Fragrances by season
Seasonal “rules” are not law. They do, however, have a physical basis: temperature changes how quickly fragrance substances evaporate and how strongly you smell them.
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Spring
Temperatures fluctuate and the air is more humid. Green and floral fragrances that are not too dense work well.
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Summer
Heat speeds up evaporation: top notes vanish faster and heavy bases come across louder. Fresh and clean fragrances are a safe choice; if you wear sweet or amber ones, use less.
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Autumn
Cooler air softens projection. Woody, spicy and amber fragrances have room to unfold.
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Winter
In the cold a fragrance evaporates more slowly and stays closer to the body – denser, sweeter and darker fragrances do not feel heavy. Watch out for overheated interiors, where the fragrance grows stronger again.
Why warmth changes a fragrance
We smell a fragrance when its molecules evaporate from the skin into the air. At higher temperatures they evaporate faster – the fragrance is more intense but “runs out” sooner. The most volatile are citrus and herbal materials (top notes); the least volatile are woods, resins, vanilla and musks (base notes).
That is why the same fragrance can feel dense in July and barely there in January. Concentration helps too: a lighter form of the same fragrance is easier to wear in summer.