It’s Christmas fragrance time. Roasted chestnuts over a roaring fire, the scent of fresh pine, spicy cinnamon wafting from freshly-baked goods, the magic of the holiday season is heightened through the olfactory.
Vogue’s top Christmas fragrances at a glance:
When selecting a fragrance to capture the Christmas spirit, consider one with notes associated with the festive season. Think warming ginger and clove, sweet vanilla and caramel, woody and fresh fir and cedarwood, or spicy frankincense and myrrh. However, there is another approach – selecting a statement-making scent that becomes the support act when paired with sparkly, feather and party-ready fashion picks, one that will diffuse quiet luxury and confidence in its sillage as you swan from soiree to soiree.
For Christmas 2025, our perfume companions are inspired by the enduring gourmand trend but take a more nuanced approach, offering wearability and sophistication. The same goes for pine. Rather than literal air-freshener-esque creations, there are instead dynamic woody compositions that are transportive and endlessly addictive, with touches such as musk.
The Vogue edit of Christmas fragrances represents what we are looking to manifest for December – namely warmth, nostalgia and indulgence. And they’re ripe for gifting.
Scroll on to find out more.
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: You might not instantly equate the sugary sweetness of marshmallow with masculine perfumes, but this combines the toasted sweetness of marshmallow with nutty chestnuts, warming clove and pink pepper and smoky woody notes. The result has more of a unisex feel and is immediately comforting, cosy and completely addictive.
- Notes: Pink pepper, clove, chestnut, woody accords, vanilla, red berries, orange blossom, neroli essence, roasted marshmallow
- Size: 50ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Woody and spicy notes dominate the Bois Pacifique aroma from Tom Ford, which is very in line with the scents associated with the holiday season. Much like you’d expect from the fashion brand known for its sensual, elegant designs, this aroma too is mysterious and exotic. It’s unisex, long-lasting and lighter than some of the other deeper eau de parfums in the collection.
- Notes: Turmeric, sandalwood and oakwood
- Size: 50ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Eighth-generation of the Hennessy family, Kilian Hennessy grew up among the cognac producing process, so it’s unsurprising that the bestselling and most well-known aroma at his eponymous fragrance brand is Angel’s Share, a poetic term that describes the spirit evaporated in the maturation process. The bottle itself resembles a glass of the caramel elixir, especially with the crystal-like design. The intoxicating scent is gourmand, spicy and woody, oft compared to an apple pie or cinnamon bun. It is reported that Beyoncé loves this fragrance.
- Notes: Cognac, hazelnut, oak wood
- Size: 50ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: There is something deliciously masculine about the first spritz of Aventus For Her, calling on the original sexy men’s scent. But as it settles, the elixir moves towards a sophisticated, feminine aroma with fresh, fruity notes. It’s decadent, sensual and incredibly long-lasting, often surviving days on a knit jumper.
- Notes: green apple, pink pepper, bergamot, rose, lilac, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, patchouli, musk and Ambroxan
- Size: 75ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Discerning fragrance enthusiasts may already be well familiar with Jorum Studio from its Edinburgh HQ, but you can also shop the label both online and in its new London store on Carnaby Street. Gorseland is my favourite in the collection, not just because it is the signature scent of my best friend, who has moved to New York, and it immediately makes me think of her, but also because it is unlike any other aroma on the market. No matter where she goes, the compliments follow with the green-aromatic combination of gorse (a Scottish wild flower) with surprising touches like pineapple weed and crab apple.
- Notes: Gorse, neroli, broom, lemon, chamomile, gooseberry, geranium, lavender, silene and woodruff
- Size: 30ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Paris-based perfume house Bibbi has an eclectic mix of aromas, from Rainbow Rose to Ghost of Tom, but it’s Santal Beauty that’s the most timeless for me. Much like Le Labo’s fragrance of the same name, it’s a sensual, heady mix with floral and woody notes, with violet and magnolia as the stars. The aroma is housed in a chic bottle designed in the signature Bibbi aesthetic with a striking blue label and topper.
- Notes: Italian Lemon, saffron, violet, magnolia, bamboo, sandalwood, blond woods, crisp amber
- Size: 100ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: A light, bright fragrance that’s feel-good and mood-boosting, Pear Jam is one of the bestselling aromas from New York-born fragrance brand Nette, which has recently dropped on UK soil. The playful concoction is floral, fruity and very gourmand.
- Notes: Koji pear, blackcurrant, bergamot Calabria and raspberry pulp
- Size: 50ml
- Why we love it: If No. 5 was Mademoiselle Coco’s interpretation of modern femininity, then Coco Mademoiselle is an ode to the icon herself. Fresh, bold, and mischievous, this is a scent that will stop you in your tracks and leave you wanting more. My personal favourite of the bunch, this eau de parfum leads with a vibrant orange burst, balanced by a jasmine accord, May rose, patchouli, and vetiver. It’s rich, but not in an overpowering way, making it excellent for warm nights or a daytime adventure.
- Variations: Following the eau de parfum launch in 2001, Polge developed the eau de toilette just a year later, relying on grapefruit instead for citrus notes. This collection also features a parfum, eau de parfum intense, and l’eau privée.
- Notes: Rose, jasmine, orange, patchouli, vetiver
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Instantly evocative of the sweetness of warm evening air somewhere tropical, this tonka bean iteration uses delicately fragrant notes like lavender and honey to create an initial floral sweetness, while myrrh offers an opulent, balsamic note that helps give it richness.
- Notes: Lavender, honey, camphor, omumbiri myrrh, tonka bean
- Size: 50ml