I don’t know about you, but when the leaves start to turn and the darker evenings begin to creep in, I can’t help but embrace the idea of autumn. Cosy knitwear, brown-toned manicures, and woody fragrances are just a few of the ways that I mark the transition to the new season—and as a beauty editor and self-confessed fragrance obsessive, switching up my perfumes to warmer, muskier options is a key marker for me.
Now, when it comes to woody fragrance, sandalwood and cedar might be the more obvious notes that spring to mind, but patchouli, often used in fragrance as a base note, is also a popular choice for perfumers—and it’s increasingly becoming a popular choice in new fragrance launches. Warm, rich, and musky, patchouli adds depth and complexity to lighter fragrances, and is often used to complement contrasting notes such as oud, vanilla, and jasmine.
Whether you can easily identify a patchouli note or not, chances are it already plays a role in some of your favourite perfumes. For while it rarely takes centre-stage in a fragrance (since it is most frequently used as a base note), it’s often the scent you’ll notice warming up and lingering on your skin.
In celebration of the underrated fragrance note, I’ve rounded up the twelve best patchouli perfumes on the market. You’ll find floral options, sweet scents, spicier blends, and offerings from both niche and designer perfumes brands, proving that patchouli really is more versatile and popular than you might have previously thought. So keep scrolling for the best patchouli perfumes to get you in the mood for autumn.
Patchouli is combined with vanilla and incense in the base notes of this rich and heady perfume from Byredo. The result? A unique blend of sweet and spicy. In typical Byredo fashion, it’s unusual, but of course, it totally works. This is exactly the kind of patchouli perfume that’ll get you in the mood for knitwear season.
Escentric Molecules is most famous for creating Molecule 01, a skin scent fragrance which smells totally unique on each individual wearer. The brand recently released a new collection, which sees the original fragrance note (Iso E Super) combined with just one other. In this case, patchouli—resulting in a clean, woody fragrance which lingers for hours on skin.
This is a really powerful and intense fragrance—the kind that makes a real impact and earns you compliments all day long. The patchouli really stands out against lighter, fresher top notes of grapefruit and geranium.
Proving that patchouli and fig are a match made in heaven, the latest release from Phlur is a deliciously sweet, woody concoction. It’s rich and sophisticated, but not too overpowering.
Molton Brown’s cult Fiery Pink Pepper perfume actually features a lot of fragrance notes, but the patchouli really stands out. Clean, fresh, and spicy, it’s a great choice for those who love classic woody scents.
Floral fragrance fans will already be familiar with Gucci Flora. Thanks to its blend of floral and fruity notes, it’s one of the most crowdpleasing scents ever—and its patchouli and musk base gives it an impressive longevity.
Simultaneously warm and spicy, but also bright and floral this is a really showstopping perfume. The patchouli base blends perfectly with top and heart notes of blueberry, tangerine, rose, geranium, and magnolia.
The spicy, earthier side of patchouli really stands out in this iconic Penhaligon’s perfume—a woody, aromatic blend of opulent fragrance notes.
Woody and sweet notes always work well together. In this perfume you’ll find warm and indulgent notes of resin, amber, myrhh, and vanilla combined with sharper, spicier patchouli, coriander, and oregano.
Oud and patchouli are another failsafe fragrance pairing—both notes are rich, dark, and warm, so they complement each other beautifully. This bold and complex perfume is perfect for evening wear.
If autumn had a signature scent, it would undoubtedly be this one. Warm, sweet amber paired with spicy, woody patchouli give this perfume a soft, smoky quality.
Patchouli is actually a heart note in this perfume, which means it makes up the body of the fragrance and takes centre-stage. Featuring complementary notes of oud, jasmine, musk, and myrhh, this is a real showstopper.
