As a beauty editor and fragrance obsessive, I love wearing perfume to capture or match a specific mood. As any perfume-lover will tell you, scent has the power not only to transform our mood, but also to transport us to far-flung destinations and treasured places. And as we head into the colder season and reach for winter perfumes, there's nothing I've been craving more than a trip to the Alps and eating fondue. But thankfully, mountain perfumes have the power to take me there (no plane ticket or ski pass required).
Mountain perfumes have the power to transport you to the snowy peaks, full of fresh, bracing mountain air and glittering, powdery snow. Meanwhile, others lean more into pine-inspired notes, making you feel amongst an Alpine forest with snow-dusted branches. Others are a little more warming, with notes of cedarwood and bourbon that make you feel like you're sitting cosy by the fireplace, wrapped in cashmere with a drink in hand while snow falls outside.
So whether you're looking for a scent to conjure a luxury apres ski aesthetic, or something more grounding that feels as healing as breathing in fresh mountain air, these are the mountain perfumes that will transport you straight to the slopes with every spritz.
Best Mountain Perfumes
1. Creed Silver Mountain Water
Key notes: Bergamot, blackcurrant, galbanum, orange, tea, ozonic accord, musk, sandalwood
You know the first breath of fresh mountain air that fills your lungs on the first day of a ski trip? This fragrance is that moment, bottled. With a refreshing burst of bergamot and orange, it opens into an ozonic accord that perfectly captures the specific feeling of cold, crisp Alpine air and breathtaking scenery of snowy peaks and bright blue skies. It dries down to a musky, sandalwood base, making it feel as cosy as wearing cashmere in a luxury chalet come evening. It's undoubtedly one of the best Creed perfumes.
2. Tom Ford Soleil Neige
Key notes: Bergamot, carrot seed, jasmine grandiflorum Karmaflor, benzoin resinoid, laos, cistus labdanum
One of my best friends wears this scent, and it creates a halo of snowy luxury around her whenever she wears it; it's a real compliment-magnet. Picture glistening snow in the late afternoon sun during aprés ski, but with faux fur jackets and big sunglasses (it's a Tom Ford perfume, after all). It has frosty florals of jasmine and sparkling bergamot, while having just the right amount of muskiness to make you feel cosy. It oozes luxury, and the newer parfum version makes it long-lasting on the skin.
3. Byredo Gypsy Water
Key notes: Bergamot, juniper berries, lemon, pepper, incense, orris, pine needle, amber, sandalwood, vanilla
This fragrance is a breath of cold mountain air as you walk amongst snow-dusted pine trees. To me, it's less winter-coded and more akin to a hike in an Alpine forest during spring when the snow begins to melt, but there's still a freshness in the air. It's light and airy, capturing the cold chill of a sunny morning on a pine-covered mountain, with vibrant lemon and citrussy bergamot and the crisp, resinous pine needles. It's one of the best Byredo perfumes and is so wearable thanks to its lightness and freshness.
4. D.S. Durga Big Sur Eucalyptus
Key notes: Wet wood, Pacific spray accord, eucalyptus, cardamom, rosemary, magnolia, cone cypress, dry leaves accord
Moving away from the snow-capped peaks, Big Sur Eucalyptus transports you to the mountains of Big Sur of California's Pacific coastline. The fragrance was inspired by the brand's hugely popular candle, Big Sur After Rain, and it captures the scent of a dewy forest after rainfall. Imagine the herbaceous scent of pine trees and eucalyptus as you hike through mist-covered mountains. It's balmy, woody, dewy and so refreshing. It's one of my favourites from D.S
Durga.
5. Zara Frozen Pure Forest
Key notes: Canadian fir, pink pepper, lavender, oakmoss, praline accord
I found this affordable Zara perfume under its men's fragrance section, but it perfectly captures the woody, resinous feeling of a snowy mountain forest thick with fir trees. You can practically feel the cold air when you spray it, and it has a refreshing crispness of frozen pine needles and sparkling pink pepper. However, the addition of praline gives it a subtle sweetness that unfurls throughout the day.
6. Nissaba Les Alpes
Key notes: Pine needles, fennel, juniper, geranium, cardamom, cistus, hay, fir balsam
Fans of spicy perfumes, step this way. This fragrance is so invigorating, cool and crisp, and it feels like burying your nose directly into frosted pine needles while feeling a cool, Alpine breeze caress your skin. It's more aromatic than the others on this list with spicy cardamon, fennel and resinous cistus, while the dry down of the hay gives it a cosy, earthy quality as it dries down.
7. Maya Njie Nordic Cedar
Key notes: Cardamom, patchouli, musk, cedarwood, ambergris
Warm, spicy and woody, Nordic Cedar makes you feel like you're hunkering down in a chalet built from cedarwood with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to a thick, wintry forest. The cardamom brings a spicy warmth before the cedarwood and patchouli create an earthy, woody scent that feels so grounding and calming as it dries down on the skin. It's a stunning, wintry, woody perfume.
8. Ellis Brooklyn Après
Key notes: Saffron, juniper berries, cardamom, suede, bourbon, violet, praline, guaiacwood, labdanum, musk, vanilla, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood
Imagine the exhilaration of skiing off-piste, feeling the invigorating mountain air as you dart through snow-topped fir trees down the slopes. This Ellis Brooklyn scent is woodsy and piney, and ushers in a sensual musk, vanilla and bourbon as it wears on the skin, making it cosy and boozy, like you're drinking a whisky next to a fireplace.
9. The Nue Co Forest Lungs
Key notes: Bergamot, black pepper, pimento Berry, cardamom, cedarwood, patchouli, pine
If you want something a little woody and smoky, then The Nue Co Forest Lungs is a great choice to go for. It makes you feel like you're deep in the forest, surrounded by luscious evergreens with the scent of a campfire unfurling nearby. Inspired by the concept of forest bathing, it's a functional fragrance that contains molecules that replicate phytoncides that are released by trees in the forest, helping to ease stress and anxiety as you inhale it—it's a comfort-blanket scent.
