There are many ways that fashionable people approach fall style. Some play the layering game and stack woolen trenches over cashmere sweaters and asymmetrical satin slips, while others keep it classic with a dependable pair of jeans and a tweed jacket—though, everyone switches things into a moodier gear when it comes to autumnal perfume. There are more Pinterest-level fall aesthetics than we can count, but the one that swirls in our minds like falling leaves is this edgy, academia-inspired “core” that has a nearly direct translation from fashion to fragrance.
“When I think dark academia, I think of moody fall settings—towns decorated with dimly lit book shops, glowing cafe windows, and dripping taper candles,” says Kara Kowalski, head of product and scent development at Snif. “Fragrances that fit this aesthetic are the opposite of sweet, light, and airy. … They are serious, mysterious, dark, and sophisticated.” Composed of notes that bounce between brightness and depth (think cedar, sandalwood, and dark berries), these perfumes tend to sway on the sultrier, more polished side of things—your favorite gothic romance, in fragrance form. “Accords that speak to the crisp autumn air or falling leaves would be perfect for this trend,” she adds.
While it’s impossible to bottle your favorite book, my fellow editors and I found 13 dark academia–inspired perfumes that have bewitched us body and soul.
The 13 Best Dark Academia Fragrances
Byredo
Bibliotheque Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Plum, leather accord, birch woods
Perhaps the most literal interpretation of this scent is the sophisticated, academia-inspired scent Bibliothèque from Byredo. Notes of violet, plum, and cinnamon ascend while wood and leather ground the eau de parfum—smelling like a chic, personal library with an impressive array of first editions. The purveyor of Brat summer and the ultimate edgy It-girl aesthetic, Charli XCX, once called this scent an “essential” in a British GQ TikTok video, which means that it’s totally cool-girl approved, too. Dark fruits, woody musks, and leather-bound accents? It’s a dark academia essential.
Sephora
Book Expressive Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Bergamot, sandalwood, cedarwood
“This is one of my favorite bookish perfumes,” says beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock. “With notes of bergamot, sandalwood, and cedarwood, it’s equal parts earthy and herbal, or ‘green,’ as I like to describe it. It reminds me of my college days, walking across the damp, green grass on my way to class, breath clouding my glasses, and arms full of textbooks.”
Diptyque
L’eau Papier Eau de Toilette
Key notes: White musks, steamed rice accord, blonde woods accord
For a lighter take on the academia trend, I’d recommend Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier Eau de Toilette. This airy musk scent plumes with blonde woods, steamed rice, and mimosa—a clean tribute to the ink-and-paper process of creation. This scent is one of my go-to sophisticated signatures, and while I loved this scent as a summer musk, I’m now transitioning it into my daytime fall fragrance. Uncreased leather book spines, finely tailored blazers, and well-lit foyers: These are the images that spring to mind with each spritz.
Key notes: Violet leaves, cedarwood, sandalwood
If you’re looking for a smart fall scent that doesn’t break the bank, Dossier’s Woody Sandalwood is where your search ends. Inspired by Le Labo’s Santal 33, this gloriously musky scent evokes the warmth of a late October fire pit and the polished powder of violet, amber, and cardamom. It leaves your skin smelling cozy when worn alone and is a beautiful partner for those who prefer a layering act.
Abel
Black Anise Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Star anise, blackcurrant, tobacco
“I’d consider this one more sultry than bookish, but there’s something about the combination of tobacco, amber, star anise, and cacao that feels perfectly moody for fall,” says senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider. “Black Anise is one of my favorite date-night fragrances (again, that sultry blend!), but when the weather cools I may just treat my pulse points to a daytime spritz, too.”
Heretic
Nosferatu Eau de Macabre
Key notes: Lilac, petrichor, ambergris
“Before I tried this perfume, I wondered why anyone would want to smell like one of cinema’s most iconic vampires,” McLintock scoffs. “After all, ‘undead’ is not necessarily what I’m going for when it comes to my fragrance wardrobe. However, after trying it, I was blown away by the unique, complex, and interesting scent profile. There’s a subtle floral note of lilac and a soft warmth from vegan ambergris. The main note, though, is petrichor—that incredible, earthy scent that fills the air when rain falls on dry soil. It’s dark yet delicate and simple yet mysterious.”
Vyrao
Witchy Woo Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Moroccan orris absolute, black pepper, frankincense
Staying with the gothic theme is this spellbinding blue-violet number from Vyrao, a holistic perfumery known for its energetically charged elixirs. Witchy Woo is meant to expand creativity and inspire courage—its bone-deep notes of Moroccan orris, black pepper, and frankincense smell something of wax-dripping candelabras and Persian rug–draped floors. Its intense scent is designed to open the mind and dive into paper worlds; in short, it’s perfect for a gloomy day spent tucked into a book.
Dior
Bois Talisman Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Cedar, vanilla
Inspired by Christian Dior’s superstitions and secret lucky charms, Bois Talisman is the dark academia lover’s dream fragrance. It combines the olfactory versions of Dior’s and master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s two good luck charms (wood and sugar cubes, respectively), resulting in this woody vanilla scent that feels equally cozy and chic. For fans of dark aesthetics and mysterious, niche fragrances, this Dior scent is the luxury perfume that will complete your autumnal wardrobe.
Henry Rose
Dark Is Night Eau de Parfum
Key notes: Green grass, vetiver, freesia, patchouli, vanilla bean
If we bottled up the early days of fall, it would likely smell like Henry Rose’s Dark is Night perfume. A harmonious blend of grass, vetiver, freesia, and patchouli twists together like the first breezy days of September; a farewell to sweltering summers as fall winds start to decorate the air with gold and red. It’s a back-to-school scent with a grown-up demeanor—each spritz signaling the changing seasons and passage of time.
Perfumehead
1272 Coltrait Perfume
Key notes: Italian bergamot, verbena, sandalwood
There’s nothing quite like Perfumehead’s 1272 Coltrait. This scent, a scintillating blend between cologne and perfume extrait, celebrates the dichotomy of light, citrusy perfumes and smoky, wood colognes—and how, strangely, they work so well together. The top, middle, and base notes sound like they should be competing for the spotlight, and yet they blend in a surprising harmony that tells a different story the longer it’s worn on the skin. Basically, fans of complex plotlines will love this multifaceted fragrance.
Key notes: Peach skin, orris, white moss
For a skin scent that skews oh so academic, consider Snif’s Me. “Me is the epitome of wood mixed with fruits,” says Kowalski. “Sandalwood and moss blend with a beautiful plum topnote creating an irresistible woody but close-to-skin scent that has a sexy, I’ve-spent-all-night-in-the-library kind of vibe.”
Goldfield & Banks
Purple Suede Perfume Concentrate
Key notes: Lavender, pink pepper, amber
One of the most recent additions to my collection, Purple Suede from Goldfield & Banks smells like a chic editor’s new designer work bag. This leathery perfume concentrate is dashed with crispy Tasmanian lavender, amber, and oud (to name a few), with a hard-to-place richness that keeps me sniffing my wrist all day long. I need not say it due to its fitting name, but this opulent scent pairs devilishly well with a fitted suede jacket.
Penhaligon’s
The Cut Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Mint, cypress, fir balsam
For a bookish scent that will carry you into the colder winter months, consider Penhaligon’s newest scent, The Cut. Inspired by the flora and fauna of wooded landscapes, this refined scent takes an elevated approach to the great outdoors—and feels especially fitting when worn before a crackling fireplace while nestled into a plush couch with a classic novel.
