6 of the best scents to wear this fall, according to professional perfumers

Fall has officially arrived, which means you're likely swapping out sandals for boots and dresses for sweaters. But don't forget to spruce up your fragrance collection, too.

If you've been pondering the idea of finding your signature scent, now is the perfect time to be on the prowl. Business Insider spoke with three professional perfumers to get their expert-backed fragrance recommendations and tips.

From classic scents like sandalwood, vanilla, and honey to more unexpected notes of banana, rose, and tea leaves, here's what experts say are this season's must-haves.

It's a great time of year for woodsy scents.

Watching the leaves change colors and spending time by the fireplace are quintessential fall experiences. So, it makes sense that woodsy, earthy scents are popular during this time of year.

Darryl Do, a New York-based senior perfumer at Delbia Do Fragrances & Flavors, thinks sandalwood in particular will be huge this season.

Yes, Nós Temos Banana, a fragrance by Brazilian brand Granado, is one of Do's fall favorites. This scent combines sandalwood and cedar with banana leaves and fig for a tropical twist on woodsy scents.

If you're looking for something more traditionally earthy, Bryson Ammons, a New York City-based perfumer and founder of The Alloy Studio, recommends Somewhere but Nowhere by LORE. This fragrance features notes of cedarwood, cardamom, black tea, and vanilla cream.

He said it's a "great starter fall fragrance at a really accessible price point."

Gourmands are still on trend.

When fall rolls around, certain scents like pumpkin spice become all the rage — but there are other sweet, culinary-inspired fragrances that deserve a spot on your shelf, too, according to Ammons.

"A lot of different perfumes [...] are playing with that warm, autumnal spice and sweetness without literally being pumpkin spice," he said.

Teddy Haugen, a Bay Area-based perfumer, founder of Teddy the Perfumer, and creative director at House of Cosmo, recommends chocolate-forward scents as the season changes.

One of his favorites is Lust Oud Delice by Chris Collins, which Haugen called a "beautiful powdered-chocolate gourmand" that has notes of dark chocolate and hazelnut.

Warm yourself up with some spice.

As the weather gets colder, the fuzzy socks and heated blankets start to come out … and another way to exude warmth is by adding a spicy scent to your fragrance collection.

"In the fall, we often look for warm, sensual, resinous smells, like rich vanillas and spices," Haugen said.

For a resinous and spicy vibe, Ammons likes Nefer by Parfum Prissana, a scent inspired by ancient Egyptian perfumery. You'll find notes of saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg, alongside hints of amber, tangerine, and rose.

Another one of Ammons' favorites is Honey Body by Syd Botanica, a spicy, sensual fragrance that's perfect for fall. Although Sichuan pepper is one of its featured notes, Ammons said the honey and apricot give it a nice mix of spicy and sweet.

Let florals stick around this fall.

It's a given that many people reach for floral scents during the spring. To Miranda Priestly's surprise, though, florals for fall might actually be groundbreaking.

"It's fun sometimes to wear something unexpected because people associate fall and winter with sugar and spice," Haugen said.

One floral fragrance he recommends is Diptyque's Eau Rose. The fragrance features notes of damascena and centifolia roses, chamomile, and artichoke.

Do is also a fan of florals for fall. He recommends Anood's Sunny 7, which blends rose and tuberose with comforting notes like vanilla, pistachio, and blood orange.

Fruity fragrances aren't just for summer.

Just because summer's ending doesn't mean that refreshing, fruity scents have to leave, too.

"Spice plus fruit feels so right to me when it gets cooler," Ammons says.

One fragrance he reaches for in the fall months is Mirth by Herb Craft Perfumery, which blends fruity and spicy notes like Mexican grapefruit, lemon balm, apricot, saffron, and even cotton candy.

Dark and smoky notes are having a moment.

If you want the scent you're wearing to be a little moodier, consider notes like tobacco and leather.

Haugen said Epichron's Twin Peaks is "one of the most incredible smoked-tea fragrances ever created." Inspired by the Himalayas and the Wuyi Mountains, this fragrance involves the pleasantly intense scent of Lapsang tea leaves, which can mimic the smell of a campfire.

It's also balanced by other notes like black tea, honey, rose, and bergamot.

Meanwhile, Ammons suggests Tobacco Road by Ariana & Evans. This fragrance combines tobacco and smoke with other fall-friendly notes like sandalwood, amber, bay leaf, and hinoki.

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Sukhman Rekhi is a California-based wellness, lifestyle, and travel editor. Her work has been published in Well+Good, Health, Parade, Psychology Today, theSkimm, Everyday Health, and more. When she’s not writing, you might find her scouring craft and bookstores for her latest art projects and reads, adding too many travel photos to her camera roll, and binge-watching TV shows as her personal form of screenwriting lessons.