You’ve heard plenty from Michelyn and me over the last couple of days but CaFleureBon is more than just the two of us. Our staff is awesome and we wanted to make sure they had a chance to tell our readers what they thought of this past year. We asked Senior Editor Tama Blough, Editor John Reasinger, Contributors Valerie Vitale, Michael Devine and Neil Sternberg to give us their Fragrance of the Year and a runner-up that way we would have a top 10. Being the perfumistas that they are they also added in some Honorable Mentions. Here are the picks from the best darn staff in the perfume blogosphere. –Mark Behnke, Managing Editor and Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
Tama Blough, Senior Editor
2012 was, for me, a year of building community. Although I had been starting to get to know various local perfumers through my SF Sniff events, it was my article about the West Coast Sisterhood that brought more of them into my world. Then, a conversation with Yosh Han, followed by her conversations with an event producer, led to the first-of-its-kind SF Artisan Fragrance Salon, which assembled an amazing group of perfumers it was my pleasure to become acquainted with. I was privileged to sample some really great work and introduce it to you through CaFleureBon.
Having to choose a favorite perfume for the year was not easy. I was smitten by the translucent florals of En Voyage Lorelei and 40 Notes Crystalline Hyacinth; Purusa Naturals Root is a scent that suits me absolutely; L’Artisan Seville a L’Aube made me giddy from honeyed orange blossom heaven. Oh, and my ultimate laundry-on-the-line summer scent, Phaedon Coton Egyptien, was hard to pass by. Ultimately, I had to narrow it down to a runner-up and a number one.
Top honors go to 1. MDCI Chypre Palatin. Not only is the fragrance spectacular unto itself, it was the first Bertrand Duchaufour perfume that I fell hard for, and, more importantly, writing about it was a personal breakthrough. It was the perfume that helped me understand that perfume is about perception, sensation, evocativeness; not about how much of which note stands out. Perfume is a sensual, personal pleasure, and should be enjoyed as such. My review of Chypre Palatin remains one of my favorites because of this, and the perfume itself will always be dear to my heart.
My second-place pick is the fabulous 2. Byredo Seven Veils, by Jerome Epinette. Seven Veils is the first in a wonderful trio of Middle Eastern inspired scents (Bullion and Black Saffron are the other two), and the one that stole my heart completely. I bought a 50 ml bottle and instantly regretted that it was not 100. I completely adore this beguiling fragrance.
John Reasinger, Editor
Looking back over 2012’s perfumes there are a select few that stand out, many that are decent scents and most of them were not overly impressive. Of the ones that did stand out (the twenty or so littering my kitchen table as I type) these are the ones that caught my nose, won my heart and made me sigh!! What made me gasp this year was that on looking at the list of scents released in 2012 there were, to date, 1,366!! That is more than three each day. What made me laugh loudest this year was when Chandler Burr dropped the f-bomb live on a netcast!
3. GUERLAIN Myrrhe et Delires
With this fragrance Thierry Wasser has shown why he is (and should be) the head of Guerlain Paris. A bright opening over a lush floral heart and one of the warmest coziest and most delicious dry downs I have ever smelled are all here and absolutely magnificent. On first sniffing this juice I literally swooned and declared: “THIS must be what Heaven smells like” and sighed deeply…and my love of this only grows with each successive wearing!!
4. BOND No9 I Love NY for Marriage Equality
One of the most perfect unisex scents I have ever smelled, this perfume is an amazing combination of spices, fruits, woods and florals that comes off as effortless and elegant. Without stepping too much on either side of the gender line, this truly captures intense feelings of both love (emotional and sensual) and warmth.
Pierre Negrin has outdone himself. A simply sumptuous blend of herbs and spices give way to swirls of exotic smoke and resins both ancient and powerful. The dark patchouli and supple leather that are counterbalanced by oud and sandalwood borders upon the sublime. Oriental and woody, this scent lasts forever and just radiates luxury.
Being a practicing Wiccan, I am always looking for something that speaks to the pagan in me. Christi Meshell has managed to create something as dark and witchy as it is beautiful and natural! Absinthe, cannabis and mushrooms come together with heady tuberose, damiana and cypriol and create something as close to a true witch’s brew as I have ever smelled. Truly a magickal perfume…
I wanted to like Bois Noir the best from his first series this year, but this stole the show for me. My favorite herb, angelica, paired with soft, piquant spices over iris, tobacco and incense alight gracefully on a base of grassy and woody beauty. Aurelian Guichard has managed to capture both the grandeur and mystique of the Casbah without going too overboard or feeling trite.
Honorable Mentions:
LORD’S JESTER Ares EDP (The Best Amber Fragrance EVER)
SLUMBERHOUSE Pear + Olive (Indie Scent of the Year)
DIPTYQUE Volutes EDP (Biggest Surprise of the Year)
AVON Far Away Exotic (Best Direct Market release of the Year)
NAUTICA Aqua Rush (Best Designer Scent…and most impressive comeback)
Valerie Vitale of Soliflore Notes, Contributor
I had the privilege to review many fragrances this year, so I decided not to over think it when Michelyn and Mark asked me to pick my favorite and runner up for 2012. I waited to see what would organically rise to the top and two naturally did. My introduction to 5. OLFACTIVE STUDIO Lumiere Blanche left a lasting impression. Olfactive Studio made it possible for perfumer Sidone Lancesseur to gather visual inspiration from photographer Massimo Vitali to create a memorable fragrance. Lumiere develops perfectly on the skin, allowing it to be an extremely comforting. Its cold fresh spices caress and collide with warming notes that seem to be bathed in a milky white haze. Its heart note centered on an Iris accord allows Lumiere to become perfectly powdery and balanced. Its base notes add definition and a hovering sensuality. Perfumer, Lancesseur nobly creates with Cardamom, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Iris, Almond milk, Cashmere Wood, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, and White Musk. The juice color is incredible, an almost iridescent milky white. 6. INEKE PERFUME Hot House Flower. Ineke Ruhland has crafted a beautifully unique take on Gardenia, which is the eighth fragrance in her alphabet series. This summer when she was visiting NYC, we talked in depth about the development of this unique and uplifting green Gardenia soliflore. Ruhland’s fragrance and intelligence is just stunning.
AEDES DE VENUSTAS Aedes de Venustas signature EDP. This is Duchaufour’s chypre; I love it, rhubarb and all. My guilty pleasure Madonna’s Truth or Dare, this is a heady white floral, a tad gourmand, I like what Nilson has done.
Michael Devine, Contributor
Perfume of the Year: 7. Pear + Olive from Slumberhouse
Slumberhouse, the Portland-based indie perfume house and brain-child of offbeat, self-taught perfumer Josh Lobb, never ceases to surprise. His creations, which are usually rustic and rugged, bear names like Norne, Jeke, Vikt and Sova (I've often wondered if he named his perfumes from the pages of an Ikea catalogue). Mr. Lobb throws us a fragrant curveball with Pear + Olive. In the hands of someone like Josh, who clearly sees beyond the ordinary, these two ostensibly simple accords come together and the result is truly remarkable. Brilliantly blending the two main components with cognac, chamomile, aglaia (mahogany), zdravets (geranium), massoia bark and calamus, Mr. Lobb has created a fragrance that is as familiar and comforting as it is mysterious and compelling. Throughout the year, those in-the-know whispered about this new "it" fragrance, and word quickly spread. It's spicy dry-down is so addicting, it's been jokingly dubbed "Pear + Olive + Crack." What was once a limited edition is now, thankfully, in Slumberhouse's permanent line-up.
Sparkling and dynamic, Byredo's Black Saffron is perfumer Jerome Epinette's ode to the precious spice, but it's so much more. A friend of mine gifted me with a sample and I went out the very next day and bought a full bottle, the last on the shelf at Barney's. From it's very three-dimensional opening, where raspberries float above crisp juniper berries, casting a shadow on leather and violet, the fragrance feels alive. Rather than slowly revealing itself through a traditional opening, heart and base, Black Saffron gleams like white light through a prism, each accord a color in the rainbow. The bright fruity notes stand side-by-side with the contemplative saffron. It's a happy fragrance, liquid Prozac, but there is a strength and seriousness here as well, reminding us why saffron is considered sacred by so many cultures across the globe. Mr. Epinette, who has composed all of Byredo's fragrances, has truly outdone himself.
Finalists: Kerosene's Fields of Rubus, Aedes de Venustas, Mamluk from Xerjoff's Oud Stars collection.
Neil Sternberg of Cologniac, Contributor
People always misunderstand the idea of revelation or apocalypse. It’s not supposed to be the end – it’s the beginning. So as I look over the fragrances of 2012, I’m not looking for yesteryear’s imitators. I’m looking for the thought leaders of a new era.
The list of honorable mentions is long. For starters, I tip my hat to Chanel’s new Coco Noir. I see this fragrance – a seemingly incongruous “transparent oriental” – as a fascinating exercise in olfactory sketch-work – a way to make an old style fresh. Not everybody gets this one, but its subtle style won me over from the first sniff.
And then there’s Carlos Benaïm’s stunning new fragrance for A Lab On Fire – Liquidnight. An uncompromising niche fragrance, it captures the glistening lights and sleek mystery of the New York City night. It has a beautiful combination of subtlety and force.
From Guerlain, I have so many candidates, I don’t even know where to begin. Thierry Wasser’s new Shanghai is wonderful – a brilliantly modern fragrance that stays true to Guerlain style. I like to call it “Habit Rouge with skyscrapers”. Or you can view it as a modern Guerlain with bits of old Shanghai embedded in it, which my friend Morton assures me is much like the city itself. Either way, it’s ingenious.
But how about Guerlain’s new L’Heure de Nuit? I think it’s a poetic extension of its classic namesake, L’Heure Bleue. To me, it shows that Wasser has Guerlain down like he’s riding a bicycle. Effortless. Natural. Beautiful. And the rumor is that this year’s Shalimar Ode a la Vanille actually resurrects the greatness of vintage Shalimar.
And what about the “next generation”, olfactory jazz artists? Slumberhouse Pear + Olive has grabbed everybody’s attention, and made “Josh” the biggest one-word name in perfumery. Unless you count “Kerosene” – because his 9.Whips and Roses may be the most assertively beautiful rose fragrance I have ever smelled.
But I’m saving my final praise for my fragrance of the year. A fragrance that I feel balances the innovation of the indie artists with the best that the industry has to offer. A fragrance that has likely altered the course of perfumery itself.
10. Spicebomb. Not only has this gotten mad love from the guys – it forced itself onto the women’s counter by sheer crossover popularity. After several not-so-big releases that simply couldn’t live up to Flowerbomb, failure was not an option for Viktor & Rolf. Olivier Polge came through like a champ. Borrowing accords and trends from all over the map, and the help of his IFF teammates, Polge brought several fragrance themes together into a coherent whole – one that smells stylish, daring, and just plain good. It’s rare that I get a chance to praise a mainstream fragrance as being something both innovative and flawlessly good. Something that may even, one day, rise to the status of classic.
With Spicebomb, I think Polge may have actually pulled it off.