Left: Autumn leaf II by Mariann Johansen Ellis

  "Autumn is the second Spring where every leaf is a flower."- Albert Calmus.  For some Fall is a time of reflection, a window into the winter winds ahead.  For others, its the season of sensorial delights. The morning air is crisp and the leaves are turning scarlet and gold; the smell of bonfires and hay and the taste of apples plucked from the tree. Now that the heat of summer is behind us, it's time for our top ten Fall fragrances

Steve Johnson, Guest Contributor

Jardins D'Ecrivains Orlando: (Perfumer Anais Biguine 2013) Guaiac wood is my favorite note in a perfume; for me it symbolizes change, similar in the way that summer segues into Fall. Guaiac starts sweet and warm, then transforms into something herbal and dry. It's a melancholy golden hued note that evokes the way the leaves turn from red to gold as they fall from their branches. Orlando has a quiet quality to it that is more for the wearer's pleasure than to be worn to dazzle someone else – perfect for the copper-tinged, introspective days of Autumn.

Maxfield Parrish Reveries

Nancy Knows, Contributor

L’Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine (Jean-Claude Ellena, 2003): Autumn in my part of the world means drives to the country for pumpkins and hayrides, but scents that suggest that experience literally are too clichéd for my taste—I don’t want to smell like potpourri.  L’Artisan’s Bois Farine evokes the more grownup nuances of these daytrips, such as drinking roasted hazelnut coffee on the rocking chair of a three-season porch, combing through antique stores in converted barns, brushing off sawdust from a wood saw, or leaves crunching underfoot on a hiking path.  Though its inspiration was a rare tree from Reunion, Africa, something I am unlikely to ever smell in real life, it reminds me of the Hudson Valley, where I spent the weekends of my childhood, and it wraps me in a warm embrace that is the next best thing to one of my grandmother’s crocheted afghans when it comes to comfort.

Valerie Vitale, Contributing Editor

Krigler Lovely Patchouli 55 Classic: I close my eyes and fall backwards into the most delicious amber-y cloud ever imaginable. Scented arms catch me laced in bergamot, patchouli, and leather. Yes I experience it on the skin, but it takes flight in the autumn air and mixes well with the flannel, wool, and cashmere that are slowly peeking out to see the light of day. Krigler Lovely Patchouli 55 Classic is magical.

John Reasinger, Senior Editor

The summer draws to a close, as days get shorter and nights cooler. I am always a bit sad that the warmer days are coming to a close, but am also so glad to be able to dig out some earthier stronger smokier incense-kissed fragrances and rich florientals. Leather scents, like that extra layer required for crisp mornings, add warmth and comfort and stay put when lighter more evanescent citruses are blown away.

Pierre Balmain’s La Mome (2007 created by Guillaume Flavigny) is in my top ten cool weather scents of all time. Its distinct blending of spices and fruits with rich and deep oriental floral notes paired lovingly with heavenly myrrh, elegant iris and regal opoponax. Despite the fact this EDP was marketed solely to women, I find it to be exquisitely unisex, but leaning just a bit more towards the masculine. Delightfully warm and just sweet enough, this lingers on like a dream. Sillage: good. Longevity: very good.

Etat Libre d’Orange Nombril Immense (2006 by Nathalie Feisthauer) is my “go to” incense scent to warm my nose my mind and my spirits. Exceptional patchouli is framed with heady balm and sweet smooth resin adding earthiness and warmth, creating something natural-feeling and pure, yet complex and layered. Sharp pepper is calmed with bergamot and dry carrot seeds; so it smells not only holy and sacred, but also connected to and reflecting the Earth  Great for cold days both outside and inside.

 

The Breath of Autumn by Alexander Maslik

Tama Blough, Senior Editor

Caron Bellodgia (originally composed by Ernest Daltroff 1927): California Autumn comes late, and we have an Indian Summer through October. Interspersed through those warm days can be unpredictable fog and rain. When I want to have a bit of the spice of fall that will work in the heat, I reach for Bellodgia. One of the benchmarks of carnation fragrances, its lush floral nature topped off with peppery spice is perfect for these days; as luscious in welcome heat as in the coastal gloom.

Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vanille (Mona di Orio 2011): The evenings get chilly no matter how warm it was during the day, and it is a perfect time to cozy up with a rich, luxurious vanilla. This is my go-to when I want a vanilla that is not cupcake-sweet or summer-dry. It is just right for curling up with a good mystery and a cup of lapsang souchong to complement the smokiness of the perfume. Bliss.

Mark Behnke,  Managing Editor

Heeley Cardinal (James Heeley 2006):  The fall means smoke to me; the smell of burning leaves, woodsmoke hanging on the air from chimneys, or the crackling of a fireplace on the first chilly evening. In fragrance I migrate to a different sort of smoke the kind that curls up from the end of a stick of incense as this is the time of year I wear my incense fragrances most. One of my favorites is Cardinal which is a perfume equivalent of a cone of finest frankincense. Cardinal begins with a swirl of aldehydes to usher in frankincense, myrrh, labdanum, and patchouli to create its own fragrant fireplace glowing with the embers of resinous beauty.

Tom Ford Sahara Noir (Rodrigo Flores-Roux 2013): I think this is the fragrance I have been most looking forward to wearing underneath a sweater with my neck wrapped in a scarf. M. Flores-Roux's resinous reverie captures everything golden about frankincense, labdanum, oud and benzoin. It is so richly opulent you could be forgiven for thinking it was a Private Blend instead of a member of the Signature Collection. I plan on watching the autumn leaves turn swathed in a halo of Sahara Noir.

Cecilia Paredes , Landscape Series

Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

 You won't find me picking apples, communing with nature and taking long walks in the woods. I am a girly girl and have a fondness for all things vanilla but I don't want to smell like a cookie. Le Labo Labdanum 18, created by Maurice Roucel (2006), is the first fragrance I reach for when the weather is cooler. I love this fragrance the same way I love wearing my Mom's fur trimmed cashmere sweater, which fits a bit too snug but still manages to look chic. (Now all of PETA will be harrassing me). Labdanum 18 is its perfume equivalent; a smooth, sexy scent that is a nod to the classic Oriental construction of Shalimar but darker with more swagger. There is a powdery quality to the vanilla that is perfectly set off by the warmth of amber, a wisp of incense and animalic base notes that purr rather than roar. Forget those short Fall days, Labdanum 18 is at its best for those long Autumn nights.

For our Everlasting Autumn perfume draw:

 From our Friends at Le Labo 50ml of  Labdanum  18

 Many thanks to the team at L'Artisan Parfumeur USA 100ml of Bois Farine

 With gratitude…50ml of Etat Libre D'Orange Nombril Immense from Euroscents USA USA and Canada

The ever generous  Jeroen Oude Sogtoen and Rensk Cramer from Mona di Orio Parfums 100ml of Mona Di Orio Vanille

To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoy most about Autumn, where you live and the fragrance(s) from the above four you would like to win. Draw closes September 24, 2013

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume