So, Labor Day weekend is out of the way (hope all my US readers had a fab long weekend!) so now I can talk unapologetically about my favorite topic...you guessed it...FALL. I know the season doesn't "officially" start until the autumnal equinox later this month, but Labor Day weekend is as good a marker as any. A new season has begun.

And with that season comes...fall fragrance! It makes me a bit sad to put my Summer by Kenzo on the shelf, but I'm SO excited to break out some heavier, richer scents. So excited, in fact, that I've pulled TEN of my favorite fall fragrances from my personal collection to share with you. That'll be a two-part post, but for now, I can't resist the one that has really captured me this season...

Serge Lutens Rousse.

I added Rousse to my Serge collection last year but never really fell in love with it. I acquired it in the spring and quickly found that it's quite ill-suited to that season; it's too woodsy and spicy. But for Fall? Perfection.

Rousse's notes include mandarin, cinnamon, cloves, spices, floral & aromatic notes, fruit, cinnamon wood, precious woods, amber, musk and vanilla. It smells a bit like a pomander, which brings to mind the delicious anticipation of Christmas (for which I recommend Donna Karan Black Cashmere, by the way). But the balance that Rousse achieves is why I think it's the perfect scent for a transitional season; it's not too sweet, not too dry, not overloaded on the woods or the spices, and not too fruity. Know what I mean? Sweet without being foody, dry without smelling like a bonfire.

The Serge Lutens export fragrances can usually be found at Neiman Marcus (where I bought mine) and Barneys, but I don't see Rousse on either of the websites right now. Curious. It can, however, be had at Beautyhabit, one of my personal favorite online scent destinations.