2014 launches: 51 posts

Burberry has done all it could to sink Brit Rhythm for Women. The awkward name, the cliched marketing lingo of sexy, rock-n-roll, and edgy, and its place of honor as the nth flanker to Brit don’t inspire much excitement. This is a shame, because Brit Rhythm is a sophisticated, quirky lavender wrapped in peony and sheer amber. It’s the most interesting and distinctive fragrance in Burberry’s collection, although you’d never guess so based on its bland trappings.

If your idea of elegance is casual and understated, Brit Rhythm will be a good fit. At its core is a complex lavender accord, a brave choice for a feminine perfume. A common presence in masculine colognes and skin care products, lavender has acquired a staid and dull reputation. That lavandin, a harsher, brasher note, is often used instead of real lavender doesn’t help matters either.

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While surrounded by perfume bottles and sample vials, I sat down to sum up 2014, I quickly realized that writing anything resembling the best of the year’s launches would be impossible. As much as I tried to keep Bois de Jasmin going, my year was overshadowed by the events in Ukraine, a country where I grew up and where I still have many friends and family members. As my anxieties and worries increased, tracking down new fragrances became less of a priority.

Then again, how is it even feasible to try most of the 2000+ annual releases? So, Patricia, Elisa, Andy and I decided that instead of the usual “best of 2014”, we will tell you what new perfumes we have discovered, regardless of when they were launched.  I may not have explored as many 2014 debuts, but I still wore plenty of perfume and whenever something new and interesting came my way, I was happy to discover it. If anything, I became more convinced how essential small pleasures are in helping us maintain balance. Calling perfume a luxury misses the entire point. The dose of beauty it brings is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. I think that many of you agree, because my article In the Defense of Guilt-Free Pleasure was the most read piece on Bois de Jasmin this year. (You also enjoyed the story of the Rose Harvest in Grasse, tips on Improving Your Sense of Smell, an overview of Best Jasmine Perfumes and a visit to my Childhood House in Poltava.)

Bois de Jasmin wishes you a wonderful start to 2015 and hopes that the new year will bring you much happiness and joy. We look forward to sharing more stories and perfumes with you.

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Big, bold, sexy? Elisa is not convinced.

You can learn a lot from reading the comments on perfume blogs. Recently, I learned the term “freakum dress” from a woman who commented that she was searching for a “freakum perfume.” I had to look up the term on Urban Dictionary: “similar to a ‘lil Black dress’…A HOT ass dress that demands ones attention!”

I think Tom Ford decided that his mid-range line needed a freakum perfume: something loud and sexy for 20-somethings to wear when they go out clubbing. Unfortunately, it got interpreted as “cheap floriental.” I’ve generally respected Tom Ford’s releases even when I didn’t want to wear them, but with Velvet Orchid, I’m having trouble making eye contact.

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No perfume families are as vast as the fruity-floral and gourmand families. It seems that you can get any dessert in perfume form, from crème brûlée to cupcakes. There are also many fragrances that smell like clones of each other, which is why after you smell one too many variations of Angel, you start giving up on the whole lot. On the other hand, if you want lighthearted and fun, then nothing can beat a well-crafted gourmand blend. From time to time, I canvas perfume store shelves for such contenders, and my latest search turned up Cacharel’s Anais Anais Premier Délice.

Premier Délice is one of several variations on the classical green floral Anais Anais, but it’s the first major departure from the original. Instead of accenting the floral notes, perfumers Olivier Cresp and Dora Baghriche took a different route. They’ve laced it with chocolate! If you’re familiar with the original, you’re probably skeptical right now, but if you like gourmand and fruity notes you’ll like Premier Délice. It is moderately sweet on the contemporary gourmand spectrum, and it has some interesting elements.

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As we recently talked about uplifting perfumes, we discovered that fig inspired scents can be terrific mood-boosters. So, Elisa reviews another fragrance with a fig theme. 

Fig fragrances usually fall into one of two camps: There’s the woody, leafy-green variety, best represented by Diptyque Philosykos and L’Artisan Premier Figuier (both composed by Olivia Giacobetti). Then there are the jammy, sticky figs, like Mugler’s Womanity and Byredo Pulp. I enjoy both styles, but I had started to feel that there wasn’t much point in trying new fig scents, since they’re always so familiar. We already own a bottle of Philosykos. Fig is fig, right?

Wrong, as it turns out – Capri Forget Me Not from Carthusia, an aromatic, citrusy fig fragrance released in 2012, has reminded me that there are always new ways to use old materials.

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