Seasonal Perfume: What I’ve Learned After Years of Fragrance Choices

I wore the same perfume twelve months a year for a long time, not realizing how a fragrance changes with the climate. Heat intensifies the sweet, heavy notes until they become cloying, while cold turns down the citrus and lighter notes until they are nearly imperceptible. Since I started choosing perfume by season, every fragrance gives much more, and the olfactory wardrobe has become as important as the clothing one.

In spring I look for fresh, luminous flowers, with a green note that reminds me of something blooming: rose, lily of the valley, iris, always accompanied by a fruity opening that adds lightness. In summer, the heat demands something much more transparent: citrus, aquatic notes or very light gourmands that don’t feel heavy on the sweaty skin, with a clean musk base that lasts without suffocating. Changing perfume at this time isn’t a whim: it’s the only way for the fragrance to keep smelling right and not turn into something else as the hours of sun pass by.

With the first weeks of autumn, I move toward warmth and sweetness. Caramel, praline, vanilla, white chocolate: the enveloping gourmands that would feel suffocating in summer become comforting as the temperatures drop. For winter I reserve something with more body: oud, leather, incense, dense woods that anchor to the skin and endure for hours without fading, perfect for the coldest days and the longest nights.

Besides the seasons, I always have a wildcard perfume built around musk, which is neither cloying in summer nor lacking in winter. Each season demands something different from the skin, and finding the right perfume for each moment is, probably, one of the year’s small luxuries that I enjoy the most.

Flowerpower by Ramón Monegal.

A psychedelic journey inspired by the island’s hippie myth, with flowers in vivid colors and an indefinable scent that invites discovering the bohemian soul of the person who wears it. Strawberries, blackberries, and pink pepper open with freshness; rose, lily of the valley, and iris build a luminous floral heart, and patchouli, styrax, and vanilla close with that addictive and provocative note so characteristic of patchouli. Freedom, purity, and attraction in a single bottle, from a Spanish house that knows how to tell stories through perfume.

Toy 2 Yummy by Moschino

A feminine eau de parfum with citrus notes of yellow mandarin and bergamot that open with freshness before giving way to a touch of incense that adds depth and an unexpectedly spicy nuance. Light, luminous, and with that blend of freshness and warmth that makes it so versatile, presented in the iconic teddy-bear bottle that has become synonymous with the brand.

Boujee Kitty Caramel Milk by Kayali

A creamy, decadent aroma with a triple dose of caramel that opens with salted caramel, caramel milk, and coconut, evolves toward white chocolate and vanilla caviar at the heart, and closes with caramel sandalwood and soft musk in the base. Warm and appetizing, it’s one of those perfumes that makes you want to take a bite, perfect for lovers of gourmand, enveloping fragrances.

Oud Essential by Guerlain

A unisex eau de parfum from the Absolus Allegoria collection that combines rose, leather, and oud wood in an intense and sophisticated composition. Geranium and saffron open with a spicy touch; oud, rose, and Atlas cedar form the heart, and leather, incense, and guaiac wood close with a dense, enveloping base. Made with up to 90% natural-origin ingredients and beet alcohol from France used responsibly, its bottle made in France with 15% recycled glass and a screw-off atomizer makes recycling easier.

Musc Noir Rose For Her by Narciso Rodriguez

An eau de parfum that envelops the iconic musk heart of the For Her line in delicate sensuality, paying homage to that private moment when every woman reveals her true nature. Bergamot and intense narcissus open with luminosity, musk intensifies the floral bouquet at the heart, and vanilla softens the base with very warm oriental accents.