Everyneed-to-knowfragrancereleasebeforetheDecemberrush
From established perfume ateliers such as Chanel and Givenchy to newcomers including MÁNO X MNRL, the fragrance industry has begun its pre-festive perfume releases.
WORDS Sophie Maskell, October 2026
Fragrances have become synonymous with identity: the elegantly-dressed artist with lime washed walls and muted velvet furniture might wear Chanel, while the millionaire-heiress who summers in Côte d’Azur wouldn’t be spotted in anything other than Dolce and Gabbana. For those outside the luxury fragrance industry, scent may seem like the only deciding factor. However, the subversive visual imagery of big fragrance brands is everywhere: billboards, television, radio. A common denominator of early November advertising is the visually pleasing, but often confusing, Christmas perfume campaigns. Usually featuring a well-known celebrity, these aim to express the aroma and persona of a perfume while being unable to actually produce the scent through a screen. So, here are all of our top picks, tested by our Editors so you can trust them before you try them yourself.
PARIS — ST. MORIT, Chanel, 125ml, £145
With their newest fragrance, PARIS — ST. MORIT, Chanel transports the wearer to a snowy, winter landscape. Through rose, pear and musky-amber, a sense of familiarity and warmth is created, much like being surrounded by loved ones in the depths of winter. Created by Olivier Polge, the perfume is described as containing “complex compositions that give the illusion of simplicity”. Chanel’s focus on history creates intricate backstories behind each fragrance. In this case, St. Moritz represented “a form of inner elevation. Life, stripped of the superfluous” for Gabrielle Chanel. Rather than attempting to reproduce the scent of a place, Polge chose to explore what feelings a place awakens in a person.
Byredo, Havana Tonka, 70ml, £310
Byredo recently released the latest of their Night Veils collection, Havana Tonka. Created to capture the “evocative sensuality of Havana’s golden nights”, the fragrance opens with bergamot, rum and pink peppercorn. With a heart of smoky tobacco, violet, cashmere wood and white suede, the perfume evolves into tonka bean, leaving a lingering trail of richness on the skin. Founded by Ben Gorman in 2006, Byredo employs a “sensorial-led approach” to creativity when creating its fragrances. The Night Veils collection focuses on perfume extracts and rich warm tones, each evocative of intimate forms of the self only revealed at night. Each fragrance within this collection elicits a specific type of evening: after-work drinks at a pub; groups of friends standing around a heat lamp; a wander down the beach. Havana Tonka, while intended to inspire the feeling of a tropical Havana sunset, can also transport the wearer from their regular life into a golden sensuality.
MANO x MNRL, 50ml, £180
MÁNO × MNRL is due to launch exclusively at Harrods in October 2026, introducing eight eau de parfums shaped by creative tension. The collection is built around two ideas: “Infinite Identity reflects the belief that identity is never singular or fixed, exploring the different characters, contradictions and versions of ourselves that can be unlocked through scent. Radical Purity brings a groundbreaking new formulation standard into the world of luxury perfumery, without compromising creativity, sensuality or performance”. The duality of the House is reflected through their name, with MÁNO representing abundance in Māori and the possibility of identity and creativity, while MNRL evokes mineral clarity, nature and clean science. Within the fragrances themselves, Urban draws on dark cherry, leather, tobacco and bourbon to explore the energy and intensity of city life. In contrast, Elemental builds on the natural world, utilising wild florals, vanilla, fougères and luminous solar notes for a sweeter and gentler eau de parfum.
DOLCE&GABBANA THE RE-EDITION COLLECTION, 100ml, £281
Dolce and Gabbana expanded their Re-Edition collection with the return of By Man and By Woman, two fragrances originally released in the 1990s which are synonymous with the brand. By Man (by Alberto Morilla) opens with nutmeg and black pepper, leading into artemisia and lavender with a base of amber and smoky guaiac wood. The iconic DG zebra animalier pattern dresses the glass flacon, evoking a sophisticated and elevated masculine scent. By Woman (by Domitille Michalon) returns, with bergamot, freesia, tiger lily and jasmine. At its base, coffee and sandalwood swirl to create a sensual trail. Epitomised by DG’s signature leopard animalier, By Woman celebrates womanhood through a contemporary lens.
GIVENCHY L’INTERDIT, 80ml, £125
Another feminine fragrance, Givenchy’s L’Interdit Elixir opens with powerful black cherry, elevated by the delicate bitterness of almond essence. At its heart, orange blossom, tuberose and jasmine make up an iconic bouquet of white flowers, while oakwood extract enriches and deepens the sweeter scents. Drawing carnal femininity to the forefront, the Elixir draws upon L’Interdit’s pre-existing reputation and evolves it into a delicate balance of shadow and light. Rooney Mara, the face of L’Interdit since 2018, features in the Elixir’s campaign, styled in armour-like jewels heavily evocative of the feminine experience.
D’ORSAY, £165, 50ml
D’Orsay’s award-winning extrait de parfum, Rose Blaze, is a unisex scent inspired by desire. With top notes of bergamot and peach, and heart of rose, iris and sandalwood, its warmth builds as it settles into the skin. Its base of benzoin, vanilla and amber is velvety and intoxicating in equal measures. In the words of perfumer Jordi Fernandez: “I wanted Rose Blaze to leave an unforgettable impression, something that evokes not only love, but also the flame it leaves behind. I conceived this fragrance as a story of contrasts: between light and shadow, tenderness and desire. A fragrance that embraces opposites, with intensity and delicacy, with the Rose at its center”. D’Orsay have been creating iconic perfumes for 200 years from France, with wearability and care at the centre of each scent.
THE LAB CO. FRAGRANCES. 60ml, £75
The Lab Co. have released their first eau de parfum collection, created between London and Grasse, France. Founders Josh Gilbertson and Tess Richards set out to create perfumes situated in the Clean Fragrance category, inspired by the growing awareness of ingredient exposure and endocrine disruption created by certain products. Five years in the making, the debut collection introduces six core scents, each intended to evoke a specific emotional state. Defiant Bloom contains top notes of chocolate and mimosa, developing into jasmine, rose and vanilla. Its base notes are amber, tonka and sandalwood. Created to be an inspiring and expressive scent, Defiant Bloom is “a love letter to female empowerment”. Following this, Rose Halo features bergamot, clove and praline, with a heart of camphor, geranium and rose, ending with a base of black pepper, oud, and sandalwood. The third and final floral-focused scent is Violet Riot, with top notes of citron, sage and pepper, leading into iris, rose and violet. Finally, its base notes are amber, benzoin siam resinoid and cedarwood. All three of these perfumes focus on rebellious floral notes, aiming to create warmth and depth while juggling modern clarity.