In Your Opinion: 314 posts

Reflecting on 2007 in terms of fragrance is quite fitting for me, as it has been an exciting year in this respect. After almost a year of working in the industry I am glad to note that my love and passion for perfume has only grown stronger, even if I began to realize what roadblocks to creativity a fragrance can encounter as it reaches the market. For this reason, every exciting launch is doubly so for me now.  Therefore, below is my list of what I found to be most interesting in 2007—and I have to say that for all of the  pessimistic thoughts I had at the start of the year, 2007 turned out to be a good year for fragrance.

Best Niche Launch

I love the sense of humor present in the offerings by Crazylibellule & The Poppies, a new line that was one of my best niche discoveries of 2007. A tube of Encens Mystic is something you might find in my purse, next to my wallet, Blackberry and lipstick. The new collections Les Batons and Les Olfactives are likewise interesting. I loved the gentle texture of Ensemble ce Soir Baton as well as its opalescent sheen.

Another line that deserves a special mention is Parfums MDCI. Enlevement au Serail, Rose de Siwa and Promesse de l’Aube are simply breathtaking, while Invasion Barbare is an elegant masculine that avoids all of the clichés of a typical masculine scent. Bravo to Claude Marchal, the founder and the artistic director!

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I already began to crave fall, my favorite season, in August. By the time November rolled around—delivering little, if any fall, my longing for the autumnal rites became quite intense. I wanted to see the city filled with the chilly golden light, to wear my new red satin trench, to be delighted by the ochre maple leaves scattered on the wet sidewalk, to read Nabokov’s Speak, Memory in front of the fireplace (is there a better book suited for such a setting?)… If I could not have my autumn, I would have to conjure it. The list below (in no particular order) includes some of my favorite scents that usually bring on the autumnal mood. If you have any of your own favorites, please share them with me. …

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I detest the heat, but I love the scents of summer, from the warm, almost suffocating smell of the sun parched asphalt to the vivid green aroma of fresh tomatoes. The heat amplifies everything in the air, extending and twisting the facets of scents that are unobtrusive and subtle at other times. Below is my list of ten fragrances (in no particular order) that would make any summer day even better. Or any other day, for that matter…

1. Christian Dior Miss Dior

I find that many chypre fragrances embody the concept of jolie-laide (pretty-ugly), a beauty that it is oddly off key and yet incredibly striking. Wearing Miss Dior this summer, I am moved not only by its elegant form, but also by many of its twists—from the green sharpness of galbanum in the top notes to the animalic richness of the base. Its mossy, leathery drydown is addictive. These days, I find myself craving it more and more frequently.

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Spring made a brief visit to the East Coast of the USA before being chased out once again with heavy snows. Yet, my intense longing for the freshness and lightness that spring tends to bring has sought an outlet in scents that can usher in the spring. Below are some of my favourite fragrances—besides those mentioned in my earlier Fragrance of Spring article—that never fail to make me feel as if I am smelling the spring air. Or else, they seem to capture the duality and the vibrancy of this beautiful season. Of course, it does not mean that these are fragrances to be worn only in the spring. On the contrary, they are perfumes that can evoke the spring any time of the year. …

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2006 has been an exciting year for me, even though it was not all smooth sailing. There were weeks when I would hardly get any sleep, when things seemed to have conspired to work against me, yet there were also times filled with many fascinating discoveries. Above all, I am thankful for the excitement, support and passion for fragrance that you, my readers, have shared with me. This is truly the most special aspect of 2006 for me, and as I drink my glass of champagne on December 31st, I will toast to all of you.

In order to recap 2006, I have decided to offer a list of my most interesting discoveries. Most of the fragrances mentioned were released in 2006, but I also included a few older perfumes that I grew to admire even more this year.

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