10 Indian perfumes that smell like a chilly winter evening

‘Tis the season to smell jolly

The Starks may say “Winter is coming” with dread, but outside of Winterfell—especially in India—we welcome the season with open arms. Our summers are scorching, our monsoons are chaotic, but winter arrives like a quiet celebration. The weather cools down, allowing you to bring out the cozy layers you’d stacked away at the back of your closet. The bonfires and fireplaces are lit again, and there is a sense of connection as people gather around, sharing shivers and stories.

Then comes the spirit of Christmas with its lights and sparkle, and reruns of our favourite holiday movies. The aroma of plum cakes and guava cheese fill our homes. In winters, the calories don’t count, especially when you’re indulging in the mandatory cup of hot chocolate.

As the cold deepens, so does our need to be warm and toasty by any means possible: through gajar ka halwa made from the season’s red carrots, and cup after cup of steaming chai. From under soft razzais pulled from under-bed storage, and in the company of our loved ones across the laidback holidays and wedding marathons.

What if you could bottle that feeling? With rich ouds, patchouli, winter roses, cinnamon, vanilla—scents that feel like a cashmere sweater in perfume form. We scoured perfume stores, read the reviews, and rounded up Indian fragrances that could make even Winterfell let down its guard. And whether you are someone who likes to spend the season tucked in the recesses of a bookstore, or plant your feet in fresh, cold grass, or even heat up a dance floor on a chilly night, there’s a winter scent for you.

Decadent Indian perfumes for the winter season

Indinoir Outré EDP

Outré is for people who like their winter fragrances warm and a little spicy. If you love gourmand scents, but don’t want to smell like a bakery, this strikes the perfect balance. It opens bright with lemon and sage, then quickly melts into a praline-cinnamon heart that feels cozy without being sugary. The amber, benzoin, and rosewood base gives it a smooth, smoky finish that sticks around for six to eight hours. It’s enjoyed for its strong projection and slow fade into a more intimate smell. Wear it on date nights, to winter weddings and dinner parties, or anytime you want a scent that does subtle flirting on your behalf.

House of Kanzan Murasaki Bookshop

Inspired by the Japanese novel Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagiawa, this one is for people who like to spend their time lost in the yellowed pages of a novel, or at home by the window as the elaichi-chai steam fogs their glasses slightly. It starts with black tea, cardamom, and maple sap, and goes on to smell like vanilla and toasted almond. If you go to bed wearing this perfume, the next morning, it will still linger on your skin. Even if there’s no one to serve you breakfast in bed, the fragrance will wake you to a sweet start.

The whimsy, unobtrusive scent is perfect for creative December afternoons and lingering library dates, or pensive evenings hanging with your friends, having conversations and no agenda.

Perito Moreno Vetiver Mystique

This is a calm, earthy fragrance built around deep vetiver woodiness, with hints of spice and eucalyptus as it dries down. You also get a whiff of the spicy-nutty tonka bean. Redditors love the fact that its projection is not aggressive, and that it settles down in the first hour itself. It stays on your clothes for seven hours, even in winter when perfumes tend to fade faster. This makes it perfect for office wear or when you’re going to interview for an exciting opportunity that’s come in year-end. You want your present colleagues or future colleagues to sense confident, open energy, instead of overpowering the room like an air freshener.

Neesh Perfumes Mehr 1

Have you ever entered an elevator and wondered who wore that great perfume? Expect that from Mehr 1, a fragrance with a strong sillage, which means it will linger long after you end your date with your potential cuffing-season match. Its amberwood and musk notes lend warmth to its slightly airy bergamot ones. It remains on your clothes for hours, which means you can wear it for a lunch date with your girlfriends and get in a quick grocery trip after too. But if you’re going to be out for longer, just carry it in your bag to continue smelling like someone who can’t—and must not—be missed.

Moseha Remember My Name

If you’re going for a winter wedding and carrying a perfume around in your tiny clutch is just not feasible, this one will keep you smelling good through all the functions, and all the way to the afterparty in the bridal couple’s hotel room. It has jasmine sambac, which is creamier than regular jasmine notes (and doesn’t smell like hair oil either). It’s the perfect accompaniment for when you’re performing centrestage on Chunnari Chunnari at your best friend’s sangeet. It lasts for hours, with wider projection at first and a soft, close one later.

Blur India Cookie Crumble

This gourmand-woody EDP’s dessert-inspired lineup which includes vanilla, caramel, and buttery cookie crumbs, feels like a treat you deserve, especially after a year of late nights at work. It’s soft, inviting scent is reminiscent of a cosy blanket from which you bring out your hands only to cup your hot cappuccino and take bites of sugar-dusted apple pie. You’ll get around six to seven hours of wear, with a projection so gentle it’s more for you than for anybody else.

Secret Alchemist Royal Tuberose

This perfume with royal tuberose notes offers you florals but creamier, more buttery, and mildly indolic. The scent then settles into a gentle rose and sandalwood fragrance, giving it a warm, smooth, and sophisticated grounding. This perfume lasts more than eight hours, and remains skin-close yet noticeable—ideal for romantic drives that could turn into a moment to remember, or the office Christmas party when you want to feel polished without trying too hard.

Theatre Cask

For those quick dates that start with ‘I’m free for an hour’ and somehow glide into a second round of drinks, this fragrance is a solid companion. The pepper and lavandin notes offer a sense of aromatic calm, even as witty banter fuelled by Palomas and Picantes make you want to live the night more freely. Just then, the jasmine, cedarwood and moss settle in, turning more subtle yet deep— the sort of scent that feels right when the lights go darker, and the conversation gives way to wordless dancing. The brand promises that it holds on for eight to 10 hours, so you won’t need to think about spritzing again once you step out.

Studio West Oud Vanille

If your December calendar is full of Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve plans and too-many-to-count cocktail nights, this one belongs in your festive rotation. Studiowest’s Oud Vanille is sweet and warm, and the kind of scent that stays put long after the last toast. The pink pepper and clove make the opening feel bright and energised for a dancing-all-night kind of New Year’s.

As it settles, the ambergris, guaiac wood and vanilla take over—it’s like a silken, luxurious blanket but without the price tag. It stays on the skin for hours and will hold you through a night of dancing on the lawn, clinking glasses and hugging people as the another year steals in.

WiSDom Patchouli Noir

This is the perfume we’d want to wake up to on January 1, 2026. With its patchouli and oud notes, this perfume from Wisdom brings in a sense of grounding and calm. And one may need this calm, if only to balance the New Year festivities which ended with a few knocked over shot glasses. If you want to start your year on a mindful note with a yoga class (if you’re a beginner, here’s a guide for you) or sound healing session, this gentle fragrance will linger close, while its notes of cinnamon, tonka bean and amber, will let you keep the sense of sweet indulgence just a bit longer.