ÇaFleureBon Top Ten Perfumes 2020 (Lauryn and dana) Part 4 + Rising Star Draw

LLauryn Beer and dana Sandu of CafleureBon Top Ten Perfumes 2020

For today’s top ten perfumes 2020, Senior Editor Lauryn Beer and Editor dana sandu explore the fragrances that brought them comfort during a year that was,at its best, uncomfortable. Their picks have only two commonalities; they both chose fragrances from young perfumer Aggelos Balamis and Antonio Gardoni in their ten perfumes of 2020.

There’s no point in belabouring what a ridiculous, hard year this has been. All the days when getting dressed seemed complicated, breakfast difficult, and writing nearly unimaginable. I’ve searched many a corner for talismans to ward off the ache of separation, the sameness of the weeks, the worry about a world suddenly unfamiliar and hostile. And in the perfumes listed below I found respite. These fragrances helped me get through some very dark days with the occasional smile. I thank their creators profoundly – for every bad dream their creations warded off, every concept of beauty they revealed, and every moment of optimism they gift-wrapped for me.

Lauryn’s Top Ten Perfumes of  2020

Despite my irritating sense that the weather of 2020 was permanently grey, the perfumes the past year were Cezanne baskets of yellows and golds (mimosa has really been having a moment), with perfumes that seemed to hold the sun and light. Visions of favourite faraways, abstractions in warm palates, golden bouquets full of resins – these are some of the fragrances that sang me to sleep over these last 12 months (in alphabetical order).

Anatole Fleur Cachee review

Anatole Lebreton Fleur Cachée: It is no secret that I am a big fan of Anatole Lebreton’s work. His perfumes unfold like the turned, gilded-edged pages of fairy tales. His fragrances are dreamy, inventive and quite unlike anyone else’s. In 2020, Lebreton brought us a non-gourmand vanilla full of savoury smells that traced the ancient Silk Route through Asia to the New World. Fleur Cachée is an enigmatic woody fragrance that deconstructs vanilla and then mixes its resinous seeds, parchment skin and tree wood with heated Eastern spices. For lovers of vanilla who tire of the endless torrent of ice cream and cake perfumes, or those, like me, who veer from the sweet, Fleur Cachée is a vanilla for the ages.

Angelos Créations Olfactives Grace d'Orient

Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi (Aggelos Balamis): When Aggelos Balamis gave me his samples to sniff last year in Florence, I was floored by how polished and frankly pretty his fragrances were. The finished products are impressive, but none more so than the achingly lovely Yassemi, a multifaceted, jasmine-dominant floral the fearlessly marries delicate notes such as heliotrope and angelica with bombshells like ylang, smooths them out with woods and resins, and then holds them in glittering balance. Yassemi is so graceful and verdant that it smells like it sprang just moments ago from the warm earth of a wild Mediterranean garden.

Bogue Profumo OOOh review

Bogue OOOH (Antonio Gardoni): OOOH is 2020’s precioussss, made in only a handful of bottles, and one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous mimosas on the planet. Created for CaFleureBon’s 10th anniversary (a collaboration with modern perfumery’s mad genius, Antonio Gardoni, Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen, photographer Alex C. Musgrave and illustrator Massimo Alfaioli) OOOH is a kaleidoscope of mimosa, rose, citrus, and resins that is pollenous, grassy, herbal, a bouquet of fantastical Marc Chagall flowers pouring from yellow skies on a pale day. I saved this for the days when tears came quicker than sundown; it made me feel the dawn was worth rising for.

DSH Perfumes Le Serval review

DSH Perfumes Le Serval (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz): Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has had an astonishingly productive year, producing a seemingly never-ending flow of stunning scents including her three iris fragrances, her Frida series and, my favourite of all, Le Serval, a luscious, animalic. honey-soaked floral inspired by the elegant serval cat. With its airy opulence and harmonious construction, Le Serval is sensual yet lighthearted, rich but ethereal, exotic yet familiar, a retro-tinged modern that smells timeless.  ÇaFleureBon Top Ten Perfumes of 2020.

Top Ten Perfumes of 2020

Folie a Plusiers For Electra (Mark Buxton): Folie a Plusieurs, an olfactive art gallery, integrates fragrance with creative forms including cinema, art, music and literature. For Electra is based on a project between the brand, perfumer Mark Buxton and electronic band Pierce With Arrow that creates a “sonic narrative” using scent and music to portray an oblique tale of love, rejection, loss and melancholy. To map a fragrance to a piece of electronic music is a challenge that could sink lesser perfumers. But in the hands of the ever-brilliant Mark Buxton, For Electra is a perfume of unsettling beauty. For Electra is trancelike, a perfume from a strange twilight garden where woodsy, green florals, incense and immortelle sway and dip of the music. As the music intensifies, so does the perfume. Its notes twirl about each other in skewed loveliness, merging and separating repeatedly. Lovely.

Masque Milano Madeleine by Fanny Bal

Masque Milano Madeleine (Fanny Bal): Masque Milano’s first foray into gourmand territory is built around two central accords of creamy white florals and chestnut-cocoa. Interpreted with great style by young IFF perfumer Fanny Bal, Madeleine captures l’esprit de la Parisienne in a stunning fragrance that marries café with bouquet and turns them into something, deliciously, unexpectedly wonderful. Bal wisely eschews sugar in favour of textural smells that evoke la patissiere without being literal. Pastry and coffee notes are undergirded by buttery florals that complement the gourmand aspects in a sophisticated way. Utterly delicious, perfectly pitched between sweet, floral and creamy notes, Madeleine is one of the best gourmands of the last decade.

Olivier Durbano Aram perfume

Olivier Durbano Aram (Olivier Durbano): Soulful Olivier Durbano’s paean to the Syria that was, is a vibrant, woody-green scent that sings of ancient stones, lapping water, and the memories of a place beloved. Punctuated by bitter tops notes of artemisia, grapefruit and green tea and flowery-citric verbena, Aram travels on a rooty ascent into green leaf and loam before arriving at the shores of Latakia. There, the parched odor of cracked bone and wave-worn wood, the cool minerality of ground stones, the savor of dried grass and of incense give Aram an old smell, of time before time. But the downy rose heart they surround gives the fragrance poignancy and a touch of sweet floralcy. My favourite of Durbano’s perfumes since 2015’s Chrysolithe.

Best of Cafleurebon Perris Monte Carlo Mimosa Tanneron

photo Roberto Greco

Perris Mimosa Tanneron (Jean-Claude Ellena): Jean-Claude Ellena’s watercolour mosaic of fragile florals seems to float even they while they caress the skin. Mimosa Tanneron is a stunning mimosa perfume: ethereal yet realistic, like fresh-cut mimosa blossoms whose fleeting scent carries and fades with the vagaries of a breeze. M. Ellena perfectly captures mimosa’s delicate loveliness but leads it away from the overt powderiness this flower is often associated with, bringing out its notes of vanilla, cucumber, rain, candied angelica and green almond. M. Ellena gives us the smell of sunlight and shadow of a brilliant Riviera afternoon in spring. Mimosa Tanneron is as poignantly beautiful as first love.

Prosody London Pizzicato (Keshen Teo): Organic, all-natural line Prosody first caught my eye (and nose) at Pitti Fragranze in 2019. The invention of the talented Keshen Teo, this is a line worth delving into. Teo’s fragrances have a distinctive signature I haven’t quite put my finger on, but they are beautifully composed. Prosody’s new line of colognes is perfect for hot weather but also for long grey days when you yearn to be at a seaside or in fruit tree grove. My favourite of the lot is the stunning Pizzicato Bliss, studded with golden fruit notes of quince and fig splashed with citrus. A couple of spritzes makes me feel like I’ve wandered into the Garden of Eden just before it all went wrong.

ultan Pasha Chypre Chrysantheme top ten perfumes 2020

Sultan Pasha Chypre Chrysantheme (Sultan Pasha): London-based Sultan Pasha gets my MVP award for keeping me laughing throughout the year with his endlessly hilarious Facebook posts, and for his amazingly generous heart. Good thing I also happen to like his perfume! This year’s Chypre Chrysantheme is an absolutely gorgeous attar with an incredibly realistic chrysanthemum top note that swirls luxuriously around three different roses, green stem, and velvety resins, all naughtied up with a dollop of civet. One of the most sophisticated, gorgeous chypres out there.

Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Top Ten Perfumes of 2020

 

dana’s Top Ten Perfumes of 2020

There are no qualifiers for 2020, no further self-pity to allow ourselves, no explanations and no encouragements that still ring sincere; this has been a helluva year, and I, for one, was left convinced that to be confined in a dungeon is pure dung. (Therefore, I declare: anyone still wanting to be a princess and I have absolutely nothing in common).

In 2019 I had too much to go through and too little experience at harsh, declarative, top-10 critiques; in 2020 there was far less to review (no events, bought less, swapped less, accepted less gifted samples), way less time to revise the samples I *did* acquire (so much so that at least half still await to be properly tested), and—finally—way less disposition to appoint excitement to the materiality of things. The result? A very, very labored list which 1. does not include the fragrances I’ve already dedicated articles to, and 2. does no justice to the tormented fragrance industry at large, but merely reflects my own meager respites, selfish preferences, and comfort zones.

If you, like me, were stripped of the luxury of objective critique and found yourself in need of self-care, here’s my list of 2020 launches not to remember, but to help you forget.

Tyger Tyger by Francesca Bianchi (for Francesca Bianchi)

 Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger (Francesca Bianchi): an oddity in Bianchi’s lineup, Tyger Tyger is movable, flowy, and hard to contain; not that one would ever want to, for its changeability that makes it beautiful, and one’s impossibility to note notes. (Sorry, I turned pretentious for a moment there; but there’s something alien/shape-shifting to this, both scary and addictive, like staring at a lava lamp). Sinuous and fluid, but powerful, Tyger Tyger trickles down the nose with many chiaroscuros built deep within: leathers and milks, sunny rays and jungledeep fruitiness, crude physicalities and innocent bliss. There’s movement and sweaty life in this, fuzzy polleny buzz, and the calm power of full-blast blossoms. Killing you softly, indeed.

Arabica by Aaron Terence Hughes review Top ten perfumes of 2020

 Aaron Terence Hughes Arabica (Aaron Terence Hughes): Not easy to find (for me, at least) and most certainly not easy to execute (I’m guessing), a warm lavender is precisely what drew me to this. Doubled by a most brash, tin-like, coffee-yielding accord, it somehow constitutes into a comfort fragrance that is unusual but familiar, deep but casual, and somehow young… and dearly needed in today’s (much too serious, or much too stark, or much too stiff) perfumery.

Angelos Créations Olfactives Grace d'Orient

 Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient (Aggelos Balamis): at the opposite end of Balamis’ other lovable offering (Eau de Vertu, see here) sits  Grace d’Orient—an intensely vintage, collar-shaped bit of art that not only hints at operas past, but proposes a very actual spicy adventure. Sweet, warm, familiar, and precisely beautiful, this is a just-right formula of condiments, flowers, and benzoic clarity–and a most remarkable launch for a self-taught perfumer. Chapeau.

Chyprette by Annette Neuffer

 Annette Neuffer Chyprette (Annette Neuffer): solitude needs to hurt in order to sing, and only through song some notes vibrate in the only way they can make poetry; Annette’s typical bitter citrus is here surrounded by some of the most difficult notes to master (anisic + nutty greenery) and creates the right conjunction for spicy chypre greatness. Nothing short of painful poetry, and a full bottle yearning for pitiful me, who caught but a mere glimpse of skin testings. Santa, please take note.

Giuseppe Imprezzabile Meo Fusciuni Varanasi Parfums review

Meo Fusciuni Varanasi (Giuseppe Imprezzabile) beating to its own drum and away from most of this year’s trends, Varanasi reflects Meo’s intense poetic esthetic with a future-in-the-past concoction forged to stir, and then to recenter. (So used am I to find joy and a path out carved by his most breathy compositions, that this closed, journey-on-the-inside formula took me by surprise and left me unsettled for a while. We reunited, and once I succumbed to its Eastern inspirations I started understanding its hummed, indelible, immovable magic. Think big, slow, Eastern river.

 Maison Sybarite Amber Gaze (Antoine Lie): overshadowed by its bigger, sparklier, and much more publicized sister releases of the year past, Amber Glaze brings a much, much needed tenderness to the recent roster of hardened, experimental, dark amber fragrances. Nonono, this one is gentle and caring, supporting and kind; healing like a warm chai and textural like your favorite corduroy, it sits by your side and holds your hand, unassuming and very, very nurturing. Winner of a beauty innovation award and already part of a unique selling proposition (Maison Sybarite makes water-based fragrances that hydrate and protect the skin, much like an emulsion), Amber Gaze is something to gaze—and graze—upon. A panacea.

LA Whatever by Rasei Fort (for Rasei Fort)

Rasei Fort LA Whatever (Rasei Fort) labored and massaged like pretty much all others in the Rasei Fort line, this punch of a sniff is hard, deep, and, yes, as inebriated as my Californian Covid nights. Not entirely certain of the intention behind this liquorous concoction, but through vapors of fruity fermentations and aromatic wood grains I can see one thing clearly: the only *boo in this boozy concoction is that it’s limited edition. A splurge.

D:SOL MMXVI Terram review

 D:SOL MMXVI Terram (Marie Le Febvre): a nostalgic sigh for my long-lost Mediterranean end-summers, Terram fills the need for air and salt with the same natural touch you’d have in a seaside sitting. Neither excruciatingly realistic nor intensely abstract, this rather balanced exercise in herbs and commonplace ingredients reads spacious and piney, like a coastal breeze. Freeing.

Berceuse Parfum Allegretto 7.2 review top ten perfumes 2020

 Berceuse Allegreto 7.2 (Antonio Gardoni): This one, I have to admit, gave me the chills and, by forcing me to presence, unsettled meuntil I realized that any unsettling that’s not daily-life-related is still a good distraction, and so opened myself to the crazy mindsoup Gardoni often produces. In this case, the result was a relatively wild ride which left me scorched and (temporarily, intellectually, and blissfully) vetiver’d out. FINALLY.

Top Ten Perfumes of 2020 niche

photo Oswald Pare

Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection (Nitish Dixit and Zakir Laskar of Dixit & Zak): Yes, I am more than clinging to the hunger I feel for the Dixit & Zak Rising Mysore 2 launch, so I admit weakness–but Ghaliyah is, in its own right, a great offering. Multifaceted rose, silky ambergris, incensy woods, creamy animalics, textural oud; nothing bashful here, nothing personal, nothing discrete or restrained— this is a tour de force of animal, spice, and everything nice, a contrasting and opulent (mixed media?) composition of permanent effect.

My meager drop is now defunct, and emptying it left me empty- I want it, I do. And so would you.

dana sandu, Editor and creator of @a_nose _nose

ÇaFleureBon Top Ten Perfumes of 2020 Draw

Thanks to the generosity of one of our 2020 Rising Stars, Aggelos Balamis there is a draw for one registered reader of your choice of either Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi or  Angelos Creations Olfactives  Grace d’Orient if you reside in the US, UK, EU or Canada. Please leave which one you would like to win in your comment.   What did you think of Lauryn’s Top Ten Perfumes of 2020 and your thoughts on dana’s top ten perfumes 2020. Draw closes December 31, 2020

Since Aggelos doesn’t’ have a website at this time please see his Facebook Page or email him at angelos.olfactives@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram: @cafleurebon @elledebee and @a_nose_knows

Part 1: Michelyn and Ermano: Overview of the “Best of Scents 2020” (there are still draws open here)

Part 2. Michelyn and Ermano: Top Ten Perfumes 2020  (Draws open here)

Part 3.  Ida and Despina: Top Ten Perfumes 2020 (Draws open here)

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our blog feed, or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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58 comments

  • I am intrigued by dana’s selection – specifically Berceuse Allegreto 7.2, Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection, La Whatever (way to deal with this year, whatever), Varanasi, Amber gaze – many of these seem to be earthy, darker, thicker, I guess a sort of inoculation against the darkness of this year.

    I like Yassemi (in Lauryn’s 10 best choices) because of its uplifting quality. However, Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient is earthy, spicy, and if I were to win this draw, I would choose Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient, though Yassemi also seems appropriate, as the darkness is not over yet (what with the new strain of Covid, etc.).

    Writing from the USA.

  • Both lists of fragrances are intriguing to me and I look forward to trying Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger, Meo Fusciuni Varanasi, Bogue Oooh, and Angelos Creations (both scents). I sm also drawn to Masque Milano’s Madeleine. Grâce d’Orient sounds especially beautiful with its classic vintage vibe and beautiful bottle, so this would be my pick if I we’re lucky enough to win. I very much enjoyed all the articles in this Best of 2020 series! I am in the USA.

  • I do enjoy the descriptions of fragrances presented by the entire CaFleureBon writers. Also, I am introduced to brands that are new to me, like D:SOL MMXVI. And yes, Varanasi and Aram are definitely on my wishlist. If lucky, I’d choose Grace d’Orient. Thanks for another fabulous read and draw. Mich USA

  • Masque Milano Madeleine has made another entry in the list. Looks like it is a really well-executed gourmand that may even appeal to those who do not like gourmand perfumes in general. My choice is Grace d’Orient since it seems inspired by classic perfumes. USA

  • These were such unique and interesting favorites – most of which I had never even heard of. I absolute love the last description of Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi – Yassemi is so graceful and verdant that it smells like it sprang just moments ago from the warm earth of a wild Mediterranean garden”. That description makes me want this fragrance so much, I have put it on my 2021 wishlist. And should I win this giveaway, I definitely want that one!

    Maison Sybarite Amber Gaze sounds beautiful. The amber sounds gentle and comforting. And I’m so intrigued that they do a water base so the fragrance actually hydrates the skin. So unique! Another on my wishlist!

    This really was such an interesting collection of favorites. It introduced me to so many new fragrance houses I had not ever heard of before. Which is why I love being part of Cafleurbon because you are always educating me about so many fragrance houses I would never otherwise know about.

    Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
    I live in the USA.

  • Lauryn’s choices sounded a little more appealing to me than dana’s, maybe because her descriptions were just a little more specific than dana’s. But both writers did a great job suggesting what seems to be incredible talent out there. I especially liked Lauryn’s discussion of For Electra, and dana’s treatment of Amber Glaze. If I were to win, I would prefer Grace d’Orient, although both fragrances sound super. I am in the US, in North Carolina.

  • Hi there – gosh so many wonderful perfumes. I think there are 3 from Lauren’s writing that i would like to try – Angelos Balamis ‘Yassemi’. and DSH Perfumes ‘Le Serval’; also ‘Madeleine’ from Masque Milano sounds delightful.
    Dana is turning me on to Maison Sybarite’s ‘Amber Gaze’, sure sounds like my thing – and it hydrates and protects. What’s not to like.
    So – i am in the UK and if i was lucky enough to win, i’d like to get Yassemi. Thanks for the draw and a very Happy New Year to all involved. Another year, more perfumes – they maybe our only joy!

  • There were so many on Lauryn’s list that sounded delightful to my tastes, less so on Dana’s. From Lauryn’s list, I was intrigued by fleure Cachon’s take on vanilla; I tend to prefer heavy , darker vanilla, not cupcake or frosting vanilla, so this sounds delightful. Her description of masque milano Madeleine as a gourmand with texture makes me want to get my hands on it! The DSH serval is one I’ve never heard of but description of animalic floral has me intrigued. So too with the mimosa tanneron, I’m very curious to see how the green almond note plays in it. The yassemi’s take on jasmine sounds gorgeous and I love jasmine. From Dana’s list , amber gaze bc sounds so inviting to me and I love their take on a moisturizing base.
    I would like to win Angelos Creations olfactives Yassemi and I’m in USA .

  • These lists mention a lot of fragrances which are new to me and they seem appealing to me; I plan to try them as soon as I get the chance to do that. If I win the draw then I’d choose Grace d’Orient. I live in MD., U.S.A. Thank you for the helpful lists of fragrances and the giveaway draws.

  • Claumarchini says:

    I enjoyed very much all the 4 “best of 2020” articles, a great help to orientate oneself in this amazing world! Lauryn’s and Dana’s selections introduced me to some brands I didn’t know, together with others that are on my wishlist (Mimosa Tanneron, Varanasi, OOOH, Tyger Tyger – of which I have a sample and loved it!). I really enjoyed both top 10s and if I were lucky to win it would be a real dilemma because both Angelo’s creations include my favourite notes: ylang ylang and Damascus Rose, but I think I’d go for the vintage feel of Grace d’Orient. I live in Milan, Italy

  • I’m unfamiliar with pretty much all the perfumes listed here and I truly appreciate the fact that those are mostly from small indie brands.
    I would love to try out Yassemi from Angelos Creations. Many thanks for this draw. I live in France.

  • I loved reading these lists and love reading all the lists. There are plenty of Perfumers here I do not know and would like to try and Aggelos Balamis Is one of them. In particular Yassemi appeals as I love the sound of jasmine in a Mediterranean garden. I am in U.K.

  • I was struck with both Dana’s and Lauren’s lists both fascinated and intrigued by both. In particular Olivier Durbano Aram and Folie a plusiers from Electra. From Dana’s list I was curious about Meo Fusciuni Varanasi and Rasei fort la whatever. If I am lucky to win I would love to win Grace d’orient because of the spicy facets. Thanks a million from the United Kingdom

  • Both lists are intriguing and fascinating in equal measure. I was intrigued by Folie a plusiers and Oliver Durbano Aram from Lauryns list. Dana’s list Tyger Tyger and Amelia Ghaliya both sound great. If I am successful I would love to win Grace d’orient. Thanks a lot from the UK

  • Iuno Feronia says:

    Thanks for this List. What I Misses in all the lists was Andy Tauer‘s Phtaloblu. I live in the Eu, I would chose Yassemi!

  • Iuno Feronia says:

    Thanks for this List. What I Misses in all the lists was Andy Tauer‘s Phtaloblu. I live in the Eu, I would chose Yassemi! All the best

  • Masque Milano and Francesca Bianchi were my two revelations this year. I do think they’re the definition for what a niche fragrance should be. The notes, the presentation, the number of bottles and their marketing are special and very well adapted to the niche world in so strange conditions. I would love Grace d’Orient if I’m lucky. I currently live in Romania.

  • I don’t know any of these fragrances but I’m specifically intrinsic by Dana’s choices because I darker warmer fragrances are always my favorite. I especially want to try the Tyger Tyger, Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection and Grace d’Orient. I wish I can win the Grace d’Orient. I will also get my nose on the Tyger Tyger and Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection in the future. Thanks for introducing us some unique, not the mainstream fragrances, and the giveaway too! I’m in California USA.

  • Amongst Lauryn’s selections, I’m most interested in Yassemi as it sounds like it seemingly effortlessly achieved what would otherwise be a difficult balancing act of including many florals that are full of character individually! I’ll also keep an eye out for Pizzicato Bliss, as I’m intrigued by creating a fruity fragrance with naturals only – that’s a really challenging endeavour!

    I’ve only tried Allegretto 7.2 out of dana’s selections, and it was unfortunately a little too challenging for me to wear – but it did intrigue me and kept my mind occupied, which is a lot more than you can ask for with most releases nowadays, and I appreciated that! Ghaliyah Reflection sounds divine and I would love to try that someday!

    I live in the UK and would love to win Yassemi!

    Thank you for the great write-up and for hosting this giveaway!

  • Two things made me happy reading these two top 10!!

    First , the fact that Aggelos was included in both ladies’ lists! He makes such great creations!

    Second, Masque Milano! I have been waiting for a pure gourmand by this elegant brand and I can’t wait to get my hands and nose on Madeleine! I am a total sucker for gourmands and I think this one will blow me away!

    Thank you for your hard work and your beautiful choices , you have made me want to try almost everything that was on your lists , especially Ghaliyah, Tyger Tyger , and Le Serval!!

    If I win this draw, I would like the bottle of Grâce d’Orient!

    I am in Greece, EU

  • I can’t comment from actually smelling any of them but I like the read of the Aaron Terence Hughes Arabica for it’s coffee and lavender possibilities. For the draw I’d love the Grace d’Orient. US

  • Wow, what diverse lists! I had heard of almost none of these before reading and what few I had came from Ça Fleure Bon articles as well, and none of them were ones I’ve had the chance to smell!

    Most intrigued by Chyprette and OOOH among these, and quite happy to see lists with less iris-centered perfumes, it seemed to be a theme this year by unfortunately it’s not a note that grabs me.

    If I won I would select Yassemi for sure, I’ve been enjoying perfumes with more vintage vibes.

    Thank you for the article, for the draw, and wishing everyone a brighter and more fruitful 2021!

  • So many of these brands are not new to me and I haven’t heard of DSol
    I really like to see masque milano get attention I bought the Madeline and Russian tea
    I have read all the other posts but only enter this draw for Angelos Créations olfactive
    I live in the Eu

  • another great list, with many unusual scents that would be wonderful to try, among them Amber Gaze and Terram. Mimosa Tannerom or OOOH I would love to try. I find lavender so comforting, that Arabica is a sure thing for me. Fleur Cachee sounds wonderful, and Tyger Tyger is so very interesting. for Attar Chrysantheme, is this the third mention? I’m not familiar with attar scents, so I’m not sure that i would fully appreciate this very special attar, but it would likely be a good start? I would love to try Yassemi – this year i am drawn to comforting or optimistic scents, and this one would do that for me. I’m in the US. thank you for your lists and wonderful write-ups!!! i always enjoy reading about scent.

  • Both Lauryn and dana chose fragrances from perfumers I’m not familiar with. I’m most interested in trying Fleur Cachee, Yassemi, Le Servel, Aram, Tyger Tyger, Chyprette and Amber Gaze. If I were fortunate enough to win, I would love to have Yassemi. Commenting from MD, USA.

  • Great list by Lauryn and Dana… with great names on it, amazing perfumers (consagrated and rising stars) such as Gardoni, Lie, DSH, Ellena, Agellos… I am intrigued and need to try the Maison Sybarite new method.. I would choose Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient, and congratulate Aggelos by his creations , his vintage approach to perfumes and his very interesting youtube chanel and the generosity of the draw. I live in Spain, Eu

  • Hi everyone and warm wishes to all! I’m relatively new here and I’m frankly in awe with the beautiful writing in this website, which could very well belong in an award winning novel! The perfume choices all look very interesting and adventurous…I would love to try Aggelos’ Yassemi, sounds wonderful!

  • I so enjoyed reading Lauryn’s and Dana’s 2020 selections. I am now introduced to so many new fragrances from the best reviewers. So many to try. Thave not sampled any of their choices but after the descriptions , I will have to. Lauryn was more uplifting than Dana but I get it. We all do. Things change from day to day, hour to hour with our emotions. I was eyeing Tyger Tyger. I would love to try Grace d’Orient with the rising star Aggelos Balamis. Both sound beautiful. Thank you for the chance, happy new year to all. California

  • Bryant Worley says:

    Lauryn and Dana’s lists had excellent choices, and even though Dana’s musings were better written (IMHO), they bothhad the same amount of ‘hits’ (again, IMHO).

    Lauryn’s highlights:

    Anatole Lebreton Fleur Cachée
    Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi
    Bogue OOOH (Antonio Gardoni): OOOH is 2020
    Olivier Durbano Aram
    Perris Mimosa Tanneron
    Prosody London Pizzicato Bliss
    Sultan Pasha Chypre Chrysantheme

    Dana’s highlights:

    Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger
    Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient
    Annette Neuffer Chyprette
    Maison Sybarite Amber Gaze
    Rasei Fort LA Whatever
    Berceuse Allegreto 7.2
    Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection

    These are the highlights that I definitely have to sample (I love a nice shopping list).

    It was hard choosing between Aggelos’ two creations (which is why I’ll email him to ask if I can win one for each hand;-D), but the one that I’d like to win is Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi. The description was very moving – “a multifaceted, jasmine-dominant floral that fearlessly marries delicate notes (such as heliotrope and angelica) with bombshells like ylang-ylang, smooths them out with woods and resins, and then holds them in glittering balance. Yassemi is so graceful and verdant that it smells like it sprang just moments ago from the warm earth of a wild Mediterranean garden.” – – that makes this sound like a versatile, every season, every day, 24/7/365 wear. Who can pass that up?

    I live in Waldorf, Maryland, USA.

  • I’d love to win Sultan Pasha’s Chypre Chrysantheme and Antonio Gardoni’s OOOH and Allgreto 7.2 – simply because those are my two favourite perfumers. And, I intend to acquire as many compositions of those two as possible.
    Both writers have fantastic choices, I’m sure. But I haven’t tried most of those. So more things to sample. Thank you. UK

  • I haven’t tried much on either list besides Perris Mimosa Tanneron, but there are quite a few I have been intrigued by since reading about them on this site. From Lauryn’s list, I would love to try Fleur Cachee since I’m a fan of Incarnata, Le Serval because Dawn does everything well, and Masque Milano Madeleine because I like Kintsugi, and I’m curious about this interpretation of white florals. From dana’s list, Tyger Tyger sounds very intriguing and I’m a fan of Francesca Bianchi. Angelos Creations Olfactives must be special to make both lists with different fragrances. I’m not sure how to choose, but I’m partial to jasmine so I’ll go with Yassemi. I live in the USA.

  • Another post that makes me hungry for fragrances! High on my wish list now: Fleur Cachée, Le Serval, Yassemi, Tyger Tyger, LA Whatever, Annette Neuffer Chyprette, Berceuse Allegreto 7.2, and Ghaliyah… hard to narrow it down. I’d be happy be either of the Angelos Creations Olfactives, with perhaps a slight preference for Grace d’Orient because I’ve watched some of Dana’s videos and I have a feeling I’d agree with almost any choice she makes.
    (in USA)

  • There is such versatility in these selections that there is something present for all readers. I would love to win Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient. It just sounds like something I would love and treasure. What wonderfully inspiring reviews.! Thank you to both Dana and Lauryn. I’m in the USA

  • Michael Prince says:

    My favorite picks from Lauryn are Anatole Lebreton Fleur Cachée, Masque Milano Madeleine, and Prosody London Pizzicato. Most of the offerings from Dana really caught my attention since I am into bolder fragrances to include Aaron Terence Hughes Arabica, Annette Neuffer Chyprette,  Maison Sybarite Amber Gaze, Rasei Fort LA Whatever, and D:SOL MMXVI Terram. If I win I would pick Grace d’Orient. I am from the USA.

  • Both lists are nice reviews for the things we have all talked about this year. Most of them are still on my to-try list, but I expect to try them slowly in the following months and come back to these reviews. I do have For Electra at hand. Time to review it!

    Looks like Aggelos is going to be the star of 2021. I would like to win Grace d’Orient! (USA)

  • These lists are amazing! A barrage of fragrances to try at the end of the year is a welcome distraction from this nonsense we’re living through. I found out about Bogue Profumo from CFB, and that anniversary bottle for CFB looks so neat. I had the chance to try DSH Le Serval and it is, like all her works, a beauty. Meo Fusciuni Varanasi is a house I’ve not heard of so I will be looking into them. Thanks for another great list/review. I hope you all have a wonderful, healthy New Year. If I could pick, I would love to try a self-taught perfumer’s first release! So I would have to pick Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi. Cheers, from Colorado.

  • Lauryn’s top ten consisted mostly of florals in many shapes and forms, from purer, dewier ones, to the more powerful, animalic, mysterious and “concealed” ones. As a lover of florals as I myself am, that is a great list to keep in mind and come back to.
    As far as Dana’s top ten goes, I was very happy she chose perfumes she didn’t ever review, and perhaps only one or two of her picks had been reviewed on Cafleurebon at all. So it felt like a selection of 10 totally new mini reviews of fragrances I had never read about before.
    Congrats to Aggelos Balamis for a great start as a perfume creator. I hope his career will be just as successful. My pick would be Yassemi, because a jasmine dominated floral is closer to my heart. I live in EU.
    Happy new year everyone, may it be a totally different animal than what this one was!

  • I must admit I am a bit biased towards Dana’s choices since I fell in love with her after watching her appearing in highly educational and witty comedies on Sebastian’s Smelling Great Fragrance Reviews Youtube channel. I’ve watched the episode about resins at least three times. Not only because I had had no idea about resins before. 🙂 Her nose knows, but her brains are even more impressive.
    I believe these videos should be presented to responsible to adjust educational policies for distance learning of our children.

    Since I am making a list of summer fragrances I am highly intrigued by Terram by D:SOL MMXVI and Yassemi by Angelos Creations Olfactives. Of course, both landed on my list of »perfumes to explore for summer of 2021«.

    Nevertheless, I enjoyed part Lauryn’s part, too. It includes the fragrance Fleur Cachée by Anatole Lebreton I’ve just won in a recent draw and I cannot wait to smell it for the first time. Another one I am going to sample thanks to a great Lauryn’s marvelous review is Madeleine by Masque Milano.
    As mentioned above I would love to try Yassemi by Angelos Creations Olfactives. Cheers from the EU.

  • Again, new discoveries for me in the lists… Thank you for sharing your interesting and varied choices! From these, I am looking to try Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger and the Meo Fusciuni next. I would prefer Grace d’Orient if I can choose, but both sound good! From Finland.

  • At the end of the year, I assume that it was a good one for perfumery. Of course, we missed some events, such as the usual annual exhibitions in Florence and Milano. We attended the Art and Olfaction Awards via Zoom, but this fact helped me to be there. Çafleurebon continues to publish articles in the same rhythm. I feel that creativity in the fragrant world has not suffered. The year was strange, and being at home during the lockdown we had last spring, I read articles on perfumery even more than usual. Many of the reviews I read on Çafleurebon are on my mind.
    I am usually late with new perfumes, so 2020 brought me fragrances from last year. Ember and Musk, Nepenthe, Vetiver Coeur, Le Pavillon D’Or are some of them. A few days ago, I tried wonderful Moonlight in Chiangmai, and it is the only fragrance I know from Çafleurebon Top Perfumes 2020 series.
    If I look back, every year brought me something special, perfumes I would like to treasure and wear the whole life. April Aromatics, Aftelier, Neela Vermeire Creations, Vero.Profumo, En Voyage Perfumes, and many other American Artisans, Parfums Dusita, are some.

    On December 18, two years after Vero Kern passed away, I learned that her perfumes are in production again. For me, this is a grand fragrant moment of 2020.

    Jorum Studio and Hiram Green Perfumes are houses that I would like to explore soon, together with the new fragrances from Frassai.

    Although I have not tried his perfumes yet, I like that Aggelos Balamis of Angelos Créations Olfactives is the Rising Star of 2020. Dana’s review of Eau de Vertu, and the brand’s FB page, were my first info about these perfumes. My interest grows because Dana chose the other fragrance in her top ten, not the reviewed Eau de Vertu, and Lauryn chose the third one. They all are alluring. Details about these perfumes are rare, but I know they are loved by those who have already tried them.
    I’d like to win Grace d’Orient. I am in Croatia, EU.

    Happy 2021 to all people of Çafleurebon: writers, editors, and readers.

  • Wow, I see multiple fragrances made it to multiple editors’ lists and that must surely speak of the quality of these fragrances to capture different noses with access to extensive arrays of different scents. I am quite pleased to see the Masque Milano Madeleine and Sultan Pasha Chypre Chrysantheme in Lauryn’s list and Francesca Bianchi Tyger as well as Maison Sybarite Amber Gaze in Dana’s list. Thank you for the giveaways and I’d love to win Grace d’Orient. I’m in USA

  • Some of Lauryn’s choices made me very curious, because they keep popping in other’s editors tops, and I’m referring to Sultan Pasha Chypre Chrysantheme, Masque Milano Madeleine, or Olivier Durbano Aram. Regarding Dana’s top 10, I remember very well her review of Eau de Vertu, and also one of her videos regarding Angelos Creations Olfactives. So, it’s no surprise here, just increasing curiosity. I’d very much like to win Yassemi. Thanks for the draw! I live in EU.

  • First of congratulations to Aggelos Balamis, who has been included in most of the Çafleurebon list and will be exciting to watch. I hope I will smell something of his soon.
    I haven’t tried any of these listed by Lauryn and dana yet, so will have something to do in 2021! From Lauryn’s choices Fleur Caché, le Serval and Madeleine really intrigue me. I have seen both Fleur Caché and Madeleine mentioned in multiple lists and would love to try Anatole Lebreton’s vanilla project result and a gourmand from Masque Milano.
    I like that dana has chosen quite an eclectic range of fragrances which she hasn’t reviewed before. Love to see Tyger Tyger in there which is also on my wish list and Berceuse Allegreto 7.2 also intrigue me.
    From Angelos Creations Olfactives I would love to try Grâce d’Orient. Happy New Year everyone! Marit UK

  • Delighted to see Tyger Tyger and Varanasi on the lists!! And happy to see Sultan Pasha made another one! And y’all are killing me with Madeleine, it’s making every list, this stuff must be stellar! (Going to order sample now!) I have never heard of Chyprette but the name, bottle, color of the juice and “painful poetry” has really got me interested in this one.

    I have been wanting to try Aggelos’ perfume for a while now because I hear nothing but raves and it just seems like I will love these. If I were lucky enough to win I would be equally delighted with either Grace d’Orient because “intensely vintage” or Yassemi because Jasmine and “achingly lovely”. It’s too hard to choose because each description made me want to try both.

    Thank you for the generous giveaway, good luck to everyone! I’m in the US.

  • There’s that Madeleine……again. Best gourmand of the decade? I must own it. I’ve been on the Masque Milano website and I’m so tempted especially with the free shipping. I totally relate to Danu’s feeling when that last meager drop of the sample is gone. Quite a few of these I haven’t heard of. Yes a big *boo, that Rasei Fort is a limited edition. The Pizzicato Bliss caught my eye with the fig note. I’d love to win the Yassemi because the wild mediterranean garden sounds like the perfect way to start a new year. Happiest of New Years to everyone! USA.

  • What a series, I’ve read whole 5 parts of top 10. Amazing job! As for part 4, I like Dana’s top 10 a bit more, maybe because I’d love to win one fragrance that she put on her list, but honestly both lists are great. Everyone will find something suitable. Varanasi by Meo Fusciuni, it is a perfect match for my way of life and fashion style. Poland, EU

  • Dearest Lauryn and dana,

    Once again, I have to thank you both for the work you put into this list. I often wonder how you are able to pick favorites when you smell so many fragrances in a year. This is truly a fantastic list showcasing niche as well as large scale houses, which displays the effects the pandemic has had on perfumery in both cases.

    I’m amazed to see that in spite of all the emotional hardships this year, creativity is at it’s peak. One cannot deny that hardship spurs creativity as an outlet.

    I have had the benefit of smelling Berceuse which is an insane vetiver fragrance and takes you on a fast journey, puntuated by interesting twists. I’m also looking forward to sniffing Fleur Cachee courtesy of Cafleurebon (thank you!).

    Angelos Creations Olfactives Yassemi sounds like it would be right up m yalley. I’m a huge jasmine fan and I love the notes in this one.

    Bogue OOOH (Antonio Gardoni): I remember reading about this in CFB and I wished that I could have had a chance to smell it

    DSH Perfumes Le Serval Anything created by Dawn is a strong love for me. I am so inspired by this perfumers creativity and have been closely following her insta.

    Masque Milano Madeleine (Fanny Bal): When I read the recent review in CFB, I was intrigued by how a gourmand could possess so many facets. Would love to get my nose on this sometime.

    Olivier Durbano Aram – another great fragrance that I read in CFB that I loved. The mixes of citruses, resins, tea, rose sounded so good.

    Sultan Pasha Attars Chypre Chrysantheme: Another Attar master who I have been following ofrever. I hope to someday own one of his creations.

    Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger (Francesca Bianchi) – I’ve wanted to smell this for a while now. I actually haven’t smelt any of Bianchi’s work and this sounds brilliant.

    Aaron Terence Hughes Arabica (Aaron Terence Hughes): Anther one that has captured my attention. Lavender and coffee – fascinating!

    Annette Neuffer Chyprette (Annette Neuffer): I’ve not heard of this before but chypres are my favourite style and I would love to try this.

    Amelia Ghaliyah Reflection (Nitish Dixit and Zakir Laskar of Dixit & Zak): I’ve been following these perfumers for a while now, since they are from hoem and we do not have anyone breaking the perfumery barriers until now. I love the iea of this scent and will be picking up a bottle. I do have some Rising Mysore that I enjoy very much.

    How does one choose which fragrance to win when both are top ten fragrances of the year?

    I would be exceptionally happy to win either of those fragrances.

    I’m a huge fan of dana’s list because I tend to lean towards her tastes. I miss seeing her videos with Sebastian Jarra.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • The Best Of lists are always fun to read, unfortunately I didn’t try any new release from this difficult year that is coming (finally!) to an end.
    I see Tyger Tyger in so many lists that it looks that is a great patchouli and would like to try it in the future.
    Also The Durbano Aram looks amazing.
    Happy 2021 to everyone!
    I live in the US and would like to win Graced’Orient.
    Thanks

  • I have been introduced to many new fragrances from Lauryn’s and dana’s lists. I am especially interested in the fragrances that speak of a place, a region, a land I have never visited. I am especially interested in Varanasi, Aram, and Le Serval. I hope next year we can travel again. But we are blessed indeed to have perfumers transport us.
    I would choose Yassemi.
    I live in the USA.

  • I loved reading Laurn’s and dana’s reviews. dana’s taste is very similar to my own, and I am always drawn to her reviews. Therefore I would prefer to win the Grace d’Orient, if I were to win at all. Though Yassemi sounds amazing too. I am in the US.

  • Thank you for these incredible top ten lists! My wishlist keeps growing, I hope to make some purchases very soon: Annette Neuffer Chyprette caught my eye for its beautiful bottle and the description that sounds gorgeous.
    I would like to try Anatole Lebreton Fleur Cachée because I adore vanilla; Masque Milano Madeleine that is in everyone list and must be amazing; Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger because I am a fan of her work; D:SOL MMXVI Terram, as I miss the smell of Mediterranean coast.

    Aggelos Balamis fragrances sound both beautiful, but if lucky I’d choose to win Angelos Creations Olfactives Grace d’Orient, for its vintage and familiar vibes.
    Thank you from the UK

  • I am really interested in how Aaron Terence Hughes Arabica smells. It seems like an interesting scent to me. And Rasei Fort LA Whatever in Dana’s list is really a good choice. For Lauryn’s list, Masque Milano Madeleine is my favourite.
    I hope to win Grace d’Orient as I would definitely need a sweet, warm, spicy adventure in the new year of 2021.
    Florida, USA

  • Nice. A few I’ve been wanting try from this list are La Whatever and Tyger. Haven’t tried the rest as well. Thanks for the draw, Ca

  • I really liked both lists of fragrances are intriguing to me and I really want to try Francesca Bianchi Tyger Tyger, Meo Fusciuni Varanasi, Bogue Oooh, and Angelos Creations. I also really want to try Masque Milano’s Madeleine. I would really like to win Grâce d’Orient since it sounds so beautiful with its vintage vibe. I have really enjoyed the lists of top fragrances this year and I live in the USA.

  • I really enjoyed both Lauryn’s and Dana’s top ten fragrances lists. I really wanted to try Meo Fusciuni Varanasi and DSH Le Serval but unfortunately was able to. I would really like to win Angelos Creations Olfactive Yassemi. I live in the US, thanks!

  • I think Lauryn and Dana had wonderful lists. I love seeing fragrances that I know in the lists but unfortunately I have never tried any of them. I would like to win Grace D’Orient since I would really like the vintage smell that it offers. I live in the US.

  • Lauryn had me at Tanneron, Dana had me at Francescha Bianchi. I would love the opportunity to try Yassemi!
    I’m in Slovenia, EU