How to Build a Seasonal Fragrance Wardrobe

Perfumes are referential, sensorial tools that enhance special occasions and recall certain eras or moments in your life. While those who honour a signature scent may subscribe to the one-fits-all rule, those with perfume collections believe that a perfume for summer should be bright and refreshing, while a winter fragrance can carry richer notes that deepen over hours.

If you’re in the latter camp, a fragrance wardrobe could be the answer. There are several approaches you can take when building your fragrance wardrobe, but Armani beauty finds that the simplest, most impactful way to categorise your perfumes is by season.

Whether you’re developing a seasonal fragrance wardrobe from scratch or seeking the best floral perfume to complete your collection, we’ve compiled our favourite scents that capture the spirit of each season.

Why build a seasonal fragrance wardrobe

Typically, a fragrance wardrobe encompasses three to five perfumes – and, if you’re categorising by season, four is the sweet spot.

We love curating our collections by season because they align perfectly with different olfactory families and moods. Between fresh, amber floral, and wood scents, each profile can encapsulate a specific season – or allude to the next.

To create a holistic fragrance wardrobe, we suggest a mixture of fresh, lighter scents and those with more complex bodies. This enables your collection to span the whole year, with a range of seasonal options – from warm, spicy winter fragrances to the best floral perfumes for spring – to suit every event and occasion.

Best summer perfume

We often find that the best perfumes for summer personify the most familiar elements of the season: aqua, citrus, minerals, grass and light floral bouquets.

As a general guide, you might avoid heavier musky or woody notes in summer; and instead reach for fresh, invigorating scents that evoke more playful feelings. Summer is also a great time of year to welcome eau de toilette fragrances into rotation because they are more lightweight – making them ideal for warm days. Below are our top picks for radiant summer scents for men and women.

For her: Acqua Di Gioia Eau De Parfum

Meaning ‘water of joy’, Acqua Di Gioia Eau De Parfum is simplistic and inspired by nature, and forms a naturally chic component of your seasonal fragrance wardrobe.

Inspired by cheerful, serene expressions, this scent will energise and uplift your mood. Primofiore lemon and water jasmine evolve into cedar, creating an aquatic citrus and wood fragrance. Designed to mimic the sensation of an ocean breeze, this vibrant scent is the best fragrance for summer – and the perfect candidate for your seasonal perfume collection.

For him: Acqua di Gio Eau de Toilette

The best aquatic fragrances blend freshness with masculinity – and Acqua Di Giò Eau De Toilette is no exception. As Armani’s quintessential aquatic masculine scent, Acqua Di Giò Eau De Toilette captures the very essence of summer with a fresh, invigorating profile.

The fragrance opens with a splash of Calabrian bergamot, neroli and green tangerine, before unfurling to reveal a subtle blend of marine notes and a light bouquet of jasmine, crisp rock rose and rosemary. Base notes of fruity persimmon and warm Indonesian patchouli give this perfume its sensual, seductive end.

Best autumn perfume

The best fragrances for autumn reflect the season’s shift in temperature and offer a tantalising portrait of warmth and spice.

Autumn is where you can start experimenting with heavier, more complex notes and opt for longer wear scents that permeate through thicker layers of clothing. An autumnal scent should mimic the crispness of the air and embrace amber and wood olfactory families that would otherwise be too rich for summer.

Read on to explore the best autumn perfume for your seasonal wardrobe.

For her: Armani Privé Magenta Tanzanite

Merging fresh and spicy notes, Armani Privé Magenta Tanzanite sits enigmatically in the space between summer and autumn. This bold scent starts with an inviting blend of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, before unveiling a warm coffee heart and base notes of tobacco absolute and sustainably sourced vanilla bourbon premium extract. This is a warm, slightly spicy fragrance that still evokes femininity – and, as one of the best fragrances for autumn, reflects the sensuality of the amber scent family to a tee.

For him: Acqua Di Giò Absolu Eau De Parfum

It’s only fitting that the best autumn perfume for men be the perfect marriage of water and wood: Acqua Di Giò Eau De Parfum. Delicately balancing marine notes and woody aromas, this fragrance is both fresh and deeply masculine. Base notes of patchouli deepen the scent’s marine notes, making it an ideal addition to your seasonal fragrance wardrobe when the weather cools down.

Best winter perfume

Winter is the time of year to experiment with richer scent profiles that reveal their complexity over time. You might also opt for scents with higher concentrations – an eau de parfum, for example, or a parfum – which offer greater intensity and longevity for cold days and nights.

Winter fragrances are steeped in wood and amber notes, denoting warmth, comfort and sensuality. While there are an array of winter perfumes to choose from, we’ve narrowed down two of our favourite winter fragrance choices for men and women.

For her: Sì Passione Eau De Parfum

An intensified interpretation of the original perfume, Sì Passione Eau De Parfum is an idyllic winter fragrance that’s perfect for evening wear. Combined floral and fruit notes provide a feminine and vibrant foundation, while top notes of blackcurrant essence and joyful pear energise and lift the mood. Eventually, the scent envelops into pure rose and jasmine, with deeper base of intense vanilla and cedarwood offering bold sensuality. It’s the kind of fragrance that’s designed to be worn by a crackling fire with a glass of red wine in hand.

For him: Armani Code Parfum

Timeless masculinity is at the heart of the iconic Armani Code Parfum, and its bold, seductive nature perfectly complements a winter aesthetic. Bright top notes of bergamot give way to distinctly spicy notes of clary sage heart and resinoid iris; while at its base, tonka bean absolute and cedar wood combine to give this scent a uniquely warm, wintery feel.

Best spring perfume

Spring and florals irrefutably go hand in hand, and this annual period of renewal is the ideal time to incorporate a floral scent into your seasonal fragrance wardrobe.

The best floral perfumes can be both light and deep, depending on the type of bouquets used. A much-celebrated scent, floral fragrances are a classic and essential component of any seasonal fragrance wardrobe when spring rolls around.

Read on for our best spring perfume picks for your seasonal fragrance wardrobe.

For her: My Way Eau De Parfum

Though by no means a prerequisite, many of the best spring perfumes do two things: allude to the winter that preceded it; and highlight the blooming possibilities of the spring ahead.

This is why we keep revisiting the iconic My Way Eau De Parfum: time and time again. My Way Eau De Parfum articulates all that is romantic about springtime: delicate blossom notes, entrancing floral bouquets, and vibrant warmth.

Florals of bergamot, orange blossom, tuberose, and jasmine meet sensual vanilla and cedarwood in this uniquely evocative fragrance.

For him: Stronger With You Eau De Toilette

In terms of men’s fragrances, the best spring perfumes interweave flowering plants and warm wood notes to complement, rather than overpower, traditionally masculine aromas.

Stronger With You Eau De Toilette is a classic example, fusing aromatic lavender and sage with pink pepper, amber wood and vanilla essence. This fragrance exudes passion and romance, making it a quintessential spring contender for your seasonal fragrance wardrobe.

Now that your seasonal fragrance wardrobe is complete with the best summer, autumn, spring, and winter fragrances, discover the secret to long-lasting perfume.