Chestnut, speculoos, incense: my perfume picks for autumn

Autumn is my favorite season for perfume. The light falls, the days shorten, and fragrances warm up with them. We put away the citrus and white florals of summer to rediscover denser, more enveloping materials — those that accompany the first sweaters and golden late afternoons. Here are some of the ones I will wear most this season, six perfumes for six moods.

Saint Honoré, Nicolaï: the childhood teatime

Let's start with a gourmand. Saint Honoré, launched in 2024 by the house Nicolaï, is signed Patricia de Nicolaï, perfumer and descendant of the Guerlain family, who founded her own house in 1989. She wanted to capture the famous French patisserie of the same name, and she succeeded.

The composition unfolds a creamy hazelnut, a milky accord, an orange blossom and a soft vanilla on a base of sandalwood and musk. But what saves it from cloying is a streak of pepper and bergamot in the opening, which bring structure and brightness. Childhood teatime, in a chic version.

Northern Love, Frédéric Malle: the resurrection

Next, a long-awaited return. Northern Love, from Frédéric Malle, is the rebirth of a cult and discontinued scent, the former Dries Van Noten by Frédéric Malle, created in 2013 by Bruno Jovanović and relaunched this year under a new name.

Imagine a creamy sandalwood warmed by cinnamon, nutmeg and a speculoos accord, with resins and a touch of leather underneath that give it character. It's sweet and melancholy at once, like a hug on a rainy Sunday.

Lumière d'Automne, Solférino: hot chestnuts

This one carries the season in its name. Lumière d'Automne, the eleventh perfume from the Parisian house Solférino, released this year, is a walk through Paris in October.

Close your eyes, and you are in front of a hot chestnut seller. Ambrette opens the composition, then a roasted chestnut, creamy, almost smoky, settles on a base of benzoin and soft vanilla. All the golden light of an autumn afternoon in Paris, when leaves crackle underfoot.

Althaïr Exclusif, Parfums de Marly: the gourmand that has grown up