The Best Winter Perfumes for the Holiday Season, According to Glamour Editors

After using modern fragrance brand Phlur’s body wash for six months, I took the plunge and ordered a bottle of the brand’s eau de parfum in the same scent, Somebody Wood. As the name infers, it’s an intimate, wintry scent with notes of saffron, cyclamen, sandalwood, moss, vanilla musk, and cedar. Unlike other scents that bill themselves as woodsy, this one is surprisingly subtle. You won’t know I’m approaching from 12 feet away (the only beauty faux pas I subscribe to), and it doesn’t leave a haze of thick musk in its wake. Phlur’s formulation has a particularly lightweight effect that provides just a hint of warmth to the skin and calls to mind a cozy cabin on a cold night. —Perrie Samotin, digital director

Bond No. 9 New York Signature Scent is a warm and inviting choice for winter. With its deep blend of oud extract, rose, tonka beans, and musk, it captures the essence of a cozy winter evening. It's perfect for me, because I love a blend of woodsy notes and hints of floral for some added softness. It's a luxe fragrance that stands out during the colder months.—Andrea Navarro, commerce writer

Cinnamon bark, orris butter, whiskey, cacao, and amber. It sounds like a hot velvety winter cocktail you might want to sip by the hearth, but I’m actually describing the decadent aroma of Perfumehead’s Cosmic Cowboy. Douse your chest in the smoky sweet stuff at night and you’ll leave a trail of salivating admirers wherever you go. Or pair it with a spritz of Canadian Tuxedo for an added touch of freshness during the daytime à la Perfumehead founder Daniel Giles. For me, this heavenly combination is holy grail material. —Hanna Lustig, staff writer

I’m drawn to fresh fragrances year-round, and Maison Louis Marie’s Vallée de Farney is a new favorite. Notes of grapefruit and orange might skew warm-weather, but citrus reminds me just as much of the holidays; spiced with black pepper, musk, and cedar, the scent only gets warmer and more complex as it settles. A few dabs of the oil—which lasts forever, by the way—evoke winter’s botanical side without going too chilly or sentimental. Amid the gray doldrums of the season, it’s a rich, verdant reminder that spring is never too far away. —Jake Smith, commerce writer

If you want to feel like a snow angel descended to Earth, wear Oriana on repeat this winter. It's one of my most complimented scents all year, but something about this delicious blend of marshmallow, orange blossom, blackcurrant, and ambrette lends itself especially well to cold weather. It's sparkling, sugary, and just incredibly pretty. The fact that the the bottle looks like something out of Marie Antoinette's wardrobe doesn't hurt either. —Sarah Y. Wu, beauty contributor

In the winter I gravitate toward fragrances that have a cozy feeling and are complementary to other seasonal home scents to not compete with them. MFK’s Oud Satin Mood starts as a bold violet oud that warms up to accentuate the vanilla amber accord. Gentle Fluidity Gold is another vanilla-forward fragrance with notes of nutmeg and juniper berries that is carried on an amber wood base note. I love how for both of these fragrances there are subtle changes in the notes throughout a full day of wear. Even when I think that it has surely worn off, I'll get a compliment or have a stranger ask what I am wearing—probably my most complimented perfumes. —Andrew Gowan, associate visuals editor

I like sweeter fragrances in the winter months, but it can be difficult to find one that manages to feel sophisticated. This unique scent from Byredo, which combines notes like bergamot, lemon, violet, and tobacco, fits the bill exactly. My roommate and I have actually started fighting over which of us is going to wear it when we go dancing. —H.L.

Trvdon's Vixi is the most luminous winter fragrance, with notes of cardamom, natural Italian petitgrain essence, balkan sage, sandalwood, cedarwood, and jasmine. It feels like a cozy night in at a luxury chalet or a holiday party and, most important, is light without being overpowering. —Jessica Radloff, senior West Coast editor

Founder Bee Shapiro wanted to create a fragrance love letter to New York City with her latest perfume, a juicy apple-scented fragrance featuring notes of peach skin, muguet, plum blossom, sugarcane, and vanilla. The holidays in New York are unmatched, so you best believe I'll be leaning into the spirit with a few spritzes of this perfume. —A.Y.

Christmas tree, but make it fashion(ably fragrant). A fresh, woodsy blend inspired by pine needles with notes of pink pepper, bitter orange, ginger, nutmet, vetiver, and musk, this fragrance is “giving” forest in all the best ways, instantly transporting me back to winters with my grandma in Colorado —D.S.

DS & Durga create complex fragrances that remind me of those memories you can’t fully recall, in a good way. The Deep Dark Vanilla is slightly earthy and has a refreshing twist to what you would expect from a vanilla fragrance. The floral notes, mixed with green vanilla leaves, spice, and patchouli, make it a reliable choice for when I want to shake things up a bit for myself. —A.G.

It's hard to create a sophisticated rose fragrance, but Narciso Rodriguez has done it. All of Me is a floral and woody scent that is neither kiddish nor grandma-ish. Notes of magnolia, rose, bourbon geranium, musk, and sandalwood grab your attention, making it an ideal power perfume during winter months. —A.Y.

Featuring a warm blend of spicy cardamom, jasmine, vetiver, smoky wood, patchouli, and sage, Cosmic Wood is peak cozy vibes. It’s basically a snug scarf in the form of a scent, so it’s no surprise that everyone stops me to ask what I’m wearing during NYC wintertime. —D.S.

De Los Santos by Byredo is unquestionably my essential winter fragrance. The spicy combination of cardamom and cinnamon transports you to a snug evening by the fireplace. The harmonious blend of creamy vanilla and smooth leather wraps you in an elegant winter coat of fragrance. Lastly, the lingering notes of smoky incense and amber infuse the perfect touch of warmth and sophistication. —Leilani Mcquay, commerce producer

I'm obsessed with this ginseng-based perfume, which feels like a comforting hug on gray days. It's inspired by the Korean word hūnoni, which means missing someone dearly. The blend of ginseng, rose, forget-me-nots, suede, and vanilla melds together for a skin scent like nothing else in my collection: warm, cozy, and addicting. —S.Y.W.

I first smelled this perfume in middle school on the mom of a friend—it was her signature scent—but at that point I was way more interested in wearing Clinique Happy and Gap Grass than I was in asking what her fragrance was. As I got older (and as the perfume became more ubiquitous), I started getting addictive little whiffs of it and I finally asked an elegant woman at a wedding four years ago what she was wearing. From that moment on, it became my favorite wintry scent. With notes of jasmine, saffron, and cedarwood, it almost has a creamy finish. And while it's definitely a (big) splurge (there's a reason TikTok has declared it the “rich-girl perfume,” which I am not), a little goes a long way. The lotion is also a pinch more affordable and great for layering. Not looking to spend that kind of coin? Ariana Grande's Cloud really is a great dupe. —Brie Schwartz, commerce director