FRAGRANCE | 12 Fragrance suggestions for Christmas
Halloween may be my favorite occasion but Christmas is admittedly not
far behind. So just as I made a list of
fragrance suggestions for Halloween, I think it would be a good idea to also come up with a similar list for
this merry occasion. Besides, this is such an extended season that you'll
likely have to attend multiple celebrations, which means you'll have multiple
chances of wearing something Christmassy.
Here are 10 fragrance suggestions for Christmas. You can click on each title
for a more detailed review of each frag.
Maison Martin Margiela
Predictable, I know, but Margiela's By the Fireplace is literally the scent of
chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Even though fireplaces are practically
nonexistent in the Philippines (save for maybe a few houses in the uplands of
Baguio and Sagada), Western culture has heavily influenced the way we view and
celebrate Christmas that it's not uncommon to find "cotton snow" and other
White Christmas references. Hence, with that vivid smokiness from burnt wood,
that velvety-smooth sweetness from vanilla, and the hints of spices swirling
around, it's hard to shake off any Yuletide association from this fragrance.
Forget you live in the tropics, wear it, and take that fireplace with you
wherever you go.
Serge Lutens
I think it's safe to say that most Filipinos don't really seek out gingerbread
cookies for Christmas but these treats have long made their mark on the season
nonetheless. Baptême du Feu wonderfully captures that gingerbread cookie
essence with its delectable, spicy-sweet ginger and cinnamon combo. The
spiciness balances off the sweetness quite nicely, so this warm and comforting
gourmand never gets sickening. It's also not a particularly common scent, so
you're sure to score points for uniqueness.
Pineward Perfumes
A not-so-new discovery anymore, Murkwood may arguably be the quintessential
coniferous fragrance out there (that I know of and tried at least). It
perfectly captures the olfactory essence of pine—more so of a pine forest—and
then bottles it. It's just so amazingly realistic! The freshness is palpable,
along with that familiar damp smell of a fresh Douglas fir you decorate for
Christmas (sadly missing from S&R again this year). I'm confident this
will never be mistaken for an air freshener because Murkwood has none of that
artificial feel typical of those aerosols. Providing the scent added gravitas
are thick but only mildly sweetened resins and a beautifully filtered
smokiness. Not for everyone but absolutely gorgeous!
Christmas Cookies
Bath & Body Works
The name says it all. Bite into the scrumptious goodness of Christmas Cookies
and be rewarded with the comforting scent of warm, buttery cookie dough and
caramel that's cooked a couple more minutes than usual that it's close to
being burnt already. The result is nothing short of yummy. A dash of crushed
almonds keeps the sweetness in check, which also gives the fragrance an added
toasty and nutty flavor. This may be a mist but it behaves more like an EDT
for me, with decent projection and surprising longevity. Now go pour a glass
of milk or brew some coffee or tea. Your choice.
House of Matriarch
Just like Murkwood, Sacre Noir features a very realistic pine accord at its
core: fresh, bitter, and a tad camphorous. It does, however, take pine a step
further by infusing it with a spicy-sweet plum, a dark, smoky incense, and a
dose of sweet resins. The result is a fantastic Yuletide scent with a bit of a
dark twist. Despite all the additions—from the billowing incense smoke to the
viscous resins—the inherent freshness of the pine remains palpable all
throughout. Forget about wishing that all your Christmases be white because a
little darkness would be absolutely glorious, don't you think?
Parfums de Marly
Oajan is a sweet gourmand that features a fairly realistic honey and cinnamon
blend, which it blasts with gusto in its first couple of hours. It's like a
sweet pastry baking in the oven—an apple pie perhaps—that fills your home with
its delicious and mouth-watering aroma. Once you've had your fill, it later
transitions to a less aggressive vanilla and tonka bean combo. Despite the
seeming overabundance of sweet ingredients, I don't find it cloying at all.
This is like warm, comforting hugs exchanged among loved ones at Christmas.
Xerjoff
Sweet Holiday treats shouldn't be confined to children; adults need them, too.
But how do you keep them tiny tots from stealing your sweets? Well, you spike
them and spice them up. That'll teach those kids! This is what Italica does.
Its gorgeously milky almonds and mildly dark toffee are given a spicy
sharpness by saffron and a boozy edge by vanilla-laced liquor. It has a vibe
akin to eggnog without necessarily being the milk punch itself. This is a
fragrance that should delight gourmand lovers out there.
Serge Lutens
One of my earlier favorites, Fille en Aiguilles is another pine-centric
fragrance that understandably calls to mind Christmas. It's fresh with a sort
of camphorous arch reminiscent of cool mountain air. But rather than a
straight-up representation of fir needles, the perfumer gives it a little spin
and takes it a few steps away from the forest with smoky incense, some
fruitiness, and hints of spice. I get such joy every time I wear it.
By Kilian
For grown-ups like me, what are the Holidays without some alcohol? Angels'
Share has that—cognac to be exact. However, the booze is hidden underneath a
choco-caramel-like sweetness and a hefty dose of praline, as if in keeping
with Christmas being a family affair. Or maybe it's us adults actually being
hoodwinked into thinking that this is a boozy fragrance where in fact it's
really just another sweet gourmand albeit disguised in a liquor glass-inspired
bottle.
mvrn Parfums
Christmas is a big deal in the Philippines, so this list definitely needs a
Filipino flavor or two. Ambrosia immediately envelops your senses with the
scent of warm, sticky rice. It reminds me of my favorite puto maya but
without the ginger. It's a delicacy we normally pair with
sikwate (local hot chocolate made with tablea) although a lot of
people also eat it with ripe mango. Ambrosia, however, has neither chocolate
nor mango. Instead, it features a sweet pineapple accord as a counterpoint to
the inherent weight of the sticky rice. Sampaguita is also here for that added
Pinoy touch. An interesting gourmand, no doubt.
2437
Wren Atelier
A limited edition holiday scent, 2437 represents the zip code of Laoac,
Pangasinan, where the local delicacy tupig is aplenty. Wrapped in
banana leaves, tupig is made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar, and young
coconut strips. The banana leaves end up burnt as it's baked directly in
charcoal but this process also lends the rice cake its distinct, smoky flavor
that 2437 captures quite well. The composition also blesses our olfactory
senses with the oily warmth of lightly sweetened coconut milk, made more
fragrant with a controlled infusion of pandan leaves. It's also made more
wearable by the addition of a few squeezes of citrus in the opening and some
white florals, with jasmine jumping out the most to my nose. The drydown
features a mildly bitter coffee and chocolate combo, along with a whispering
musk on the side.
Disney
Okay, okay, Christmas isn't your thing. You identify more with The Grinch than
Santa and the whole shebang. Well, you can go against the grain with The
Nightmare Before Christmas, which was inspired by the Tim Burton stop-motion
classic. There is nothing Christmassy at all here (curiously, neither is there
anything Halloween about it). It's a fresh and aromatic fragrance with a hazy
woody base, which is probably as far away from the holidays as you can go.
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So, what will you be wearing this season?
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