Editor's Picks and Miss Popularity Perfumes of 2015

There are two schools of thought in shortlisting the most impressive products of the fragrance industry for the past year. One is amassing the popular-by-vote fragrances, the ones which most people wore and bought and searched for; this makes for very interesting reading, especially since these don't always include solely 2015 releases, much like we match last season's jupe-culotte with this season's blanket scarf. The industry would be wise to listen to.
And the other is addressing a panel of experts and perfume aficionados to name their own picks for the best perfume releases of the past year; a sort of Top 2015 Perfumes. Luckily for us, someone did the legwork for both.

Fragrantica has kept the tradition and has compiled, thanks to its impressive database data (over half a million of archived reviews, thousands of dedicated members) a concise and internationally relevant compilation of the most talked about and worn perfumes for 2015. You can the article on this link and you can also read the rationale of how the results are sorted out.

The second approach, Editor's Choice 2015 Perfumes, can be accessed here. You will find the top 3 picks of yours truly, alongside a pleiad of dedicated perfume lovers who also post their top 3 choices. Please hop over to find out and do search on Perfume Shrine for dedicated reviews of two of my choices (will revert to the other one shortly).

And please share your own discoveries, most worn perfumes or best fragrance releases for 2015 in the comments. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinion. 

Mariuccia Mandelli (Krizia): 1925 -2015

The woman behind the fashion design brand Krizia is no longer with us after 90 fruitful years on earth. The admirer of Plato who named her fashions after a female character of the famous Greek philosopher referencing feminine vanity opened her house in 1954. Her status as a pret-a-porter legend remains unfazed.

On her honor I'm wearing K de Krizia perfume today. And remain hopeful that her vision will go on under the new direction of the house; it was fortunate the purchase of it happened when it happened.

She been known to have said: "The only thing I wanted was to change woman's image with simplicity and respect; without shouts or troublemaking."

Serge Lutens: The Hammer and Sickle Limited Edition Bottle

Ιt was too good to pass up. In a single instant the poignant image of Eastern Europeans waiting in line immersed in furs and hard leather boots for their daily quota, as well as that of the solitary peddlers with hair pins on hand, waiting for hours on end at the edges of the market. Ironic timing now that Serge Lutens is opening a luxury niche fragrances boutique in Moscow!

L'Eau Froide ushers the...cold war.



“HAMMER AND SICKLE” ENGRAVED BOTTLE (L’EAU FROIDE)
“A bottle named Cold War, which we hope, in communist parts, will bring a smile to the face of capitalism.”
- Serge Lutens

For information: sprs@shiseido.fr
Le Palais Royal - Serge Lutens
142 Galerie de Valois, 75001 Paris
Tel : +33 (0)1 49 27 09 09
Monday through Saturday, from 10 AM to 7 PM.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine
Serge Lutens perfume reviews & news
Limited edition perfume bottles
Expensive perfume bottles for collectors

Annick Goutal Les Absolus 1001 Ouds: fragrance review

Not unfittingly I had waited till I had written my articles on myrrh resin before writing my full perfume review of the latest Annick Goutal 1001 Ouds fragrance in the Les Absolus range. That's because rather than being a fully fledged oud/aoudh fragrance this oriental elixir features myrrh in a key player position.

photo Vitor Schietti

The trend for oudh has been going strong and every brand has embraced the innovations of the fragrance industry. Some say this particular trend is an unpardonable sin (and indeed only Chanel seems impervious to the flummox as of this moment) so an oud-centric perfume from Annick Goutal did not spell optimism in my heart of hearts. Especially as the combination of oudh with rose has been the hallmark of tried and tested combinations surgically transplanted from Middle Eastern perfumery -where they thrive in local blends- and then watered down for western usage.
Nevertheless 1001 Ouds in Les Absolus d'Annick Goutal managed to not fulfill the desire for apostasy that ran in the back of my mind. Two key ingredients which are featured in a clever way by perfumer composer Isabel Doyen are responsible for the rekindled interest.

Myrrh resin, bittersweet and poignant, is restraining the stomping boots of the oudh note. Thankfully as most contemporary oudh compositions, lacking the complexity of a traditional oudh perfume essence, run the risk of coming across as rather aggressive (the dreaded Band Aid note) and a little too invasive, like a stranger in leather gear on public transport making intense eye contact out of the blue. The woody effect given by papyrus wood is slightly smoky, the feel of a distant campfire rather than having the barbecue right on the lawn.

Rose phobics or those who do like rose but dread the engulfing tentacles of it when combined with usual suspects sandalwood or oudh in an Arabian setting need not be scared. The rose in 1001 Ouds by Annick Goutal is providing a softened, mellowed bridge between the more challenging ingredients, polishing the corners and smoothening the edges. This well known perfumers' trick works especially well here; one doesn't really discern the rose, only the humming warmth and glow that resembles a copper-toned lipstick on an olive skinned lady.

As might be suspected by the notes 1001 Ouds leans to the shared fragrances side of the spectrum and men and women alike would enjoy it without problems. In fact the creative team at Annick Goutal present the Les Absolus trio as a lovers' shared sensuous experience and they couldn't be closer to the truth. These are warm, soft, enveloping fragrances to share with those you cherish the most.

As with the rest of Les Absolus, beautiful presentation, demanding prices.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine:
Annick Goutal fragrance reviews and news
Oud/Aoudh/Agarwood: perfume raw material
Les Absolus d'Annick Goutal: perfume reviews 

Myrrh: Mythology and Culture

Sacred among essences the resin of the Commiphora myrrha tree grows in the solitary desert weeping its fragrant tears for that which could not be. From the wandering girl Myrrha to the practices of embalming and mummification and the anointing of priest king and lover alike, myrrh is among the most fascinating essences in perfumery and I am pleased to be able to offer my readers who had asked about it two articles investigating its mythology origins and the cultural significance it played in western civilization.

Here is the first part: The Myriad Muses in Myrrh: Mythology ~A tale of lust, incense and guilt.

And here is the second part: The Myriad Muses in Myrrh: Culture ~Between sanctity and carnality.

These are going to be followed by a third part focusing on perfume reviews of my favorite myrrh-centric fragrances.

And let me grab the opportunity to mention those are both part of my new steady column (une rubrique) on Fragrantica especially for my historical articles, besides any other content I provide on the webzine. You can find them on the collective link 1001 Past Tales.