Sugar-and-Spice Perfumes Are Trending for Winter, and They All Have This Mouthwatering Note in Common

Scent Type: Amber spices

Notes: Jasmine, orange flower, tangerine, clove, muguet, lily, olibanum, sandalwood, patchouli

This aptly named eau de parfum Estée Lauder classic turns up the heat with a blend of jasmine, orange flower, clove, patchouli, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. It's a scent that's undeniably warm and mysterious—ideal for anyone who wants to play up their sensual side. The more I smell it, the more it reminds me of drinking a cinnamon-spiked hot toddy on a snowy winter day in a ski village.

Customer Review: "Cinnabar is a vibe. She's an independent woman who knows what she wants; she's experienced and it shows, but in a way that's sexy, not cocky. She's a little old school but was a rebel in her day, the younger more salacious sister to Youth Dew. But she's classy, she speaks in articulate cursive, is assertive and confident."

Scent Type: Woody spices

Notes: American cedarwood, black tea, cardamom, vanilla cream, worn-in leather

I never knew just how beautifully cinnamon could pair with black tea until I was introduced to Lore's Somewhere But Nowhere. Created by Jérôme Epinette, this fragrance offers American cedarwood as its bold opening note underscored by the crisp notes of cardamom and black tea. Then, it's warmed by worn-in leather and smooth vanilla cream. The finished result is beyond comforting and nostalgic.

Customer Review: "Wearing this makes me feel grounded and free at the same time. It starts warm and spicy, almost like a hidden tea shop you stumble into on a rainy day, and then softens into creamy wood and worn leather. It’s comforting and haunting at once—like a memory you can’t quite place."

Scent Type: Woody spices

Notes: Pink pepper CO2 essence, coriander essence, cardamom essence, carrot seed essence, nutmeg essence, olibanum essence, cedarwood heart essence, moss accord, fir balsam absolute

Maison Margiela's Replica fragrances have been all over social media in the past couple of years. This one, Autumn Vibes, was launched in 2021 and has been one of the brand's best-selling fragrances to date. It's a crisp, woody perfume that balances notes of fir balsam with spicy cardamom, pink pepper, and cedarwood. In other words, this spicy eau de parfum is the epitome of a cozy autumn day.

Customer Review: "This is genius, definitely the most immersive of the Replicas. It's very similar to By The Fireplace, but without the sweetness and nuttiness. It's photorealistic of cedar wood (not of cedar needles) and there is a definite spiciness but I can't detect the nutmeg, cardamom or pink pepper specifically."

Scent Type: Gourmand spices

Notes: Bergamot zest, sweet orange, cappuccino, pure vanilla, jasmine grandiflorum, cinnamon bark, caramelized cedar, sheer amber, sandalwood

As dedicated as I am to wearing sheer florals for the majority of the year, I like to expand my lineup once the temperatures drop to welcome some delicately spiced gourmand fragrances into the rotation. Skylar's Vanilla Sky Eau de Parfum offers a mouthwatering aroma that smells like sitting in a coffee shop while lazily sipping a cappuccino in one hand and savoring every sip. The addition of bright cinnamon bark shines with caramelized cedar, sheer amber, and milky sandalwood.

Customer Review: "Vanilla Sky is a beautiful, cozy vanilla scent and has become one of my go-to fragrances for the fall and winter. It pairs really well with other gourmands. I have had it in a rollerball, and I have purchased the full-size bottle because I just love it that much."

Scent Type: Warm spices

Notes: Dark rum, davana, honey, bran absolute, cinnamon, sandalwood, vanilla bean, cocoa absolute

Sticky, sweet scents don't always capture my attention, but this honeyed fragrance by Ellis Brooklyn keeps winning me over. Opening with dark rum, davana, and honey, the perfume unfurls to reveal a heart of bran absolute and cinnamon before shifting into a smooth vanilla been and coconut absolute. Although the rum and honey stand out the most to me in this one, the cinnamon is what keeps the scent feeling elevated.

Customer Review: "This perfume is rich, full-bodied, and gorgeous. It is honey, rum, and spice but nothing is overpowering the other. I only need one spray for this to last all day and it will be on my clothes until I wash them. I look forward to wearing this perfume every fall and sneaking it in on cooler days leading up to it!"

Scent Type: Gourmand spices

Notes: Vanilla bourbon, cinnamon butter, magnolia, sandalwood

Cinnamon and vanilla go together like a dream, so why not embrace the sweetness by wearing it as your new signature scent? The Maker Dream Eau de Parfum is one of my top picks for a gourmand spicy perfume that smells exactly like my favorite baked good by blending a dose of vanilla bourbon with cozy cinnamon butter, powdery magnolia, and smooth sandalwood.

Customer Review: "I decided to try the travel size version of this fragrance first, and I was so impressed that I quickly ordered a full bottle. It’s absolutely stunning! The scent is warm and cozy, with a delightful hint of sweetness that’s just right. Unlike many vanilla fragrances that can be overly sweet, this one strikes the perfect balance. The notes are harmoniously blended, and I find myself constantly wanting to smell my arm. In my opinion, this scent is simply perfect!"

Scent Type: Warm spices

Notes: Clove, cinnamon, flowers, woods

For newcomers to the world of spicy scents, this one is the perfect place to start. L'Eau is a unisex eau de toilette by Diptyque that blends macerations of clove, cinnamon, flowers, and woods for a fragrance that's bright and warm. Its warm spices are balanced with the softness of rose petals set alight by aromatic flower buds (clove) and grounded by dry woods. While it reads more as a winter scent with my skin chemistry, I believe that it can definitely be worn year-round with smart layering.

Customer Review: "Timeless. But not in the sense of smelling like a classic perfume. Rather, it smells medieval, like it predates even the concept of perfume. It smells like what i imagine an ancient apothecary might smell like. Jars of spices lining wooden shelves. Tinctures and ointments to guard against bad humors and consumption. Teas made of something spicy and something floral and something from the small herb garden grown where the cat can't reach it."

Scent Type: Floral woods

Notes: Cinnamon, cardamom, carrot, orris butter, ginger, patchouli, papyrus

I'm a huge fan of Byredo, and Eyes Closed keeps me coming back with an unexpected composition of airy and green notes (patchouli and papyrus) grounded by a rich blend of butter, ginger, carrot, and candied spices. While I consider this one to be an essential for anyone who adores an elevated take on cinnamon, I would also recommend it for my fellow foodies out there who have a hankering for carrot cake. It also happens to be my favorite perfume to wear year-round since it layers with almost everything.

Customer Review: "Genuinely obsessed with Eyes Closed, [it's] my favorite Byredo fragrance. The cinnamon here is balanced perfectly, warm and sweet but with an enhanced spice from the cardamom. It's not too sugary, just a showcase of the natural sweetness of cinnamon. I adore carrot seed notes and this is top-notch. Adding a wonderfully complex earthiness. There is also a very seductive brown-liquor-booziness at play, which adds to the hypnotic feel that I get from eyes closed. Papyrus underneath gives this an almost sacred/holy aspect to it."

Scent Type: Aromatic citrus

Notes: Lemon, mandarin, hedione, guaiac wood, vanilla infusion, tonka beans

Maison Francis Kurkdjian fans—this one's for you. Thanks to the brand's popularity on social media, there's a good chance you've been introduced to its best-selling Baccarat Rouge 540, but maybe not the brand's Aqua Vitae fragrance. It includes gorgeous notes of lemon, mandarin, hedione, and tonka bean that create a memorable fragrance that delivers the warmth and nostalgia of cinnamon without exploring its spicy tendencies.

Customer Review: "Opens very brightly, with a fresh citrus accord. The addition of hedione gives a brilliant radiance to the fragrance, as if sunlight hitting a flower petal. Quickly things evolve, with the hesperidic opening quickly being replaced by the musky and denser guaiac wood and tonka bean in the base."

Scent Type: Amber spices

Notes: Cinnamon, smoked clove, nutmeg, frankincense, Egyptian jasmine, patchouli, tonka absolute, benzoin siam, blood cedar oil

There's something about Régime des Fleurs' Blood Spider Orchids Eau de Parfum that feels incredibly vampy. Maybe it's the enchanting blend of lightly smoked spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and frankincense) accented with a dash of Egyptian jasmine and patchouli, but it feels romantic, mysterious, and perhaps a bit dangerous. For me, the blood cedar oil pulls the entire scent together since it keeps things grounded and feels smooth yet tenacious.

Customer Review: "Very much the gothic gourmand other sage reviewers have described, like a cobbler of orchard fruits or a cauldron of mulled wine. Now that my initial whiplash has faded, I’m eager to feast. The cinnamon is pastry-like, but not cloying, and I can’t believe there’s no fruit listed, because the love interest for me is this spice-drunk apple/plum that really blooms an hour in. A lingering cathedral incense adds a bit of umbral flavour."

Scent Type: Woody spices

Notes: Cognac oil, oak absolute, cinnamon essence, tonka bean absolute, sandalwood, praline, vanilla

Here's one luxurious eau de parfum that's definitely worth its steep price. Angels' Share uses vibrant notes of cognac, tonka bean, oak wood, and cinnamon essence. It's also on the sweeter side, blending those warmer notes with praline and vanilla for a fragrance you'll never forget. This scent is also one of the most sensual takes on cinnamon in this edit due to its splash cognac adds a delectable, boozy twist that would make an ideal date-night fragrance.

Customer Review: "How do I express my love for Angel's Share? This is gourmand perfection. To be clear, I am not a general fan of gourmand scents, however... bathe me in this. It's sweet but not cloying, intense but not heavy, and while the cognac in this adds depth and brings down the sweetness, it's not overly boozy by any means. The cinnamon balances out the sweetness of the praline, and the tonka is perfection."

Scent Type: Floral spices

Notes: Black and white peppercorn, clary sage, sambac, jasmine sepals absolute, ylang-ylang, labdanum resin, amber

Tom Ford's expansive eau de parfum collection has also been trending. Hop on the bandwagon with its Jasmin Rouge Eau de Parfum. This sweet and sensual scent is crafted from a blend of jasmine, dusk clary sage, a mix of spices, and white and black peppercorn for a bold, spiced-floral scent that's well worth the hefty price tag. To this date, it's one of the best investments I've made as my collection of spicy fragrances has grown throughout my career.

Customer Review: "Jasmin Rouge is perfectly named, as there is a reddish hue to the jasmine, provided nicely by the cinnamon. It gives it dimension and character which will make it appeal to more than diehard floral lovers. The neroli brings more tang than floral and with the addition of ylang-ylang, it's more of a powdery orange than straight acidic citrus one would expect given the inclusion of bergamot and mandarin."