We may earn commission from links on this page. Each product featured has been vetted and chosen by our editors.
From the summer bonfire to the autumn fireplace, campfire scents are a popular choice all year long. But when it comes to fall, they hold a special status as the ultimate fragrance to get you in the seasonal spirit. Ideal in humid heat or crisp fall days, smoky notes are a sophisticated, sexy finish to any outfit. Enter your femme fatale era and get ready to (finally) welcome cooler days ahead with these addictive and deep smoky scents. But first, a quick lesson in smoky scents.
An Introduction to Smoky Scents
Fragrance and smoke have been intricately connected for thousands of years—even the word “perfume” comes from the Latin “per fumum,” meaning “through smoke.” Perfumery originated about 4,000 years ago among the Mesopotamians in the form of incense. And it’s incense, with its fragrant smoke, that still builds the core of many smoky scents today. Other commonly inhaled smokes, like tobacco and hookah, are often repurposed in perfumery as delicate notes that create a rich and deep scent.
Woody scents, like cedarwood, oud and birch, are also core parts of campfire scents that evoke a smoky, burning quality. Additional notes set the scene: vanilla and cashmere for a comfortable fireside evening, whiskey for a party atmosphere, chestnut for a burning hearth.
Campfire Scents are the Best Fragrance Find of the Season
The best way to say goodbye to summer scents is with a good old-fashioned bonfire, and campfire scents perfectly capture that feeling of partying the last of the season away. Think warm nights mingled with the smell of burning wood, the clinking of glasses between friends and all the songs you love playing through the night.
These scents are marked by words like “sexy” and “mysterious” for their spicy, rich notes and staying power. Often a unisex or male-centered fragrance, campfire scents have a femme fatale vibe that feels powerful and in control compared to more delicate florals.
And the time to wear them is right now, as the seasons change. Summer bonfires and autumn campfires are kindred spirits, making these an excellent transitional scent as we wait (and beg) for the heat to subside. In hot weather, smoky fragrances are addictive and warm, a baked-in-sun scent. And when cooler nights finally arrive, campfire scents compliment a clear and brisk day, amplifying that fall feeling.