Pumpkin Spice Latte Season: perfumes giving PSL

Love them or loathe them, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back. Yes, the PSL has returned to herald the season of crunchy leaves, oversized scarves and questionable woolly hats. For some, the very idea conjures disdain – too sweet, too hyped, too “basic” – but really, isn’t that missing the point? The iconic PSL blend smells downright divine, its tumble of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger swirling into a haze of autumnal comfort.

And in truth, there’s very little actual pumpkin in a Pumpkin Spice Latte. The “pumpkin” is mostly nostalgia talking. So, for those of us who prefer to wear our seasonal indulgences rather than drink them, the PSL profile is surprisingly easy to recreate in perfumed form – or to gently layer into being. But where did this contemporary cultural phenomenon begin?

Before Pumpkin Spice fever became a marketing machine, it started in coffee-central, Seattle, back in 2003. A small team at the Starbucks Liquid Lab – led by Peter Dukes, then Director of Espresso – were asked to come up with a new autumn drink. Pumpkin pie was a classic American comfort, but no one had thought to bottle its scent and warmth into a cup of coffee before. The first test took place in just 100 stores across Washington, D.C. and Vancouver. Cue immediate mania.

The PSL went national the following year, and by the time Facebook and Twitter joined the party, it had become less a drink and more a cultural phenomenon. With it came a tidal wave of pumpkin-spiced everything – candles, lip balms, even washing powder – and an aroma that’s now synonymous with ‘sweater weather’ itself.

If you love PSLs but think wearing one might sound kitsch, remember that (apart from those with PSL proudly in their name), these aren’t as overt. And layering can be your fragrant friend – you are in complete control, and can create your own seasonally spiced extravaganza to your own tastes.

Now, whatever your opinion of the PSL, we’re encouraging you to fight through the froth and allow yourself to fall for these gloriously spiced scents. We suggest…

Etat Libre d’Orange Like This

Inspired by actor Tilda Swinton’s idea of “home in a bottle,” Etat Libre d’Orange Like This was composed by Mathilde Bijaoui with yellow tangerine, ginger, pumpkin, immortelle, Moroccan neroli, Grasse rose, vetiver, heliotrope and musk. It feels like autumn wrapped in cashmere – cosy but clever. Ginger whirls with velvety pumpkin sweetness, evoking the scent of a pie emerging from the oven. A fragrance you’ll want to wear while watching leaves fall, from your favourite window seat.

£70.95 for 100ml eau de parfum allbeauty.com

Lush Pumpkin Spice Body Spray

Pairs perfectly with an oversized scarf and a trip to the pumpkin patch. Clove and ginger mingle with golden carob resin and carrot seed oil, creating an instant hit of nostalgia and a generous dose of compliments. Carob resinoid brings deep, caramel decadence – a wink to anyone who dares call Pumpkin Spice “basic”. Carrot seed oil softens the spices with gentle warmth, as comforting as a morning latte between mittened hands. Made with organic ethanol from sugar cane in a circular, zero-waste system, it’s the perfect scent to spritz over chunky knits and let autumn envelop you.

£28 for 200ml body spray lush.com

Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger

For those who prefer suggestion over sweetness, Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger captures PSL warmth with a fresher twist. Its star ingredient, Australian Red Back Ginger, feels citrusy and solar rather than sticky. Bergamot, mandarin, magnolia, vanilla, amber and sandalwood whisper of sunsets across the Atherton Tablelands. Sunrise notes shimmer bright and juicy, while sunset notes bring floral, ambered spice that feels like a PSL enjoyed under tropical skies.

£140 for 100ml parfum harrods.com

Jo Malone London Ginger Biscuit Cologne

Truly one of THE most deliciously festive fragrances they’ve ever created, this smells like a bakery at golden hour. Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon swirl around roasted hazelnut, caramel and vanilla-tonka richness, the whole thing buttery and crumbly at the edges. Perfect for layering with other Jo Malone scents to add that spiced creamy effect without veering into dessert territory. A PSL enjoyed in a vintage china cup and wearing silk pyjamas rather than a paper cup at the bus stop, perhaps?

£128 for 100ml eau de parfum jomalone.co.uk

Other PSL-adjacent scents perfect for layering? Try these!

The Merchant of Venice Accord di Profumo Tonka Venezuela – Rich, sensual and tempting, this celebrates the tonka bean’s toffee and cocoa aspects. The nuts fall and are roasted, their resinoid distilled into an addictive scent recalling caramel, coffee and imagined delights, an ideal note for deepening any composition.

The Merchant of Venice Accord di Profumo Patchouli Indonesia – Velvety woods and soft greenery tangled with earthy tobacco notes – a PSL base in perfume form, grounding, enveloping and irresistibly wearable. Crafted from hand-dried, fermented leaves distilled into oil on the island of Sulawesi, its depth completes the blend beautifully.

The Merchant of Venice Accord di Profumo Zafferano Iran – Saffron, the red gold of spices, glows in this luminous blend where zesty freshness meets amber, cistus and honey. A mist of this feels like sprinkling your perfume wardrobe with sunlit spice, in any season. But it’s so right for right now, in our humble opinion.

£65 for 30ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

Written by Suzy Nightingale