The 16 Best Nontraditional Scents To Add To Your Collection

Scent Type: floral woods

Key Notes: sweet violet, palo santo, frankincense, myrrh, ambrox

This new skin-scent-enhancing fragrance opens with sweet violet before shifting into a cozy blend of inviting palo santo, frankincense, and smoky myrrh set against the base of ambrox. Musky ad warm, Doux pairs well with another new release by the brand, Glossier You Rêve perfume (featuring the sweet notes of buttercream, plum butter, and ambrox).

Product Specs: 1.7 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm gourmands

Key Notes: jinjang (aged soy sauce), charcoal, soybean, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, myrrh, cistus

Lately, there’s been a rise in ultra-niche ‘mineral’-inspired scents, and we’re hopping on the trend. One of our favorite launches has been the Jang Eau de Parfum by the Korean perfumery brand Elorea. It pays homage to traditional fermented sauces that form the foundation of Korean cuisine. With jinjang at its heart, the scent can only be described as a smoky, luxurious gourmand.

Product Specs: 1.70 oz and 3.38 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm and sweet gourmands

Key Notes: vanilla bean, musk, sandalwood

Fall can be the warmest, most inviting time of year while also reminding us of quickly the world around us changes as the leaves turn to vibrant hues of red and gold. One fragrance that perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling of fall is Torn by Henry Rose, which boasts notes of smooth vanilla bean, musk, and sandalwood.

Product Specs: 0.27 oz and 1.7 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: aromatic woods

Key Notes: patchouli, maté, clary sage, violet leaf

What we love the most about this standout Diptyque fragrance is its unique ability to get better overtime. Paying tribute to the defining scent of the ’60s, patchouli, this perfume offers three extracts of this essence underlined by the powdery sweetness of violet leaf. Elegant and earthy, it’s fall encapsulated in an eye-catching bottle.

Product Specs: 2.5 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: earthy green herbs

Key Notes: cypress, grapevine, cedar wood, vetiver, moss, amber

In the Northern Hemisphere, grapes ripen from late August to October; just in time for us to experience all the season has to offer. This fragrance, for example, pairs juicy grapes with pungent moss and bold cypress with refined amber; producing a luxe scent worthy of its high price point. The scent may be all about contradictions, but there’s nothing confusing about how addicting it is.

Product Specs: 1.7 oz and 3.4 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm musks

Key Notes: cedar, white amber, pink pepper, jasmine sambac, ambroxan, balsam, labdanum, patchouli, musk, vetiver

Suede is definitely having a moment this season, and we’re fully embracing it by wearing Heretic’s Dirty Suede Eau de Parfum. It only takes a spritz of this scent to transport its wearer to the quiet isolation offered by a dream fall getaway. Since not all of us can zip off to a log cabin whenever we’re in the mood for some R&R, we’ll be wearing this suede-inspired scent on repeat.

Product Specs: 1.7 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: fresh woods

Key Notes: bergamot, green mandarin, galbanum, petitgrain, cardamom, green tea, mastic, cypress, pink pepper cedar, green maté hay

Do you know that key moment as summer comes to an end when you can sense the arrival of fall? Virēre is the fragrance that immediately comes to mind when I recall the moment when the weather feels slightly more crispy thanks to comforting notes of bergamot, green mandarin, cypress, mastic, pink pepper, and hay. It definitely has us dreaming of early fall spent upstate.

Product Specs: 1.6 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: woody fougère

Key Notes: lavender, cardamom, clary sage, geranium, iris ultimate, rhum absolute, sandalwood, oakwood, vetiver

Okay, we’ll admit it—rhum doesn’t immediately come to mind when we think about fall notes but we mean it when we say the addition of rhum in Penhaligon’s A Balm of Calm Eau de Parfum just works. It’s paired with sweet lavender, geranium, and iris ultimate against a base of rum and soft woods. Imaging wearing this chic scent while sitting for a holiday meal with your loved ones!

Product Specs: 3.4 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: sweet gourmand

Key Notes: cabreuva, orchid, pink pepper, vines, green vanilla leaves, cypress root, vanilla absolute, dark patchouli, hay

The arrival of fall also signals the start of spooky season, so what better way to dive in than by wearing the mysterious Deep Dark Vanilla by D.S. & Durga? Warm and sultry, this mouthwatering gourmand perfume leads with soft orchid, cypress, pink pepper, and green vanilla leaves before shifting into vanilla absolute, dark patchouli and hay.

Product Specs: 3.4 oz glass perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm florals

Key Notes: geranium, coriander, frankincense, cedar, juniper, black pepper, moroccan rose, black currant, lily accord, patchouli, sandalwood, oud, styrax

Every year, it seems we’re introduced to “new” aesthetics and reminded of the ones we see less often on our FYPs like ‘whimsigoth.’ Similar to how the nostalgia-soaked aesthetic juxtaposes dark details (perhaps even macabre) with those more ethereal in nature, this sultry Heretic perfume strikes the delicate balance between heady florals and smoldering frankincense and oud.

Product Specs: 0.50 oz and 1.7 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: white floral gourmand

Key Notes: lychee, lily-of-the-valley, white saffron, pink pepper, marshmallow, bergamot caramel, white birch, aged cognac, ambergris

This one is for anyone who loves a sweet fragrance as they head into the cold months to help warm things up. According to the brand, Bombóm Eau de Parfum celebrates “unapologetic pleasure” by combining the sugary green facets of lily-of-the-valley with seductive cognac for a delicious scent you won’t want to skip out on. Plus, how gorgeous is that perfume bottle?

Product Details: 1.35 oz and 2.5 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: aromatic woods

Key Notes: rose petals, Virginian cedarwood, silk musk, Haitian vetiver

Finding the ideal woody, aromatic fragrance for fall is a must, and Bryedo’s Super Cedar Eau de Parfum is one of our favorites. While the perfume’s blend of Virginian cedarwood, silk musk, and Haitian vetiver stand out to us, we’re obsessed with the powdery fresh touch the rose petals add to the scent. It’s also the perfect perfume for layering.

Product Details: 1.7 oz and 3.4 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: cool spices

Key Notes: cardamom, pimento, salted butter caramel, vanilla, tobacco, cashmeran

Of all our favorite unique fragrances, this is by far the most unexpected fall scent. Through this fragrance, we’re introduced to Constance: a very modern woman who prefers to do as she likes and isn’t afraid to break some rules. Penhaligon’s Changing Constance does the same with a bold combination of cool cardamom, hot pimento, and salted caramel to finish things off.

Product Details: 2.5 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm florals

Key Notes: jasmine, mandarin leaf, ruby grapefruit, plum, Bulgarian rose, sakura blossoms, vanilla flower

Who said you have to give up your classic floral fragrances when fall arrives? When thinking about which perfumes invoke the charming memories of Septembers past, Maison Louis Marie’s No. 14 Icila came to mind. It’s warm and inviting with a bright blend of jasmine, mandarin leaf, plum, and rose complimented by powdery sakura blossoms and smooth vanilla flower. Pair it with you favorite oversized cardigan, and you’re good to go.

Product Details: 0.34 oz and 1.4 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: warm woods

Key Notes: lavender, omumbiri myrrh, tonka bean

Myrrh and tonka are the two notes are commonly lingering in your favorite fall fragrances, but are rarely recognized for the amount of warmth they provide. For this captivating and rich cologne intense, Jo Malone pairs the two woodsy notes with soothing lavender to bring out the traces of vanilla from the tonka bean. The end result is a scent that’s noticeably different from all the rest on this list, but still bears some familiarity.

Product Details: 3.4 oz perfume spray bottle

Scent Type: woody florals

Key Notes: miracle berry, sego lily, oakwood patchouli

Lastly, Hermès Barénia is the solution for anyone aiming to elevate their fragrance game while altering their product lineup to match the season. Composed of juicy miracle berry, sego lily, and oakwood patchouli, this perfume wears beautifully alone but also works well with layering. Try combining it with a powdery scent to ramp up any scent’s potential.

Product Details: 0.5, 1.0 oz, 2.0 oz, and 3.3 oz perfume spray bottle