It’s time for the “scent a Christmas carol” game! Here’s how it works: someone tosses out the name of a carol, and the rest of us pitch in with suggestions for fragrances to accompany it. I’ll get us started.
We Three Kings: “Frankincense to offer have I…myrrh have I: it’s bitter perfume.” As Robin pointed out when I proposed this post, Eau d’Italie Baume du Doge has frankincense and myrhh. For frankincense alone, you have a hundred choices. Start with the new Tauer Perfumes Au Coeur du désert. For myrhh, try Annick Goutal Myrhhe Ardente. You kids in the back are undoubtedly remembering this song’s alternative lyrics: “We three kings of orient are / Trying to smoke a rubber cigar.” I’ve got you covered, too. Bulgari Black should do it.1
The Christmas Song: “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” Caron Nuit de Noël is a sure winner here. Not only does it have “Noël” in its name, it wafts a sweet nuttiness that’s a bulls-eye for this song.
Deck the Halls: “Deck the halls with boughs of holly.” I admit to not having smelled a lot of holly. It’s so prickly that I stay away from it and yank it from my garden with leather gloves when it sneaks in from the neighbor’s yard. Let’s assume holly is green and resinous. Try Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles. (Note: this recommendation doubles for Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.)
Away in a Manger: Who said Miller Harris L’Air de Rien first? You win. Cartier L’Heure Fougueuse is loaded with barnyard, too.
Wassail Wassail All Over the Town: Does anyone have the slightest clue what wassail smells like? Not me. All I know is that is contains booze. Therefore, I’ll cut this short and direct you to 5 Perfumes that Smell Like Booze. (Now I'm tempted to ask for a "wassail, dry, with a twist" from my bartender.)
Silver Bells: “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks / It’s Christmas time in the city” (Pro tip: cat lovers can substitute “kitty” for “city” for a satisfying take on an old tune.) What perfume smells like a sidewalk? I’m going to choose an oddball and go with Estée Lauder Azurée. Oakmoss can smell like wet rocks to me, so Azurée might smell like a damp sidewalk with leather shoes parading over it.
Little Drummer Boy: “Ba-rump-a-bum-bum” etc., ad nauseum. Clearly, here we don’t need something that smells like a boy or a drum. We need something that’s alluring at first, but ultimately annoying. A fragrance that cloys. Forgive me for choosing Rochas Tocade. I love it, and I need to where it from time to time, but it irritates the heck out of me.
Please chime in! Which fragrances match which holiday songs for you? We didn’t cover Silent Night, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, or the music for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Any ideas for these or others?
Note: top image is Red [cropped] by André Hofmeister at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. Ed. note: Angela left out the other well known alternative, "We three kings of Leicester square / Selling ladies underwear / So fantastic, no elastic / Only £2 a pair." Which of course would be Victoria's Secret Bombshell.
I love FM l’eau hiver and Carol of the Bells, but I am thinking many would do.
Hey, that’s a good one! With “winter” in the title, maybe Winter Wonderland would be good, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Izmrk8Yv_0
This is Ronan Keating doing a southern hemisphere version of Winter Wonderland .
Perfume: Bronze Goddess!
Happy Christmas Angela and thanks for a great year of reviews.
Ha ha ha! Yes, Bronze Goddess is perfect for you!
“Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming” could be matched endlessly…
I’ll start off with Une Rose…
I don’t know that carol! I’m almost afraid to learn another one, but then again, the variety might be nice.
so many could go with that…. 🙂
Rose Cut with its touch of saffron and incense might be nice.
I havent heard that one in years :). Brings back lovely memories thank you!
Rose perfumes that bring back lovely memories in winter of Christmas: Stella and Santal Majuscule smells like Christmas : pine trees, roses, very dry dark chocolate, ginger and something sweet baking.
Which reminds me of my favorite new-old scent, Ciro Danger! Rose, cinnamon, lavender, wood.
That sounds promising!
It’s a good one!
We Three Kings ~ Calling All Angels by April Aromatics, Copal Azur by Aedes
The Christmas Song ~ Uomo by Valentino
Deck The Halls ~ Nuit Etoilee by Annick Goutal, Granville by Dior
plus from me…
Driving Home For Christmas ~ Reverie au Jardin by Andy Tauer,
I love your Driving Home choice!
Yes!
Thanks to you both
Oh, great choices! Thoughtful, too. I love the choice of Nuit Etoilée!
Thanks Angela
Great choice – Nuit Etoilee is very close to the AG Noel candle with some fluffy, tender musk to blend it to the skin. Wonderful for the Holidays!
I love that candle. I bought four of them–and gave 3 away, darn it!–five or so years ago.
Good King Wenceslaus would be a piece of work – flesh (animalics?), wine and pine logs.
Yes–something with the smell of enclosed spaces and dogs chewing on bones under the table!
I’m thinking cozy fur capes and crisp, sharp snow. Fleurs de Glacé and Musk Tonkin?
Nice! Musk Tonkin is a great fit. I haven’t smelled Fleurs de Glacé.
It was a weird one, even by Olympic Orchids standards, and is discontinued. I really couldn’t wear it but it smells amazing on my cousin. On me it was weird and chemical and really similar to the sharp smell of a freshly opened freezer.
Intriguing–and, yes, weird.
I’ll go with an obvious one: L’Heure Bleue for Blue Christmas. For some reason L’HB has always smelled like Christmas (and winter) to me.
We Three Kings – Incense Pure (also has both frankincense and myrrh)
O Christmas Tree – Wazama (smells exactly like the Balsam Christmas trees of my youth)
Away in a Manger – Dzing
This is fun! 🙂
Great choice for L’Heure Bleue.
I agree.
Thanks!
L’Heure Bleue does have that nice whiff of pastries about, too! Great choice of Wazama.
We both did it so I don’t feel so bad! WazamBa! 😉
Yes! You know, I typed Wazamba at first, then second guessed myself when I saw your spelling.
LHB is great I have it on my dresser and it did not even catch me!
It’s a classic!
Yes to Incense Pure and We Three Kings!
So many good incense choices!
Fave Christmas song is Pretenders 2000 Miles. Since there’s a reference to diamonds sparkling in the snow, I’ll nominate White Diamonds. Haven’t smelled it, but it’s an aldehyde, and I picture Chrissie going with a kitschy fragrance!
Yes! I completely get it. White Diamonds has a white floral kick, so maybe the backseat is full of second-day tabletop decorations dug out of a church dumpster.
Tester bottles of White Diamonds seem to be everywhere at the moment, perhaps a push for holiday shoppers to sample. I tried it last night and found it appealing. Definitely a sparkler.
“Sparkler” is the ideal description! It’s sharp and sprays light for a while, then softens into a lovely white floral chypre. I can’t wear it very well, but I love sniffing it from time to time.
I would pair In The Bleak Midwinter with Gris Clair which i find suitably chilly and austere. For little drummer boy I would go with Chamade simply based on name. What I really want to know however is what to pair with Boney N’s Christmas album.
I hope someone can chime in on Boney N, since I’m super clueless and out of touch and couldn’t tell you what a Boney N is. I love the Gris Clair choice!
Whoops, that should be Boney M.
I don’t know any of the Boneys! I need to get with the program, clearly.
You’re not missing out on much believe me but that album has a special place in my heart due to early childhood exposure. Do you know of the “rah rah Rasputin” song. That’s Boney M.
I don’t know that song, but I approve of the hilarious title. I’m going to look it up on youtube right now.
OMG! WE NEED TO SCENT RAH-RAH-RASPUTIN!!! How about Chypre Mousse, since it is so “from-the-grave”, and Rasputin just wouldn’t die?
Another good cemetery scent is Voleur des Roses.
Brilliant choice for Little Drummer Boy!
Your In the Bleak Midwinter/Gris Clair choice is exactly what I was going to post! Great call 🙂
I wonder if a prose ever thinks of their fragrance as “bleak”? Of course, Serge might appreciate it!
Boney M. requires something retro and a bit cheesy. Kouros, maybe? Or maybe that is too strong…Love’s Baby Soft?
Both cheesy, true, but wow what a difference in fragrances!
Robin, I can answer the wassail question! It’s cider mulled with tons of spices and brandy or mead added for a powerful kick. My recipe calls for an addition of roasted apple pulp, so I’m going with Wazamba which has that smoky/sweet apple-in-the-fire effect.
Oh my god, I meant Angela! (Hurriedly hides mug of wassail behind couch pillow)
I just came in a little while ago and I’m still frozen – pass the Wassail please! It sounds delicious!
Wow, that sounds delicious! Don’t hide that mug–pour some for me!
I think AG’s Musc Nomade has a huge baked apple note to me. Put me off it honestly.
Oh I will take some of that!
Carol of the Bells – Oranges and Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clement’s
What Child is This – Petite Guerlain
Okay… I’ll stop now.
You’re good! Don’t stop!
I have to put out Marilyn Monroe’s Santa Baby. When you really listen to it, it is really sensual and I mean really sensual. I think that vintage Bal would fit that one
Oh, now you’ve made me want to get out my vintage Bal extrait. In fact, I’m going to do it as soon as I’ve responded to these latest comments!
Parfume Sacre would be good for some high mass thing, maybe Handel’s Messiah?
Yes, that would be fabulous based on name alone!
Driving home for Christmas: Knize Ten.
You must have a nicer car than I do!
Sleigh Ride: Zing! Leather, horse, candy, playful…
That’s perfect! Plus, there’s a hint of musk in there for the warm bodies.
Via The Waitresses:
‘Spending this one alone,’ he said.
‘Give me a break, this year’s been crazy.’
I said ‘Me too, but why are you..
You mean you forgot (Demeter) Cranberry too?’
I bet Demeter has a lot of good carol-perfect perfumes!
O Tannenbaum = SL Fille en Aiguilles
Adeste Fideles (aka O Come All Ye Faithful) = CdG Avignon
Avignon is a sure thing for almost any of the non-secular songs.
Mm. Sounds like I need to smell Fille en Aiguilles!
I always think of Christmas, sparkling lights, red roses and something warm baking when I think of vintage Chanel no 5 perfume. My mom always wore it on Christmas Day so it’s very nostalgic for me. 🙂
But , I can’t think of an accompanying Christmas carol. Any takers?
How about an album: Jackson Five Christmas Album (hey, there’s a 5 in there!)
Good one!
Hmmmm. Did Dinah Shore do Christmas carols? I could see her being a good match.
I’m pretty sure she did – wasn’t it for Chevy?
Just Googled her – she made Baby It’s Cold Outside famous!
That was her? Well!
How about Santa Baby? 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMyF9fDKzE
A classic!
Only Sam Phillips fully captures the mystery of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” Match it with Fresh Pomegranate Anise and a long walk on a cold winter night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lsi1NZtWGw
Whoa. What a beautiful, haunting version.
I’d love a perfume for the Pogues Fairytale of New York…my favourite Christmas song.
Something by Le Labo, such as Thé Noir 29, Ylang 49, or Patchouli 24.
Aarrgh…give me one I can find in NZ !
How about the original Comme des Garçons, or that more recent one in the misshapen bottle.
Now I’m realizing how out of the holiday song whirl I am. But, hey, I least I know about the Pogues.
Maybe Bulgari Black? Something with an undertone of despair. (I love this song as well.)
It’s a marshmallow world in the winter
When the snow comes to cover the ground
It’s time for play, it’s a whipped cream day
I wait for it the whole year ’round
…
Oh, it’s a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts
Take a walk with your favorite girl
It’s a sugar date, what if spring is late
In winter it’s a marshmallow world
I would pair this with the sweetest, stickiest perfume I own: Mémoire Liquide’s Amour Liquide. Vanilla to the max. Sadly, lacking all the suavity of Sinatra and Martin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lPw9hkk3II
Oh, this is perfect! And very fattening. Thank you!
Twelve Days of Christmas
Any perfume that has everything but the kitchen sink fits: (# of notes per Fragrantica)
– Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin (21)
– Bal a Versailles (26, not a typo)
I dare anyone to fine a perfume with more than 26 notes per Fragrantica!
Fragrantica only touches on listed notes! Many perfumes are swimming in actual materials–Bal a Versailles is well above 100, I believe (the number is out there since the fragrance is so famously complex, but I didn’t find it in a 2-second internet search, so I’ll add a comment later). As a quick check, the Le Labo perfumes list the number of materials used in the fragrance’s title. Iris 39, for instance, has 39 materials included!
That said, I know you’re on to something with Bal a Versailles….
Fragrantica lists 31 notes for Roja Dove Diaghilew!
That’s it. You win!
I am not that well versed or familiar with Christmas songs and carols,so I’ll suggest when you go to Midnight Mass and sing all of them:Comme de Garçonnes Avignon.I did once attend Midnight Mass on invitation from a friend,and I wore Avignon.And it was perfect.
Avignon would be spot-on perfect for midnight mass in an old cathedral. Absolutely so.
An obscure holiday carol I heard for the first time last week is called “What is This Lovely Fragrance?” (“Quelle est cette odeur agréable?”). I would pair it with Mon Precieux Nectar. I already mentioned this carol on NST over the weekend, but could not resist posting it here too — it fits everyone’s favorite fragrance whatever that might be.
And I think Erdenstern deserves a carol for having such a pretty name. Perhaps I would “hang a shining star upon the highest bough” as in Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, or just watch “the silent stars go by” in O Little Town of Bethlehem.
“What is this lovely fragrance?” How perfect is that? I must find it and listen to it.
Maybe this is it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5g9vT6Dhw
It looks like Jean Siberry recorded it, too, but that’s not on YouTube.
A lovely song! Well, according to the lyrics, the fragrance wafts “like the flowers in spring,” so that’s a big hint. We could go a million directions, but I’ll choose DelRae Wit.
Oh spot on with Tocade! That’s hilarious! And I say that as one who KNOWS full well that Tocade is annoying and I STILL went ahead with a full bottle. Now it winks at me from the depths of the perfume drawer. It doesn’t care what I think of it, it has fun anyway all by itself. 🙂
Yes, Tocade is a winking sort of perfume if there ever was one! I have a full bottle, too, and it’s busy partying all by itself in my perfume cabinet.
An 80s Christmas: the original Last Christmas recorded by Wham! and Basile by Basile. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI
I wish we could put together an NST holiday album with all the great songs that have been posted here!
YES!
Late to the party, of course, but how about Joy for Joy to the World?
Oh, that one’s a natural! I’m surprised none of us thought of it before!