The Best New Fragrances in September, From Max Mara’s First Fragrance to Prada’s Latest Paradoxe

Prada’s cult-favorite Paradoxe gets a sweeter, fruitier sibling with the same je ne sais quoi. Crafted by master perfumers Nadège Le Garlantezec, Shyamala Maisondieu and Antoine Maisondieu, this new chapter pairs sharpness and softness in one bottle, reimagining the signature Paradoxe flower. Top notes are blackcurrant syrup accord; the heart includes orange blossom absolute; and the base comprises neroli milk accord.

“We wanted to reveal a more emotional, sophisticated kind of sweetness,” say the perfumers. “To do so, the composition plays with contrasts, airy and milky textures, floral transparency and comforting roundness, resulting in a contemporary version of sweetness redefined as emotion rather than intensity. The intention was to create a scent that reveals rather then hides, one that accompanies individuality in all its facets, translating the idea of an evolving identity through fluid contrasts, intimate yet radiant, delicate and assertive.”

Victoria Beckham Beauty’s fifth fragrance is a deeper, more intense sequel to the brand’s most-loved Portofino ’97. Hotel Portofino carries over the brand’s signature Calabrian bergamot and smoky incense, but adds wild fig, saffron, pinot noir and black amber for a woody, spicy edge that “reawakens a memory of ecstasy and infatuation.” Top notes are bergamot, basil and saffron; the heart includes wild fig, agarwood and pinot noir accord; and the base comprises incense, papyrus and black amber.

“There are moments in your life that feel tangible forever,” says Victoria Beckham. “Hotel Portofino is one of my own moments at the height of falling in love. Our master perfumer Jérôme Epinette crafted this exquisite and complex extrait de parfum that I feel wildly passionate about, and it transports me right back to that feeling.”

A rich, warm, amber scent, NOYZ’s latest fragrance is “dark, addictive and unresolved,” according to the brand, which says it smells like “you don’t know where the night will end.” We’d describe it as a smoky vanilla that smells even more intriguing as it wears throughout the day. Top notes are black sugar and smoked vanilla; the heart includes cognac accord, cassia and sheer orchid; and the base comprises amber, cocoa, tonka bean and cashmere woods.

Guerlain’s first major feminine fragrance in a decade has mastered something that’s almost impossible to bottle: the “blue hour,” when the sky is perfectly between day and night. Guerlain’s director of perfume creation Delphine Jelk spent three years developing a proprietary iris tincture just for this amber-floral scent, which features delicately vanilla-infused iris. Top notes include an airy ozonic accord, pear and neroli; the heart blends the House’s exclusive iris tincture with iris butter and jasmine; and base notes are vanilla, ambroxan and musks.

“I wanted to capture the blue hour with the same tenderness as Jacques Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue in 1912,” says Jelk. “As a woman, I wanted to express femininity accurately, as I see it: a blend of tenderness and strength. Authenticity and poetry. A femininity that seizes every opportunity.”

Max Mara’s first-ever fragrance is, fittingly, shaped like its most famous coat—the bottle even has a lacquered camel belt and gold button cap modeled after the brand’s iconic 101801 style. Perfumers Marie Salamagne and Fabrice Pellegrin dreamt up the woody-floral composition to be an addictive, signature scent synonymous with the luxury brand. Top notes are fresh tuberose flower from Grasse and tuberose absolute from Guatemala; the heart is vanilla; and the base notes are sandalwood and cedarwood. It’s basically your favorite coat in spritz form.

Valentino’s first prestige fragrance launch in six years is a love letter to its own archives: The original Vendetta debuted under Valentino Garavani back in 1991, and this new floral gourmand is a reinterpretation for a new generation. Co-created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion and perfumer Andrew Everett, the scent was designed around tuberose from Columbia, and for “a confident and magnetic woman.” The top note is a red orange nectar accord, the heart is all Tuberose Osmobloom and the base is sandalwood.

The latest addition to Chloé’s Atelier des Fleurs collection reworks the line’s signature cedarwood note around the Queen of the Night, a white flower so fleeting, it only opens once a year, after dark. Perfumers Quentin Bisch and Louise Turner extracted its honeyed, spiced scent through a first-of-its-kind process, then paired it with cedarwood for rich, lasting depth. Top notes include cinnamon oil, clove bud oil and black pepper oil; mid notes are Queen of the Night, Rosyfolia and Mahonial; and the base notes comprise vanilla absolute, benzoin resinoid and cedar.

If you were a fan of the brand’s Omnia Amethyste Eau de Toilette, you’ll love this richer interpretation, courtesy of master perfumer Alberto Morillas. Inspired by amethyst’s glow as it catches the last light of twilight, this version is deeper and more enveloping—amplified iris, if you will. Top notes are iris petal and musky ambrette accord; mid notes are iris absolute and rose damascena absolute; and the base comprises cistus labdanum and vanilla bourbon.

Part of the brand’s REPLICA Fantasies collection, this smoky and sweet, unisex scent reimagines the Eden Garden apple as a woody-gourmand fragrance. Created by master perfumer Honorine Blanc, it’s inspired by “the ancient fantasy of biting the forbidden fruit—a timeless symbol of temptation—it captures the psychological push and pull of desire, inviting you to confront your temptations within the conceptual setting of a mystical, mysterious garden.” The top note is candied apple, the heart is sultry vanilla and the base is smoky oud accord.

The latest addition to Le Labo’s City Exclusive Collection is a spicy yet somehow calming, floral-amber tribute to Beijing. Each City Collection fragrance is typically available only in the city it belongs to, but once a year (now through September 30), the brand gives access to fragrance lovers everywhere. This limited-edition scent is “built around Shiu, the Ho tree’s quieter expression [and] its essence is known to offer balance and inner peace.” Key notes include camphor wood, white florals, pink pepper, frankincense and iris.