Confirmed By My Co-Workers: These Summer-to-Fall Fragrances Will Have You Fielding Compliments Left and Right

Key notes: Bergamot, frankincense, iris

“Vyrao's fragrances are formulated with a specific emotion, action, or feeling in mind,” says beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock. “This one is all about transformation and illumination, which feels relevant as we enter the fall season and turn inward.” McLintock describes this scent as a “mossy citrus scent,” with bright and grounding notes of Italian bergamot, cyclamen, frankincense, and iris. “To me, it's the perfect ‘in between’ scent that makes me appreciate the final, fleeting days of summer while looking ahead to a cozy and transformative fall,” she adds.

Key notes: Matcha tea accord, fig, vetiver

“Just like I’m slowly transitioning from iced to hot matcha lattes, I’m all about Le Labo’s Thé Matcha perfume this September,” says associate social media editor Emma Hughes. “It’s creamy, sweet, and slightly earthy—fresh and warm all at once.” The scent, laced with matcha tea accord, fig, vetiver, and cedar, is equal parts fresh and earthy. “The first time I wore it, a coworker stopped me as I walked by their desk and said, ‘Whatever fragrance you’re wearing suits you so well.’”

Key notes: Bergamot, jasmine, musk

“Don’t get me wrong—I fell hard for Merit’s first fragrance when it launched last year, but I'll admit I found myself in a sultry-gourmand phase all summer long,” says senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider of the WWW 2025 Beauty Award-winning fragrance. The swirling of vanilla, salt, and sweat will always lure her in, she says. “Now that the weather’s starting to turn, Retrospect’s soft, powdery notes are whispering my name, so much so that I’ve worn it every single day for the last two weeks. (As someone with over 45+ fragrances at home, that speaks volumes.) I also can’t help but feel elegant every time I pick up the modern, jewelry-inspired bottle, and because the scent is so delicate, I can spritz with abandon without overpowering my senses.”

Key notes: Pink peppercorn, rose, amber

“If I had a ‘back to school’ scent, it would be this,” muses McLintock. “It's soft, sophisticated, and perfect for the in-between days of summer and fall. Notes of rose, pink peppercorn, and amber coalesce to create a scent that whispers rather than shouts. It's really something special.”

Key notes: Black pepper, lime, smoked sea salt

The last shakes of sand from your beach bag, the summer rain that patters against a cottage window, the briny scent of a sea-splattered, ramshackle lighthouse. These are the things that come to mind when I savor this black-bottled scent from Heretic. This fragrance is the sensorial equivalent of the last dregs of summer; notes of black pepper, smoked sea salt, lime, and eucalyptus dancing a haunting moonlight tango that I simply can’t get enough of it as the season takes its final bow. My favorite part? This scent contains petrichor, the scent of the earth after it rains.

Key notes: Bright mandarin, fresh cardamom, white amber

“If you've been sipping Aperol Spritzes all summer, same. This new, citrus-forward scent from By Rosie Jane feels both bubbly and effervescent, comforting and grounded thanks to the warm amber,” says Hughes. “I'm not quite ready to give up Aperol Spritz, or this transitional summer-to-fall scent.”

Key notes: Coconut, Tuscan fig, amber

"While this fragrance is commonly described as being fresh and solar, I would argue it feels more green and earthy with a hint of freshness,” says associate beauty editor Maya Thomas. “To me, the Tuscan fig note stands out the most against a background of agave, tonka bean, and sheer florals. I've been wearing No. 13 Nouvelle Vague all summer, but I doubt I'll fully be retiring it once fall arrives since I love wearing fig perfumes just as much in the cooler months."

Key notes: Wild gardenia, black plum, palissandre wood

"I truly believe this is Byredo's most underrated fragrance,” muses beauty director Erin Jahns. “Inspired by the city it's named after, Casablanca Lily is a robust floral scent (gardenia! carnation! Indian tuberose!) anchored with a luxuriousness (plum! rosewood! honey accord!) that will quite literally stop people in their tracks. It's intense and sultry, and it's the ultimate nighttime scent as we transition from summer to fall."

Key notes: Indonesian cassia, black plum, clary sage

"Okay, I'm clearly on a vanilla, wood, and amber kick right now because I also can't get enough of this spicy gourmand,” says Schneider. “I have been loving gourmand fragrances with a fruity flair—this one features black plum for a juiciness that makes it perfect for the end of summer."

Key notes: Juniper, fir balsam, tonka

Cozy fall sweaters are calling to me, and even though it’s still 80 degrees in New York City, I still want to tuck into a chunky cardigan and bathe in this luscious skin scent from Snif. Sweet Ash is an addictively sweet fragrance—but not the kind that gives you a sickly head rush. Though I almost never prefer sweet perfumes, I find myself reaching for this sunny bottle more often than not when I want to embody the sweet, yet grounded energy of this scent. Warm like your coziest Barefoot Dreams blanket but slightly mysterious thanks to its musky, tonka-laced undertones, this eau de toilette feels like the sun’s au revoir to a long, hot summer.

Key notes: Red apple, sugarcane, Madagascar vanilla

"This fragrance reminds me so much of my family's Thanksgiving in Texas, but not in the 'nutmeg and apple pie' sort of way—it's more like the first day of crisp autumn air,” Schneider reminisces. “I fell in love at first whiff. It's light and fresh on its own, but I'll also layer it with Ellis Brooklyn's Bee to add some juicy honey notes. It's my fragrance version of a warm hug."

Key notes: Bergamot oil, Italian lemon, sandalwood

"I've had this perfume in my arsenal for a couple of years, and I still have yet to get sick of it,” says Jahns. “The brand says the scent is 'like getting lost under the open sky,' and while I personally have never gotten lost under the open sky, I'm picking up what they're putting down. I would say it's a very unisex scent, in that it's exactly the type of fragrance that would smell incredible on a guy, but I would also want to wear and steal it for myself. You have light, summery notes up top, including bergamot, Italian lemon, and aquaflora, but things get earthier once you get to the heart of lavandin, French mimosa, and ylang-ylang. It has an incredibly sexy base thanks to skin-like orris, vetiver, sandalwood, and musk."

Key notes: Bergamot, ylang-ylang, tonka

This fragrance bottles the essence of a sun-soaked, early fall day. Still enough light streaming through the trees to make you squint your eyes and wish you applied more sunscreen (you forgot you need it year-round), yet the earliest signs of a slight nip in the air. It’s bright and crisp upon the first spritz—a white-flower bouquet enveloping the senses in a romantic cloud—before mellowing out into a warm, comforting vanilla-and-woods base. The true embodiment of leaves turning, sunlight slipping, the seasons giving way from summer to fall.

Key notes: Cognac, saffron, nutmeg

"I've dabbled with lots of vanilla scents over the years, but truly, I don't think it can get better than this version from Perfumehead,” muses Jahns. “I've been a longtime fan of Canadian Tuxedo and Cosmic Cowboy (layer them and you might actually stun someone—they smell that good), but La La Love is the scent that has officially turned my head. Yes, it's $425, but it's also hand-crafted in small batches using only the best essential oils, natural extracts, and safe synthetics, and it's also unlike any other vanilla perfume you've smelled before. Vanilla absolute is at the heart, sure, but additional notes of saffron, nutmeg, davana, incense, balsam, and smoked amber give it so much more depth."

Key notes: Black cherry, red freesia, ebony woods

Don’t let the notes fool you—this is not your typical cherry scent. Phlur’s Cherry Stem won over WWW editors for its sultry, dark cherry direction rather than the fake summery juiciness. As McLintock said in her detailed review, “If it gives Red 40 rather than fresh, ripe fruit, I'm automatically out,” and I’d be right behind her if this scent leaned any more syrupy or medicinal. Rather, its alluringly sweet scent reminds me of the maraschino cherry in a classic Manhattan, and its woody dry-down illustrates images of the mahogany bartop where it’s served. Needless to say, I’m wasting no time applying small spritzes to my neck and hair before taking a turn on the town this fall.

Key notes: Neroli, orange blossom, musk

"Admittedly, it wasn't until this summer that I began wearing citrus scents daily,” says Thomas. “Luckily, Histoire D'Orangers by L'Artisan Parfumeur changed my mind about combining musk and orange blossom and has been the perfume I've been wearing the most. Since adding it to my fragrance rotation, I've gotten compliments from complete strangers in NYC about how good I smell. It's truly a gem, and I'm so happy I found it before I gave up on citrus perfumes."