Perfumer of the year: Bertrand Duchafour
In memoriam (discontinued): What does that really mean now? If I had to pick one it would be “Safari.” Not on the Lauren website now, but easily found elsewhere on the Web. Same with YSL’s “Nu,” another favorite.
The (new) fragrance I loved: by Kilian Love & Tears (Surrender). The best jasmine I’ve tried yet.
Perfume of the year: L’Artisan "Nuit de Tubéreuse", for skillful groundwork and acceptance of the online perfume community as a viable facet of product development. Smells good too.
Trend we can do without: Ambrox/Ambroxan overdose -- like a little too much salt in the soup.
Best vetiver: Le Labo’s “Vetiver 46”
Most ridiculous celebrity for a scent: Any, but Matthew McConaughey, who is rumored to eschew deodorant and most bathing, comes to mind.
Best celebrity scent: If I have to pick one, “Like This” Tilda Swinton, Etat Libre d’Orange
Best Buzz: L’Artisan’s "Nuit de Tubéreuse" -- they did buzz right
I would have liked to see more of: visually oriented creative marketing like the Atelier Cologne postcards -- conceptual, blessedly free of silly softcore, writhing models and smarmy, heavy-breathing voice-overs
Best new fragrance concept: Calling an aromachemical an aromachemical (as in Escentric Molecules “Molecule 03”)
Worst ad: Any print ad featuring a greasy naked man -- as in Marc Jacobs
Best ad: The Quay brothers short film for CDG's “Wonderwood” (as an art piece — I doubt that it would move much product)
Favorite Flacon: “Bang” -- it actually looks like a pocket flask that took a bullet, and I hear it wobbles a lot, too
Best natural scent: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz “Eau Natural” (limited edition for the “Mystery of Musk” event)
Best name of a fragrance company: Escentric Molecules
Best Flanker: Estee Lauder "Sensuous Noir"
Rising star of 2010: Liz Zorn
Best masculine department store fragrance: “Midnight in Paris” Van Cleef & Arpels
Best shared niche (unisex): “Eau d’Épices” Tauer Perfumes
Best feminine department store fragrance: “Kalimantan” Chantecaille
Best fragrance under $50: Estee Lauder “Sensuous Noir” 30 ml. size.
(But really, any. There are so many more alternatives to buying perfume now: online, online discounters, auction sites and flea markets for vintage, decanters, travel sizes, bottle splits: the days when prices were “set” by a manufacturer are long gone.) Meanwhile, here's to Lauder for keeping their prices sane.
Other participating blogs are:
Thanks to Michelyn Camen for coordinating this event!
Pitcher plants image from Google Images. Image may be subject to copyright.
