Here at Who What Wear, we take fragrance shopping very seriously, especially once the seasons begin to change. Now, we know some of you might not be into switching up your fragrance seasonally, but hear us out here. Summer going into autumn is the perfect time to reconsider because so many of our beauty team's most loved and complimented fragrances have just the right notes that suit the season.
Around this time of year, we tend to favour the crisp, juicy, and fruity notes we love so much during the summer, but we'll add a surprise twist—an undertow of earthy, spicy notes that also feel just right for autumn. If you're game to try something new and wonder which ones earn us the most compliments, keep on reading. We're sharing our best summer-to-autumn scents we just can't skip.
The Best Summer-to-Autumn Perfumes
Key notes: Ambrette, nesberry, magnolia, sandalwood, violet, cedarwood, musks, vetiver
"As we head into autumn, I'm finding myself reaching for Mojave Ghost. It has an ambrette creaminess that lends itself well in the summer months, while the addition of musk, amber and sandalwood make it just as wearable in autumn. It's chic and cosy without being heavy. I like to think of it as the stylish older sister to Glossier You—it's the ultimate cool-girl scent." —Eleanor Vousden, UK beauty editor
Key notes: Coconut, jasmine, vanilla bourbon
"Honestly, I tend to wear the same scents year-round, but lately, I've been layering this with Kayali's Eden Juicy Apple 01 Eau de Parfum (£73). It's the perfect transitional fragrance to wear this time of year. It has a few summery notes of coconut and jasmine, but combined, each scent also has richer notes like bourbon vanilla, jasmine, and wild berries. I'm mildly obsessed with the combo and will probably continue to wear it well into autumn." — Shawna Hudson, associate beauty editor
Key notes: Guaiac wood, Cabreuva oil, patchouli, cypriol oil, juniper berry
"Types who like woody scents will adore Bois d'Ébène. It's woody, a little dark and mysterious, but has that juniper berry freshness that still works for the last days of summer. It is a little sweet and so smooth, and just gets better and better on the skin. I get the same excitement of pulling this out of my perfumes as I do about getting my knitwear and boots out from my wardrobe. It's so elegant yet modern." — Vousden.
Key notes: Wild gardenia, black plum, carnation, Indian tuberose, palissandre wood, honey
"I truly believe this is Byredo's most underrated fragrance. Inspired by the city it's named after, Casablanca Lily is a robust floral scent (gardenia! carnation! Indian tuberose!) anchored with a luxuriousness (plum! rosewood! honey accord!) that will quite literally stop people in their tracks. It's intense and sultry, and it's the ultimate nighttime scent as we transition from summer to autumn." — Erin Jahns, beauty director
Key notes: Red apple, sugarcane, Madagascar vanilla
"This fragrance reminds me so much of my family's Thanksgiving in Texas, but not in the 'nutmeg and apple pie' sort of way—it's more like the first day of crisp autumn air. I fell in love at first whiff. It's light and fresh on its own, but I'll also layer it with Ellis Brooklyn's Bee to add some juicy honey notes. It's my fragrance version of a warm hug." — Jamie Schneider, senior beauty editor
Key notes: Toasted sesame seeds, white musks, mimosa, blond woods accord, rice steam accord
"I've wrote a full review of Diptyque L'eau Papier on its launch last year, and I haven't stopped talking about it since as it gets me endless compliments. Think of clean laundry, with a hint of musk and misted with a cloud of sweet rice steam and blond wood, and you get this sophisticated paper-inspired scent that lends itself so well to any season, but particularly between summer and autumn." —Vousden
Key notes: Indonesian cassia, black plum, clary sage, cinnamon, pistachio, cashmere woods, Spanish ciste, Somalian incense, Madagascar vanilla, amber
"Okay, I'm clearly on a vanilla, wood, and amber kick right now because I also can't get enough of this spicy gourmand. I have been loving gourmand fragrances with a fruity flair—this one features black plum for a juiciness that makes it perfect for the end of summer." — Schneider
Key notes: Plum cinnamon, leather accord, violet, birch woods, patchouli, vanilla
"The ultimate dark academia and autumnal scent. Byredo's Bibliothèque was the first Byredo fragrance I fell in love with, and happens to make a great summer-to-autumn transitional perfume. Inspired by the pages of old books, it has a papery, woody cosiness that makes you feel curled up on a chilly day, but the addition of plum and violet that keep it a little sweet." —Vousden.
Key notes: Pear, lychee, grapefruit, rosa damascena, incense, vetiver, vanilla, musk, evernyl
"I might be a bit biased because this is my favourite fragrance on the planet, but I think it's also the perfect summer-to-autumn scent. It has juicier summer notes of pear, lychee, and grapefruit, but it's those surprising under notes of incense and vetiver that get me in the mood for a crisp fall day. It has also earned me compliments from numerous friends and strangers, including an Uber driver." — Hudson
Key notes: Fig, bergamot, green leaf, iris, coconut milk, tonka bean, dry blond wood
"I reach for Debaser during the last days of summer and as we enter autumn. It's both fresh and woody, thanks to milky, ripe fig that lends a creaminess to the blond wood base. It's so smooth, creamy and gets endless compliments whenever I wear it."—Vousden.
Key notes: Neroli, orange blossom, musk
"Admittedly, it wasn't until this summer that I began wearing citrus scents daily. Luckily, Histoire D'Orangers by L'Artisan Parfumeur changed my mind about combining musk and orange blossom and has been the perfume I've been wearing the most. Since adding it to my fragrance rotation, I've gotten compliments from complete strangers in NYC about how good I smell. It's truly a gem, and I'm so happy I found it before I gave up on citrus perfumes." — Maya Thomas, assistant beauty editor
Key notes: Italian lemon, neroli essence
"This sparkling, citrusy floral teeters more summer than fall, so I'm practically bathing in it during these final weeks. The brand's aim is to evoke the optimism of a perfect day, and I'm definitely latching onto that vibe for the end of summer." — Schneider
Key notes: White tea, Italian citrus, mandarin, bergamot, rose, Australian sandalwood, jasmine sambac, ginger
"This smooth, fresh, and crisp fragrance is a seasonal favourite of both mine and Thomas. It has a few sparkling summer notes, but it's fresh and sweet, and I love wearing it around this time of year since it transitions perfectly into autumn." — Hudson
"When it comes to clean, crips scents, St. Rose's Juliet in White is unrivalled. At the heart of this scent is jasmine sambac, which, for me, is always reminiscent of those first days of fall when it's still warm, but you can sense some crispness in the air. The fragrance also teases Turkish rose, tangerine, bergamot, and cosy Australian sandalwood." — Thomas
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