I’ll admit that the snowy conditions that pummeled the East Coast last weekend felt unexpectedly charming. Who doesn’t want to wake up and sip a cup of coffee while fluffy flakes fall outside your apartment window? Sure, just walking down the sidewalk basically requires head-to-toe ski wear, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the wintery wonderland. Call it an exercise in pretending I’m not actually freezing or craving a vacation to the South of France. Instead, I’m embracing the seasonal chill by scenting my life with a few January-appropriate perfumes. Think cozy, boozy, delectable vibes that make you want to snuggle up to someone cute next to a roaring fire place.
Luckily, I’m not the only beauty-obsessed editor at Marie Claire to lean heavily into fragrance at the moment. All it takes is one lap around the office to notice just how incredible everyone on the team smells on a given day. And since olfactory preferences vary widely amongst the team, I decided to poll a few ladies and discover which wintery scents they love to spritz during this time of year. Keep scrolling to learn their picks for the best January 2026 perfumes, and prepare for copious compliments.
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Danielle Jackson, Senior Beauty Writer
(Image credit: Getty Images; Danielle Jackson)
fine’ry.
Eau De Parfum – Athena
I haven’t always been the biggest fan of vanilla fragrances since they always remind me of the cheap, overly-sweet, juvenile scents I used to buy from the mall as a teenager, but I’ve been wearing this scent nearly every day for the last few weeks and I’m obsessed. This is a vanilla scent through and through, yet it smells warm and spicy as opposed to being nauseatingly sweet. I walked into a hotel elevator wearing this two days ago and was immediately complimented on how good I smelled.
YSL
Libre Berry Crush Eau De Parfum With Raspberry
This is such a fun and energizing fragrance, but it also feels really sophisticated, and it would be a perfect date night wear. I love that the raspberry notes here are blended with a sweet, coconut scent that makes the whole fragrance feel a lot less fruity and a little more warm. A little also goes a very long way (I’m saying this as someone who frequently over-sprays her perfume), so if you’re wearing this for a night out, two to three spritzes is enough to make it linger and last all day.
Julia Marzovilla, Fashion E-Commerce Editor
(Image credit: Getty Images; Julia Marzovilla)
Phlur
Rose Whip Eau De Parfum With Musk
I’m not normally a floral perfume girl, but this one has me hooked. It smells like roses, yes, but it also smells warm thanks to notes like cashmere wood and a little spicy thanks to the addition of black currant. Like all Phlur scents, it comes in the chicest black bottle and has a formula that clings to your clothes in the nicest way. It’s lightweight enough to wear to work, but I could also wear it on a date night with ease.
CYKLAR
Sacred Santal – Perfume Oil
I have long gushed about Cyklar’s body oils, and that love is not ending any time soon. Sacred Santal is my forever favorite, and I wear it almost every single day. It’s also the scent I pack with me on vacation because the dainty bottle fits in every single bag I own.You can layer it with other oils from the set (my favorite is another one from the original range, Cedar Supreme), or wear it on its own.
Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
(Image credit: Getty Images; Ariel Baker)
Escentric Molecules
Escentric 01 Eau De Toilette
While I am deeply obsessed with my favorite perfume from this line, Molecule 01, its sister scent, Escentric 01, has been a go-to over the past few weeks. It has that same molecular, airy quality of the former but with added notes like pink pepper, lime, musk, and incense, which give it a slight citrus twist. While I claw my way through the last few weeks of winter, a few spritzes of this juice transports me to Jamaica in my mind, which is essentially the same thing as being there, right?
Clive Christian
E Cashmere Musk Perfume
I don’t make it my ministry to regularly recommend such pricey perfumes but I have to say this: Clive Christian’s E Chashmere Musk is one of the best perfumes that I have ever tried. It’s creamy, musky, and skin-like while projecting like a beast—anyone within a five-foot radius will be able to pinpoint that it’s you who smells that good with scary accuracy. Add in the notes like ginger, jasmine, cashmeran, and a myriad of musks? You’ll have a masterpiece on your hands.
Samantha Holender, Senior Beauty Editor
(Image credit: Getty Images; Samantha Holender)
Guerlain
L’Art & La Matiere Spiritueuse Double Vanille Eau de Parfum
If you know me, you know I am incredibly loyal to my Guerlain perfumes. The brand’s perfumer Delphine Jelk has explained to me that there’s a reason every gourmand lover is obsessed with the brand’s scents; they use a special vanilla tincture that focuses on the richer, smokier, creamier aspects of vanilla. It gives the fragrance a rich smell. I feel (and smell) like a million bucks every time I spray this. Bonus: it lasts well into the next day.
Ledda
20 Bourbon Brûlée Eau De Parfum
I stumbled upon this while testing for the Marie Claire 2025 Fragrance Awards and haven’t stopped wearing it since. It’s the ultimate winter fragrance, with a cozy, boozy undercurrent that reminds me of cuddling up under a cashmere blanket deep in the woods. It has great sillage and staying power—especially given the under-$100 price point. I get asked, “What are you wearing?” at least three times a day when I walk out of the house with this guy.
Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
(Image credit: Getty Images; Brooke Knappenberger)
Prada
Infusion De Santal Chai With Sandalwood & Citrus
I’m not much of a chai latte drinker, so I didn’t have very high hopes for this new launch. That being said, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy this scent. For me, it falls more into the woody and spicy category instead of warm and sweet, which is why it stands out in my gourmand-heavy collection. The touch of citrus works to brighten the entire blend, while sandalwood still adds a cozy feel.
2026 is the year I’m going all-in on skin scents, starting with this just-launched Henry Rose scent. It’s a fig fragrance through and through that’s spiked with black pepper, giving it a sophisticated, unisex feel. The freshness is perfectly balanced with floral, musky notes, and I love how it warms up on my skin. I’ve been wearing this scent plenty in the cold weather, but I plan on wearing it even more come springtime.
Siena Gagliano, Beauty Editor
(Image credit: Getty Images; Siena Gagliano)
Liberty LBTY.
Zephirine Eau De Parfum
In winter, I always end up ditching anything too bright or sweet in lieu of something more robust. I was introduced to Liberty LBTY. just a few months ago, and though I loved a majority of the scents, upon first sniff, Zephirine immediately caught my attention. (It’s the brand’s best seller after all.) It starts on the fresh side, with hints of green from fig, softens into rose, then settles into a cozy suede-and-wood base. It almost smells like clean skin at first—but with a hit of something deeper.
Lore
Disfruta Eau De Parfum With Mezcal
As I said, I don’t often do brighter notes in the winter, but LORE took passionfruit and smoked it out, creating this woody cocktail with major depth. It’s not a scent for everyone—which shocks me as I’m usually not one for a polarizing fragrance—but on the right night, with plans at a dark bar, I throw it on, and it gives mysterious and seductive.
Hannah Baxter, Beauty Director
(Image credit: Getty Images; Hannah Baxter)
Clean Reserve
Skin Intense
I’ve been a fan of the classic Skin fragrance from this brand for years, but now the special edition Intense option is my new must-have for winter. It’s so deliciously enticing, I can’t help but breath deep into my wrists when I spritz it in the morning. The hints of caramelized sugar, vanilla, and soft florals are ideal for the cozy months, but still leave you feeling (and smelling) like your most seductive self—perfection.
Ellis Brooklyn
Après Eau De Parfum (Was $81)
This perfume is an après ski afternoon in the Swiss alps, bottled. Notes of praline, evergreen, juniper, bourbon, and vanilla create the most luscious blend of wintery notes, it’s no wonder I tend to go through an entire bottle every year. If you’re into woody scents but don’t want to just smell, you know, like a tree, this is the one for you.
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