My fragrance collection: what I wear in warm and cold weather

I currently own 23 fragrances, and I probably spend more time comparing notes, reviews and new releases on Fragrantica than scrolling through Instagram. Perfumery interests me because it combines something highly subjective, such as memory and personal taste, with practical decisions about weather, occasion, longevity, projection and budget.

This article organizes my collection according to the context in which I think each fragrance works best. It is not a universal rule, and no bottle is restricted to a single season. It is a practical answer to a simple question: when the day is warm or cold, which options do I already own?

Direct answer: how my collection is divided

Category	Count	Dominant profiles
Warm weather, spring and summer	10	Citrus, aquatic notes, tropical fruit, mint and clean musks
Cold weather, autumn and winter	13	Vanilla, coffee, cherry, amber, leather, oud and spices
Typical entry price	10-30 EUR	Nike, Mercadona, Zara, Lattafa and Reebok
Most exclusive bottle	Tom Ford Lost Cherry	Dark cherry, almond, liquor and balsams

My collection clearly leans towards sweet, amber and spicy fragrances. I have more variety and more intense profiles for cold weather. For warm weather, I look for clean, aquatic or fruity formulas that remain easy to wear.

My fragrances for warm weather

In summer, I prefer fragrances that work without becoming heavy: citrus, marine notes, fruit, lavender, mint, vetiver and clean musks. In my collection, Kaaf is the strongest-performing fresh option, Hawas Tropical is the most distinctly summery, and Como Tu Viento, Nike Ultra Blue Man and Nike Aromatic Addiction Man cover affordable daily wear very well.

I also include denser options that I would reserve for mild evenings, such as 1 Million Parfum, Zara Shamanilla and Qaed Al Fursan. I would not use them in the same way under direct sun at 35 degrees, but they make sense once the temperature drops.

My fragrances for cold weather

Cold weather makes room for the more intense side of the collection: vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, coffee, leather, resins, oud and dark fruit. These profiles have more body and generally last longer.

Khamrah Qahwa is probably the most complete winter gourmand because of its coffee, spices and vanilla. Vintage Radio feels more elegant and versatile through plum, palo santo and sandalwood. Lost Cherry fills the most special and least everyday role, while Asad, 9pm and Rich Warm Addictive cover different uses without approaching Tom Ford pricing.

My selection by use case

If I had to reduce the collection to specific decisions, this would be my guide:

Need	Pick from my collection	Reason
High heat	Kaaf	Clean aquatic profile with strong performance
Casual summer	Hawas Tropical	Easy-to-wear tropical feeling
Warm office days	Agua Fresca	Aromatic, discreet and classic
Versatile fragrance	Club De Nuit Intense Man Extrait	Works across many occasions and temperatures
Winter night	Khamrah Qahwa	Coffee, spices and vanilla with real presence
Elegant autumn	Vintage Radio	Plum, soft woods and wearable oud
Intense and distinctive	Azzure Oud	Passionfruit, leather, amber and oud
Special occasion	Lost Cherry	The most distinctive and exclusive profile in the collection
Best affordable cold-weather option	Lattafa Asad	Strong performance at a contained price
Affordable daily wear	Nike Aromatic Addiction Man	Fresh, simple and easy to reapply

How I interpret longevity and price

The longevity shown in each card is an approximate estimate, not a promise. The same fragrance can perform very differently depending on skin, number of sprays, humidity, temperature, batch and even the wearer's olfactory adaptation.

Prices work similarly. I used typical ranges observed in Spain during June 2026, but many Middle Eastern fragrances fluctuate considerably depending on retailer, stock and imports. Different bottle sizes and concentrations also exist.

I therefore prefer comparing fragrances through three questions:

1. Do I genuinely enjoy how it develops after the opening?
2. Does it fit situations in which I will actually wear it?
3. Does it add something different from what I already own?

The third question becomes especially important as a collection grows. Buying another sweet winter fragrance can be tempting, but it does not always fill a new need.

What my collection says about my taste

Organizing every bottle reveals several clear patterns:

• I gravitate towards vanilla, tonka, amber and spices;
• I enjoy characterful fruit profiles, especially pineapple, plum and cherry;
• I value the relationship between performance and price;
• I alternate affordable fragrances with an occasional special bottle;
• for summer, I prefer easy freshness over overly complex compositions;
• for winter, I look for identity and a more noticeable development.

The collection also reflects my interest in Middle Eastern perfumery. Brands such as Lattafa, Rasasi, Afnan, French Avenue and Ahmed Al Maghribi make it possible to explore intense and unusual profiles at generally more accessible prices than many designer or niche releases.

A possible technical idea: recommending fragrances with data

My interest in perfumery also connects with how I work with technology. A fragrance collection can be represented as data: notes, scent families, seasons, occasions, performance, price and personal ratings.

That information could support a recommender that goes beyond saying, "if you like this, buy that." It could identify genuine gaps, avoid redundant purchases and recommend a fragrance based on weather, occasion, budget and preferred notes.

It would be an interesting project precisely because recommendations cannot rely on similarity alone: perfumery retains an emotional and subjective component that no ranking can replace.

Conclusion

My current collection covers almost any scenario, but it has two clear personalities. In warm weather, I look for freshness, comfort and ease of use. In cold weather, I prefer vanilla, spices, woods and profiles with more presence.

This article is a snapshot of the collection in June 2026. My next step will be documenting my real favorites after wearing them for longer. I have also separated the 49 fragrances I want to sample and compare into another article, avoiding purchases driven only by novelty or viral recommendations. I also keep a separate list of the 34 fragrances I want to own, organized by the gap each bottle could fill. To complete the journey, I have also documented the 19 fragrances I previously owned.

Bottle images and linked note pyramids come from Fragrantica. The opinions, weather classification and use-case selection are my own. To talk about perfumery, technology or possible data-related projects, find me on LinkedIn or visit my contact page.