Now that the year is about half over, let's take stock. Three questions, answer as many or as few as you like.
1. Is 2015 a good year for perfume so far?
2. What do you think is the best new fragrance so far this year?
3. Which 2015 perfume was your biggest disappointment?
Note: top image is The Blues [cropped and doubled] by Sonny Abesamis at flickr; some rights reserved.
1) Not a great year for perfume so far, I think. Not many standouts in either mainstream or niche, and the recent Le Labo, Frederic Malle, and Serge Lutens buyouts have me worried. Not that Uncle Serge doesn’t completely deserve another Moroccan vacation house, but one does have to wonder how this will affect the perfumes.
2) Chanel Misia! The absolute perfect candied violet-rose, a more ladylike Lipstick Rose.
3) Diptyque Florabellio. The coffee note got my hopes up, but it was just another weak, thin floral.
Completely agree with your answer to #1. The buy-outs concern me– consolidation of these distinctive lines worries me that there will less fragrance that stands out in the crowd.
I have mixed feelings. I had not liked more recent offerings from Malle or Lutens anyway. I guess we’ll see what happens. I am sort of hopeful that maybe Puig will shake up L’Artisan, I haven’t liked them lately either.
Yes, I was more taken with Rose Privee’s lovely bottle than the fragrance itself. Nick Gilbert just tweeted about an exciting-sounding “coffee and maple syrup” fragrance being released in the fall, though!
Oh, that could be fun. Hope it is not in the Explosion series.
I’m wearing Chypre Mousse today, trying to decide if I need a bottle. It’s unlike anything else I own, and the only Legrand I liked from their reissued line.
As far as 2015 perfumes, I haven’t smelled many. Ostara was good, but I don’t want to smell like a daffodil. I haven’t smelled Misia, and I heartily disliked Feve Delicieuse. My 2nd quarter damage is quite small this year!
Chypree Mousse has recieved a lot of love here. It’s been on my to-try list for a while now! It sounds really unusual and unexpected, which is always a good thing, as far as I’m concerned!
So far 2015 has been a year to enjoy what I have. Probably good to do this from time to time. Haven’t been disappointed because I haven’t tried anything really.
It is good to do that from time to time!
I’ve been doing the same this year, Annie. I find the vast quantities of new releases overwhelming. Occasionally, I’ll read about a new release and think, “Oh, that sounds wonderful!” Then I’ll remember that I already have 12 things that fit the description of the new release, and that I don’t need another.
I think this year has been OK so far!I bought Misia and Oliver Peoples amongst others,discovered some forgotten gems in my own collection,and feel pretty satisfied with the current state of my collection!I packed out some empty bottles and kept the pretty ones for display.Amazing to myself and some perfume friends how many empties I have since around 2010!Lol!
My favorite new perfume is Misia.
I had high hopes for the new Mugler A*men Ultra Zest.Was just meh…
I need to try the Oliver Peoples — I take it you loved it?
Agree about Ultra Zest. Not up to their usual standard.
I must confess Oliver Peoples was a total blind-buy!I love the Byredo brand and usually have “blind faith” their stuff is gonna be WOW.Lol.It did turn out to be a like and not love though.Still happy with the purchase!
Oh, good then — very glad you didn’t hate it!
I’ve only smelled a handful of new releases this year and wasn’t wowed by any of them. The one for which I had high hopes was Aedes Palissandre d’Or but something sweet that showed up in the middle made me queasy, although the first 15 minutes of it were impressive.
Money saved, right?
Always good. And in this case a lot of money.
1) Can’t be disappointed when you haven’t sniffed anything ‘new’. Like others, I was initially concerned with the EL purchases of Le Labo and Malle but Lauder typically leaves the brands to do their own thing, unless one starts losing money (see: Stila Cosmetics).
2) Haven’t got a clue. It’s just overwhelming. You read the blogs and see new releases along with fragrance notes and think “oh, that might be nice.” and before you can get to it, 500 other “new” things hit the shelves. I’d rather spend the money stocking up on a discontinued fave (I’m looking at you Cuir de Lancôme!) when funds will allow and stock is still to be had.
3) Drawing an absolute blank.
1. I don’t think that this year has been a good year for fragrances. The ones that I have tried, I wasn’t really impressed with them.
2. I kind of stick with what I know and have with perfume. So, all my faves weren’t released in 2015.
3. The Jo Malone Fragrances that were released this year we’re a huge disappointment to me. They were just meh! They don’t last very long on skin, they don’t stand out like a lot of the others from that line. Extremely disappointed! 🙁
The wide range in quality between Jo Malone releases has baffled me for years. It’s all the same perfumer!
I think you are right. Christine Nagel has been the perfumer for more than half of the most current releases!
Not a clue since I have tested only one new fragrance this year.
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li. The only one I’ve tested, so an easy choice.
One of the advantages of not testing is not being disappointed 🙂
I want to test this one and also “toit” from a few years ago.
I didn’t particularly enjoy Toit, as it features apple if my memory serves me right. Or I just wasn’t in the mood when I tried it. I thoroughly enjoyed Li; mind you I’ve only tried it once so far.
Eh, apple. No for me then. What’s your impression of Li?
I love it, but it is very sheer. I found it quite dreamy. I need to try it a few more times.
Ann, ofofcourofcourse Austenfan’s nose is far more experienced than mine, but I suggest you do try Toit if you can, to my nose it is more about rose than apple, and it has this sort of earthy composty note. I wore it recently and enjoyed it very much. Would send you a sample if not divided by the Atlantic.
Ofcourse…autocorrect typo!
For a year old perfumista 2015 has been very good, but that is because of discovering many scents that are old favourites for many NST commentors, some of them suggested by you. I don’t know if it has been good for perfume, but going by reviews there have been quite a few quality releases.
Only tested Mr Li, which to my nose is not Ellena’s best.
I fell down this rabbit hole only a year or so ago, so for me, much that is old is still new, and I am having lots of fun exploring. 2015 is certainly a good perfume year for ME 😉
My favorite of this year’s releases is Neela Vermeire Pichola.
Biggest disappointment: Unum Lavs. I love incense so I had high hopes… but I had an actual allergic reaction to that one. Boo!
I forgot about Lavs. Sorry about the allergy 🙁 I really like this one but would rather have it as a room fragrance. Cire Trudon’s Spirit Sanctus candle is similar church smell and is cheaper than a bottle of Lavs (but by no means cheap).
Oh, I’m so glad it worked for you!
Pichola, I mean!
It did, thanks!
Not wearing perfume yet today. I applied some Caudelie Divine Oil after my shower, and feel fragrant enough for the moment….
1. I really have no idea. I am still enjoying trying other people’s favorites from past years and past decades that it still feels like there are thousands of “new” fragrances to try…new to me that is!
2. Totally stumped. New to me are the Volnays, which I loved.
3. Misia and Pharrell Williams Girl. For different reasons, I had high hopes…
I had forgotten about Girl–I could not scrub that off fast enough. Trotted to the makeup aisle and used some Clinique toner because the lavatory was on another floor.
Like a skunk’s stripe, the noseless face on the bottle cap is a warning!
Funny 🙂
Yes, also forgot Girl! I also found something very off-putting in it. I didn’t scrub but kept wanting to…
I also discovered the Volnays fairly recently. Do you have a favorite?
Etoile d`Or!
Did you try Perlerette, by chance? Sounds very nice, not that I’m in the market for 100 mls of anything…
I honestly cannot remember any one specifically, other than the E d’ O, but I tried several of them and really liked them all.
I’m wearing Beige, the first Exclusif that I bought. It’s still very nice, but illustrates how my taste has changed.
1. A good one for me, as I’m slowly (or not so slowly, to be truthful) adding to my collection and enjoying my fragrances. But in terms of new releases, nothing special.
2. Olfactive Studio Panorama. A great green fragrance and pretty unique, too.
3. Quite a few, but I don’t want to go there, it depresses me.
I was wearing DSH Untitled 9, and then FedEx dropped off a box with Light Blue and Silences, so now I’m wearing all three. I got Light Blue in spite of remembering that I didn’t like it when I tested it in Marshall’s long ago. I thought my taste would have changed and that I would have fallen in with its hordes of admirers. But no, it smells like pears to me, and only pears. It reminds me of the smell of hundreds of lunches in classrooms long ago. But Silences got my “oh my gosh!” reaction, always a good sign.
As for whether it was a good year for perfume, I can’t say. I am still sniffing my way forward and have bought a) an impressive range of samples or b) a shockingly irresponsible array of hits and misses. I vacillate between Joy! and Dirty.
I sort of wish Light Blue smelled like pears to me. Or even pear-scented shampoo. Most of the time I find it very harsh, and only occasionally pleasant.
Silences is awesome.
Not an outstanding year so far, but I haven’t had a chance to smell Misia, so I am holding out hope.
And DSH’s new carnation might be great- haven’t gotten my sample of that yet either.
Biggest disappointment Rose Privee, but I discovered Rose Chypree…
Today is cold and rainy, and I am keeping warm and cheerful with Copal Azure….
Although I just discovered another thing that is the best ever-white balsamic vinegar made from orange blossom honey. It has the fragrance of orange blossoms! Amazing stuff…
1. I haven’t tried many 2015 releases so it wouldn’t be fair to judge.
2. I was completely taken with Hiram Green Shangri La and also really like Chanel Misia: enough so that I sprung for FBs of both.
3. I haven’t really been disappointed just because I haven’t tried many. On the other hand, the two I tried I loved (see #2 above)
SOTD = Guerlain Cuir Beluga
I haven’t worn this beauty in a while. My diva-esque BIL claims it is bothering him – well, guess what, I’ve worn this hundreds of times (OK I’m exaggerating but those of you who had been around here for a while know it’s not that far from reality) and there is virtually no sillage on this. I feel like doing an experiment to keep him in his place but probably not today. Once, I used Weleda Skin Food and he complained that the hand cream has a smell and admittedly it does (but I like it) so the next time I opened a tube of hand lotion, he thought it was the same hand lotion and started to complain about the smell — I happened to be using Philosophy Hands of Hope which has zero zilch zip scent and that’s when I knew he was like Pavlov’s dog reacting to stimulus (in this case, the sound and sight of me unscrewing a tube of lotion and applying it to my hands).
As to the questions:
1. 2015 – No different than other years
2. Best of 2015 so far – Dior Feve Delicieuse, with Chanel Misia a close second; my 2015 purchases were not necessarily newly launched (e.g. Chanel No. 19 EDP)
3. Disappointment – the Atelier Cologne Oud fragrance (I’m so uninterested that I’m not even going to bother looking up its name)
Sigh (BIG one)!
In-laws….
If only WE had choices 🙂
Sounds like the kind of person I would wanna punch!
I know the feeling…
Oh brother (eye roll). He sounds like a handful. I would definitely be plotting revenge at this point.
I decided to behave myself — he just has certain quirks that I wonder how my sister stands him.
That’s so funny!! Skin Food has a definite smell but I like it.
I’m always years if not decades behind, but I have managed to try a few recent perfumes. So far, the only one I find memorable is Masque Milano Montecristo. It smells familiar; I’m not certain, but possibly like something guys wore in the 1970s, with cigarette smoke (and a little pot) in the background. Too bad there’s only the $215 100-ml size. Their Russian Tea is also appealing.
Today I’m sampling PG Cozé Verdé and Vétiver Matale, which aren’t bad, despite some of that spiky wood. At first sniff, Vétiver Matale reminds me of Ys Uzac Pohadka, one of my favs.
In general, the perfumes I’m buying aren’t new ones. I’m more likely to look for good buys on discontinued or repackaged perfumes, like the Annick Goutals.
Good morning, NST. No SOTD for me yet or perhaps at all: the night of insomnia morphed into a massive migraine. It happens.
Your questions are so interesting, Robin. For #1, I have to say that all perfume years are rather mere in A-NZ, because we really see only the mainstream releases, and even then, not the “biggies” like new Chanel Exclusifs. It’s really hard and expensive to import samples and decants into A-NZ, so my opinion is based on a very limited experience of what’s in the marketplace, but I think 2015 perfume year has been dull so far, much like other years.
#2. I tried Misia when I went to Australia for my birthday last month, and thought it lovely, but too explosively feminine for my personal wear. In terms of being interesting and beautifully crafted, though, I’d have to say it’s the best 2015 release I’ve smelt. Like many others here, I’m adding oldies-but-goodies to my collection (my self-selected birthday present was Coromandel).
#3. Oddly, the best was also my biggest disappointment. For some reason, I had really wanted to love and buy Misia, and I was just gutted to discover that I couldn’t wear so much opulent girliness. I tried for 3 days before I accepted the reality gap between my imagination and the behaviour of the perfume on my skin. My other big disappointment: the Karen Walker A, B, C trio of perfumes. Much hoopla, well-known perfumers behind the scents, home-grown designer, and then, well — that’s it? Three undistinguished, derivative, yoof-oriented perfumes, more remarkable for cutesy packaging than anything else? Nothing of Aotearoa-New Zealand anywhere? I mean, plastic giraffes and a hippopotamus, for goodness sake! Because that really speaks of this country!
Umm, did I just rant? I think I’m officially a grumpy old woman! Sorry, everyone. I’ll go and make a nice hot cup of tea and take my pills…
Waterdragons are supposed to be gruff! 😉
A-NZ sounds a lot like northern New Mexico. I can sympathize.
Ranting is allowed, and glad to hear the Karen Walkers are dull because I’ll probably never see them.
yeah the karen walkers were boring!
The new release i like most this year was Armani Eau de Nuit, (it’s new to NZ at least)
The only 2015 release I’ve sampled was Misia Chanel, and it has a distinct vinyl note on my skin. I like it, and as Robin often says, if someone gifted a bottle to me, I would wear it with pleasure, but MaDame JPG fills the vinyl void in my life. LOL
Today I am wearing Sacrebleu Nicolai and the tuberose, frankincense, vanilla, tonka bean aroma is perfect on a rainy chilly June day.
The only bottle I have purchased thus far in 2015, is Mitzah Christian Dior. Frankincense, rose, and cinnamon – I only tested it after it was discontinued, so it was quite the project to track down a bottle.
And one final note – YAY SUPREME COURT !!! 🙂
Yay indeed!
Oh YES!
I know it’s hard, but no politics in the comments, guys!
Ya, don’t like political comments of any kind in perfume chat.
I’m glad as everyone, but I’m getting rainbowed out 😀 Think I need to find a prismatic scent, lol!
Yeah indeed! 🙂
I also get a plastic note out of Misia, but that happens to me a lot with violets, so it was a disappointment to me. I keep hoping that Chanel will release some sort of rose centered frag, b/c No 18 doesn’t get there for me either. I hold my faith in Chanel to pull of something marvelous soon!
28 La Pausa in extrait would be marvelous!
Yes! I wonder why they bother with extrait for 1932, when La Pausa extrait would be a knockout?
1. Yes! I can smell, and there’s perfume, so it’s a great year.
2. Gi’s FB Shangri-La.
3. Hm, maybe Panorama from Olfactive Studio. The top note is spectacular, and the rest is disappointing.
I love your answer to number one! 🙂
So do I!
Wow, somebody took their happy pills. You have my address, please forward.
🙂
I agree with leather mountain’s assessment for number one. I have old samples and new samples and I will happily go into a store to sniff things ( not as much a pastime here in Boston as NY). My favorite purchases this year are Desarmant and Freschiiissimo but neither were released this year.
The decline in the Australian dollar thus year makes purchasing samples from the US very expensive, and bottles are out of the question. That’s very sad, but I did splurge on a decant of Misia and I like it very much indeed.
On a positive note, I’ve been buying locally and especially from members of a Facebook group, and that’s been fun. My attitude now is not to plot and plan and worry about new purchases, but just sit tight and see what floats by. If I miss out on this month’s darling release, so be it.
I’ve made some outre discoveries this way, including Ted Lapidus / Balenciaga Rumba. And I’ve explored stuff I’d hitherto ignored, such as EL’s Knowing. (Knowing would give many niche releases a run for their money.)
So overall, quite a good year so far.
Yes – sit back and play the long game. Just entering into that phase myself. Just in time for a long, hot summer.
Lol, my summer, your winter. 😀
A ‘a long game’. I like that. 🙂
Right now, I have such a hankering fo L’heure Bleue but wearing the original Lolita Lempicka. I don’t know why I always want L’heure Bleue when I wear Lolita Lempicka. Sadly, I haven’t tried a whole lot this year.
I try not to buy things on their first year out, as they are still ‘trending’. I’m already too trigger happy with purchases so I prefer to wait until things have been on the scene a bit longer.
From what I have tried I have liked Misia (perhaps even more than Lipstick Rose), Geranium & Verbena (which is likely to disappear before I actually get around to buying it) and another Jo Malone, Incense Cedrat. I think Misia is the prettiest, but that I would probably get more wear from Incense Cedrat…
Disappointments: L’Incendiaire (glad to be disappointed given the price) Mugler’s Pure Zest (meh) and CdG Girl.
Look forward to trying Dior DF.
That’s a good point about the trending. It’s funny sometimes to look back at some of the ‘best of’ blog posts from a few years ago. You realise how quickly some of the much-discussed fragrances slip off everyone’s radar.
Yes! Although, quite often I go into raptures about stuff that everyone else is just so ‘over’ 😀
Answer 1, in the now 8 years I’ve become a fragrance fanatic I think this year’s new releases have been somewhat ho hum for me and it isn’t because my fervor has waned but maybe I’m getting harder to impress.
Answer 2. Most definitely Slumberhouse Kiste has been my fragrance meter exciter so far. It is simply terrific.
Answer 3. Many of the new frags have been uninspiring but the one I thought would be a hit, Misia, is probably the dullest thing I’ve sniffed this year.
SOTD in a heat wave – Last year’s big hit for me, Eau de Magnolia. Serve the iced tea and keep the fans fanning on the porch.
The past two years or so have been a real challenge to me. If there are interesting things coming out, I’m not getting there in the fog of marketing and flankers. I’ve not really been impressed with anything, but that being said, I’ve not tested that much either. My most disappointing frag sniff is Bottega Veneta Knot – I know a lot of people like it but it doesn’t work for me b/c of the musks so that’s too bad for me. Aside from my general dislike of Misia, I’m more just disappointed that Chanel isn’t being more ballsy.
I am mostly feeling rather alienated from current releases and marketing. The frag market is kind of a machine chasing it’s own tail now and it’s just not happening for me. Flanker madness, another oud, lack of innovation, too much caution… I find myself retreating into classics that I’ve never smelled before to gain some interest in the art of it all. My last purchase is the infinitely well priced Shiseido “Classic Zen” in the black bottle. Maybe it’s not what it used to be, but at least it’s thinner current self is more interesting and gutsy that most of what’s coming out. Ditto on the Aromatics Elixir I picked up in the first quarter. And Guerlain Vetiver. And AG original Eau de Sud…. Give me something to satisfy my nose! I’m chasing oldies to get some satisfaction. I am afraid of the kool-aid oud that is on the horizon in a $150 bottle. The modern frag industry for the most part has descended into a kind of “Snackwells” state and I don’t want fake treats. I want the real thing@#$%%^!!
(I’m going to toss a huge caveat and note that I’ve not smelled any of the new releases from Tauer, SSS, DSH, Smell Bent… these are all houses I respect totally and I am sure they are still carrying the flame. So I need to get on that already to restore my faith.)
Does anyone around here read or know about the Czech Philosopher Slavoj Zizek? He is a real hoot, and does lots and lots of ruminations about modern culture, politics, etc. But he has this whole rant about things, eg, Coffee without caffeine; sweets without sugar; cream without fat; beer without alcohol; etc. As in like what is the experience we are actually having with the realness of it, or just the idea of it and we are tricking ourselves, etc. The issue of making our experiences so safe that they aren’t really experiences anymore. I’m sure I am hacking his ideas up, but it’s the jist. It just makes me think about the modern fragrance market – fragrance without (real) smell… Oh, IFRA a is trying to save us from our vices, etc, and only giving us false smells, that smell like the real thing, or close to it, and we persuade ourselves to be satisfied, etc.
“Snackwells” state of perfumery. LOL Thanks for the laugh, AnnS!
And thanks again for Slavoj Zizek, I Googled him and he is Slovenian. A good friend of mine is Slovenian and I bet he will be floored when I casually reference Mr. Zizek. 😉
Thanks for the correction Bear. He is really amazing! My hubbie first discovered from the “Exmanined Life” documentary with current philosophers making comments about the modern world and then got me hooked. At least up to the point when he gets into the serious philosophy. He is really interesting. He ran for some political office many years ago and tweaked a lot of noses.
Ann, Misia sucks, agree. Knot wasn’t as bad as I was expecting but not a great one from BV…so, I guess I sorta agree with that one too.
Thanks, Ann S for the thoughtful post. As a fellow Chanel fan, I’m sorry Misia didn’t work out for you. I adore it, find it to be just what I’ve been looking for in terms of rose + violet. Plus it really does have Chanel DNA. Put your hope in the next release!
I’m looking up the Czech philosopher right now. Thanks for sharing: I have a feeling I’m going to like him!
OK, just Googled him: is there a specific essay I should read?
I recommend starting with his many video clips from his univ lectures or from around the world. He is hysterical too. I don’t know anything about Lacan which is his real thing, but he does awesome cultural rants. Anything related to Hitchcock is a good start! And I guess his is Slovenian – see Bear’s comment above. Cheers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGCfiv1xtoU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT7NIGcaMtw
Thanks! I’ll check out the links!
More better – two times eg with “coffee without caffeine” etc –
http://www.lacan.com/zizekdecaf.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OabTK7y7d6E
I appreciated your thoughts and was swept by a wave of nostalgia when I saw your reference to Classic Zen. That was one of my first perfumes and remains, in memory, unique. Thank you.
I remember sampling Zen at a Nordstrom about 7 years ago. I remember I liked it but I wasn’t going that direction at that time. I wish that I’d picked up that bottle then though, but I am thoroughly enjoying the Classic Zen now – it is going well with our very cool summer so far – it’s sheer enough to blast on in it’s current formulation – and it does a lot to be earthy and yet warm. I love the bottle too.
BRAVA!!! Very well said, dear friend. I’m sending you an email on the subject of Vetiver. Talk soon. 🙂 D.
I’ve been thinking about you this summer – horses and all. I look forward to your email.
ACK! Don’t remind me! We ship into the first sale of the season on July 6th. So much for a “long” weekend! 🙁
Thanks, Ann. I wasn’t moved by Misia, either, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything else you’ve said, especially the philosophical perspective.
Fingers crossed for more exciting frags from Chanel!
Off-topic question: who’s watching the Women’s World Cup?
My husband – on the opposite coast. 🙂
Ah yes, it was my wife, in the next room, who specifically requested I ask the question. 🙂
I am kicking myself for forgetting to turn on the game on Friday. We actually get the tv channel it was on, down here in dingly dell… I got home…. got the dinner things in the fridge…. opened a book… and forgot to watch to game. Kick! Kick! Kick!
Tuesday at 6pm EST is the US-Germany semi, so it’s not to late to watch those athletes do the kicking!
It’s been an okay perfume year. I got a few new bottles: Vanilla Flash, Palissandre d’Or, Misia and Fève Délicieuse. I think I was most excited about FD. No real big disappointments as I haven’t sampled much. Lavs was nice but not extremely different from Avignon which I already have so I didn’t buy.
In general my low expectations keep me from being too disappointed. 🙂
Similar to others, sampling by year just isn’t convenient nor of interest. I’ve kind of honed my sampling technique to trying 4 or 5 fumes at one time by a particular house. This allows me to identify the prevalence of synthetics or generally offensive ingredients by a house, and either rule it out or keep it “in the running.” Current (and past) reviews trigger my interest, and I sometimes find a gem quite accidentally.
After the Nobile 1942 Fougere review I tried it and several others. Fougere failed, unfortunately, but their Patchouli is in the running for a FB. Cologne-y, but the watch gives it staying power.
Patch, not watch. No perfumistas in spellcheck land.
I’ve had pretty good luck this year but I’m not sure if it’s because of the quality of the new releases or because I finally figured out that it’s worth the extra money to buy spray samples whenever possible. I’m also pretty sure that I’m getting better at judging what I may actually like and who’s good reviews will work out for me.
My best luck this year has been the Apoteker Tepe line, I quite like LAVS even if I won’t be putting it at the top of the list, I still really like Debaser and Eau de Celeri. Actually, it looks like ’15 has been pretty good so far.
Puredistance White was such a bummer for me. It was an aromachenical mess on me, and from the people who brought me the beautiful Opardu and M 🙁
Have no idea whether the 2015 crop is shaping up well, as I’m still pursuing scents that are probably or certainly older – the release dates don’t mean much to me.
But if BV Knot is a 2015 release, then it’s a good year for me. Sorry it couldn’t work for you, AnnS! Knot is delightful to my nose, and so adaptable to the activity of the day.
I was really disappointed – I love the original BV and the Eau Legere so much. It’s Ok for sure. They still do beautiful top down work on their frags. Those musks are a killer for me.
I think 2015 has been a so-so year for perfume, but there have been a few really good ones:
Misia
Panorama
Dark Horse
Palassandre d’Or
I like SL’s L’Orpheline, but not crazy about La Religieuse.
Biggest disappointments were Florabellio and Rose Privee’, both of which I bought blindly…that should teach
Ooooh, totally agree re: Florabellio (dismal fail on my skin) and Rose Privee (worse than dismal failure on my skin, just no bueno At. All.).
Having hard time tracking what actually got released this year. I was super excited for Misia, and it was a good learning experience for me trying it (absolute confirmation that violets are NOT for me).
Let’s see what happen in the next 6 months!!
Oh yah. I forgot about Religieuse…meh!
1- a so-so year due to:
-my commitment to spend only a certain amount this year ( never did that before – but I want to retire in a few years)
-the overwhelming number of releases is exhausting, not to mention their similarity
-the buyouts leave me wondering, also
2 – Favorite so far – Pogostemon – I have been wearing this steadily since testing and then buying a FB. The juice is dark, like Borneo or Chambre Noire, but there is a certain lightness… zing? to it that feeds my need for dark yet very wearable in Southern CA weather.
3 – Biggest disappointment – Parfums de Nicolai – Cuir Cuba. It was like buying a bottle of water. Where’s my cuir? where’s my Cuba?
Hopes for Memo African Leather are high, but I think I will mosey over to Luckyscent for a few hours first.
Quite simply:
1) no
2) none
3) Misia…the worst Chanel ever…what a stinky perfume..shouldn’t even be a Chanel…should be used to kill fleas, idk.
Not that you have strong feelings about #3 😉
The Supreme Court should ban Olivier from making another Chanel.
Thanks for the much needed laugh. You’re so spot on Omega!
LOL, I’m with you Omega!
You like Bel Respiro, if I remember correctly?
Thanks for the laugh. When I feel bad about making a negative comment I should come back and read this – instant spine reinforcement. 🙂
Used to kill fleas! Hey, fleas may like the smell of plastic. 😉
I totally agree. I tried some while in Vegas and it was a scrubber. I couldn’t STAND it. I kept thinking, it reminds me of a crappy version of something I like…hmmm….then it hit me: it’s like a bad cover of Lipstick Rose. You know, like a great song and then some tool covers it, makes it acoustic and sucks all the life out of it. But I hesitate to say that, as so many loved it. This is the first year I haven’t bought a new scent. Just going back to the oldies but goodies…