Best Fragrances of 2011

Below you'll find my 10 favorite new fragrances of 2011, in no particular order. This past year held several surprises in the fragrant universe, as well as a few personal honors for me. I was asked to join The Fragrance Foundation's Committee for Indie Fragrances, I was interviewed by Allure magazine for print and online (along with other perfume blogger pals), forged meaningful friendships with kindred spirits, and now I'm ending the year by joining a new, small collaborative blogging group consisting of myself and three other bloggers whom I hold in very high esteem (from Persolaise, Olfactoria's Travels and Fragrant Moments). We are planning on some fun group blogs for 2012, so stay tuned! Today, we are presenting our Best of 2011 lists together, and you will find links to their blogs at the bottom of this post. Year-end "best of" lists are without doubt my favorite to do, and so, without further ado, please read on to discover my creme de la creme fragrances!


Oscar de la Renta Esprit d'Oscar
notes: lemon, bergamot, citron, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, heliotrope, vetiver, tonka bean, musk

I was enchanted with Esprit d'Oscar from the start, in a way that I never was with the original Oscar. The sparkling optimism combined with the sensuality of this flanker led me to wear it quite a bit over the past year, and I foresee my future fully stocked with it. The similarities between it and Guerlain L'Heure Bleue only urge me to love it even more.

Aftelier Oud Luban
notes: elemi, orange terpenes, blood orange, frankincense CO2, oud, opoponax, choya ral, benzoin, aged patchouli

I must admit that I had a very hard time choosing my favorite of Mandy Aftel's three new releases in 2011, because I love them all. It was Oud Luban solid perfume, however, that spoke to me in my own language. It combines two of my favorite scent elements- oud and incense, it lasts for several hours on the skin and leaves a delicious trail of smokiness everywhere you go.

Amouage Library Collection Opus V
notes: orris absolute, rum, orris concrete, rose, jasmine, agarwood, civet, dry wood accord

Opus V was somewhat of a revelation for me. Never in my life have I experienced a fragrance as overtly animalic as Opus V, and yet it retains a certain refinement at the same time. It's powerful and sexual without being the least bit vulgar. This perfume is responsible for getting me hooked on Amouage. I think the firm is thriving under the creative direction of Christopher Chong, and I look forward to future launches.

Prada Candy
notes: caramel, musks, overdose of benzoin

Prada Candy is one of the surprises of the year that I alluded to. The name and the graphics that go along with the fragrance are wildly misleading. Candy has sweetness, that much is true, but it's an extremely cozy yet streamlined scent. There is an addictive boozy effervescence about it that keeps me coming back for more.

Aroma M Geisha Amber Rouge
notes: Moroccan amber, deep wood resins, cinnamon, clove, star anise

Perfumer Maria McElroy triumphed this year with her first launch in five years, Geisha Amber Rouge. If you love honey with your amber, this intense gem of a fragrance is mandatory. The star anise keeps the blend from being too warm, and it retains an aromatic richness throughout wear, which is actually close to 24 hours. I've not been able to stop yapping about Geisha Amber Rouge since its release, and I don't see an end to that anytime soon. Sorry.

Etat Libre d'Orange Archives 69
notes: mandarin, pink pepper, pimiento leaf, orchid, prune, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli, musk

I love ELdO. I don't love every single one of their fragrances, but I love them as a firm, and occasionally one of their releases will knock my socks off. Archives 69 made me giggle the first time I wore it, and in subsequent wearings, the joke wore off and I was left with a very solid, imaginative blend that I wore all summer long. In a market flooded with pink pepper and patchouli, Archives 69 stands out as a display of strength for this house.

Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vanille
notes: Brazilian orange, Indonesian clove, petitgrain, rum extract, Bourbon vetiver, ylang ylang, Indian sandalwood, gaiac wood, vanilla absolute from Madagascar, amber, tonka bean

2011 saw the life of brilliant perfumer Mona di Orio cut short, and many (including myself) would say in the absolute prime of her creativity. The introduction of Les Nombres d'Or collection indeed heralded the golden age for Mona, and the blogosphere exploded with praise for her work from all across the globe. Vanille is my favorite release from this collection, and it reminds me somewhat of Guerlain Spiriteuse Double Vanille, but more powerful, spicier and with stunning longevity. Longevity is a blessing with perfumes like Les Nombres d'Or Vanille because it's a ride that you never want to end.

Opus Oils Les Bohemes Dapper
notes: violet absolute, orris root, blond tobacco, sandalwood, aged dark patchouli

I am a notorious fangirl of select big houses like Guerlain, but in the end, it's the independent perfumers who torture me the most at year's end. As with Mandy Aftel's fragrances, I had a very hard time choosing just one of Kedra Hart's Les Bohemes perfumes as my favorite. In my heart, though, I always knew it had to be Dapper, a berry-violet and leather concoction. I've never smelled anything like it before, and its charm and uniqueness kept it in high rotation since the very first time I wore it.

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial
notes: bergamot, orange, green notes, fruity notes, rose jasmine, iris, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean and white musk

As much as I love Guerlain, I've never been too much of a fan of Shalimar, but I was still looking forward to Parfum Initial. My inkling that I would love it turned out to be correct. The gourmand facets of lemon curd, vanilla and puff pastry open the fragrance in a very feminine way, but the undercurrent of patchouli and vetiver allow a masculine edge to emerge. This irresistible allure is what makes this flanker a real success in my eyes.

Le Labo Santal 33
notes: Australian sandalwood, papyrus, cedarwood, cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox, leather accord

Santal 33 was another surprise for me this year. I was not expecting it to be so razor sharp and refreshing, but that's exactly why it's a perfect summer fragrance. Le Labo can always be counted on to alter perceptions and push boundaries, and Santal 33 has become one of my favorites of theirs for its audacity alone. Bold, camphoraceous and full of heart, it's not a fragrance you'll soon forget.

Please visit these fabulous blogs for more Best of 2011 posts:
Persolaise
Fragrant Moments
Olfactoria's Travels

I'd like to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and my hope is that 2012 will be a prosperous and love-filled year for all!

Prada Candy- don't shed your benzoin tears on my account, I think you're cool

It's been awhile since I've encountered such an incredibly misnamed perfume as Prada Candy. It's comforting, cozy and resinous. It's also many other things, including fantastic, but it really does not remind me of candy in any way, nor is it even that sweet. I should warn you that my tolerance for sweetness in perfume is extraordinarily high, however. Point in case:  I list Guerlain's Iris Ganache as one of my favorites. It does have a caramelized sugar aspect to it, but the overdose of benzoin really counteracts excessive sweetness. There is a sharp woodiness at the outset that takes over for a little while, but Candy is worth sticking it out to see where it takes you and may yield a surprise or two for you depending on how you feel about previous Prada releases.

Candy has heart. Much more heart than any of the other Prada fragrances I've tried, which all feel cool or cold to me-- too anemic, which is something that's always turned me off about Prada perfumes. I am someone who is more drawn to excess and opulence than starkness, severity and minimalism. There are always exceptions, but even the soliflores I love tend to have so much life, layers and richness to them. Candy veers away from opulence but is simultaneously a skillfully balanced resinous gourmand which lends the comfort of fragrant curlicues of incense smoke without the heaviness of a bonfire. Prada Candy will never overwhelm, and proves that where there's smoke, there doesn't necessarily have to be fire.

The quality of the vanilla is excellent, and it reminds me of the smell of antique books or newsprint, similar to what I get from Barbara Bui Le Parfum. In fact, Candy could really be considered a sibling of Le Parfum, which I also adore and is sadly discontinued. Consistent with the Prada brand, Candy has a streamlined approach to gluttony, but I believe it succeeds with a certain warmth that none of their others have. It draws you in and invites you to stay, instead of simply stating its existence, defying you to connect to it.

When analyzing Candy, it's not the caramel I keep thinking about, it's the benzoin. I imagine a host of benzoin tears at my disposal, appearing as nectar of the gods- sticky, resinous, and yes, a little sweet. When Prada got a hold of those little benzoin tears, they sang until there was laughter, eschewing the tears for joy. 

The packaging is great, though not well suited to the scent. From the outer box with its bright pink and illustration of a slightly amused and chic blonde in an LBD to the improbably vintage 1960s-looking UFO bottle itself, it is truly giddiness-inducing. You would not expect a comfort scent perfect for cooler weather to emerge from the atomizer, but something more in line with cherry lollipop or a sweet, fruity floral.

The sillage is moderate, and the longevity is quite good. I spritzed generously in the evening and woke up with the luscious fragrance all over me, still (in fact, I think it gets better the longer it's on skin/clothes). After about 6-8 hours, it starts to take on a mellower, warmer and nutty quality that is very attractive and pretty hard to resist. This is one of the very few recent mainstream releases I can write about enthusiastically (I don't even bother writing about most of them because they're so unremarkable)-- it is a wonderful scent for a very reasonable price. This will be one of those perfumes that I'm likely to repurchase once my supply is out. I never thought I'd say that about a Prada release, but there it is. Perfumer Daniela Roche-Andrier really caught my attention this time around, and I hope to see more designs like this one from her in the future.

For the mainstream consumer, I think the packaging and bottle will attract certain tastes, and some people will be surprised. I feel pretty strongly that Prada has a success on their hands, even though the artistic concept and the product itself are somewhat at odds. It doesn't smell like 50 other mainstream fragrances you can find in the department store, and that will definitely benefit Prada, especially come this holiday season. I predict huge sales just for the adorable presentation alone. It's the kind of thing girls just like- delightful AND useful.

The only listed notes are caramel, musk and benzoin. Prada Candy EDP is available in 1.7 and 2.7 oz bottles for $80 and $108 respectively. It can be purchased at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and many of the other usual suspects.

[my bottle was purchased by me for my own collection]

Le rollerball parfumé arrive

Le roll-on pour le contour des yeux, c'est so 2009 ! Il faudra d'ailleurs que je me penche un jour sur cette tendance car je n'arrive pas à trancher : est-ce un pur gadget marketing ou bien ce système d'applicateur dope t-il vraiment l'efficacité du soin en lui même ? Toujours est-il qu'en tout cas, de très nombreuses marques (Garnier, L'Oréal Paris, Clinique, Sanoflore, Sampar...) se sont engouffré dans ce juteux business ces derniers mois. Mais aujourd'hui, c'est une autre utilisation du rollerball qui commence à émerger : le roll-on pafumé !

Outre-Manche, ils fleurissent à vitesse grand V. Jugez donc avec cette photo du haut réunissant les derniers-nés d'Annick Goutal (Petite Chérie), Juicy Couture (Peace Love & Juicy), Bvlgari (trois fragrances de la marque sont déjà proposées sous cette forme), Vera Wang, Hanae Mori... Et si jusqu'alors ce phénomène concernait plutôt des marques de niche, il s'étend maintenant aux grands acteurs du marché puisque Calvin Klein a déjà décliné son dernier-né, Beauty, en format nomade.

D'autres (ci-dessus, Michael Kors et Donna Karan par exemple) vont même encore plus loin en proposant des rollerball à double embout, contenant d'un côté la bille qui délivre le parfum et de l'autre un gloss. Seul bémol, ces petits gadgets ne sont pas donnés, entre 18$ et 25$ selon le prestige et le positionnement prix habituel des marques en question. Chez Sephora US, on peut aussi, pour réduire les coûts de ce genre de fantaisie, investir dans un roll-on ressourçable dans lequel on peut mettre le parfum de son choix (8 euros environ).

Alors oui, ce n'est la révolution du siècle puisque certaines marques commercialisaient déjà des vaporisateurs de sacs sous forme de pulvérisateurs. Il y en a même parfois des très jolis, qui sont de véritables petits accessoires de mode comme par exemple ceux de Prada (mais à plus de 60 euros les 3 x 10ml, c'est la moindre des choses que cela soit joli!). Non, moi ce que je trouverai totalement novateur, c'est qu'à chaque fois que l'on achète un flacon de parfum 50ml ou plus, on ai la chance de trouver dans la boite un petit rollerball de notre fragrance chérie pour pouvoir se faire une petite "retouche parfum" dans la journée ! Ca, ce serait top ! Et le prix du parfum en France étant tellement prohibitif en France, je suis certain que les marges confortables que s'octroient les grandes marques leur permettraient de mettre en place ce genre d'initiatives.