Best Men’s Winter Fragrances: Top 5 Colognes For A Festive Christmas & New Year

Why Do We Associate Fragrances With A Season?

People have a tendency to associate a particular smell with a specific memory. This is because our minds will often create links between our experiences as sensory information.

For instance, we know not to touch fire because it burns just as our noses can tell that milk has turned sour. Likewise, we can sense dangers by smelling smoke or gas.

We develop these abilities not just by instinct but through experiences during our upbringing. Similarly, our minds will create bonds between pleasant memories and aromas.

Some people love the smell of freshly-cut grass whilst others prefer sun cream. In both cases, it’s because they associate these scents with a pleasant recollection like playing in the garden or a day at the beach.

These memories also provoke an emotion and when perfumers devise new blends, they’re fully aware of the effects they can have. In fact, some of the best fragrances don’t just smell good but feature something that comforts us through memories.

How Do We Identify Winter Colognes?

Firstly, our sense of smell performs differently during the winter. In fact, it’s much less sensitive than warmer months and won’t detect the same aromas. This is actually one reason that summer fragrances will smell odd during the season.

However, we will associate particular fragrances with winter for similar reasons as those stated above. As the mornings become frosty and the nights draw in, there are fewer natural smells in the air.

Flowers no longer blossom, herbs have withered and wildlife have gone into hibernation. However, we create our own aromas in order to comfort us during the most desolate season of the year. We’ll light fires, make bouquets of dried herbs, drink cocoa and fill households with incense.

The Danes refer to this practice as “Hygge”, which translates from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being”. In order to create joy and happiness throughout winter, we do things that make us feel good.

In many ways, this tradition parallels with what we tend to universally recognise as the Christmas Spirit in the Western world.

During the season, we’ll relish rich food and spices as well as herbs, nuts, and tangerines. We’ll also cuddle up in comfy leather sofas in front of a fire while sipping on a hearty drink.

Common Examples of Winter Fragrance Notes

As highlighted above, many of the notes that you’ll discover in a fragrance are quite opulent and particularly powdery. In fact many firmly reside within the Oriental fragrance family with various gourmand spices as well as resins.

Meanwhile, many woods will be used too. However, whilst some can be fresh and piney to remind us of Christmas trees, many can also be resinous, dark and rounded to think of a log fire.

Similarly, you’ll likely notice that there are many citrus notes just like the other seasons. Yet rather than focusing on fresh and tangy citrus, they will be bitter, spicy and mellow to evoke imagery of mulled wines, rich food and spiced orange pomander balls.

Finally, we’ll encounter many leather accords as well as tobacco, which may provide us with an extra feeling of comfort and warmth.

What Next?

We hope you enjoyed discovering our best winter fragrances with the above guide. If you enjoyed it, remember that you can explore the other seasons at the top of this page.

Otherwise, check out some of our other fragrance resources below:

• Latest Men’s Fragrance Reviews
• How To Apply Fragrances
• How To Try & Test Fragrances
• What Is A Perfume Pyramid?