September is a funny month. We must decide whether we want to hold onto summer or embrace fall. Are you one to tearfully wave goodbye to the days of beach and BBQs or are you the type who can’t wait for football season and sweater shopping? Whichever camp you lie in the important thing to remember is at least it’s not snowing yet!

As the temperatures take a dive and the swim trunks are packed away for now, it is time to start thinking about how to up your fragrance game with these warm and cozy colognes for fall.  The sweet, spicy and woodsy scents that seemed cloying and heavy during the steamy dog days of summer are perfect for easing into the calm and coolness of fall.

Remember: Just as the cooler nights and windy days of autumn dictate that you should change your clothing wardrobe, it’s also time to change up your cologne  wardrobe. Fall cologne choices should be more brisk and earthy and should include some notes of leather, musk, bergamot, cedar, pine and oud. Tobacco is also big by the way; regardless of your smoker status, wearing it as a fragrance is totally OK.

And guys, it’s also totally acceptable to wear unisex fragrances. Unisex scents include many of the current high-end top-sellers and it doesn’t mean not masculine. 

These are some excellent choices for fall and into winter winter, including some at different price points so you can keep within your budget (if you have one):

• Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf – Best described as an extraverted Oriental, this is the counterpart to the hugely popular perfume Flowerbomb. This fiery accord blends spices with sensuous undertones. Contains notes of chili, saffron, leather, tobacco, vetiver, bergamot, grapefruit and pink pepper. The bottle is designed as a hand grenade which triggers with the designer’s logo. A 3.4 oz. bottle costs around $65.00.

• Extreme Blue by Michael Kors – Bold and magnetic, this is for the man who has no limits and knows no boundaries.  A fresh, sleek and provocative scent, it contains notes of bergamot, juniper, angelica seed and ambrox. A 4.0 oz. bottle will run you around $78.00

• Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani – Perfect for anyone who finds leaving summer behind tough, here we have a light and elegant scent that starts with mild citrus notes, followed by aquatic heart notes and a woodsy base with notes of oak moss, satinwood and amber. A 3.4 oz. bottle is around $85.00.

• Terre d’Hermes by Hermes – Best suited for “the man with his feet firmly on the ground but his head in the stars”, this is a brilliant blend of  orange, grapefruit, pepper, cedar, bay rose, geranium, vetiver and patchouli. It smells both outdoorsy and clean and the fragrance lasts a long time on the skin without being overpowering. A 3.3 oz. bottle runs around $73.00.
  

• 12 Lacha by Odin New York – Launched in 2015, this is a woody spicy unisex  fragrance. Top notes are saffron and black pepper, followed by carnation and nutmeg, and base notes of suede, sandalwood, musk and patchouli. Inspired by the rich landscapes of India, Lacha 12 is comforting yet spicy and has great longevity. A 3.4 oz. bottle runs around $165.00.

• Sauvage by Dior – Dior describes this fragrance as “an act of creation inspired by wide-open spaces” and “an ozone blue sky sprawled above a rocky landscape, white-hot beneath the dessert sun”. Using Johnny Depp as the face of this fragrance, Sauvage contains notes of bergamot, bitter grapefruit, ambroxan. pepper, geranium, lavender, vetiver and patchouli. The impression is modern, clean and airy with a little kick from the pepper. A 3.4 oz. bottle costs around $85.00.

• Replica – Jazz Club by Maison Martin Margiela – Said to embody the exhiliarating ambiance of a Brookly jazz club, I picture subdued lighting, leathery bar stools, liquor-infused cocktails and lingering scents of tobacco. A perfect choice the man who sees himself as confident and smooth, it has notes of pink pepper, lemon, neroli, rum, sage vetiver, tobacco leaf and vanilla. A 3.4 oz. bottle costs around $125.00.

• Tobacco Vanille for Men by Tom Ford – If you are a lover of vanilla, this Tom Ford private blend is a keeper. The vanilla notes are deep, dark and intoxicating…not a too-sweet edible type of vanilla at all. This vanilla evokes bedroom, not kitchen. It starts out with tobacco notes, strong and smooth, with tonka bean and cacao forming the heart notes. The base smells of delicious dried fruits and woody notes. A perfect date night fragrance. A 1.7 oz. bottle is around $230.

• L’Homme by Prada – This innovative fragrance by Prada just launched in 2016 is said to represent a man and a woman that are “reunited in an identical vision. She could be him, he could be her. She is an absolute woman, he is an absolute man. There is not an absolute definition of relationship between them. They could be lovers, friends, or even strangers. Both have multiple identities.” L’Homme contains notes of neroli, pepper, iris, amber, violet, geranium, patchouli and cedar. It sends a vibe of modern and challenging, but also very subtle. If you like the idea of “a pair of equals” in a relationship, it’s very seductive and sensual. A 3.4 oz. bottle will set you back about $95.00.

• Aventus by Creed – The most popular fragrance ever introduced by the iconic French brand House of Creed, this unisex fragrance has been a mega best-seller for both sexes. The ingredients were hand selected by father and son team, Oliver and Erwin Creed, and Aventus was made using the same hand production methods that the family has used for seven generations. The scent was released in 2010 and was inspired by the life of a famous emperor who lived life on his own terms. The notes employed are bergamot, pineapple, apple, roses, birch, jasmine, patchouli, oak moss, ambergris and vanilla. A 4 oz. bottle costs around $285.00 but if it’s in your budget you won’t be disappointed.

• Uomo by Valentino – Developed by perfumer Olivier Pole, the prominent notes are bergamot, myrtle, roasted coffee, chocolate, cream, letter and cedar. Valentino says of this fragrance: “Uomo is classic and brilliant, with accords that change on the person over time: it is a profoundly Italian blend made of precisely chosen ingredients. A classic fragrance with soft smoky and woody accords and a touch of vagueness that upsets the balance, it is an expression of unmistakable style. Vibrant classicism and subtle rebellion effortlessly unite in a design of sophistication.”  If you love coffee and chocolate and the smells of Italy, this will take you on a virtual vacation. A 3.4 oz. bottle runs around $75.00.

• L’Eau d’issei Pour Homme by Issey Miyake – Best described as a fresh herbaceous scent with warm, woody undertones, this scent embodies yin and yang. Notes include verbena, tangerine, cypress, Zuzu zest, coriander, sage, bourbon, lily nutmeg, saffron, cinnamon,amber, tobacco, vetiver, sandalwood and musk. The smell is downright intoxicating. Some might think of this as a summer scent, but consider perfect for the start of fall. A 1.6 oz. bottle costs around $65.00.

That’s it for now. Hope you find at least one that’ll put you into that autumn spirit while you’re indulging in deliciously unhealthy leftover Halloween candy or sipping on your favorite Starbucks drink while watching the leaves fall.

Cheers to Fall,