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    1. Beauty
    2. Fragrance

    14 Winter Perfumes 'Marie Claire' Editors Are Utterly Obsessed With This Month

    January just got a whole lot more glamorous.

    Hannah Baxter's avatar
    By Hannah Baxter
    Published 26 January 2026 In Buying Guides

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    evergreen background with three perfume bottles
    (Image credit: Getty Images; Guerlain; Ellis Brooklyn; Cyklar)
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    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.

    Danielle Jackson, Senior Beauty Writer

    Danielle Jackson wearing a black shirt with cinnamon brown hair on a gold and black perfume background

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Danielle Jackson)

    a light brown perfume bottle with black text

    fine'ry.
    Eau De Parfum - Athena
    $30
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    Libre Berry Crush Eau De Parfum With Raspberry

    YSL
    Libre Berry Crush Eau De Parfum With Raspberry
    $180
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman in a plaid jacket and sunglasses with dark hair over a gold and black perfume bottle design

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Julia Marzovilla)

    Rose Whip Eau De Parfum With Musk

    Phlur
    Rose Whip Eau De Parfum With Musk
    $99
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    Sacred Santal - Perfume Oil

    CYKLAR
    Sacred Santal - Perfume Oil
    $24
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman with dark glasses and hair pulled back over a gold and black perfume bottle design

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Ariel Baker)

    Escentric 01 Eau De Toilette, 3 Oz.

    Escentric Molecules
    Escentric 01 Eau De Toilette
    $175
    SHOP NOW

    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?

    E Cashmere Musk Perfume

    Clive Christian
    E Cashmere Musk Perfume
    $430
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman with blonde hair wearing a black turtleneck over a gold and black perfume bottle design

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Samantha Holender)

    amber and black Guerlain perfume bottle

    Guerlain
    L'Art & La Matiere Spiritueuse Double Vanille Eau de Parfum
    $640
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    20 Bourbon Brûlée Eau De Parfum - 50 Ml

    Ledda
    20 Bourbon Brûlée Eau De Parfum
    $83
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman with red hair and a black t shirt over a gold and black perfume bottle design

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Brooke Knappenberger)

    Infusion De Santal Chai With Sandalwood & Citrus

    Prada
    Infusion De Santal Chai With Sandalwood & Citrus
    $190
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    London 1983

    Henry Rose
    London 1983
    $120
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman with long brown hair and a brown top over a gold and black perfume bottle design

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Siena Gagliano)

    Zephirine Eau De Parfum

    Liberty LBTY.
    Zephirine Eau De Parfum
    $220
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    Disfruta Eau De Parfum With Mezcal

    Lore
    Disfruta Eau De Parfum With Mezcal
    $92
    SHOP NOW

    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

    a woman with glowing skin and a turtleneck over a gold and black perfume bottle background

    (Image credit: Getty Images; Hannah Baxter)

    Skin Intense

    Clean Reserve
    Skin Intense
    $135
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    AprÈs Eau De Parfum

    Ellis Brooklyn
    Après Eau De Parfum (Was $81)
    $57
    SHOP NOW

    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.

    Why Trust Marie Claire

    For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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    Hannah Baxter
    Hannah Baxter
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    Beauty Director

    Hannah Baxter is the Beauty Director at Marie Claire. She has previously held roles at The Zoe Report, Coveteur, and Bust Magazine, covering beauty, wellness, fashion, and lifestyle. She authors the Marie Claire newsletter Face Forward. Her writing has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Allure, The Cut, Elle, InStyle, Glamour, Air Mail, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Byrdie, Nylon and more.

    She is also the founder of Anxiety Beer, a weekly newsletter about the intersection of culture and mental health. In her spare time you can catch her reading too many overdue library books, thrifting, or hanging with her hairless cat, Norman. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @hannahbaxward.

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