Summer has flown by, the leaves are beginning to fall, and the days are growing shorter. Perhaps you felt less like wearing perfume over the summer, because of the heat, the humidity, the ever-present scent of sun creams, or out of fear of skin staining caused by certain raw materials, often natural but photosensitizing.
The desire returns, along with the new fashion trends. As clothes become more present on the body, so does the wish to dress them, too, in beautiful fragrances.
From an autumn perfume, we still expect a little freshness, but also more comfort, more enveloping notes, a more assertive signature, a sillage. Farewell to zesty, floral and sunny notes: see you next year.
You can of course return to the fragrance you are loyal to, your signature scent. But before going back to it, why not a transitional perfume, to embrace this desire for change?
Here are my fragrance favorites, in classic perfumery as well as among the lesser-known brands, also called “niche perfumes.” All of my recommendations are perfumes that I find elegant and easy to wear, and that I have almost all tried.
1. Fig: A Gentle Transition
A lovely transition from summer can be offered by green notes, those of freshly cut grass, sap, crushed leaves. In this register, there is a note that is both green and fruity, very pleasant in autumn: fig.
A natural fig note does not exist. It has to be reinterpreted, and each perfumer composes it differently: a green note called stemone, combined with milky notes such as coconut, then with woody notes: sandalwood, vetiver or cedar.
It is found almost everywhere, in nearly every house. Here are the ones I like best.
Un Jardin en Méditerranée (Hermès)
The first of a long series, this one was created by Jean-Claude Ellena. Before he joined Hermès, I was fortunate enough to take a training course with him in Grasse. He has an undeniable gift for teaching, and he has, incidentally, written many books on perfume, each one a success.
This eau de toilette is built around fig, but in a subtle, richly faceted way. It evokes a lush garden in Tunisia. It is a perfume one never tires of, and one that I love to wear.
Jean-Claude Ellena was succeeded by Christine Nagel, but I have a definite soft spot for his creations. Everything he created was a marvel, in the private Hermessences collection as well as in the classic range, with the wonderful Terre d’Hermès.
Notes: citrus, fig, orange blossom, peach, cypress.
Longevity: good, about 6 hours. Still present on clothing several days later.
Good to know: Guerlain was the first to launch this segment combining freshness and staying power, with an ode to nature as their common thread: the Aqua Allegoria line in 1999. Then came the Jardins at Hermès in 2003, the Escales at Dior in 2008, and the Eaux at Chanel in 2018.
Figuier Eden (Armani Privé)
A very pretty fragrance built around fig, at once faceted, fresh and long-lasting. The green crispness of the fig is softened here by the sweetness of iris.
This perfume was created in 2012 by Christine Nagel, now a perfumer at Hermès. It was before she worked there that we developed the Élixirs Charnels together for Guerlain.
It is an elegant perfume, with no risk-taking, and one that can be shared. It is not very daring, but it is refreshing and easy to wear.
Notes: pink pepper, fig, tea, iris.
Longevity: moderate, 4 to 5 hours.
Dioriviera (Dior)
Created in 2023 by Francis Kurkdjian, this perfume speaks of the south of France. It is very pleasant and easy to wear. The pity is that the perfumer has somewhat copied himself, reusing the template of Fleur de Figuier, which he composed for Roger & Gallet in 2013.
So far, I have not had a true love at first sniff among the fragrances he has created at Dior. I am eager to smell his eau de parfum version of Jasmin des Anges.
Notes: fig, rose, jasmine, sandalwood.
Longevity: moderate, about 4 to 5 hours.
2. Chypre: The Heart of Autumn
When temperatures truly drop, chypre perfumes illustrate this season wonderfully.
What does “chypre” mean? They are always woody fragrances, often with patchouli, sometimes with mosses (evernyl) and labdanum. These notes can be dressed in different ways: with citrus, and very often with rose.
I recommend that you read my article on chypres to learn the secret of this accord, its composition and its origin.
A chypre smells of autumn leaves, damp earth, lichen, tree moss, smoked wood. Deep, mysterious notes that make you want to snuggle up in a cashmere shawl, in front of a fireplace, with a good cup of tea.
Perfume counter advisors have always told me that the women and men who choose chypres all have one thing in common: quite a strong character.
Rose Barbare (Guerlain, L’Art et la Matière)
A chypre dressed in rose, which I developed with Francis Kurkdjian.
I do not much like rose, as a matter of taste: I often find it too literal, too saccharine or too vintage. I wanted a rose with thorns, a wild rose, a rose that men could wear. I also wanted to give a nod, through its fruity chypre side, to Mitsouko, the standard-bearer of the chypre family. Francis answered my request marvelously: it is an accessible chypre, unlike Mitsouko, which is a masterpiece, a little vintage, but so strongly signed that it takes a very assertive personality to wear it.
Notes: rose, peach, honey, patchouli, mosses.
Longevity: very satisfying, about 6 to 7 hours on the skin, and much more on clothing.
Portrait of a Lady (Frédéric Malle)
My favorite. One of the longest-lasting perfumes I know. And if it contains any of those amber woods that I detest, I do not detect them.
It may not be classified in the chypre family, but to me it has all its markers: patchouli, rose, wood.
At Frédéric Malle, there are many gems, and Portrait of a Lady is one of them. It is a remarkable perfume in its construction and in its presence: its Turkish rose, in absolute overdose, laid on a bed of patchouli and incense. It lasts several days on a blotter and offers a magnificent sillage.
It is a great perfume, a memorable one, a perfume that speaks loud and clear. I recommend it to women and men who love a modern, assertive signature. Its creator, Dominique Ropion, is a very great perfumer.
31 Rue Cambon (Chanel, Les Exclusifs)
The name pays tribute to the house’s legendary address, which Coco Chanel has occupied since 1918.
It is a classic, elegant chypre, created by Jacques Polge, perfumer of the house of Chanel for nearly forty years. His son Olivier Polge succeeded him: it is with him that I created Cuir Beluga at Guerlain.
31 Rue Cambon gives a peach-skin effect, with a very soft touch brought by the powdery note of iris. It is a borderline chypre, very supple: with it, you take no risk at all. It is a pretty perfume, with class.
Notes: ylang-ylang, jasmine, patchouli, cistus, iris.
Longevity: good, 7 to 8 hours.
3. Iris: Toward Winter
For those who would like a softer, more hushed, more matte touch, here is the star of perfumery: iris.
It is a note that suits autumn well, because it is often paired with woody notes. Be careful, though: iris can be botanically very different from one variety to another. I adore iris pallida, which comes from Florence or China, and I do not like iris germanica at all, which is iris in name only.
Iris is one of the most expensive materials in perfumery. To obtain iris butter, you must allow six years between cultivation, drying and the hand-peeling of the rhizomes. For iris tincture, like the one Guerlain developed for L’Heure Bleue 2026, you must allow three years.
Infusion d’Iris (Prada)
A perfume of absolute class, a unique signature. For me, one of the most beautiful irises in perfumery. It has everything of a great one: it is singular, long-lasting, its sillage is all finesse, and it is instantly recognizable.
The perfumer behind this creation is Daniela Andrier, who works at Givaudan. It is with her that I developed Angélique Noire, in Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matière collection. I have just learned that she is going to launch her own perfume brand: I cannot wait to discover the fragrances, she is gifted and I love her signature.
Notes: iris, musk, orange blossom, cedar.
Longevity: 7 to 8 hours, and more on clothing.
Iris Silver Mist (Serge Lutens)
Monsieur Serge Lutens is not a perfumer strictly speaking, but he knows very well what he wants, and he chose Chris Sheldrake to express his dreams and desires. Together, they formed a magical duo.
Chris, incidentally, was for a long time a perfumer at Chanel in parallel. He is the most discreet perfumer I know, even though he could have put himself forward, so brilliant is he. A perfumer without too much ego in the profession: that is rare.
Iris Silver Mist was composed, for once, not by Chris but by Maurice Roucel, another great perfumer, with whom I was fortunate to work while developing Guerlain’s L’Instant and Insolence.
It is a pity that people no longer talk about it much, because it is a gem, hidden away in the Salons du Palais-Royal. This iris is perhaps the purest, but also the rawest (it truly smells of the rhizome), and yet it is extremely finely chiseled. For addicts of pure iris, do not miss this monument.
Notes: iris, vetiver, cedar, incense.
Longevity: very good, 6 to 8 hours.
Misia (Chanel, Les Exclusifs)
At Chanel, there are few perfumes that I do not like.
Misia, like Comète more recently, are two powdery perfumes created by Olivier Polge. Misia is the first name of a friend of Coco Chanel; the comet is a motif very present in the house’s jewelry.
I appreciate them both, but Comète projects very little: it is a bit like a watercolor, it lacks presence. Misia is more marked by violet and an oriental accord, certainly less modern than Comète. The latter is pretty and high in quality, but a little underwhelming.
The iris note is clearly perceptible in both fragrances, and I find them in the same spirit: cosmetic notes, lipstick and rice powder.
Longevity: good, about 5 hours.
4. What Sylvaine Is Wearing This Autumn
My favorite family is rather vanilla, musky and powdery. Right now, in Spain, I am wearing Un Jardin en Méditerranée, so refreshing and easy to wear.
More occasionally, I also like two single-note fig fragrances that I find very successful: Premier Figuier by L’Artisan Parfumeur and Philosykos by Diptyque.
And as soon as it gets cooler, I will go back to either Florentina, one of my own creations, or Infusion d’Iris by Prada.
Alas, the chypres that I so love to smell on others are too bold, too masculine for me. Perhaps I do not have a strong enough character to wear them.
5. A Final Word
Perfumes based on fig or fig leaf are easy to wear. This note is joyful and invigorating, while still having character.
Chypres are no doubt less accessible than fig, citrus, florals or vanilla, but they have the merit of enhancing the character and presence of the person who wears them.
Iris, too, is embraced by more demanding women and men, who want to stand out and wear even more singular perfumes.
