The next days are full of celebrations and festive events for most of us. A special occasion calls for a special perfume.
Here are a few suggestions of my favorite festive fragrances to wear for the upcoming Holiday celebrations.
Parfumerie Generale Une Crime Exotique
The ultimate Christmas Scent. Spicy, warm, fruity, Un Crime Exotique is mulled wine, ginger bread and eggnog all in one.
Somber, dark and deeply elegant, Nuit de Noel is an elegant lady going to Midnight Mass in her fur coat.
Amouage Opus IV
My friend Dee’s great favorite, Opus IV smells very much of Christmas to me. Incense, spices, coziness. A warm cocoon of luxury.
Every vanilla fan will adore Vanille. Its spicy smoothness is comforting, but festive as well. Not even my mother’s Vanillekipferl (a cookie eaten in the holiday season made with vanilla and shaped like crescents) are quite that good!
Hot and spicy. Cinnamon and clove warm you up and make you smile.
Puredistance I is always, always a great bet for any important occasion. I don’t go out often, but when I do, in nine out of ten cases, I wear Puredistance I. I feel elegant, poised and perfectly at home in it. And it is simply, heartstoppingly beautiful.
Iris as dessert. A wonderfully satisfying nougat ganache with the softest iris powder mixed in to take it from edible to admirable.
A sparkly champagne of a perfume, it whirls you around the dancefloor and entertains you the entire night without ever stopping to be elegant and refined.
A deep, dark amber like a fur stole. It is warming, retro, elegant and full-bodied.
Because Shalimar is always perfect. ‘Nuff said.
What will you be wearing for celebrations with your family or friends?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Some of my most used perfumes these days are on your list. 🙂
I’ve been wearing Caravelle Epicee for 2 days now, Shalimar each evening, and Un Crime Exotique was a safe bet several days last week. 🙂
I also go for MdO Vanille and will be wearing Piment et Chocolat by DSH.
That just proves our impeccable taste… 😉
Caravelle Epicée is a great idea as well, I must go looking for my sample.
I have been giving this some thought, and you make some good suggestions there, especially Puredistance1. I also have samples of the Frapin and the Caron somewhere. On Christmas Day I shall probably unwrap my bottle of Violet Blonde which was an end-of-project treat to myself the other day. That shouldn’t offend any of the dinner guests. Then Mrs Bonkers Snr will be wearing Bottega Veneta, which I gave her for her birthday. I may still smell overwhelmingly of onion though, for every recipe I am planning seems to call for copious quantities of the things!
Eau de Onion, not bad! 🙂
Violet Blonde is very nice, you will smell wonderful!
As already mentioned, S Double Vanille is in my Christmas travel bag 🙂 – It’s easy and uplifting even in the most tiresome celebrations … and my mom loves it.
For a more sophisticated party I’ll take Caron’s Farnesiana this year.
Have a very merry Christmas, B. – all the best to you and family.
Thank you, Lady Jane, you too!
And save travels! xoxo
Nice choices, I think I have to search for my 1270 sample. My choices for the holiday is:
Frederic Malle – Noir epices and Musc ravageur
Chanel – Bois des iles and Coromandel
Guerlain – L heure bleue and Shalimar
The different company – Jasmin de nuit
Hi lulllull,
Wonderful, I love the Guerlains, Chanels and Malles you choose.
I had already planned on wearing my ever dwindling sample of Mona Di Orio Vanille on Christmas day (Thankfully I have a FB on order as I feel I cannot live without this beautiful creation, dramatic? Me? Noooooo!!!!) I have already got Frapin 1270 out ready to wear as well as Parfumerie Generale Tonkamande, If my decant of MDO Oud comes between Christmas and the New Year then this will my SOTN on New Years Eve. Have a very happy and Fragrant Christmas. 🙂
I totally understand the need for Vanille! 🙂
You’ll be smelling wonderful over the holidays, Andrea! Have fun on Boxing Day!
It has been so hectic that I have not even had the time to think about this. I have been wearing my sample of Mona di Orio’s Musc this last week for comfort. Thank you for the suggestions. Perhaps Mona di Orio’s Vanilla will be my SOTD this weekend. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas.
A Merry Christmas to you too, Sandra!
Musc is so lovely, isn’t it?
Your decant is prepared and waiting… 🙂
Birgit, first, I wanted to tell you how happy I am to write on Olfactoria because I spent so delicious time reading it……
For Christmas, your choices seem so good…….the perfect perfume would be, according to me, a gourmand oriental, so Iris Ganache, l’Heure Bleue or something spicy, exotic which makes you travel far on that day.
For me, the choice will be between l’Heure Bleue and Vanille by Mona di Orio if I can get a FB (ruh, yes I can’t wait)…..and Praliné de Santal by La Parfumerie générale.
I wish you again Birgit and your family and beloved a Merry Christmas!!!!
Hello F,
I’m very happy to see you commenting here as well!
We seem to share a love for Guerlain and gourmands, so it is always lovely to hear from you.
All the best and a very merry Christmas!
Birgit, it sounds a perfect Christmas scent list… although I don’t know some of them!!
I would suggest you to add L’Eau by Dyptique. Really! It’s Santa’s cinnamon tea break!
I’m going out for Christmas holiday weekend, so I’m signing off for my own cinnamon tea break, wishing you all a merry Christmas / happy Hanukkah!
I know I’m repeating myself: for Christmas celebration I’m wearing LouLou of course (ok, it has not as glamour as some niche ones, but I love ‘her’ sooooooo much and she’s The One to me ;))
Maybe I’ll just alternate it with Une Fleur de Cassie or some chypre frag for a daytime wear.
On New Year’s Eve I’ll wear Yvresse.
… and well, so then is Puredistance line good and worthy??? I haven’t tried anything from them but I know a place that carries it, so I’m really curious now. I thought it just was another Clive Christian kind of brand….. thanks for the tip.
PS: oh, Finally I tried Carner Barcelona, there are fantastic releases from this house, well just three but they are all deserving attention!! 🙂 I still can notice the smell of Tardes on the paper strip I got. I found it much more balanced than, for example, Flor de Almendra by Campos de Ibiza which has a very strong marzipan bitter almond accord, or the love/hate cherryalmond bomb in Louve. Anyway, I liked it very much, and D600 too (a more complex and less evident/linear composition). So I’m going to try them more times. 🙂
Have a wonderful Christmas time, GeM!
Carner is really a well-thought out line.
Puredistance is amazing. All three perfumes are highest quality and real beauties. There are reviews of all of them on my blog. If you have the chance, try them!
Not at all like Clive Christian… 🙂
Be sure!! Tomorrow I will have whole day to try them, so I’m so strongly absorbed in reading your reviews before leaving! I predict the most happy scented dreams before Christmas! I expect to get a sample from the shop that carries Puredistance, I know it is their policy, so after all… maybe I’ll wear it for some celebration! 😀
Have fun sniffing!
Some excellent choices here; Iris Ganache, Vanille AND Shalimar. It will certainly be a very fragrance Christmas in the Olfactoria household! 😀
Well, I’m probably not going to wear all of them at once… 😉
I’m going to wear Aftelier Memento, Vol de Nuit, and maybe a few of my BPAL holiday oils over the next few days. Though someone mentioned Bois des Iles which is one of my favorites – I think the gingerbread note might do nicely for the family Christmas party!
xoxo and Merry Christmas, Birgit.
Merry Christmas, Jen and a big hug to you! Vol de Nui is so good, a wonderfully festive choice!
I like your list a lot!Most of them are on my wish list. I will wear Shalimar or vintage Emeraude, Guerlain SDVanille, and a variety of DSH samples I bought this year.
I’ve enjoyed your blog so much this year. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
That is so good to hear, Elizabeth!
A very merry Christmas to you too!
Guerlain seems to be a much loved option for festive occasions.
Geisha Green for Christmas Eve, Geisha Rouge for Christmas Day! 🙂 The AromaM sampler was my husband’s gift to me last Yule, and these were my clear favorites.
….Merry Christmas, Birgit!
And to you, Meg! xoxo
My faves are Rouge and Noire. I’m looking forward to hearing what fragrant gifts you will get this year… 🙂
I had a sample of vintage Nuit de Noel parfum, and loved it, but recently tried a modern edt and was not impressed. I’m still hoping that the modern extrait, if I ever get to try it, will live up to my memory of the vintage one.
I’ll be wearing By Kilian Incense Oud, and Bois des Iles and maybe The Party in Manhattan.
That is the problem, once you know the great stuff it is hard to “downgrade”.
Oh, The Party in Manhattan! I love the soun of this, I remember your review. I need to find a sample eventually…
Wonderful list! It’s like a “greatest hits” album of deliciouso parfums!
In the morning, as I head off to work, I will be wearing the maiden spritzes of my Christmas perfume: Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir! A purple-velvet shawl will be mine, even if it is 52F, as forecasted 🙂
Then, in the evening, when I get home to relax and ponder all the gifts that have entered my life over the past year, I will wear Frapin 1697.
Woohoo, Orris Noir comes out of the box! 🙂 And of course, 1697 is always a perfect choice.
I always love reading about lots of different perfumes in one post and this was particularly enjoyable, B, with lots of gorgeous choices. I like the sound of all of them. You and Ines have me intrigued about Un Crime Exotique and Vanille sounds perfect. I’ve packed Aomassai and that weird one, Eau Noire, in my travel bag for the next 3 days. I think Parfumerie Generale will be a popular choice as you’ve got to love a gourmand for the festive season.
Have a Vanillekipferl for me!
I should have sent some UCE… next time. Gourmands are really great, one wonders why though. Isn’t there enough food around already? 😉
I’ll eat a few Vanillekipferl in your honour!
I’ll be wearing incense incense and more incense (and sampling sampling sampling!)
That’s always a great option! Have fun sampling, BF!
I’ll wear Nuit de Noel tomorrow and Bois D’Encens Christmas day . Boxing day is relaxed so I’ll wear Damascena Rose by keiko Mercheri .
Oh and wishing you a great time with the boys.
Thanks for sharing your perfume plans, Angie! Nuit de Noel is such a classic! My husband doesn’t like it very much though, so I’ll probably go with Puredistance I.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family!
Your list of holiday scents sounds warm and glowing … but with a nice sparkle of champagne in your choice of Puredistance I.
Ines is sending me some Une Crime Exotique after the New Year, and seeing it is a favorite of both of yours, I’m very excited to try it. (And I really love the name!)
The only thing I know for sure is that I’ll be wearing DK Black Cashmere on Christmas Day — and the wonderful thing is, my mom wrote me an email a couple days ago and said that she will be wearing it, too, on Christmas so that we can be scent twins from a distance (as she lives in Florida). That really touched me.
That is so lovely. Your mom obviously understands your love for perfume. You two smelling the same despite a thousand miles between you, that is very touching.
I’ve brought my samples of MdO Vanille and Oud with me to my parents, so maybe I’ll wear one of those tomorrow. Leaning mostly towards Ambre Narguile though or perhaps Amouage Epic…I wont wear Puredistance I since it feels more like a dressing up ang going out kind of perfume (and thats not our kind of Christmas celebration 🙂 ). Maybe Puredistance for New Years Eve, it makes me feel like I’m wearing fur,diamonds and pearls-in a tasteful way!
Such beautiful choices! I’m thinking about Epic for tonight as well…
Along with my winter fragrances (Bois Farine, when I need or offer cuddles; Bornéo, when I need… something strong, Avignon, when i need to be enlightened, Let me play the lion, when I feel like being smoky), I hope I’ll wear my Christmas present: Azemour les orangers, green and orange like a huge Christmas tree… Happy holidays to you, dear B and to everybody!
Azemour! Great present, you’ll smell gorgeous!
Happy Holidays, iodine!
Happy Holidays, Birgit. Nice list. I finally spent time with Frapin 1270 this week and I’m in love with it.
My Christmas Day scent for the past three or four years has been Malle Noir Epices — to me it totally evokes a spiced orange pomander ball, but far more elegant. It’s one of my absolute top three scents. Others I really enjoy this time of year are Jubilation XXV and Wazamba.
Best to you and Fröhliche Weihnachten.
Happy Holidays to you too, Joe!
It’s great that you love Frapin 1270, it is very unique, I think.
Your top three festive perfumes sound perfect!
I must digg out Un Crime Exotic and check again if I still hate it absolutely or I just have been wrong ;-). I think I remember some tea and honey inside. I can’t stand honey perfumes.
Otherwise I’ll give a round to some my incenses like CdG Kyoto, Heeley Cardinal, Bond No.9 SIlver Factory, Diptyque L’Eau Trois and to add a little evil spirit the very special Passage d’Enfer from L’Artisan Parfumeur. My other half will again complain I smell like chrch ;-). From spicy side of perfumes best are Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere, Organza Indecence, Feminite du Bois and of course there must be vanilla. If I had it it would be Spirituese Double Vanilla from Guerlain but I’ll have to use all the others I have. And without a doubt Shalimar.
You know what? I hated Un Crime Exotique too when I first smelled it, amd then I slowly started to get its appeal.
Great list, Civava! And it never hurts to smell like incense. 🙂