Just like the outfits you return to again and again, it’s worth having a signature scent. But you wouldn’t wear the same linen trousers you reach for in summer in the depths of winter. Accordingly, it’s wise to have fragrances that work at different times of the year. Think greens and florals for spring, for a rejuvenating sensation; aromatics, aquatics, and citruses match the free spirit of summer; and spices, woods, and musks help warm and stir the senses in winter.
As for autumn, the best fall fragrances for men are invigorating—almost academic in their arousal. They might summon gourmand notes (like almond or vanilla), or even present lighter versions of notes seen in summer or winter scents. They can be powdery, herbal, resinous or even floral. After all, fall can be confusing in both temperature and sentiment: of all the seasons, it can feel most like both a beginning and an end. That often means the notes you’ll find in fall fragrances sometimes don’t scream autumn. Even if they’re less obvious individually, when you encounter the full fragrance, its effect is one that wraps around the senses like a layered weekend outfit.
Below are our favorite new fall scents of this year, which you can be the first to claim and make your own. We’ve also included a few of our all-time favorite fall scents, which will never go out of style.
The editors of Robb Report scour the globe (and the Internet) for the best of the best and only endorse products we love—and think you’ll love, too. If you purchase a product or service through a link in this story, we may receive a small commission.
The Best New Fall Fragrances For 2021
Gucci The Alchemist’s Garden — A Gloaming Night
Of 2021’s many debuts, Gucci’s A Gloaming Night garners the most attention. It commands compliments with a rapturous love triangle: cinnamon anchors the potion while patchouli and vetiver create the sturdy, long-lasting framework. It’s a power move to make this your signature scent, because it is impossible to ignore (and it wouldn’t polarize in warmer months despite those strong ingredients). For these same reasons, we suggest having it on hand for the moments you really want to be seen or heard. (And smelled, obviously.) It really is intoxicating.
Le Labo Thé Matcha 26
Le Labo
This satisfying green tea recipe calmly caffeinates the senses on first encounter. Le Labo has constructed a fragrance that comforts like your favorite flannel shirt, enveloping you with notes of matcha, fig, cedar, bitter orange and vetiver. While other fragrances on this list demand attention from friends, colleagues and even strangers, Thé Matcha is more sage and patient. Its universal appeal is through the roof, especially since it leaves room for you to wear it, as opposed to the other way around.
Yves Saint Laurent Y Le Parfum
Yves Saint Laurent
The latest iteration of YSL’s much-loved signature scent, Y, is even better than the original (which is really saying something). It keeps Y’s prominent signature notes—apple, tonka, ginger, sage—and wears well year-round, especially from fall into spring. Its distinction builds from an absence of the original ambroxan notes, while intensifying geranium, cedar and lavender. It’s the mass-market pick of this roundup, but therein lies universal appeal, and one of the more accessible price points, too.
