The Damage So Far: My Q4 2025 Fragrance Confessional

Consider this a scented confessional. Donatella Versace is probably still reapplying highlighter at Claridge's, but I am here counting empty bank accounts and full shelves. Q4 was a trap disguised as ribbon, and yes, the credit card knows what you did.

What seduced most people from October to December was comfort, followed by glam. Syrupy vanillas and plush florals marched straight into gift bags. I saw a wave of backups on perennial crowd-pleasers like YSL Libre Intense and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, plus the inevitable cherry binge with Tom Ford Lost Cherry and that flirty marshmallow cue, Kilian Love, Don’t Be Shy. If your living room still smells like spun sugar and cashmere sweaters, you are not alone.

The classic houses did their quiet damage. Holiday counters made Chanel Coco Mademoiselle impossible to ignore, while Dior J’adore L’Or floated in as the golden choice for parties where the dress code said “expensive decisions only.” From the Versace corner, I clocked plenty of Versace Dylan Purple in carry-ons, the kind of bright-fruity-lavender that reads cheerful even when the sun sets at 4 pm.

Niche did not stay niche. Gifting turned discovery sets into gateway drugs. My group chats were a chorus of samples turning into full bottles of Byredo Bal d’Afrique, Le Labo Santal 33, and cozy late-night spritzes of Diptyque Orphéon. The vanilla wave kept rolling with Kayali Vanilla 28, and pistachio refuses to retire post-summer, so Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 33 kept showing up at brunch like the friend who never learned boundaries.

My own sins, since you asked without asking. I grabbed a 50 ml of Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady after remembering what rose can do when it stops apologizing. I also went “practical” with a travel of Mugler Angel Elixir, then inevitably toppled into a small, guilty spritz habit of Glossier You on work-from-home days because skin scents still have me by the throat. And on a cold Tuesday, I bought a duty-free mini of Byredo Gypsy Water that felt like a clean sheet for the last week of the year.

Trends worth keeping: lactonic comfort, airy musks that still project, and discreet glam over headache bombast. If your Q4 was sweet, smoky, and slightly reckless, join the club. Spray your absolution, then rotate something crisp and clean this week. Your nose deserves a palate cleanse, your shelf deserves the truth, and yes, the receipts are judging.