Let Your Imagination Waft Wild with These 6 Fall Fragrances

Even the most tight-lipped man can reveal a lot with his fragrance. Smell is the sense said to be most closely associated with one's memory, which explains why the whiff of a distinguished cologne can transport us to unexpected places. Carlos Huber's latest, El, aims to take you--and the lucky party next to you--to such a place. With its fresh, musky blend of oakmoss, vetiver, and sage, it's meant to elicit images of a young man leaving the disco to bask in the moonlight on a beach in 1970s Acapulco (and trust us, it does).

Inspired by British mystery novels, Penhaligon's latest Portrait collection conjures its own narratives, lending elaborate personalities to several olfactory characters, including the enticing Lord George. Enshrined in a beastly receptacle with golden horns, that scent--a deep, dark mix of brandy, amber, and wood--paints a scene of a fancy Victorian dandy playing chess by the fireplace. Meanwhile, Byredo's Bibliotheque and Lola James Harper's Woody Office of Daddy suggest the faint odor of an old paperback and the comforting aroma of your childhood pencils. The stories behind this fall's best fragrances are as complex and evocative as the layers of notes they're made of. Choose your favorite, and let your imagination waft wild.

(From Left): The Woody Office of Daddy Candle by Lola James Harper; Vintage lighter by Cartier; Colonia Ebano by Acqua Di Parma, available at Barneys New York; The Tragedy of Lord George by Penhaligon's; Bibliotheque by Byredo; El by Arquiste; Mr. Burberry by Burberry