My usual disclaimer: I managed to smell only a small portion of the fragrance industry's prodigious output this year. If it was a fantastic year for fragrance, perhaps I tried the wrong perfumes — I thought it was generally a so-so year, and most of the Now Smell This contributors seemed to agree with me.
My choices are just below. Scroll down to see what Angela, Erin, Jessica and Kevin thought was noteworthy in 2015, or click over to Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Perfume Posse or The Non-Blonde for more opinions. And of course, do add your own thoughts in the comments!
My favorite niche fragrances of 2015: Neela Vermeire Créations Pichola, Diptyque Essences Insensées 2015 and The Different Company Le 15
Best mainstream: the honor should probably go to Chanel Misia, but I have a soft spot as well for Hermès Le Jardin de Monsieur Li
Best from the mall chains: L'Occitane Pamplemousse Rhubarbe
Best from the indie houses: I thought it was a very good year for indie. I really liked Kerosene Unforsaken, Providence Perfume Co Provanilla, Tauer Sotto La Luna Tuberose, Aftelier Vanilla Smoke and the Eau de Parfum version of Aftelier Bergamoss
Did what it was supposed to do: Alaïa Paris by Azzedine Alaïa, Ferragamo Emozione, Penhaligon's Ostara, L’Artisan Parfumeur Noir Exquis. Bvlgari had three solid launches this year with Aqva Divina, Omnia Paraiba and my personal favorite Eau Parfumée au Thé Bleu
Didn't: Marc Jacobs Decadence, Miu Miu
Why do you build me up Buttercup: Dior Sauvage
I've already forgotten what it smells like: Versace Eros Pour Femme
Darned cute commercials: a three-way tie between Ariana Grande for Ari, the bowling spot for Chanel Chance and Penhaligon's Progress
Most impressive writhing: Adriana Lima for Marc Jacobs Decadence tied with Natalia Vadianova for Calvin Klein Euphoria
Most impressive eyeliner, plus a special award for best use of a buffalo: Johnny Depp for Dior Sauvage
Absolute favorite PR nugget of the year: the CEO of Ferragamo Parfums stating at the launch of Signorina Misteriosa that women are "multifaceted and polyhedral"
Best packaging: Miu Miu
Kitsch fun-fest of the year: Moschino Fresh Couture
Clive Christian award for aspirational pricing: Serge Lutens L'Incendiaire
You can't make this stuff up: Roja Parfums Tutti Frutti Aouds
We celebrated our tin anniversary this year: thanks for the memories (and the excellent shelf life), Fendi Theorema
Perfumer of the year: Olivier Polge. Misia was an excellent debut for Chanel's new house perfumer (and Chance Eau Vive, whatever, I admit I don't care what they do to Chance). Over the years, Polge has developed any number of excellent mainstream perfumes, from Balenciaga Paris to the original Dior Homme to Spicebomb, and I look forward to seeing where he takes Chanel next.
Angela
The Highlight: At last, Chanel No. 5 makes sense. Oh, sure, I thought I knew what No. 5 was about, and I thought it simply wasn’t for me. Finally, after all these years and a fortuitous purchase of vintage No. 5 Extrait, I get it. And I love it. For Christmas I bought myself a big bottle of the Eau de Toilette and have been sneaking spritzes between the fragrances I’m supposed to be wearing. Why now after all these years? Search me. But I’m grateful.
The Good: Two fragrances that launched this year — Bogue Profumo Maai and Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendré — draw me back for repeated trials. I love Maai for its take-no-prisoners gutsiness, a cross between Maria Callas’s elegant roughness and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Austrian muscle. Iris Cendré is a warm, welcoming scent to me. It’s brainy with iris, but approachable with its whiff of hearth. Other fragrances from past years that only just found their way to me, but that I’ve enjoyed, include Pretty Woman (if you love incense and wood, you really need to sample this one); Estée Lauder Knowing (my candidate for the ultimate grand American fragrance); and Ann Gérard Perle de Mousse (spring in an abandoned mossy chateau on a river). Also, I really enjoyed Luca Turin’s Folio Columns for the thinking they’ve inspired on perfume, art, living, and writing in general.
The Bad: Dawn dish detergent in Pomegranate Splash. Dawn is famous for cutting the grease, and this version brags that it gives you softer hands. But it smells like an alcoholic punch served at a sorority party. Despite its alluring petal pink, it hurts me to wash dishes with it.
Erin
It was a weaker year than 2014 for releases, I thought, and particularly on the mainstream side of things, but that left me more money for other indulgences, so... no harm done.
Favorite Niche / Indie: Aedes de Venustas Palissandre d'Or, Neela Vermeire Créations Pichola, Slumberhouse Kiste and Zoologist Bat
Favorite Mainstream Scents: Thierry Mugler Cuir Impertient and Alaïa Paris by Azzedine Alaïa (If you hated it, more for me)
Solid, if Not Earth-shattering: Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Bleu, Hiram Green Voyage and Papillon Perfumery Salome
Best Late Discoveries from 2014: Christian Dior Cuir Cannage and Hiram Green Shangri La
Best Flanker: Hermès Equipage Géranium
Very Nice, But Not for $400: Amouage Sunshine Man
Favorite Brand of 2015: Zoologist Perfumes. Finally, a great niche line from Toronto! Adorably packaged and reasonably priced, Victor Wong's scents are the most fun I've had sniffing this year. Besides the brand new Bat, try Panda and Rhino.
Jessica
I have a feeling that I tried fewer new releases this year than I usually do, due to changes in my employment (specifically, location) and the resulting lack of regular access to department stores and perfume boutiques. However, I did come across more than a few new perfumes that I genuinely enjoyed, and not one of them was oud-centered.
Niche/Indie Favorites: Frapin Nevermore, Atkinsons 1799 Love In Idleness, Charenton Macerations Asphalt Rainbow, Diptyque Florabellio, Aroma M Voluptuous Nostalgia, Byredo Rose of No Man’s Land
Mainstream Favorite: The Body Shop Smoky Poppy, a limited edition collection (of course!)
Favorite Trend: Lipstick-inspired fragrances like Chanel Misia, Maison Martin Margiela Replica Lipstick On, Prada Tainted Love and Anatole Lebreton Incarnata; not a new idea, of course, but still appealing
Favorite Opportunities to Roll My Eyes: Marc Jacobs Decadence and Bond no. 9 Dubai
Favorite Perfume News: L’Artisan Parfumeur’s reissue of Oeillet Sauvage and other discontinued or hard-to-find scents; the arrival of Le Soft Perfume, created by the founder of the dearly departed Crazylibellule and the Poppies
Favorite Perfume Ad: Miu Miu’s namesake fragrance (the image with the kitten!)
Favorite Edible: Aftelier Organic Tea Orange & Cardamom
Favorite Fragranced Body Products: If I had to survive with nothing but LUSH shower gels (Lord of Misrule, Don’t Rain on My Parade, the holiday reissue of Rose Jam, etc.) and a basic unscented body lotion, I’d be fine.
Favorite Home Fragrance: Not new, but new to me: Enfleurage Amber oil, burned in a tealight diffuser
Wishing you health and happiness, and many good smells, in 2016!
Kevin
How did 2015 treat you (perfume wise)? The image above provides many options: orgasmic (great year!), bored (same old mess) or incredulous (how much higher can prices rise)?
When Robin Here at NST™ asked me if I wanted to contribute to the “Best of 2015” post, I petulantly said: “no.” She laughed and responded with something like: “I didn’t think so…not a great perfume year for you!” Over the weeks since that exchange, I’ve thought about 2015 (and perfume) a lot.
First, a year of perfume means discoveries of fragrances past and present. Second, all “perfume years” are punctuated by frustration; no one can try all new releases (there’s too much time, effort and expense involved). Finally, I’m scent-shy; I know major disappointments always lie ahead — scents like Dior Sauvage, Acqua di Parma Colonia Club, Serge Lutens L’Incendiaire, Byredo Mojave Ghost, DSquared2 Wild and (worst of all for me) Hermès Le Jardin de Monsieur Li.
But there WERE positives in 2015: Aedes de Venustas Palissandre d’Or, Maria Candida Gentile Elephant & Roses, the well-made, great-smelling Fiele Fragrances line, Carven Vétiver and Pour Homme and the beautiful Salvatore Ferragamo Tuscan Soul perfumes (Vendemmia being one of my favorite discoveries of 2015).
Perfumes from the past played a big part in my scented pleasures for 2015: Dana Emir, Guerlain Vague Souvenir and Krizia Moods Uomo.
No doubt, 2016 will see the launch of a zillion more niche lines and perfumes whose price tags make me laugh out loud. But I bet we’ll all come across at least one fragrance that brings a smile to our lips, ignites “bottle lust” and makes us spend money, even if we already have cabinets full of almost-unused perfumes staring us in the face each day. Me? I've been pining for an old friend for about eight years now, so come my birthday in January, a bell jar of Serge Lutens Miel de Bois will take up residence in my home. Come to papa, you most-detested Lutens fragrance...I'll be splashing you on liberally!
Wishing you all happy-smelling days ahead in 2016!
Note: image in Kevin's section via Wikimedia Commons. Image at top of post is Bottles & Reflections (Revised) by dvaires at flickr; some rights reserved.
My favorite this year were Tauer’s Sotto la Luna Tuberose (will have to live with a sample as I already have some tuberose …) and Penhaligon’s Ostara (the only FB of the new releases that I bought this year). I was super excited to get the sample set of Giacobetti for Andree Putman, and most surprised that I found them no more than nice.
And thank you, Robin, for recommending L’Occitane Pamplemousse Rhubarbe hand cream. I was also happy to get the lip balm.
Happy New Year!
Yes, Ostara – another one I liked.
Oh dear, have not yet tried the new Andree Putmans and like you was hoping for more! That’s really too bad, it’s been so long since we’ve seen new fragrances from Olivia Giacobetti.
Glad you like the Pamplemousse Rhubarbe!
I tried very few new fragrances this year. I did get to try Misia (and 1932, finally) recently when I was in the Houston NM. I thought that 1932 smelled distinctly like a Chanel, but Misia did not. I liked it very much, but I did not get that family resemblance that so many of the other Exclusifs have. I need to get a sample or decant so I can try it out at home.
I also blind-bought a bottle of Bergamoss. I normally try to avoid blind buys, but being that it is a limited edition, I did not know if I would have time to order a sample, try it out, and buy a bottle, if I decided I liked it. Besides, it was only $60. I do like it, although perhaps it is not quite my style. If only all the Aftelier scents were available in 9 ml sizes!
I would agree Misia is perhaps not the most Chanel-like fragrance ever, but possibly the same was thought of scents like Cristalle when it launched, right? So I’m ok with some change as long as it isn’t random.
I didn’t mean it as a complaint about Misia–just an observation. i was taking advantage of the opportunity to catch up on testing the Exclusives–I don’t get to NM more than once or twice a year–and 1932 and Misia were the two I had not yet tried. I though it was interesting that 1932 smelled so recognizably like a Chanel and Misia did not. When the SA mentioned that Chanel had a new perfumer–a fact which I had undoubtedly read here and then forgotten–it all made sense. I do want to get a small decant to try it out further. I think the change is probably just fine. If anything, I thought 1932 smelled too much like some others. I would have to test it side by side to be sure, but it brought to mind 31 RC and 28 LP, and I thought perhaps if you had those, 1932 would be redundant, whereas Misia smelled like something quite different.
Gotcha!
I didn’t personally like Misia much, and I agree with you that it’s different from what my idea of the Exclusifs is, but I think it was a clever way to expand the appeal of the line. I can see lots of people who would not wear Cuir de Russie or Rue Cambon (or even 1932, which for me is a boring version of a classic Chanel) happily wearing Misia – and it’s still elegant and high quality, as Chanel should be. As long as they keep the classics in good shape, I’m pretty happy with this.
Other than PdN’s Ambre Cashmere Intense, which I love, I don’t think I tried any new releases this year. Wait, that isn’t true. I did try Monsieur Li and enjoyed it.
I’m glad that you created new categories like “Most impressive eyeliner, plus a special award for best use of a buffalo”. Else it would become all rather dreary.
It was fun reading your lists and the creative solutions you came up with and I wish you all a wonderful 2016!
I have to do new categories every year because some years I cannot think of winners for the old categories! I’m sure there was a “best flanker” this year but I don’t know what it is. I’ll have to take Erin’s word for Equipage Geranium — I didn’t even manage to try it.
And a happy 2016 to you!
The one that made me laugh out loud is “most impressive writhing”! All I can think of when I see an ad like that is how greasy and uncomfortable the shoot must be.
Perfume ads are so bad. My favourite is still the Dutch “remake” of the Brad Pit commercial for No.5. Done by a not so sexy weatherman pondering Dutch weather.
You know, it’s also just boring at this point — we see so much of it. Ditto with men’s ab shots. Thought about doing a “best use of a beach towel” for the Rafael Nadal ad for Tommy Hilfiger (lest we forget that men get objectified as much as women in these ads).
And I learned from Robin that Natalie Vodianova writhes for Calvin Klein as well as for Guerlain. Had could I not know that?
Like many models, she is an equal opportunity writher.
I adored PdN’s Ambre Cashmere Intense. I found it wore beautifully and smelled very similar to Laura Mercier’s Minuit Enchante with perhaps a bit less spice.
This year I tried many times and fell hard for Cartier Déclaration. It suits me very well, does not skew masculine at all, and I seriously need a FB. These last maonths I’ve been wearing a lot of the original YSL Champagne. So nice and round, a bit like MPCPC, which I was coveting hard.
Wishing you all a great, peaceful, healthy and funky 2016. And Kevin… Bathe your fabulous self in that Miel de Bois!
It’s so nice to finally fall for something old that wasn’t love at first sight!
(And I am jealous of Kevin’s Miel de Bois, it’s such a great scent)
It was a pretty good year for me, in fact. My top five launches, pretty much in this order:
1. Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendre
2. Arquiste Nanban
3. Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom
4. Olfactive Studio Panorama
5. Diptyque Essences Insensees
I liked the first four enough to buy a bottle and wouldn’t say no to no 5, either. I also liked Palissandre d’Or, Monsieur Li, Miss Violet and some other things I cannot immediately recall.
The Award for the Complete Waste of Johnny Depp goes, unsurprisingly, to Dior Sauvage, although nothing can compete with the Complete Waste of Cate Blanchett that is Si.
Also, if Miu Miu juice had ANY redeeming features, I would have bought it for the bottle.
Finally, my entry to the So Utterly Ridiculously Unnecessary But Irresistible: Cire Trudon scented matches. I bought two boxes.
And I did not even try 2 of your top 5! We agree on Miu Miu, Johnny Depp and Cate Si, and those really are darned cute matches.
The matches 😀 ! Is it the wood that’s scented? Agree about the Miu Miu bottle.
I don’t always sniff things when they come out so not really sure of how new things are but I fell hard for Guerlain’s French Kiss, DSH Fumee D’Or, My Inner Island Nine Reasons, Soivohle Twelve Keys,Orlov Cross of Asia, Rochas Alchimie, several from the Kenneth Cory line, Kilian Single Malt, and Donna Karan Liquid Cashmere
Nice list! Many of those I don’t even know so could not say when they launched.
As soon as I start thinking that I didn’t do too bad this year, managed to try quite a few things, I read a list like yours and go: “Oh, well…”
I’m kind of a sampling junkie– I’ve sampled a couple of hundred things on skin for the past few years since I was going to school in NYC. I also tend to order samples from a lot of indie perfumers so I can definitely end up a bit obscure
I liked more new releases this year than usual. Nanban, Iris Cendre, Eau de Celeri, and Anabasis all made my FB list (disclaimer: there is no guarantee I will actually buy the things on my list, but I would consider spending the money). Debaser, Salome, Maai, Rose of No Man’s Land, Leather Man, The Paradam are on my “I would totally take a bottle, use a gift card, purchase at a discount, or buy a decant list.” A couple fragrances jump back and forth between lists. For instance, Leather Man is neither leather nor manly to me and very inexpensive and it might end up on the FB list, and I have two decants of Nanban (because my brain wasn’t braining and there were sales) so may never need a FB.
I’m sad to say, there were probably other new scents from 2015 that I liked, but my spreadsheet is suddenly missing a huge chunk of info 🙁 Also, I’m counting Eau de Celeri as a 2015 release because that’s when it became widely available. I’ll probably consider Bat a 2016 release because samples won’t be available for the general public until January and I really, really want to love a perfume by a favorite perfumer and sharing a name with my late cat.
Almost forgot about Tabac Tabou. Once I stopped expecting it to smell like everything else “tobacco”, I realized its brilliance.
That still has not worked for me, but maybe I’ll keep trying!
I’m not longing for a bottle, but I think it’s marvelously done.
Ugh, so sorry about your spreadsheet! I still need to try Celeri, don’t think I’ve tried a single from the brand yet.
It was a good year for me – Dior Fève Délicieuse, Misia, Tauer’s Tuberose and the Tauerville Incense and Amber releases. Also got my hands on the Roja Dove Lilac extrait.
So glad it was a good year, and that’s a nice list!
Misia was the highlight of the year for me. I gave myself a FB for Christmas!
Byredo 1996 was new to me–it was released a couple of years ago. I’ve worn it like crazy in cool weather.
A friend gave me 5 ml of Amouage Opus IX, an Amouage I can wear effortlessly!
I smelled TDC Le 15 on a friend–very nice. Will investigate further.
Finally, a sample of Iris Cendre is headed to my house. Can’t wait to try it!
Nice, congrats on your new bottle!
Robin, reading about teorema I thought: wasn´t this NST’s 10th anniversary too?
I was not expecting a big celebration or anything but I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere.. maybe I missed a post or I am wrong about the year?
I agree that this was a so-so year, and the better for me as I have mowed down my 10-bottle collection down to 5, as I finished many bottles. So, I hope for a 2016 of awesome new launches to replenish my collection up to its 10-bottle limit again. hehehehehe
I wish you all happy holidays and that we all have a polyhedral 2016!!!! 😀
It was in February
Thank you Goddes Rena! 🙂
I certainly missed the post.
Cheers!
P
P: here you go! I might actually have bought my first bottle of Theorema in 2004, I’m not 100% sure.
https://nstperfume.com/2015/02/08/happy-birthday-again-now-smell-this/
I have been trying very hard ever since reading that to live up to ‘polyhedral’. Some days it’s easier than others 😉
kaos and Robin, you are too funny! 🙂
Nozknoz, thank you! 🙂
Robin thanks for the link!
<3
I usually don’t smell new fragrances that come out into the market.
My favorite purchase this year were Tom Ford Noir pour Femme, and not a new fragrance, but AN from Guerlain.
Not fragrances, but my favorite lipstick purchases were TF so vain and Guerlain’s holiday collection rose lipstick.
Have a good week everyone.
I love hearing people’s new lipstick favorites. Guerlain lippies…so spendy, but so very good!!
I feel very chic when I wear them. Sometimes lipstick is the only thing I have time for.
Still no baby, I suppose? 🙂 My time is drawing closer – I had my 32 week appointment today.
I went to Nordstrom, Neimans, and Saks to find the Guerlain holiday rose collection lipstick, but alas all were sold out. I’ll have to be quicker next year. I’m wearing my consolation prize, a sample of Guerlain AN, again this evening.
Ahhh, sold out by the time I tried. I agree re the lipsticks. So very spendy but the one I own is my absolute favorite. I know I would have liked the holiday one. Maybe next year….
2015 was a great year….I jumped back into fragrance after a few years of just lurking and reading, and I’ve been having a blast learning and sampling…and buying a bit too much!
My favorite purchases of the year: Modern Muse Le Rouge, and Hilary Duff’s With Love. My hubby bought a bottle of Calyx for my Christmas gift, and I love it too.
Favorite samples: Black Jade and Mohur. I joined Scentbird, and have a 3 month subscription to Olfactif starting soon…..2016 is gonna be awesome! 🙂
SOTD: See by Chloe. Very interesting, as the apple blossom note is nice and sweet on my 2 girls, but the masculine notes are prominent on me. That’s why I LOVE perfume….you never know what’s gonna happen…..
Yay for Mohur!
Calyx is such a great scent. And what fun, enjoy your Scentbird & Olfactif boxes!
I forgot Kerosene Unforsaken was this year! Thank you, Robin, I thought it was 2014. That is a great one. Y’all can add it mentally to my Best Niche / Indie list.
Who can keep track, honestly?
My two favorite, new-to-me discoveries bookended the year: full-bottle purchases of Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque in January and Parfum d’Empire Azemour les Oranges in December. Both were also Best Buys – it seemed as if I found the very last export bottle of Cuir Mauresque (at a decent price too!), and the 50ml bottle of Azemour that I thought I was buying turned out to be 100mls. Happy camper here. 🙂
Congrats on your great buys! And never hurts when you get double the amount…
I stumbled upon a larger-than-pictured Azemour as well, Sheri. That has to count as one of the best perfume surprises of 2015!
Lucky you! I am having some serious Cuir Mauresque envy reading your post 🙂
I’m having some Azemour envy. If there’s a chance for a good deal, please share.
My extra bottles from the sale the other week didn’t get in the package and they tried to tell me that they only had one bottle to begin with so could never have completely filled my order. Little do they know that perfume folk share their scores, and I know it was listed for several days after I ordered and that others purchased it. I can totally see how it happened, the packing slip is hard to read, but I’m still not happy. I wanted to gift a bottle and have a backup. I did end up with some great deals, I have to admit.
Love, love your sense of humor! Your post made me laugh out loud. What a way to start the day. Thank you for the thoughtful critiques. You go!
Glad to amuse 🙂
Great lists! So much to try! I’m way behind so, many of my “new” favorites are from previous years. In no particular order: Diptyque Essences Insensees 2014 (mimosa), Pd’E Tabac Tabou, Canoe Goods Skive, Hermes Cuir d’Ange, Thierry Mugler Oriental Express, vintage Jean Couturier Keora, Bruno Fazzolari Lampblack, Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel, and Roja Dove Diaghilev.
Agree, any year with the sublime silliness of Tutti Frutti Aouds and a Jack Sparrow/buffalo spoof has to count as a great year for marketing. 🙂
A lovely list — we’ve all got to be behind at this point, right? So long as you’re discovering great new-to-you fragrances, that’s all that matters.
I enjoyed Diptyque’s Oud Palao and EI Jasmin from this year but didn’t buy either one.
Looks like I will make it through 2015 without buying a thing…I’d take a bottle of that Jasmin if they gave it to me 😉
My best perfumes of the year were both blind buys which makes me wonder about my decision making abilities when faced with two many choices at the perfume counter. Both perfume choices were made for emotional reasons. The first Canoe Goods Skive because I am a keen kayaker and I have fond memories of multi day kayak trips down various South Island rivers …trips that were often on very cold, glacier fed rivers, with a beautiful metallic and ozone scent of water and hot boulders and silt by day and campfires by night. The second scent purchase was Pohadka based on my second favourite place in the world…the French/Swiss Jura and all the wonderful months I lived in a small village with a group of hang glider pilots…I was their chauffeur so used to spend my days driving through villages, vineyards and meadows to collect them after they made their 300km plus flights. Reading that Pohadka referenced a vineyard above Lake Geneva meant I had to buy it. Cheap thrill Kerbside Violet. Grateful for the recommendation : Cristalle.
You are better at buying unsniffed than I am!
Skive and Pohadka are such lovely perfumes! It’s some kind of magic to have been called to them by emotions and memories!
It seems (but we know eye-witnesses (nose-witnesses?) are very unreliable!) that there was a slight tapering in the oud launches.
Shhhhh…..
Oh, definitely…oddly, it just makes the late stragglers look sillier in a way!
I think what might be rising is the number of luxury offshoots from mainstream houses. Plus, new niche houses are still sprouting up at a ridiculous rate.
I’m afraid 2015 is the year I have had to let go of Chanel No 5, to a fair extent. The EDT is heavily – aggressively – worn by a work colleague. She is disliked and disrespected by most of the people around her, including me, so No 5 is slowly being ruined for me. It’s not my favourite Chanel (that’s No 19 is) but it’s still a terribly hard experience for a perfume lover.
On a positive note, No 5 comes in many formats, vintages and concentrations and I have discovered that I can still wear the EDP and extrait. Also, my son buys me the soap, and he gave me some for Christmas this year. It is SO beautiful. So is the body creme.
Happy 2016 everyone. 🙂
What a shame! I should get the soap…
So many I have never tried and most likely never will, but hope springs eternal!
Life is in the journey. 🙂
It is a journey and mine seems to consist of a lot of side routes 🙂
Hey, I have not tried half the scents mentioned by Erin, Jessica, Angie & Kevin, to say nothing of all the scents mentioned in the comments. And you know, I already try a lot of scents, I don’t know that I want to try any more per year than I already do. I don’t find doing tons & tons of testing makes me appreciate perfume more, quite the opposite. Moderation is key in all things!
Wise words! And to tell the truth, I’m happy with what I have (mostly!).
How could I have forgotten Bogue’s Maai? She rocketed up to the top of my full bottle list the moment I sampled her. I can’t wait to add her to the Intimidating Bad Girl Corner with Bandit, Absolue Pour Le Soir, L’Arte di Gucci edp, PdE Musk Tonkin and Miel de Bois where she can skulk around in her heels and furs, leave lipstick smudged cigarette butts everywhere and terrify the well behaved Annick Goutals and Estee Lauders cowering near by. 😉
I was hoping for more from Alaia Paris, but it reminded me a bit too much of Balenciaga Paris, which I already own. Still hoping to try Chanel Misia since I can never have too many lipstick scented perfumes, and am thinking of blind buying some TBS Smoky Poppy since it sounds so nice and I love anything opium related.
Glad to see 2015 go and looking forward to making 2016 much better. Let’s hope the fragrance industry will do the same. 🙂
I still have not tried Maai! But if it hangs around with Miel de Bois & Bandit I had better.
Was I the only person who fell madly in love with Miu Miu!?!?! I must be! I think it was SENSATIONAL! One of my favorites of the year! To me, it’s so strange and wobderful and vibrantly fresh but sophisticated…. I dunno why it failed to appeal to the masses… But I feel it’s truly Wonderful!
So glad you love it, that is one fantastic bottle!
One of the reviewers on Fragrantica listed it among his top 10 for 2015! I still have not tested it, but I am finding that bottle insanely tempting….
My favorites this year were def. Chanel’s Misia, Dior Fève Délicieuse and PdN Ambre Cashmere Intense. I need to wear them more to see if they are FB-worthy. If anything, I probably will purchase the PdN in 30 ml as it’s just enough juice and a better price point.
I am buying *something* in January after a no-buy 2015, but I don’t know what!
Pressure?
Ha!
Favourite category: most impressive writhing –
Most well-earned prize: ‘women are multidensional and polyhendral.’
🙂
Most interested-in-smelling-but-too-lazy-to-procure: Skive and Lampblack
Newest-most-afraid-of-wearing-out: l’air de Rien
Most coveted only-available-elsewhere: Cuir Mauresque.
Most after-smelling-this-I-will-be-happy-forever experience: SMN Tobacco Toscana
Most-functional-when-wearing: Guerlain Vetiver
Made-me-sneeze-the-hardest: TBS Smokey Poppy.
Great categories!
Most compulsively applied random sample (sent as an extra w decants from a very generous NSTer) that I find totally addictive and am surprised by each time I apply it: Terveer Incense
Most satisfying FB purchases: Hanbury (smallish fb), Pichola, and Yatagan.
Biggest relief back-up purchase: Timbuktu
Gosh, have not even heard of Terveer Incense! Must investigate.