Seeing as our sense of smell makes up to 80% of what we taste, we’re treating this festive season as a perfect excuse to celebrate in fragrant form (as well as stuffing ourselves, obvs). And how handy that Christmas cake contains a veritable perfumer’s dream of aromatically enticing ingredients: think of that boozy fug of brandy, the glisten of candied peel, the succulent delight of soaked fruits, and toasted nuts cosseted in sugar and spice. The following fragrances gather those traditional ingredients and swirl them into perfumed form, ready to be worn as your own festive pud – and thankfully, minus the washing up...
Kajal Almaz
A jewel-bright opening of bergamot and blackcurrant quickly gives way to a tumble of ripe raspberry, rose and heliotrope, like sugared berries spooned over warm sponge. In the base, vanilla, amber and an addictive brown sugar accord melt into woods and musk, evoking the crust of caramelised sugar on a baked dessert and the gloss of fruit soaked in syrup. It feels like the gleaming, ruby-studded crown of the Christmas cake itself.
£175 for 100ml eau de parfum bloomperfume.co.uk
Boadicea the Victorious Majestic
Here, the spices and red fruits are dialled up to decadent effect: lemon and red fruits sparkle at the top, laced with cardamom and resinous labdanum for instant warmth. A richly spiced heart of cloves, cinnamon, saffron, florals and leather unfurls over a base of vanilla, cocoa – tinged patchouli, oudh, amber, tonka, woods and musk, like slices of jewel – bright cake set on polished wood in a room filled with incense and candlelight.
£360 for 100ml eau de parfum boadiceaperfume.com
Thursday Fragrance Magic + Science
The composition reads like a confectioner’s dream: candied peel, sour cherry, cardamom, sugared violet and musk coming together in a deep, sweet and spicy haze. The candied peel brings that chewy, citrus-sugared zing you get when you first cut into a densely fruit-packed cake, brightening the darker cherry and spice while musk softens everything into a cosy, skin hugging glow.
£125 for 100ml eau de parfum thursdayfragrance.co.uk
Amouage Overture Woman
Brandy is writ large here as an opulent calvados-esque accord of apple, saffron and bergamot, immediately conjuring a glass of something golden poured over warm pudding. As it develops, rose, benzoin, myrrh and cinnamon melt into frankincense, leather and labdanum, becoming a luxurious, boozy amber that feels like the delicious anticipation as that brandy-sloshed cake is ceremonially set alight to sizzle seductively.
£320 for 100ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com
Widian Almond
From the first spritz, creamy almond is draped over juicy mandarin, raspberry, plum, peach and a hint of coconut, like the marzipan layer being smoothed over a mound of glazed fruit. A bouquet of white florals in the heart softens the nuttiness, while a base of patchouli, ambrette, Siam benzoin, vanilla and musk turn it into a plush, almond-cream fantasy, echoing frangipane tart and thickly rolled marzipan icing.
£156 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com
THoO Dates Delight
Riyadh dates and peony create a luscious, almost jammy opening that feels like spooning sticky date paste from a bowl, ready to fold into batter. In the heart, coumarin, caramel, tonka bean and cinnamon swirl together before a base of honey, labdanum, benzoin and an icing sugar accord settles on the skin – a dusting of sweetness that perfectly captures that final sifting of sugar over a rich, fruit-laden masterpiece.
Written by Suzy Nightingale