Best Winter Fragrance & Perfume Gifts

Temperatures might be dropping, but our love of fragrances is not. Enter the new season of scent: winter. A time where the darker nights lead to more daring blends, where the deeper the scent, the better. Whether you’re shopping for perfume gifts to make them smile at Christmas, or treating yourself to a new scent (or few) to keep the winter magic going into the New Year, here’s our ultimate lowdown of the winter fragrances on all our lists.

How do we decide what fragrance is best for winter? When we think of summer scents, our minds usually drift to lighter, airy scents that feature aquatic, sunny notes, but winter is a different tale altogether. But what are considered winter scents? Each one is usually characterised by deeper, sultry blends that bring only the best elements of winter together: party season, longer nights, winter walks and evenings spent by the fire. Memories of winter that leave us feeling cosy and confident, never cold. Imagine notes like Clove, Pepper, Tobacco, Vanilla, and Tonka Bean - plus woody accords, spiced citrus, and rich, fruity blends. Not to mention the winter fragrances that feature our favourite sweet treats, to create a scent with a gourmand twist. As always, we look for the fragrances that impact you enough to leave glowing, 5* reviews - but we also turn to our Sephora Community and customers to give the lowdown on the blends that really float your boats.

By Sephora UK Fragrance Editorial Team

Writers and experts

Updated: 10 January 2024