“There is not one trend per se in fragrance now.” That’s the word according to Frédéric Malle. Instead this season offers a wonderful collection of scents that are close relatives of traditional fragrances who have taken a vintage idea and transformed it into a lighter, more delicate perfume for the holiday season. Perhaps this is the trend… Malle promises that you won’t feel like you’re wearing a knockoff scent. Only a trained nose could identify the original formula or the name under which it was sold. The results are to be a much better, crisper variety of colognes than perhaps ever before.

In keeping with fashion, winter florals remain front and center in the perfume world. These warmer scents are not flowery like so many summer florals. They are richer, more woodsy with an intense musk or vanilla base. They continue to have a wisp of fruit that is seasonal, like red berries to replace the cool citrus notes of summer. To find a seasonally appropriate floral perfume, you’ll want to detect lily, peony or rose mixed with top notes of the stronger berries – blackberry, raspberry and black currant. These scents should continue to develop as you wear them so allow your favorites to blend with your skin. The end result should be a drier woodsy version of the initial aroma.

The sensuous scents of the season are best developed in fragrances that are infused with amber and sandalwood. Black pepper is a surprising ingredient that helps capture the Oriental undertones that bring to mind the spices associated with winter holidays. Another spice that blends great with amber is cinnamon. This is a more traditional take on a traditional holiday scent, but when coumarin is also added it brings a new twist to the vanilla under-currant so many of us love. This spice keeps vanilla opulent so it doesn’t smell like a teenage body spray.

For an edgier fragrance look to white musk combined with woodsy aromas. This is sophistication meets rock and roll. Fig, coconut and sandalwood are all highly compatible with white musk and, when combined all together, they add a depth unlike any other scent out there. In that same family, the addition of peach creates a scent that Malle calls “one of the smartest perfumes.” It s reminiscent of Chanel No. 19 and has dimensions that you can only appreciate when you smell them.

If you are in the market for a new fragrance, this is a good year to be a shopper. The best of the fragrances seem to have somehow been made even better and lighter, yet richer and more inspired. Years like these are how signature scents that outlast trends and fads are made.

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