Top 10 Fragrances of 2024 J Wearescentient and Danu-Seith-Fyr

2024 was the year everything went one louder. More Extraits were released than ever, some better than others, but when done right they brought things to the next level. Others though just proved loud and brash is a fad you soon go nose blind too. I’m still waiting for a return of the Roaring 20’s, come on Schiaparelli bring back ‘Shocking’ and do it right. More opulent animalic perfumes are appearing and purring thankfully, some of which are on this list. 2024 was also the year my horse girl scent-hetic found its gourmand friends. Those sweet with savoury scents came and stole hearts and I’m here for more of it and more horsey fun! Personal updates perfume wise, I’ve yet to escape the rock I’m on and venture out into the perfumed world of fairs, maybe next year, Pitti Fragranze and Polaris Parfums are calling me, until then the scent of plaster, wood and hot electrics will be keeping me company with a splash of paint. I’ve been lucky and smelled a lot this year, but my greedy nose is always looking for something exciting and new. I hope you can find something similar in my top *cough* 10 Fragrances of 2024 list… oh and of course two bonus special categories. P.S. this is list is in no particular order; they’re all beautiful in their own ways. – J Wearescentient, Senior Editor

Wearescentient Top 10 Fragrances of 2024

Papillon Artisan Perfumes Epona (Liz Moores): It’s always exciting news when you hear Liz Moores is releasing something new, especially when it’s a horse related perfume and you know her deep love of the animal. Epona is something rather special, it’s like your face is in the mane of the horse, that beautiful oily animalic hair aroma mixed with saddle soap and leather as you ride through this arid landscape populated by soft violets. I wore this a lot and never wore out its magic. Utterly beguiling and one for life for me. Ps. I had to walk a mile to get this horse. @papillonartisanperfumes

Sonia Sieff Rendez-Vous! (Antoine Lie): Rendez-Vous! is a collaboration between photographer Sonia Sieff and perfumer Antoine Lie; it turns her most recent book, a collection of male nudes baring the same name into a scent that blurs the boundaries and concepts of gender. For me Antoine Lie captures the scent of silver celluloid with his fruity gunpowder opening, there’s sleekness to it as iris gives it a softer texture. It’s a stunning iris that slowly transforms into a second skin of a vanillic smooth musk thickened by soft smoke and wood. It’s a whole beautiful journey giving you the rough and the silky. @soniasieff @antoinelieolfactiveexperience

Marc-Antoine Barrios Tilia (Quentin Bisch): Quentin Bisch dresses up linden blossom for a night out and makes it magic. The honeyed floral aroma of Tilia always gets me very excited, it purrs with a golden animalic floral magic enhanced by orange blossom while also dewing silky and chic as heliotrope and vetiver form an elegant attire. Clever uses of Ambroxan make Tilia huge and enveloping yet never overwhelming. It makes the linden flowers feel like stars on a dark summer’s night. Mmm soooo good. @marcantoinebarrois @quentinbischperfumer

Perfumer H Dandelion (Lyn Harris): Perfumer H arrived in Dublin this year, I picked up Smoke at the launch. Dandelion arrived later in the summer and stole my heart on first sniff, though I was good and waited a tested a bit to make sure, but my instincts were right. Dandelion is a green dream that had me remembering lying in the grass in fields near my house, soft creamy bitter vegative fruity greens with a cool breeze magic up that feel of endless summers feeling nature and the air around you as to make a wish and see where it takes you. One for galbanum lovers and one I’ll be revisiting in the spring and summer. @perfumerhlondon

Dee April Dee April (Margaux Le Paih Guérin): Margaux Le Paih Guérin  of Flair has really been gaining attention this year and deservedly so along with her colleagues  Dee April is the 1st release from Danish design house Dee April, with two more perfumes just released. Dee April Parfum gives you this rich intense contemporary leather scent, super smooth and silky with a darkly sweet violet and saffron, there’s exciting wild edge to it, with smoky aromas and oud giving its a seemingly endless depth. Its darkness slowly shifts into a creamy cool woody smokiness that wrap around you like a silk lined leather jacket. Again, that tough and soft interplay doing its magic for me. One to watch. @deeapril_official @margaux. lepaih.guerin

Sacré Français Paris Sleep no more (Alexandre Makhloufi): Sacré Français Paris have a line of candles I’m dying to smell after falling for their first perfume release in Sleep no more. It envelops you in its magical boozy smoke that falls with the elegance of an old velvet curtain of a plush grand theatre. Its polished dark wooden stage is haunted by memories of cocktails, whiskey and rum as sandalwoods pale creamy light illuminates its old grandeur as if doused in a pale smoky moonlight, that old opulence is wrapped in this cosy velvet smoke. Absolutely stunning in the colder weather when more stubble nuances wait in the wings to be discovered. Magical. @sacrefrancais.paris

Electimuss London Spice D’Arno (Celine Barel):This took me by surprise and was one of my most worn perfumes. Vanilla is hard to do different but Celine Barel delivered a gem of a perfume as the first of Electimuss’ Explorer range, Caspian Cherry also delivered, but it the combination of bran and vanilla that made Spice D’Arno do the magic for me. That savoury edge makes the vanilla delicious with touches of florals and leather with a splash of resins giving it a gentle warmth and purr taking you on an adventure. It’s super smooth and absolutely delicious to wear. Outstanding work and one of the best in my top 10 fragrances of 2024. @electimusslondon @celinebarelperfumery

Badar Parfums Estelle (Margaux Le Paih Guérin): Another delicious perfume with Margaux Le Paih Guérin back in the driver’s seat taking us on a delicious journey. Powdery soft creamy and sweet yet there’s a delicious woody darkness with resins and some subtle smoke that give this honeyed caramel a carnal edge. Their other release Sinaï could have easily been here too, a delicious rose oud with a twist. This is a house to watch! @badarparfums @margaux.lepaih.guerin @flair.paris

Angelos Creatives Olfactives Pnoi (Angelos Balamis): Pnoi is a beautiful corruption of florals, rich green aromas blossom into a purring fur lying on leather. It feels simultaneously vintage and contemporary where you can smell the love for perfumery in each wear. This is serious perfumery. Absolutely stunning. Words don’t really do it justice. @angelos_creations_olfactives

Matiere Premiere Santal Austral Extrait (Aurélien Guichard): Stunning materials in a minimal composition giving you a maximal experience done right. Santal Austral Extrait is like you’re surrounded by creamy Australian sandalwood with black cardamom giving it a so dark cool aromatic spice, letting the rest of materials expand on the sandalwoods stunning facets. Radical Rose Extrait could have been here too, with its devastating dark beauty, but a sandalwood like this is impossible for me  not to include. @matierepremiereparfums @aurelienguichard

 And two more for the Top 10 Fragrances of 2024

Phoenicia Perfumes Narcissus Green Light (David Falsberg): David Falsberg, who is also a former contributor for CaFleureBon is one of American perfumers best keep secrets, he’s continually putting out stunning perfumes with incredible materials and Narcissus Green Light is a deep rich floral packed full of character and beautiful florals. @phoenicia_perfumes

Indult Paris Cuir 404 (Francis Kukjdian): Aromatic creamy smooth and spicy, feeling soft yet tough with a classic elegance. It sketches out the feeling of high-end leather without feeling heavy. This just does that magic that hard to put into words but it just feels right. @franciskurkdjian_official @indultparis

 

Saskia Havekes and perfumer Christophe Laudamiel (holding the Golden Pear for Grandiflora which won the Art and Olfaction award in 2022/Roku Gin and Grandiflora Sakura Bloom Edition. courtesy of the brand.

Top 10 Fragrances of 2024 Best Perfume Collaboration 

Grandiflora x Roku – Sakura Bloom Edition (Christophe Laudamiel and Saskia Havekes): This is a stunning collaboration between Grandiflora and Roku gin with Christophe Laudamiel and Saskia Havekes not only capturing the ethereal magic of the Sakura flower and gin but also speaking beautifully to Japanese Kõdõ traditions as this sparkling floral effervescing into a soft incense smoke. Subtle minerals and greenery sketch out a scene like a Japanese ink drawing all-existing as elegant soft haze around you. Stunning on all levels. @grandiflora_fragrance @christophelaudamiel  @suntory_rokugin

Jouissance Les Cahier Secrets and Bague d’O images courtesy of the brand.

Top 10 Fragrances of 2024 Best New House: Jouissance

I’ve been following Cherry Cheng’s Jouissance Instagram page long before there were perfumes. This new house based in the U.K. creates perfumes inspired by female artists, writers and fictional characters with a leaning towards the erotic end of culture. The trio of perfumes launched this year take you on a beautiful journey of innocence lost starting with En Plein Air, all fresh and clean fingering pages of their book. Les Cahier Secrets amps things up with a rather cool sexy powdery lacy iris that purrs with a bodily sensual spiced musk. La Bague d’O feels like carnal flower opulence, rich and enveloping with a vintage feel. Its petals grow rich and furry as the amber musk base purrs with an animalic desire. Jouissance feels very considered, the texts, design and perfumes all work to convey the concept beautifully. I’m very excited to see where they go next!  @jouissanceparfums

–J Wearescentient, Senior Editor

The time of year arrives again and it’s a huge task to write a Top 10, plus honorable mentions as the list of new releases expands and extends itself with every year.  2024 saw me attending numerous perfume events around the globe and 2025 is shaping up to be even more adventurous with additions to the calendar. These events allow the all-important contact with brand owners, perfumers and other creators of content. We are as a family. The number of releases grows exponentially with each passing year. I am always fascinated, every year as from within the body, heart and soul of this world of artisanal perfumery, wonderful new imaginings, fantasies given breath, emotions distilled in form, thoughts translated into fine strands that pass amongst people and traverse countries and cultures, enchanting all they touch, which really informed my Top 10 Fragrances of 2024.

It has been a year of intensity, delights at every turn, meetings with amazing individual’s and the recognition of my nearly 10 years of writing this beautiful art, for that I am grateful.  This year has seen swirling shades of light in darkness and dark-lit light, of summers bathed in joyful relaxation and love, of naked fruit driven scents that throw timidity to the winds and singular florals delighting in their uniqueness. The creations this year have actually changed a lot of my preconceptions regarding certain components, that’s real artistry, something that extends your actual understanding and takes it to a new place.-Danu Seith-Fyr, Contributor

Here are my Top 10 plus 1 and in no particular order, of course.

Annindriya Orris Soyeux (Francesca Bianchi): Extremely impressed by this whole collection drawn together by Tanja Deurloo, the founder of Perfume Lounge in Amsterdam. Tanja created a collection with five fabulous perfumers. Orris Soyeux is a wild, romp in the arms of Iris, a note I usually eschew but here it is just overtly elegant and raucously edged, like a simmering growl from a dangerous beast. It is the closest luxury to skin I have found, it glides and slips delicately into all hidden folds, installs itself in intimate embrace, a garment that you yearn to cling to but also wish to be divested of.  Such a dilemma could only issue from the talent of Francesca Bianchi, that mistress of the all the nuances of leather and voluptuous sensuality enrobed in a rich concoction. @annindriya @perfumelounge

Dusita Paris Pelagos (Pissara Umavijani): another exceptional release from Dusita Paris, this liberated immersion in the bluest of seas under the bluest of skies, a herbal escape into an Aegean seascape where white foamed waves caress white sand surrounded by white villages. An essence of calm, tranquil acquiescence as you meld into your surroundings. Pissara has indeed captivated us here with her capacity to create using high quality components, a coastal inspired perfume that pushes the concept of ‘marine’ perfumers outside of its box. Conjured with Iris (again this took me by surprise), here is the scent of a breeze that comes up out of nowhere, that enlivens and refreshes, here is the slight mist, droplets finely held against the rising sun, here is the vast horizon that invites us to draw breath. Pelagos is a very chic island break. @parfumsdusita

Abel The Apartment (Isaac Sinclair): Effortlessly chic, sublime Parisian elegance that invites us into an inner sanctum where everything is in a harmony of simple refinement. A gourmand offering from Frances Shoemack and Isaac Sinclair, The Apartment is deftly woven into a luxurious blend, taking Tart Cherry, Cacao and Rum, smoothing it over a black dress of unquestionable quality, draped in strands of pearls and slipped into black heels. Like the black dress it carries me effortlessly from day into the dark limits of the city night. The Apartment wears me in a modern confidence and style that fits like a glove, a velvet one at that. Gilded mirrors illuminate the carved, ornate walls and outside of the balconied windows all of Paris awaits, shall we? @abelfragrance

Meo Fusciuni Buio (Giuseppe Imprezzabile): Buio was one of those releases of the year that literally took my breath away, so often with Giuseppe’s creation I am deeply moved. He took me on a very intimate voyage alongside the raw emotions he portrayed, laying himself bare. A Cade darkness that beckoned, that called upon my trust and faith, it swirled upon me as if the moment it had touched skin it took on its own momentum. A dusty tome that holds all the secrets held in the shadows, unseen by time, blown open, I could only fall into its embrace, once cocooned it bore me to its very core and there the darkness revealed its inner light, something so clear and profound. Buio for me is a modern classic and an absolute piece of Art, High Art at it very pinnacle. Tender and powerful, it is a daring and profound genie in a bottle. @meofuscuini_parfums

Atelier des Ors Kawa Karda (Marie Salamagne): Kawa Karda is one of the Abstraction Collection, poured at 40% concentration that invites us to see beyond the seen, to open to the infinite possibilities contained within this perfectly brewed coffee shot through with cardamom.  There is more than meets the eye, a slight twist of perception, asking me to switch to a peripheral vision.  An invitation to take the time to feel the layers, how they open to my touch, beyond its coffee connotations there is something stirring beneath, a hued crema, a more ancient air, like the gust from an ancient place that has rested in obscurity, until now. Crafted with absolute perfection and refinement, Kawa Karda is a luxurious clair- obscure brewed with an arcane opulence. @atelierdesors

Astrophil and Stella In Extremis (Guiseppe Imprezzabile/ Meo Fusciuni): this perfume arrived out of the blue, a distinctive head turning moment at Esxence in Milan, not only from a brand that I have admired over the years but crafted in association with Meo Fusciuni as perfumer. In Extremis, is a life of Caravaggio written in scent, the turmoil, the triumph, the painstaking creation of high artistry, the pendulum swing of a man who touched the extremes for only then can you know where the true middle ground lies and avoid it! In Extremis is vibrant with green and earthy palettes and pulses with a passion that the artist transmitted onto his canvasses of innate beauty, each brushstroke of the perfume painted on my flesh with bravado and tender intensity. Composed with delicacy and courage it is a play of contrasts dancing on skin. @astrophilstellaperfume @Guiseppe Imprezzabile

Parfums d’Empire Un Bel Amour d’Ete (Marc-Antoine Corticchiato): a sublime dance of sunlit attraction on skin, this is a deep juxtaposition to all the darker perfumes released in 2024, Marc-Antoine has crafted the absolute essence of that liberation we all felt with our first love, the addiction, the pure, unadulterated intoxication, the urgency and yearning of it all, written upon our bodies in traces of desire. All is flung to the winds on heated sands and in the tumult of waves rhythm, we are innocent, each touch is a fire fueled revelation, each look touches the soul. Marc-Antoine’s trinity of Gardenia, Magnolia and Ylang Ylang is downright erotic, this perfume sidesteps neatly beyond sensual and takes on the intensity of our first encounters with no holds barred. Heated moments liberated; memories stirred not shaken. @parfumdempire

Parfumeurs du Monde Terre de Soleil (Stephanie Bakouche): One of two samples passed to me by Thierry Bernard in Cannes at a rooftop party, Terre de Soleil is the ultimate ode to a landscape, Corsica and it maqui, that raw, herbal, sun soaked place that invokes so much of a spirit of place. A tapestry as rich as the flora of the maqui, here all manner of herbs are infused with lavender and immortelle, fig and cistus. It radiates like the solar caress on the rocky forms, aromatics are released under its gaze and the very air takes on this particular scent of place. A fougere structure that has been artfully enhanced with a complex array of plants, one cannot resist being transported and inhaling this irresistible bouquet garni. It is tinged with the eternal wildness of the high hills of Corsica, bathing in an ever-present Sun.  @parfumeurs_du_monde @sensabaperfumeisart

Kajal Lamar Noir(Patrick Muller): Lamar Noir, a darker, more intense take which nods its sultry head in a brazen glance at Lamar. Adorned in hues of night, the black garments never looked more chic. Its fruit-driven head is a soft lilt to Lamar, but is quite frankly a different creature, a creature of night and shadows where another light may be found.  From its elegant and refined black bottle to the silky, seductive perfume within, the wonderful and seductive Rose, Leather, Cashmere and Musk, it will no doubt become the newest success in Kajal’s portfolio as the brand celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, no mean feat! Described as a journey of inner alchemy, Lamar Noir is opulent and darkly addictive. This is one of my season’s best.  @kajalperfumes @patrice_des_dieux

Thomas de Monaco Parfums Ultima Storia (Maurus Bachmann): I am a huge admirer of this whole collection, in Ultima Storia here is a perfected ode to an Italian holiday, the simple pleasures derived from the company of friends and loved ones, in amongst glorious rustic landscapes, the perfumed garden resplendent with citrus blooms, almond and orris, the aromas of roasted coffee and Florentine leather mingling with the relaxed air. Ultima Storia is a step away from the demands of the everyday and a gorgeous invitation to unwind, relax, it rises off my skin in wafts of memory, those moments we share together that have real meaning, that remain long after the summer has passed. It truly is an Italian summers day in all its sweet promise. @thomasdemonaco

Michelle Marin Essenza E24 Edoard’Eau Extrait (Michelle Marin): Having been formally introduced to the complete collection of Michelle Marin Essenza at Pitti Fragranze in Florence and I was completely smitten. There is not one that I do not love. Hard to choose one, however. E24 Edoard’Eau Extrait is an absolutely gorgeous rethink on the classic Eau de Cologne. A very dapper nod to the Edwardian era yet this is inspired by a polaroid shot and is such a modern expression of classic components. Its bright and fresh opening is enfolded with the scent of dark polished woods and the pages of antique books. Well-groomed and styled with impeccable taste, this elegance, crafted with incredible finesse and skill belongs as one of the best releases in recent years, it will remain a classic for years to come. @michellemarinessenza 

And two more

House of Sarah Baker Peaches Revenge (Chris Maurice): How audacious can the humble peach be?  Peaches Revenge, a wild and contemporary ride with this seductive, succulent fruit. Oh, how she captured us, the slow trace of manicured fingertip arresting the juicy trail escaping from lips. Nothing of innocence here, Peaches Revenge tore through my fuzzy preconceptions and left me satiated, on the floor, wondering what I had just encountered. @houseofsarahbaker

Mythologia Siren (Cat Black): This was seduction at my first inhale, a young British perfumer creating a stir with her first 2 releases. Siren intrigues with a beguiling attraction of chocolate, peach and musk, asking you to delve deeper, its mysterious edgy vibe and narcotic components lure us to follow, dreamy and trance inducing, there is no chance to resist. Cat is definitely one to follow. @mythologia.perfumes

Perfume People of the Year 2024

One to follow is Mabelle Orama, again a young Lebanese- British woman who has released Forbidden Bloom which was a Finalist for the Fragrance Foundation UK Awards 2024 and Lunar Dust which received an Honourable Mention at the Art and Olfaction Awards in 2023. These perfumes are deserving of these accolades, Mabelle has an instinctual talent for scent and the visual arts. She has just released Phoenix Flame (I have not had chance to smell this as yet) but if I had it would have most certainly featured here as one of the best of 2024. @mabelle_orama

photo by Danu

Gratitude to The Perris Family, Gianluca Perris – Perfumer and Director and Elisabetta Perris, Managing Director and Consuelo Perris for their growing legacy in the world of Artisanal Perfumery, not only guiding The Perris Group in the realms of luxury perfumery and skincare but also safeguarding and continuing the historical perfume house of Houbigant. Perris Monte Carlo continue to grow their beautiful collection of perfumes under the secure hand of Gianluca, I applaud their continued dedication to this art and their ethos as a family run business group.  They are thoroughly wonderful human beings too. @perrismontecarlo @houbigant_paris

Danu-Seith-Fyr, Contributor

Thanks to the generosity of Marc-Antoine Barrois, we have a 100 ml bottle of Marc-Antoine Barrois TILIA for a registered reader in the EU or USA  You must register or your entry will not count.

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Thanks to MATIERE PREMIERE we have a bottle of Santal Austral Extrait for one registered reader USA or EU. You must register

Let us know what you think of J Wearescentient’s and Danu’s Top 10 fragrances of 2024. What sparked your interest? What do you want to try or have tried, where do you live and which you would like to win. Please leave a quality comment. Draw closes 12/31/2024

Remember there are draws you can enter from Michelyn’s and Ermano’s top 10 fragrances 2024: for Badar Parfums Estelle and Hiram Green Philtre here. Kajal Perfumes Äican, Frassaï  Dormir Al Sol and Jacques Fath Encens Copal here, Parfums Dusita Pelagos  and Eau de Boujee Infleurno sponsored by Indigo Perfumery from Ida’s and Nicoleta’s Top 10 Fragrances of 2024 here.

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