The Best-Smelling Winter Colognes on the Market Right Now
The best winter colognes will make you look forward to colder weather. Because even if you’ve got that trusty signature scent, it might need swapping out for certain occasions or seasons. And winter is prime time for a fragrance that spices things up—even literally—with notes like coriander, ginger, and cinnamon. Or perhaps a woody medley, a vanilla-tinged and rum-soaked number, or a sultry smoky scent. Each of these wears well in the colder months, when we all need a little extra warmth.
The Best Winter Colognes Shopping GuideThe Instant-Classic Pick: Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystère Eau de Parfum, $295The Patchouli Pick: Diptyque Tempo Eau de Parfum, $230The Leather Pick: Malin + Goetz Leather Eau de Parfum, $98The Vanilla Pick: Heretic Dirty Vanilla Eau de Parfum, $165The Vetiver Pick: Hermès Terre D’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver Eau de Parfum, $152The Date Night Pick: Arquiste Indigo Smoke Eau de Parfum, $205The Splurge-Worthy Pick: Krigler Good Fir Eau de Parfum, $615The Night Out Pick: Byredo Eleventh Hour Eau de Parfum, $205We’re not saying you should ditch the signature scent. Hey, maybe you’ll find a great woody scent that wears year round, even if it’s wintry by nature. But it is also fun to have a few different colognes to rotate through each year, and one of them certainly needs to lean towards the colder half of the year. As a bonus, these are also the scents that often work well at night in shoulder season, or on dates year round.
Below are our 13 picks for the best winter colognes for men. Find one (or more!) to add to your rotation this season.
The Best Instant-Classic Winter Cologne
Tom Ford
Myrrhe Mystère Eau de Parfum$295Nordstrom
Top Note: Myrrh Duo Middle Note: Australian Sandalwood Album Orpur Base Note: Ultra-Vanille Accord
When Tom Ford debuted this spicy cologne last fall, it was an instant hit. The mix of myrrh and woody notes like sandalwood, layered atop a rich base of vanilla, creates an inviting musky scent that wears well, day and night. If you’re looking to bring out the spicy vibes this winter, make sure you add this cologne to your fragrance rotation. It’s sweet yet decidedly masculine profile makes it one of the best winter fragrances for men to date.
The Best Indie Winter Cologne
Gabar
No. II Ground Eau de Parfum$153Gabar
Top Note: Corriander Middle Note: Oris Base Note: Oud
New kid on the block Gabar is one of the fragrance industry's rising stars, with a trio of scents that celebrate and share the founders' Myanma roots. "Don't make us pick a favorite," we'd beg before ultimately choosing No. II Ground as the winner. Its flawless recipe is inspired by Myanmar's traditional and famous Thanaka cream; the scent builds around wood bark, with embellishments of fig, saffron, and sandalwood.
The Best Head-Turning Winter Cologne
Parfums de Marly
Percival Eau de Parfum$250Nordstrom
Top Note: Bergamot Middle Note: Lavender Base Note: Balsam Fir
Parfums De Marly’s shining knight smells like quintessential men’s cologne—in the best possible way. It’s crisp, thanks to a heavy dose of bergamot, subtly sweet, and extremely refreshing. Invigorating at first spritz, this cologne starts off strong, softening up throughout a day’s wear (but it has staying power so best to apply lightly and layer on gradually to avoid going overboard).
The Best Daily-Driver Winter Cologne
D.S. & Durga
Pistachio Eau de Parum$300Nordstrom
Top Note: Pistachio Middle Note: Roasted Almond Base Note: Vanilla Créme
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll have to pace yourself when applying this unisex gourmand fragrance (it’ll be hard but you’ll want this bottle to last as long as possible, trust us). One of D.S. & Durga’s bestselling scents, it’s heavy on the sweet, sweet smell of pistachio (amped up by notes of almond and vanilla) and a guaranteed dopamine boost upon application.
The Best Patchouli Winter Cologne
Diptyque
Tempo Eau de Parfum$230Nordstrom
Top Notes: Patchouli Middle Notes: Maté Base Notes: Violet
Tempo harmonizes with an earthy-woody essence, and a spritz of violet leaf to punch things up. It is the perfect execution on patchouli—an ingredient that stirs the senses while it warms the spirit. (The once-disdained note is having its much deserved renaissance, too.)
The Best Leather Winter Cologne
Malin + Goetz
Leather Eau de Parfum$98Nordstrom
Top Notes: Lotus Flower Middle Notes: Muguet Base Notes: Leather
One of our favorite leather fragrances, this one eases the wearer into the musky zone instead of jumping right in. Opening with a delicate floral note, it gradually deepens into a heady blend that feels at once nostalgic and pointedly now. Just like your family’s precious upholstery that’s withstood the test of time, this fragrance smells like something you’ll want to hold on to for decades to come.
The Best Vanilla Winter Cologne
Heretic Parfum
Dirty Vanilla Eau de Parfum$165Heretic Parfum
Top Notes: Cedar Middle Notes: Vanilla Base Notes: Patchouli
If only there were a cocktail as flavorful as this vanilla-ambrous-coriander medley. "I'll have a Dirty Vanilla!" has such a ring to it. Luckily, you can whisper that to yourself as you hover over "Add to Cart" this season, in one of the less polarizing vanilla potions out there. Instead, this one invites company with its vanilla heart, and lets the other notes do all the talking. Those notes include bold cedar and sandalwood, stirring patchouli, and the aforementioned sweet amber and spicy coriander.
The Best Vetiver Winter Cologne
Hermes
Terre D’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver Eau de Parfum$152Nordstrom
Top Notes: Green Bergamote Middle Notes: Sichuan Pepper Base Notes: Vertiver
Hermès has blessed us with a wintry version of the original Terre D’Hermès scent. With Eau Intense Vétiver, you'll note fewer orange notes in favor of the pronounced woody and subtle spicy ones (vetiver and sichuan pepper, to be precise).
The Best Winter Cologne for Date Night
Arquiste
Indigo Smoke Eau de Parfum$205Arquiste
Top Note: Bergamot Middle Note: Apricot Accord Base Note: Maté Tea Absolute
There's a time and place for something as rich with incense, pine tar, guaiac wood, and black tea as this one: That time is date night (the first or five hundredth), in which Indigo Smoke casts a magnetic, stirring haze around its wearer. You could get away with wearing it year round—but it's best for low-lit situations where you want to drum up a little extra heat.
The Best Sunny-Day Winter Cologne
Lazarus Douvos
We Met in Roma Eau de Parfum$345Lazarus Douvos
Top Note: Orange Flower Middle Note: Rose de Grasse Base Note: Orris
In many ways, this scent is the antithesis of winter, since it imagines a sunny walk through blooming Roman gardens. But many of the best scents for cold-weather wear are those that remind us of the spring ahead, and keep us optimistic through January drudgery. We Met in Roma also manages to warm its wearer with broody frankincense and uplifting, powdery orris, so an argument can be made that it is, in fact, a winter scent but with a sweet, floral opening.
The Best Solid Cologne for Winter
Diptyque
Orphéon Solid Perfume$75Nordstrom
Top Note: Juniper Berry Middle Note: Cedar Base Note: Tonka Bean
Solid cologne is supremely underrated; it is so easy to target onto your pulse points (rather than lose half of the product to errant spritzing). With a blend of woody notes like cedarwood balanced out with fresh juniper berry and sweet tonka bean, Orphéon has a distinct smell that will captivate you (and everyone you cross paths with) at first sniff. The case, which has some nice weight to it, makes carrying your soon-to-be go-to fragrance a breeze (and will look real pretty when it’s back home resting on your top shelf.)
The Best Splurge-Worthy Winter Cologne
Krigler
Good Fir 11 Eau de Parfum$615Krigler
Top Note: Pink Pepper Middle Note: Tuberose Base Note: White Musk
Good Fir gives great fir in this Coloradan ode, which runs laps around other woody scents. It's a biome of beautiful notes, from pink pepper and moss to vetiver and white musk—there's even fresh and sappy banana leaf, spicy ginger, as well as sweet tuberose. Many woody fragrances lose the forest for the trees by over decorating the recipe, but this one juggles all of those notes with scientific perfection. (And, go figure, it will suit year-round evergreen wear, too.)
The Best Winter Cologne for Nights and Weekends
Byredo
Eleventh Hour Eau de Parfum$205Saks Fifth Avenue
Top Note: Ban Timmur Middle Note: Carrot Seeds Base Note: Tonka Bean
Cashmere wood and tonka beans anchor Byredo’s winter standout, which opens with crisp bergamot and Nepalese pepper (called ban timmur). At its heart is a curious combination of carrot seeds, rum, and fig. The spicy-woody mélange has an after-hours air about it, making it a terrific perennial player when worn on cold winter nights.
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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagram
Michella Oré is GQ's commerce writer covering all things style and grooming. Her writing has been published in Vogue, Allure, i-D, 10 Magazine, Barron's, and WWD. Michella holds a B.A. in political science from Williams College and an M.A. in fashion journalism from Central Saint Martins.Commerce WriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQGQ RecommendsBest StuffBest StuffColognes and FragrancesWinter