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 fall 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 favor 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 fall. 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-fall scents we just can't skip.
Key notes: Blonde woods, whipped musk, bergamot, vanilla orchid
"Equal parts creamy, smoky, and airy, this perfume is hard to pin down, but maybe that's why I like it so much. It combines blonde wood notes with whipped musk, bergamot, and vanilla orchid for a fragrance that's somehow contradictory and cohesive. It's hard to describe but impossible to stop spritzing." — Kaitlyn McLintock, associate beauty editor
Key notes: Coconut, frangipani, palm leaf, salted amber, sandalwood
"For me, this is the perfect summer-to-fall fragrance because it's light and beachy yet warm and grounding—almost like a breezy night spent by the sea or a bakery lined with warm pastries. When you look at the notes, you'll see what I mean. Fresh and sugary notes of palm leaf, caramel gelato, and coconut are mixed with deep, warm notes of frangipani, sandalwood, and salted amber." — McLintock
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 ($100). 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 fall." — Shawna Hudson, associate beauty editor
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 fall." — Erin Jahns, beauty director
Key notes: Coconut, Tuscan fig, amber
"While this fragrance is commonly described as being fresh and solar, I would argue it feels more green and earthy with a hint of freshness. To me, the Tuscan fig note stands out the most against a background of agave, tonka bean, and sheer florals. I've been wearing No. 13 Nouvelle Vague all summer, but I doubt I'll fully be retiring it once fall arrives since I love wearing fig perfumes just as much in the cooler months." — Maya Thomas, assistant beauty editor
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: Bergamot oil, Italian lemon, aquaflora, French mimosa, lavandin, ylang-ylang, orris, vetiver, sandalwood, musk
"I've had this perfume in my arsenal for a couple of years, and I still have yet to get sick of it. The brand says the scent is 'like getting lost under the open sky,' and while I personally have never gotten lost under the open sky, I'm picking up what they're putting down. I would say it's a very unisex scent, in that it's exactly the type of fragrance that would smell incredible on a guy, but I would also want to wear and steal it for myself. You have light, summery notes up top, including bergamot, Italian lemon, and aquaflora, but things get earthier once you get to the heart of lavandin, French mimosa, and ylang-ylang. It has an incredibly sexy base thanks to skin-like orris, vetiver, sandalwood, and musk." — Jahns
Key notes: Bergamot, orange blossom, sandalwood
"I've been wearing this scent throughout the summer, and I'm surely not stopping when it's time to transition to fall. Thanks to notes of bergamot, orange blossom, and creamy sandalwood, it's a sparkly, bubbly scent that will keep me feeling bright and energetic when the leaves turn and the colder weather hits. " — McLintock
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: Pear, lychee, grapefruit, rosa damascena, incense, vetiver, vanilla, musk, evernyl
"I might be a bit biased because this is my favorite fragrance on the planet, but I think it's also the perfect summer-to-fall 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: 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." — Thomas
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 favorite 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 fall." — Hudson
"When it comes to clean, crips scents, St. Rose's Juliet in White is unrivaled. 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 cozy Australian sandalwood." — Thomas
Key notes: Cognac, saffron, nutmeg, vanilla absolute, black tea, incense, Peru balsam, tonka bean
"I've dabbled with lots of vanilla scents over the years, but truly, I don't think it can get better than this version from Perfumehead. I've been a longtime fan of Canadian Tuxedo and Cosmic Cowboy (layer them and you might actually stun someone—they smell that good), but La La Love is the scent that has officially turned my head. Yes, it's $425, but it's also hand-crafted in small batches using only the best essential oils, natural extracts, and safe synthetics, and it's also unlike any other vanilla perfume you've smelled before. Vanilla absolute is at the heart, sure, but additional notes of saffron, nutmeg, davana, incense, balsam, and smoked amber give it so much more depth." — Jahns
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