The 11 Best Fragrances Released This October

If you’re looking for a new go-to fragrance for fall and winter, let it be Commodity Spice. Like a hot cup of chai, this expressive fragrance is warm and smooth with a rich cocktail of spices including saffron, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and cinnamon. If I close my eyes, I feel like I just stepped into a cozy little tea and spices shop, and I want to wear that feeling like a sweater.Fragrance FamilySpicy, amber, gourmandNotesSaffron, allspice, cinnamon sugar, condensed milk, tonka bean, sandalwoodSizes0.34 oz, 2 oz, 3.4 ozWhen Fulton & Roark released Cathedral of Ruins, it quickly became one of our favorite cold-weather smoky scents. Not only does it have a super unique aroma of smoldering frankincense, black pepper, rose, and woods, but it has a heartbreakingly beautiful origin story—the brand’s founders were inspired to create the scent after visiting the abandoned City Methodist Church in Gary, Indiana. The fragrance is an homage to the religious rituals that once took place in that church.Fragrance FamilyWoody, amberNotesCypress, black peppercorn, rose, saffron, peru balsam, smoldering frankincense, leathered woods, muskSizes1.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowThink of a buttery croissant; a butterscotch candy; a cinnamon roll with sweet, creamy frosting. Those are the vibes of Gap’s newest fragrance. A late addition to the newly (re)launched collection of EDPs, it joins the group as the first gourmand—just in time for fall. Oh, and if you like how Bliss smells, you can complete the collection with the scented hand cream and body lotion.Fragrance FamilyGourmandNotesButterscotch, rose petals, peach nectar, cocoa bean, olibanum, coconut milk, vanilla bourbon, sandalwoodSizes0.3 oz, 1.7 ozI was always under the impression that fruity fragrances and woody ones had very little to do with each other and that, for the most part, they should stay separate. That’s until I smelled Maison d’Etto’s Pinehurst. Here, fruity notes of rambutan, blood orange, and ripe pineapple provide a beautiful overlay to base notes of leather, oud, and other woods. It’s a radiant scent that works year-round, day and night.Fragrance FamilyFruity, woodyNotesRambutan, blood orange, pink pepper, jasmine, rose, geranium, pineapple, oud, leather, pine, sandalwood, cedarwood, cypriol, cashmeranSizes2 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowDavid Moltz (the “D.S.” of D.S. & Durga) was inspired to create this Resurrected Corpse Flower fragrance after visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden during the height of a rare blooming of a corpse flower. What he smelled was, in his words, “like a baby diaper pail in a rotten fish tank full of rubber lily bulbs & olives.” But then he got to thinking, what if that scent could be cleaned of all its rotten odors and reborn into something beautiful? Thus, Resurrected Corpse Flower was born. With green olive, lily, tuberose, freesia, and deep bog cedar, it’s a truly special scent that’s at once floral and swampy.Because this fragrance is so unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before, it might be a bit polarizing; I’m sure some of you will love it, and others might prefer one of D.S. & Durga’s other unique fragrances. But after leaving this scent on my skin for a bit, I really started to appreciate it.Fragrance FamilyFloral, greenNotesGreen olive, balm of Gilead, grapefruit, freesia, Madonna lily, tuberose absolute, green banana, bog cedar, papyrusSizes1.7 ozIn contrast to some of the deep, rich gourmands on this list, Lumira’s Soléor offers a lighter, sun-soaked gourmand option. Instead of creamy sweetness, it’s more of a soft, sensual sweetness that isn’t too heavy or overpowering. Smooth amber and candied fruit up top give it a bit of a citrusy kick, which fades into caramel, vanilla, and woods. It works for fall and winter just as well as it does for spring and summer.Fragrance FamilyGourmand, amberNotesAmber, cedarwood, candied fruit, caramel, oak moss, akigalawood, vanilla, tonka, labdanum Sizes1.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowIf you do want something rich and creamy, Phlur’s Heavy Cream is the way to go. It’s an ambery gourmand with notes of vanilla mousse, white orchid, and creamy musk, which are balanced out by hints of sparkling lemon and orange flower, adding a little bit of lightness to the otherwise heavy fragrance. And, of course, with a name like Heavy Cream, there has to be a coordinating whipped body butter for the full experience.Fragrance FamilyAmber, gourmandNotesSparkling lemon, vanilla mousse, orange flower, white orchid, tiare flower, amber woods, creamy muskSizes0.32 oz, 1.7 ozHow do you make decadence refined? You create a rich, vanilla gourmand and add the sophisticated warmth of Peru balsam. It’s definitely a sweet scent, and the combination of Cristal vanilla, bourbon vanilla, tonka bean, and black sugar creates the aroma of a classic crème brûlée. But once you get past the creamy sweetness of it all, you’re left with a sensual, balsamic scent that lingers.Fragrance FamilyGourmandNotesCristal vanilla absolute, Peru balsam essence, black sugar accord, tonka bean absolute, bourbon vanilla absolute, musk accordSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowI didn’t know a fragrance could smell so much like Halloween, but Heretic teamed up with Robert Eggers’ new movie Werwulf and did just that. At first, you get spice and smoke from cardamom, smoke, and leather; it then moves into something woody, earthy, and animalic with fir balsam, labdanum, patchouli, moss, and damp earth. The “suggestion of wet fur” is what really makes this scent stand out—and what gives it that spooky edge. Wear with your scariest Halloween costume.Fragrance FamilyWoody, animalicNotesCold herbs, wormwood, cardamom, elemi, smoke, leather, castoreum, costus, fir balsam, labdanum, patchouli, vetiver, moss, damp earth, soft musksSizes1 ozIn a departure from the mostly spicy, rich, gourmand scents that hit shelves this October, Drake’s Better World Fragrance House partnered with October’s Very Own for a fresh, citrusy fragrance that gives the impression of a refreshing white wine sangria with notes of passion fruit, rose, white cedarwood, and roasted tonka bean. But in its spherical burgundy glass bottle, it’ll blend in perfectly with your other fall and winter scents.Fragrance FamilyCitrusNotesPassion fruit white wine spritz, cannabis, clary sage oil, petitgrain, black pepper oil, rose oil, cognac, white cedarwood, roasted tonkaSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowRoll-on fragrance oils are all the rage right now, and new fragrance house Gamine has already come out with its own collection of fragrance oils called Microdose. With six parfum oils, you can wear each individually or combine two or three for your own unique scent. My favorite of the bunch is DMT, a metallic fragrance built on notes of burnt latex, aerated foam, and hot steel. I wasn’t sure I would like it based on the description—and the fact that I’d never heard of a metallic scent before—but I’m actually obsessed with it.Fragrance FamilyMetallicNotesBurnt latex, aerated foam, hot steelSizes0.28 oz