It is always a validation counting yet another year piling in one's life; not everyone manages to do so, alas. It is also a pleasure counting successes and work relations with the very best people. It's something earned, not just happening. In light of aromatic escapades and collaborations in the realm of perfumery, 2025 has been satisfactorily full, and I wish for 2026 to be just as successful and more so!
In the meantime, here is what I chose for the best in 2025 and hope you share with me your own choices and discoveries in the comments.
Dependable best 2025 fragrances
Shalimar L’Essence, released by Guerlain to mark the 100th anniversary of the iconic original, is truly a cause for celebration. Guerlain’s dedication to its heritage is well-documented and rightly praised; this edition achieves the rare feat of modernizing a legend without betraying its soul. It acts as a sort of "training bra" for new acolytes—a welcoming entry point into the mythos; no rubbery notes like the current eau de parfum edition, just suede but not limp-wristed at all.
Ysayo is the latest offering from the Dutch niche house
Puredistance, and it is a compelling fragrance to savor. Perfumer Antoine Lie masterfully explores European and Japanese themes, resulting in a deeply satisfying composition. Animalic, green, acrid, rich, very satisfyingly old school but done in a contemporary way by perfumer Antoine Lie whose work we follow with rapt attention.
Very Worth Your While Fragrances 2025
Vetiveria by Ormonde Jayne is a freshie that merits noting for the warmer months ahead. While the market is saturated with hundreds of vetiver fragrances, the finest among them are truly magnificent. In my view, Ormonde Jayne’s 2025 release, Vetiveria, is superior to the brand’s earlier Zizan—a more traditional masculine vetiver from the house's early years. The addition of tonka bean, with its subtle almond-like impression, is a particularly inspired choice that creates a compelling tension within the composition.
A case of upgrading a pillar fragrance through a new concentration or flanker. Not unheard of, but worth noticing always.
Barénia Eau de Parfum Intense by Hermès smooths the rough edges of the original Barénia while heightening the boldness. It is an intellectual chypre with a leathery veneer—a masterful example of how to reassert a brand's status in the luxury sector. I vastly prefer it to last year’s pillar.
With Tonka Latte, the French house Dusita Parfums reimagines the milky-almond gourmand genre with exceptional refinement. It allows one to indulge in a gourmand profile without being overwhelmed by the "diabetic" excesses found in many contemporary scents. It's part of the easy-to-wear, creamy aroma of toasted almonds and posh body lotions, yummy but Parisian-chic too.
Manos Gerakis and his team possess the technical finesse and balance required to create impeccable, upscale compositions. These scents behave with a social grace befitting an adult, rather than a hungry kindergartner. This year’s Amandus is a gourmand executed with perfection.
Unexpected discoveries of 2025
Olymra, a new niche brand from Switzerland, headed by a Greek scientist. Moving away from tired tourist clichés and grounded in a solid scientific foundation, this Swiss-Greek was my introduction to the wider perfume discussion online. My latest discovery, then, the brand was founded by Dr. Frederiki (Frida) Mihailidou, an award-winning Organic Chemistry lecturer and researcher in Biochemistry based in Zurich. I was immediately struck by her dedication to the chemistry of the rare flora found on Mount Olympus—the brand's namesake—which culminated in a scientific expedition of botanists and chemists in situ. The 6 fragrances have a high load of natural extracts in their formula and smell alive.
Amphore Athenes is a Greek niche brand, which explores the realm of Hellenistic influences in perfume, through the lens of cultural associations. The
website is where the action goes, I hope they upgrade the infrastructure to be fully functioning with the cart soon.
On the other end of the spectrum, Lidl supermarkets have updated their inexpensive line of small bottles of fragrant eaux. The one called Salted Breeze is the best, in my humble opinion, being quite close to Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt at a tiny fraction of the price. You do need to spray a lot of this one, as no matter its eau de parfum concentration it is rather thin, but the payoff is good.
The MEMO Paris line of leather fragrances has been tampered with. The scents smell less leathery, the oomph has gone done. French Leather however remains very good still.
The persistence of lactonic fragrances as a major trend.Whether expressed through notes of peach, sandalwood, or coconut milk, lactones were a defining trend this year. Even consumers who are not technically versed in the meaning of the adjective "lactonic" have embraced this creamy aesthetic. The movement was ignited by the social media virality that catapulted fragrances like Blanche Bête and Bianco Latte into the spotlight, and the industry has followed suit. This trajectory is far from over; expect a continued wave of creamy, peachy compositions, often accented by nut accords—the other major obsession of the year (as seen in the frenzy surrounding pistachio and the so called "Dubai chocolate" notes).
Interviews I took from inside the industry
Interviews the media took from me
Happy New Year everybody!
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