The Edit: Our guide to autumn’s hottest fragrance drops
Paper Pink, Perfumed Candle | £65.00 available at Roads
While Roads’ roots may be in Dublin, their scents are fuelled by the sights and sounds of far-flung locales. Now, to mark their foray into candles, perfumer Danielle Ryan has drawn inspiration from Japanese culture to create Paper Pink. The scent, which is hand-poured using the finest oil-blended wax, leads with the invigorating aroma of fresh bergamot, evoking the essence of cherry blossoms.
Zephirine, LBTY | £225 per 100ml available at Liberty London
Last month, British institution Liberty introduced LBTY, a new fragrance brand crafted by some of the finest perfume noses in the world. The range, comprised of five scents, draws inspiration from some of the store’s most iconic prints. We were drawn to Zephirine, which evokes a “fantastical palace filled with lavish flora and fauna and decadent figs just waiting to be picked”. Notes include stalky-fresh fig leaves and velvety rose petals combined incense, soft leather and rich vetiver.
A Balm of Calm | £195.00 available at Penhaglion’s
Penhaligon’s recently launched their new Potions & Remedies collection, devised, in part, to have an impact on our mood and emotions through scent. The five fragrances were crafted after the team uncovered William Penhaligon’s “Forgotten Formulas”, where each scent has a specific task, like making you fee lucky in love, blissfully content or overtly confident. Our pick is A Balm of Calm, which promises to make your wintery woes vanish through a heady concoction of lavender, sandalwood, geranium and clary sage.
Vyrao Verdant Incense Sticks | £35.00 available at Liberty London
The humble incense stick has had an upgrade! Vyrao’s Verdant Incense Sticks are crafted from slender bamboo, and produce minimal smoke, working to uplift your spirits and cleanse your surroundings. Verdant was created to evoke the sprouting of fresh green growth, with its profile including Italian bergamot, cyclamen, frankincense, juniper, orange flower and musk.
Bookworm Diffuser | £95.00 at Paul Smith
There’s no better feeling that coming home to a great-smelling home, and you can have that 24/7 with Paul Smith’s Bookworm Diffuser, which works round the clock to infuse your surroundings with the scent of grapefruit, amber, pimento, and cedarwood.
Ghost Flower, Bohemian Romantic Transcedent | £168.00 available at Altra Profuture
Altra made a name for itself as “future nature scents”; being 100% natural, made in the UK, vegan, cruelty free, and crucially refillable. But that doesn’t mean that its perfumes skimp on quality; Ghost Flower, the brand’s boho-inspired fragrance, is a dreamy autumnal scent with its rich, smoky woods and resins, and additional notes of spicy saffron.
Spiced Winter | £45.00 available at Ruth Mastenboek
If you’re starting to get into change of seasons, then Ruth Mastenboek’s Spiced Winter candle will really ramp up the festive spirit. The fragrance melds Eastern and Western traditions, featuring a harmonious blend of spiced orange, cinnamon, patchouli, sandalwood, and a hint of leather.
Blue Forever Oral Perfume | £32.00 at Selahatin
Hear me out, but the next frontier of fragrance is mouth perfume. Quite possibly the chicest grooming brand out there, Stockholm-based Selahatin is making oral health a much sexier prospect than the tube of Colgate you inevitably forget to pick up on your food shop. Our pick, Blue Forever, with notes of citrus, lime, liquorice and peppermint, is a love letter to the Mediterranean ocean.
Soleil d’Hiver, Eau De Parfum | £55.00 available at Experimental Perfume Club
Top notes of cardamom and pink peppercorn transition to Moroccan rose and calming oolong tea in Experimental Perfume Club’s limited edition autumnal perfume, Soleil d’Hiver. Upon deeper exploration, you’ll pick up on sandalwood, leather and tobacco, making it the perfect accompaniment to breezy nights on the town.
Smoke & Musk | £50.00 available at Earl of East
If you don’t fancy going on in the rain, then bring the great outdoors to the coziness of your home with Earl of East’s Smoke & Musk. The candle, which comes ensconced in a beautiful amber glass vessel, smells of green balsam fir, wood smoke, and musky patchouli — all the best of the wilderness but firmly indoors.
Apothecary Candle Peat | £40.00 available at Domestic Science
In a similar vein, Apothecary Candle Peat by Domestic Science took inspiration from the patchwork fields of Ireland, and promises to infuse your home with earthy, floral notes, including birch, rose, incense, cedar and patchouli — a true ode to the changing seasons and darkening nights.