Olya Bar(r) and Steven Gavrielatos aka Redolessence Ten Best Perfumes of 2022

 Now that you have heard from Ermano and me, (our ten Best Perfumes of 2022 ) and (The Best Fragrances of 2022 here), Ida and Lauryn, Emmanuelle and Nicoleta, Karl and Michael,  Hernado and Rachel we wrap up our Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 overviews with Editors Olya Bar and Steven Gavrielatos.

2022 has been a busy year for the fragrance industry, with many novelties. In all honesty, this list represents only a small fraction of all the fantastic olfactory works I have been lucky to experience this year. Many brands tapped into the memories as inspiration. There was a heavy focus on the ingredients and sustainability, and I’m beyond excited to see what the brands, perfumers, and creative directors have in store for us in 2023.In alphabetical order-Olya Bar, Editor

Akro Ink (Olivier Cresp): One cannot deny the genius of Olivier Cresp’s work. With the launch of his brand, exploring the vices and deep desires humans experience, I fell in love with his most well-known take on caffeine addiction with Akro Awake. The latest work, Akro Ink, was inspired by the memory of the first tattoo, the anticipation, and the taste of adrenaline mixed with excitement. The ancient art of body art goes far beyond trendy body decoration; it’s a reminder of a time, a place – a fleeting moment that becomes a permanent memento. A good fragrance works similarly – something you carry on your skin to remind you of who you are. I got my first tattoo right after turning thirty years old. For me, it wasn’t a rebellious act of a teenager but rather a significant moment of inscribing an idea, a thought, and an emotion to forever etch in my skin, a reminder of who I am. That may be why Akro Ink holds a special place in my heart.

Atelier Des Ors Pink Me Up (Marie Salamagne): Atelier des Ors PINK ME UP became perhaps one of the most festive releases for me this year and is one delectable cocktail of fruits and florals, the addictive pétillant of the drink known worldwide to symbolize a celebration. he true gem of this fragrance lies at its heart. A distinct CHAMPAGNE ingredient makes it unique and almost fizzy at the top. As a lover of vibrant, tart, and bubbly, I expect to enjoy it all through the holiday parties. Pink Me Up is a perfect remedy for those gloomy days of the winter season when holidays are over, and with nothing but cold weather months ahead, we all require remedies to combat the winter blues. Creating a fragrance to celebrate life after the last few years of the unknown is a perfect way to end the year with a victorious toast. Let us raise our flutes to that!

Etat Libre d’Orange Frustration (Mathilde Bijaoui): If only Frustration’s taste had always been as sweet as this breathtaking cocktail of rum, roasted chestnut, and warm vanilla with a heft pinch of cinnamon and a dirty whiff of cumin. Playful and naughty, this is perhaps one of a few gourmand fragrances we have encountered from Etat Libre d’Orange. Frustration manages to shift from the spicy intensity to a calm creamy hug, and just when you begin to relax in its presence, it slaps you with cumin once again. Marvelous work by Mathilde. As Etienne de Swardt says,” And Frustration is what we need, my friend.”

Goldfield & Banks Purple Suede (Ilias Ermenidis):  A beguiling new addition to the Botanical Series, this fragrance blew me away. An incredibly transporting olfactory imagination expresses the scent of aromatic fields of sunburnt lavender, where the sun’s fierce heat crisps the delicate blossoms. Australia always seemed like one of the most exotic and adventurous places, with the richest flora and fauna. As an avid equestrian, I can compare this perfume to the feeling of galloping through the lavender fields while surrounded by a rich sillage of the leather saddle and civet mimicking the hot skin of the animal underneath you. A unique and confident take on lavender with oakmoss, earthy patchouli, a resinous oud, and golden amber. Purple Suede makes a confident statement, be ready to tame its wild spirit, or it will swallow you whole.

House of Bo Rosario (Olivier Cresp): Part of the latest Tesoro collection, which translates to precious memories, Rosario was based on the childhood memories of Bernardo Moller, savoring the spicy sweet dessert of pomegranate with chili peppers and lemon sorbet after school in his native Mexico. Bernardo had been looking to recreate that innocent and happy association with the tangy and luminous dessert taste for some time. The cards aligned when he met Olivier Cresp, who chose to use one of his signature citrus accords – the Primofiore Lemon. Cultivated in the province of Siracusa, it is ranked among the best in the world due to the high quality of its essential oils, often used to give the ice cream a superb taste and flavor. Paired with the elegant brightness of freesia and peonies, it creates a delicate gourmand facet to the fragrance with a soft creamy undertone of ambergris. The base is grounded with vetiver, which brings out the zestiness of the lemon so well, rounding off the structure.

Ten Best Perfumes of 2022

INITIO Parfums Paragon: The third pillar in the Hedonist Collection, INITIO Parfums Prive Paragon, is focused on the spiritual connection. Soft and sensual, it greets us with a zesty burst of bergamot, soothing lavender, and white sage with a pinch of pepper to add a touch of fire from the start. The heart is bursting with the juiciness of ripe plum, and palo santo is enveloped in the comforting sensuality of sandalwood and the delicate touch of oud. The woods round the composition, pulling it together into a warm cocoon I feel like reaching for when I need to center my mind and soul. I have been burning palo santo in my house as part of the morning ritual for many years. When I smelled Initio Parfums Paragon, I felt a rush of peace and comfort all around me, as if with a spritz, you create an invisible shield beyond which is a place where stress isn’t allowed to roam free, and everything seems aglow.

Maison Crivelli Ambre Chromatique (Quentin Bisch): If you ask me, Maison Crivelli is one of the most exciting brands to enter the niche arena in the past few years. Thibaud Crivelli’s personal experiences and creative visions he manages to recreate so vividly through fragrances are nothing but spectacular. His close collaboration with Quentin Bisch, one of the leading perfumers in the niche landscape, for all the three extraits in the collection has been extra special for me as I am a massive fan of everything Quentin signed in the last decade. Ambre Chromatique explores the depth of the jungle, a scent of an adventurous journey into the depth of the dangerous forest in search of the precious amber resin. The bark cracks underneath your feet in the nocturnal jungle as you make your way deeper into the lush greenery. The singing of birds around you, colorful flora, and fauna showcasing all the vibrant colors nature can create. You are surrounded by an aroma of the most exotic flowers and abundant vegetation everywhere you look. Finally, you feel the precious resin between your fingers, inhalings its deep incense-like aroma while sensing a taste of boozy, slightly bitter vanilla on your lips. A composition is both intoxicating and addictive, and if you are a lover of all things amber, this perfume is for you.

Parfums Dusita La Rhapsodie Noire (Pissara Umavijani): A fragrance to celebrate a peaceful day in a cozy Parisian Cafe in the middle of the 1920s. A cup of aromatic coffee, the aroma of freshly baked goods mingling with a soft whiff of a cigar someone is enjoying nearby. Constructed as an Amber Fougere, it leans more into the territory of Gourmand for me. Quite a unique take on two familiar genres, yet from a new perspective. The opening notes are a bit on the drier side with a soft aromatic combination of lavender and sage that slowly give way to the heart of fluffy mimosa and jasmine on the bed of caramelized Tonka beans and vanilla. The woodsy base accord consists of warm woods with a slight resinous zing. A great release just in time for the winter season. I will be cozying up to it for many days to come.

Teo Cabanel Encore (Marie Schnirer): Teo Cabanel Encore is a true feel-good fragrance that evokes soothing memories of baking for me. It opens up with that first flavor of carrots and a brightness mixed in with the peach, while the heart is served with a hefty dose of nutty goodness—a soft scent of dough in the background and a deep earthy flavor of the almond flour. The buttery smooth iris in the heart is thick and lactonic, deeply sensual, and warm. Iris always brings the necessary depth with it and amplifies the overall sensation. And finally, the woodsy base of sandalwood can always make any fragrance more round and complete. You can’t find a better aroma to cozy up with on a couch after the holidays while sipping on a steaming chai latte.

Thomas De Monaco Eau Coeur Parfum (Maurus Bachmann): Our brief encounter in Milan earlier this year might have been by chance, but my love affair with Thomas’s work will clearly last a while. I knew from the first whiff of Thomas De Monaco Eau Coeur parfum that this fragrance would become one of my favorites. It was in a simple rollerball months before the final stages of production. Oh, it was glorious, incredibly complex, warm, and enveloping. It felt novel yet beautifully familiar, multi-faceted yet relatable, and artsy yet easy to understand. The opening of lush suede-like magnolia with a tart osmanthus, Moroccan rose, and a nutty sensual base of tonka bean with a never-ending sillage of soft ambroxan. It spoke to me immediately, and I fell deeper into my infatuation with Thomas’s work with every wear.

Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 Honorable mention: Mizensir Ambre Magique (Alberto Morillas): Alberto Morillas has captured my heart with his work for dozens of perfume brands in the past. And while Mizensir, Alberto Morrilas’s brand, has been known chiefly for candles, the collection of fragrances is superb. Ambre Magique is a luminous and sensual blend with a vibrant, woody intensity. It forms a kaleidoscope of olfactory sensations with a juicy burst of mandarin and aromatic cardamom in the opening. The heart is a celebration of the golden orange blossom, caramelized by amber. The bold sweetness of bourbon vanilla and musk set a contrast against creamy and rich. This is one olfactory magic potion, a complex concentration of a thousand scents and the stories that inspired them.

–Olya Bar, Editor

Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 Steven

While 2022 seemed to unravel in a milder manner when compared to 2021, to say that this year was uneventful would be an unjustly statement.  Many brands released iconic fragrances that seemed to receive much praise, and in-person events began to make a comeback.  New favorite fragrances were discovered, and meaningful connections to brands and people were made. I am thankful for all things fragrant that I had the pleasure of enjoying this year, and among my favorite fragrances are the ten new releases listed below!-Steven Gavrielatos, Video

Initio Parfums Privés Paragon (Perfumer Undisclosed): Initio Parfums delivers greatness once again with their new release Paragon. The name suggests that the fragrance is the perfect example of something, and the very thing that it aims to perfectly exemplify is subjective in nature. Its opening of plum and palo santo is meditative and unquestionably rich. The calming notes all rest on a bed of oud and labdanum, which both establish the amazing longevity for which the fragrance continues to get praise.

Kajal Faris (David Chieze and Urs Castelletti): Faris is a word that translates to “knight” and as you’ll quickly notice, the perfume is capable of erecting a protective barrier around you that is enriched with aromas of apple, lavender, jasmine, and amber. The freshness of the composition is incomparable, and the brightness of the citrus makes this an optimum selection for a formal or professional setting. Faris is the counterpart to Almaz, and the two pair together in perfect harmony. Fans of the brand have an outstandingly difficult time determining which of the two they prefer.

Narcotica Dulce Diablo (Claude Dir):Gourmand lovers are in for a real treat with Dulce Diablo by Narcotica. This new niche brand has already brought us three exceptional creations, and the most recently arrived of which is Doza. Dulce Diablo happens to be my favorite (considering that I have a penchant for gourmand creations), and I find the combination of booze and apricot to be completely arresting. Cognac and run add the spicy bite before dulcet wafts of chocolate and vanilla from Madagascar sweep in to overtake our senses with their amiable ways.

Frederic Malle Uncut Gem (Maurice Roucel): While fresh fragrances from the Frederic Malle brand are more of a rarity than they are a complete anomaly, Uncut Gem is a fragrance that inspired a bit of head scratching and pensive musings. On first sniff, the citrus that first greets you may give you the impression that you will soon be led down familiar and uninspiring territory. However, time spent with this fragrance reveals a completely different side of the story. Angelica root creates the herbal appeal, and a natural-smelling ginger notes produces a brightness that is hard to hate. A resolute musk ingredient accompanies olibanum for a smooth yet mysterious conclusion.

Roja Parfums Apex (Roja Dove): Roja Dove’s releases are infrequent, and this hopefully conveys that much time and thought is added to each blend so that what eventually makes its way to the market is thoughtfully composed and brilliantly expressed.  Apex is no exception as it flawlessly combines pineapple and cypress with a leather accord. This modern chypré perfume also conveys its darkness with notes of oakmoss, rum, and incense. Apex is a professional and modern fragrance for any perfume-savvy individual.

Frapin 1270 Extreme (Jérome Epinette): 1270 was one of the brand’s earliest installments, and consumers fell in love with the blend of dried fruits, cognac, plum, cacao, and honey. The sweet tones create an agreeable atmosphere to satisfy any sweet tooth, and the Extreme version of this fragrance amplifies everything in a delectable way. This fragrance, which is composed by Jérome Epinette, strengthens the tonka and pineapple for a contrasting aura that is altogether fresh and sweet. Those who have come to love the original will discover a new love with 1270 Extreme!

Vilhelm Parfumerie To My Father (Bertrand Duchaufour): Vilhelm Parfumerie is one of the most versatile brands on the market. From Black Citrus to Morning Chess, the diversity of their perfumes serves as an accolade towards defining the brands versatility. To My Father is a 2022 release that fuses whiskey with bitter orange, davana, cade oil, and oak. At times, the perfume conveys aromas of tobacco and honey. To My Father is altogether classy and distinguished. For the special gentleman in your life, To My Father would make the perfect gift this season!

Parfums Quartana Ierofante (Luca Maffei): Leave it to Joseph Quartana to take inspiration from his personal experiences and transform them into a breathtaking perfume. Today’s subject focuses on the accord of suede leather with a gasoline accord and dry amber. You will take a metaphorical journey to the stars with Ierofante, which takes its name from the tarot card Hierophant. The styrax is warm and slightly medicinal while the spices are aplenty to create an enigmatic and enchanting aroma.

Manos Gerakinis Methexis (Chris Maurice): Methexis is the latest masterpiece from the Greek brand Manos Gerakinis, and having had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the creative director, the inspiration behind this perfume was revealed. The fig accord is a nod to the region from which this fragrance draws inspiration, and the gourmand duality of cacao and honey is irresistibly flavorful. Amber in the base is constructed from a combination of vanilla and benzoin, and the end result is a fruity gourmand with astonishing longevity!

Widian Baniyas (Jordi Fernandez): Widian is a brand from the United Arab Emirates that was originally founded in Abu Dhabi. Lavender and vanilla make up the heart of this enchanting perfume, and patchouli adds to the amber genre in a traditional way. Oud evokes the region from which this exotic perfume hails, and the various elements of the composition are brought together in a creative yet natural way.

Ormonde Jayne Gatsby 22 (Linda Pilkington): Whether you’re an “Oxford man” or a new-moneyed New Yorker, Gatsby 22 is the fragrance to leave you smelling sophisticated and energetic. Unlike the green light that James Gatz spent so many nights admiring, the smell of Gatsby 22 is much closer to us, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. The musk and vetiver are long lasting, and the opening of bergamot and lemon is fresh and inviting.  Orange blossom is the star of the show, and the note brings forth a freshness that is both citrusy and floral. Why not give it a try, old sport?

–Steven Gavrielatos, Video Content Editor

Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 Giveaway

Thanks to Fine Fragrances Distribution, the distributor of Initio Parfums Prives we have a 90 ml bottle of Initio Parfums Prives Paragon for one registered reader in the USA & Canada

Thanks to the generosity of Kajal Perfumes and Moe Khalef  we have a 100 ml bottle of KAJAL Faris bottle for one registered reader in the USA, EU, UK

What did you think of Olya’s Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 honorable mention and Steven’s Ten Best Perfumes of 2022?

Please leave a QUALITY comment with your thoughts on their Ten Best Perfumes of 2022 where you live and which you would like to win. You must be a registered reader. Draw closes January 4, 2023

From the entire time team of ÇaFleureBon may 2023 being you and your loved one all you desire and everything you need.  

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @redolessence @olyabar

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

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