I’ve never been the most adventurous when it comes to perfumes, yet I had a lot of opinions about them. I used to think gardenia was a “grandma” scent before I met some perfumes that changed my mind. After spending most of my preteen and teen years bathed in fruity scents, I swore off them for a long time. So yeah, I always stuck to the “safe” floral lane. You know, the jasmines, roses, orchids, lilies… and sometimes with a dash of citrus thrown in.
When it came to spicy, bold scents, nuh-uh. No way. How could I pull it off? Was I the type of person to wear heady, woodsy, and warm scents? I just didn’t think it was part of my aesthetic. I.e., my friends would probably smell me and think, “Wow, who is that person?!”
But I’ve been rethinking fragrances recently, and I’ve been in discovery mode revisiting some I’ve written off. And one thing I realized? You can wear any fragrance as long as you OWN it. I like to think that I’m a pretty confident person, but the confidence was lacking when it came to spritzing on something spicy and sexy. So if I really wanted to really be a bold, confident, and strong woman in all aspects of my life, I’d have to wear the damn perfume. Yes, it may be weird to equate female empowerment with fragrance choices, but don’t most of us have a power outfit or something lucky that we wear when we need some extra oomph?
Anyway, now that I’m on my journey to find the perfect spicy perfume for me, I’ve been doing a lot of research. Here are some interesting ones I’ve come across and some I’ve put on my wish list.
Playful, bold, and carefree, this fragrance has notes of ginger, tuberose, and sandalwood. It’s a spicy floral scent that’s perfect for warmer days.
This warm and inviting fragrance has the woody scents of Italian bergamot, clove buds, and vetiver.
Add an air of mystery wherever you go with this warm and spicy scent. It has notes of jasmine, orange flower, tangerine, clove, muguet, olibanum, sandalwood, and patchouli.
With the word bourbon in the name, you know this fragrance is going to be equal parts warm, spicy, and earthy. It has notes of vanilla bourbon, oakwood, and tuberose.
Le Labo’s Santal 33 is a unisex fragrance that’s inspired by the American West. The woodsy scent has notes of violet accord, cardamom, iris, ambrox, cedarwood, leather, and sandalwood.
This isn’t your average floral perfume. It’s got a lot of bold personality. Key notes include jasmine, orange blossom, and patchouli.
With scents of bergamot, red berries, vanilla, and patchouli, Mugler’s Angel fragrance is the right blend of sweet and spicy.
Inspired by fine leather, Tom Ford’s eau de parfum is sensual, sophisticated, and warm. It has notes of saffron, thyme, olibanum, leather, black suede, and amber wood.
It all starts off with Turkish rose, but then this fragrance gets grounded with spices and earthy sweetness thanks to notes of patchouli, cinnamon, clove, white mask, frankincense, and sandalwood.
Imagine the feeling of curling up by the fireplace. Now put it in a bottle. That’s what this fragrance is. You’ll notice scents like pink pepper, orange flower petals, cloves, chestnut accord, guaiac wood oil, vanilla accord, and Peru balsam.
This perfume’s name might be Guilty, but there are no bad feelings when you wear it. Bold and powerful, it has notes of mandarin, pink pepper, peach, lilac, geranium, amber, and patchouli.
Chanel’s Coco is a classic floral scent with a warm, inviting twist. The sophisticated fragrance has notes of clove, leather, peach, sandalwood, and tonka bean.
A top note of coffee makes this fragrance so mysterious and intoxicating. Other scents include white flowers and vanilla.
Nest’s Indigo is inspired by the Mediterranean. It has those warm scents of bergamot and spices paired with citrus, Moroccan tea, Kashmir wood, and wild figs.
Just its description is so alluring: It “captures the scent of flowers after nightfall.” The floral and sweet notes include black currant and midnight rose, while the warm, spicy scents are saffron, incense, ambrette seeds, black amber, and patchouli.
A very luxurious and mysterious perfume, Dior’s Hypnotic Poison has notes of bitter almond, caraway spice, sambac jasmine, cinnamon, tuberose, vanilla, musk, mosses, and jacaranda wood. It’s pretty perfect for nights out.
If the unique bottle hasn’t sold you, then scents of sambac jasmine, tuberose crystal, velvet almond, tonka bean, cocoa, and coffee probably will. It strikes the right balance between feminine and sensual.
You can’t go wrong with a classic, especially when it’s Calvin Klein Obsession. There’s a reason this fragrance has been popular for so many years. It’s the perfect blend of florals and spices.
Prada’s Luna Rossa Black is both woodsy and spicy, thanks to notes of bergamot, musk, and ambergris.
Spicy notes of musk and sandalwood are mixed with scents like citron, juniper, vanilla, cedarwood, iris, and vetiver to create an earthy yet fresh scent. Next up, the “uncool” perfume trend you might want to consider.
