAIA, an acronym for “a long time ago in Argentina,” has released the floral fragrance Any Day Now in time for the holidays. Perfect for the colder months, the creation pairs Damascus rose with black pepper, oud, and patchouli.
Indigo Smoke speaks to the historic tradition of smoking tea leaves in ancient China, set in incense-filled temples located in the region’s Blue Mountain region. Perfumer Calice Becker paired lapsang souchong tea with apricot, mandarin, pine tar, and maté tea absolute for a hypnotizing, modern take on a practice from centuries past.
Inspired by the scenic sundowns on the Amalfi coast, Mystic Sunset is a gourmand floral with a floral heart of osmanthus and jasmine, softened and sweetened with notes of blackcurrant, fresh sugar cane, and saffron.
What do you get when you combine Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the concept of inner ascension? The latest creation from the mind of Joseph Quartana, Ierofante. Crafted with nose Luca Maffei, the scent is a futuristic leather gourmand, beginning with a gasoline accord (referencing the smell of a rocket launching), developing into notes of smoky leather and styrax pyrogene (akin to sitting in a space suit in a spaceship on its way into the outermost stratospheres), and resting on a base of amber, cashmeran, and vetiver (warm and green notes heralding an arrival at the fields of Elysium). Formulated at a 22% extrait de parfum strength, the scent’s longevity is sure to rival the duration of space travel as well.
Roos & Roos
Founded in 2014 by Chantal Roos, who launched blockbuster scents such as Opium with YSL, l’Eau d’Issey with Issey Miyake, Classique with Jean Paul Gaultier, and Stella with Stella McCartney, and her daughter, musician Alexandra Roos, Roos & Roos is a fragrance house "halfway between the disruptive and the traditional."
For its new Les Simples collection, that ethos translates into a trio of wearable yet intriguing fragrances inspired by medicinal gardens. There's the warm and deep stylings of Bel Absinthe, a blend of the namesake liquor with chamomile, sandalwood, white musks, and patchouli crafted by longtime collaborator Fabrice Pellegrin; the soft floral Malamata, an ode to the nettle with notes of peppermint, violet leaves, rose, lily of the valley, and musk by Dominique Ropion; and the herbal concoction Globulus, a eucalyptus and mint-focused fragrance created by Nicolas Bonneville.
Known for its theatrical releases, the house of Sarah Baker is rounding off its three-part oud collection, which began with the releases Symmetry (a deeper variation of the traditional eau de cologne) and Loudo (a playful scent which incorporates cherry and white chocolate), with the release of Gold Spot. An extrait de parfum created by Chris Maurice, the fragrance takes inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood with notes of 100% natural Laotian oud, orange blossom, butterscotch, dark chocolate, and Suyufi agarwood.
The Cape Town-based perfumery partnered with UK-based landscape architect Jojo Gibbons RDI on two creations that contain notes like moss, hyrax stone, and geosmin. Erde, or the German word for “earth,” encapsulates the smell of soil. Verda, the Spanish word for green, is modeled after the concept of post-rain earth and the process of botanical growth. Wild Olive Artisans proclaims: “We created these perfumes as tools for reconnection for those who cannot get ‘dirty’ in a garden working the earth, or have the opportunity to be in nature very often. They are therapeutic aids for when you seek a life in harmony with nature.”
In honor of the year to come, the brand has released a limited-edition 2023 candle, an optimistic and uplifting blend of orange, lemon, ginger flower, amber, tonka bean, and cedarwood.
Available in the scentways Désert, Pétales, and Canopée, Cartier’s novelty candles are packaged in the brand’s trademark red-and-white octagonal shape. Designed by in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent, Désert contains warm amber notes to emulate the landscape’s dunes in the sun, Pétales paints the olfactory image of a field of flowers, and Canopée is a fresh rendering of the green woodlands.
Created by perfumer Susan D. Owens, Child Perfume has now created a candle form of its trademark fragrance, a bouquet of white florals (magnolia, tuberose, orange blossom), offering an ambient format for its customer following.
Henry's Townhouse
The home fragrance line inspired by Georgian glamor and the life of Henry Austen has released a limited-edition candle for the holidays, Saturnalia. Deriving its name from the ancient Roman festival celebrated in the run-up to Christmas with festivities and aromatic home decorations galore, the scent contains a comforting and warming blend of cinnamon, vanilla, orange, and ginger.
Homecourt emphasizes a scent design approach to home fragrance, using designated fragrance rituals to different parts of the residence. Aside from releasing a Candle Discovery Set containing the pre-existing four signature fragrances—Cece, a white leather and cedarwood smoke fragrance; Steeped Rose, a green floral; Neroli Leaf, a refreshing orange blossom and basil mix; and Cipres Mint, an aromatic blend of mint, black tea, and eucalyptus—the brand is offering another olfactorally decorative option in the form of the limited-edition Balsam Fireplace candle. A warm woody creation with notes of Nova Scotian fir balsam resin, Siberian juniper berry, Guatemalan cardamom, and salted amber, the fragrance is held in a kiln-fired ceramic vessel, in a traditional festive hue of deep green.
The clean candle brand is continuing their collaboration with Mattel’s iconic creation, following on from the Dream Land candle. Inspired by Barbie’s home, A Malibu Holiday Candle is scented with musk, orange flower, amberwood, coconut water, and jasmine to evoke the smells of the California coastline.
The vegan and cruelty-free fragrance brand’s latest olfactory travels, LOVER in Jerusalem, focuses around notes of green fig, petitgrain, sandalwood, and patchouli. Described as “a celebration of what may be the holiest quest of all, to realize and offer true love for yourself,” the candle is presented in a white porcelain container with a bright crimson-red lid for a passionate pop of color.
A collection born from Italian lifestyle label Ginori 1735, Profumi Luchino debuts with a range of five fragrances created in collaboration with British designer and artist Luke Edward Hall. Each scent is dedicated to a specific location: The Cotswolds (Fox Thicket Folly), Marrakech (La Gazelle d’Or), Rajasthan (Rajathra Palace), Big Sur (Rain Rock Creek), and Venice (Palazzo Centauro).
Fox Thicket Folly is an autumnal woods landscape scented with birch tar, oak, cedar, patchouli, and tobacco. La Gazelle d’Or is an aromatic floral blend of peppermint, geranium, and rose; Rajathra Palace nods to the region’s rose gardens, sprinkled with facets of cardamom, clove, and sandalwood. Rain Rock Creek echoes the smells of the Pacific with cedar, cypress, and fir. Palazzo Centauro opens with classic Italian bergamot before settling into deeper notes of birch resin and patchouli.
Fragrances come in cylindrical porcelain containers, with coordinating plates and trinket trays decorated with illustrations of its geographical inspiration. Last but not least, a distinctive object has been created for each fragrance, ranging from a candlestick in the shape of the head of Greek mythology figure Ganymede to a cameo incense burner.
Takka (Finnish for “fireplace”) and Nordlys (Scandinavian for “Northern Lights”) are Skandinavisk’s offerings for the holiday season, packaged in celestial emerald-green and chocolate-brown containers. Takka’s smoky woody profile comes courtesy of pine haysmoke, and tobacco, while Nordlys is fresh and cool like the nighttime sky thanks to notes of sea salt, citrus, and aquatic notes.
The genderfluid high perfumery brand is marking its first venture into ambient scent with the release of the Queer Magic candle, a creation “inspired by opalescent self-expression and the shape-shifting mystique of queerness.” Based on the namesake eau de parfum, the creation contains notes of Calabrian lemon, jasmine, fig leaves, carnation, palo santo, tobacco leaves, and labdanum.
The female-owned, small-batch, clean candle brand has released a limited-edition Winter Line of four fragrances for the gifting season. Cinnamon + Clove is a classic yuletide pairing; Evergreen features roasted rosemary, pine cones, and fir needles; Warm Ginger pairs the spicy root with lemon zest, jasmine, and sweet amber; and Winter’s Eve combines lemon balm, bergamot, sweet grass, honey, and Earl Grey tea.
