Best of 2006 : Reflecting on This Year's Discoveries

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Comments

[Gigi]

If anyone else had told me to check out Hilary Duff's fragrance I would have laughed, scoffed, snickered, even cringed. But because you said so, I'm obediently going to take a whiff of it the next time I'm at a store. Great list, as always!

[Judith]

A fascinating list! I am twirling my pearls, wearing my beloved Cuir de Russie, and contemplating trying the Hilary Duff!

[Elle]

What a wonderful list!! I can't believe I haven't tried Encre Noir yet. Will be rectifying that immediately. And am also going to try Hillary Duff's scent. I can't wait for those Chanels! Am considering skipping Jan. on my calendar and going straight to Feb. in hopes that somehow the universe will see the urgency and comply in speeding through Jan. so we can get to their release date more quickly. Yes, nothing like starting the year w/ a bit of magical thinking. :-) And I'd like to join you in applause for Lyn Harris. I actually like it and that sort of daring in an often all too cautious marketplace deserves a standing ovation.

[Marina]

My lemming for Encre Noir just grew to gigantic proportions! want! :-)
Thank you for the wonderful list and for your amazing blog!

[TS]

A lively, varied, warm, witty, and at times acerbic list, my friend! You are the worst lemming-generator — a trip to Bergdorf is certainly called for.

[Patty]

A great list. I really need to move a couple onto my "to try" list

[Robin]

Standing in line with Marina for the Encre Noir, that sounds heavenly! And need to try the MH Rien, have a sample, don't know why I haven't already.

[mireille]

mmmmmmm, "an outhouse near an incense shop" ... that says so much about 2006, doesn't it? Your reviews have been the prime mover behind my interest in vintage and for that I thank you! Happy New Year, V!! xoxo

[Christina]

Oh what a relief that I am not the only one who thought Hilary Duff's fragrance was actually wearable! I am such a perfume ignoramous! I hope you have a wonderful New Year!

[Toya]

Hi!

Could you please correct my blog address? The Life of a Ladybug can be found at http://lifeofaladybug.typepad.com.

Thank you!

[Annieytown]

This is a lovely list V.
I was also surprised by Hilary Duffs fragrance.
It was well done.
I am kicking myself that I forgot Songes on my list.

Have a wonderful New Year V!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Gigi, thank you for having faith in me. :) Like Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, I find With Love to be quite a standout in the overcrowded celebrity fragrance category. At least, it is something different.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Judith, Cuir de Russie will always have a special place in my heart. I have to credit you with making me more interested in leather fragrances. I hope that we will have more of them in 2007!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Elle, ah, I am all for magic, especially on New Year's Eve. :) Who knows, maybe the universe will deliver Chanels to the boutiques quicker!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Marina, I think that you might really enjoy it. It is quite a striking vetiver. Happy New Year to you! I hope that 2007 will be excellent in all respects for you.

[BoisdeJasmin]

T, thank you! It was fun to compile the list. It prompted me to revisit a few favourites as well.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Patty, thank you. You and March always manage to highlight something I have not thought of before.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Robin, please do try L'Air de Rien. I am curious how you will like it next to CB Musk.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Mireille, thank you very much! I am glad that I could spark an interest in vintage. Happy New Year to you too. May it be all you want it to be! xoxo

[BoisdeJasmin]

Christina, it is very well-done, and it is not the typical cliche pink fruity-floral. For that alone, it gets high marks. Happy New Year to you too! I hope that it will be wonderful.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Toya, done!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Annie, Happy New Year to you too! Thank you for organizing this. I am enjoying reading everyone's lists very much.

[Gaia, the non-blonde]

I'm happily taking notes here. Chanel's CdR has been forever on my list of "must add to my collection". I'll have to do it soon. Also, I'm very into masculine scents lately, so here's another one I'll have to try. And I agree with you on Hilary Duff. I was reluctant even to look at it, but found myself becoming very fond of it.
Happy New Year!

[Victoria's Own]

Hi V, Sous Le Vent!!! Oh, I fell hard for this one this year, the first lavender to capture my heart. I thought I couldn't wear lavender scents! I also loved Baghari and the DK Gold. The latter of which got quite a lot of bad press. I thought it was quite lovely, I'm glad you agree. Great List, Happy New Year! - Victoria O.

[Ina]

Love your list! I completely agree on Songes and Le Parfum.
S Nastupayushim! :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Gaia, I love the subtle masculine accent in a feminine composition. It lends it a very unexpected twist. This is the case with With Love. I did not expect to like it, but it turned out to be quite pleasant.

[BoisdeJasmin]

V, I think that it might be because most people have tried the EDT in Gold, which is inferior. I find that the EDP showcases its beauty best.

Happy New Year to you too!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Ina, they are both amazing releases, different but equally special. Happy New Year!

[Cait]

I think this is your year! I share many of your favorites. Thanks for your recent review of Black. I don't know how I did without it. Happy New Year!

[afrobella]

I'm not at all a fan of Hillary Duff, but I might have to give her perfume a try! I'm seeking a new signature scent and sometimes guilty pleasures turn out to be the best. (case in point, JLo Live, which smells divine on me). Great list, and wonderful to make your acquaintance! Happy new year!

[Katie]

Oh man, I so forgot about that one! I can't for the life of me decide if I love it or hate it, though... But it keeps me sniffing at it while I'm trying to make up my mind already :)

Sadly, with the obscene number of new releases this year, there are oh-so-many that should be left behind this year. Ferragamo's Incanto Charms also comes to mind... (adorable flacon, though.)

I look forward to Polge's Chanels, too - it sounds like it should be great fun to sniff and explore those.

[Katie]

Ooops, "that one" being Sous Le Vent... Drat my crippling illiteracy and apparent inability to type!

[Bela]

I haven't tried a lot of the fragrances you mention, V, and now I really want to.

Happy New Year!

[k-amber]

Excellent list! I will try Sira des Indes next time. Unlike the States, Gourmand or vanilla based fragrances are so not popular here. I can't wait for new Chanel.
Happy New Year!

Kaori

[Maria B.]

I am so glad to see L'Heure Bleue being given the love it deserves. It's poetry in motion. Let's spread the word!

[koneko]

Happy New year, dear V!!
As usual, your list is a beautiful, informative read. I have not been trying as many fragrances as late, but now I am inspired! I am excited about the Chanel Les Exclusives collection! I saw it in one of my Japanese beauty magazines and thought, I HOPE this is internationally released! I am glad for your confirmation.

I keep meaning to test Songes, and now I have put that high on my list!

I am hoping I will be able to snag a sample of the Mandarine-Mandarin sometime soon. It sounds beyond wonderful and exactly what I am looking for in a fragrance these days! =)

Huge hug to you, V!

[March]

Your comments about Rien made me smile -- I get mostly outhouse, perhaps only a whiff of incense...

I am very excited about Les Exclusifs. And I keep putting L'Heure Bleue on my list to blog about, it somehow gets lost in the buzz. Anyway, thanks for all your interesting and evocative posts.

[risa]

ah, V, i love your list! i had a bunch of dittos (Iris Silver Mist, L'Heure Bleue parfum, Thierry Le Parfum) and am now very curious about Mandarine-Mandarin, which didn't sound appealing at first! also, i love your graphic quite a lot ;)

happy new year!

[carmencanada]

This was the year when I discovered, thanks to you, some of my favourite scents: My Sin, Jolie Madame and Derby. And Bulgari Black: you were right, it was bound to be love. It's all I can do not to wear it every day right now. Pairing it off with Cuir de Russie as the "little black dresses" of scent is a brilliant idea: CdR is also quickly moving into my essentials (I'm a woman in black through and through) and a bottle of pure parfum tops my list of acquisitions for next year. I also wanted to tell you that I often look back into your archives as I discover-rediscover fragrance and ponder sniffing expeditions. Thank you for a wonderful year in writing!

[Hautemommastuff]

Lovely, eloquently written list. I adore your blog and am looking forward to your reviews of the new Chanels. Must revisit the L'Heure Bleue.

[beautychick]

You only had to say "tropical fruit and cardamom cocktail" and now I'm running out to try Sira des Indes! I am addicted to cardamom. Thank you for a great list!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Cait, I am so happy to hear that Black is among your favourites now as well. It is such an incredible fragrance, and I only hope that they never discontinue it.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Afrobella, thank you. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well. I have a friend who wears Live, and on her, it is gorgeous--lychee rose and warm woods. Sometimes one never knows where one might find something interesting.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, I know! I have a long list of what I would love to leave behind. I decided not to write it all out, since then it would make me depressed. Well, here is to hoping that 2007 will be more fruitful in terms of exciting and interesting fragrances.

Happy New Year to you and your family! I hope that you are planning a fun celebration.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, no worries! It happens to me often enough. :) As for Sous Le Vent, it is a gorgeous fragrance, an embodiment of Guerlain's elegance.

[BoisdeJasmin]

J, thank you! Happy New Year to you too.

There are so many releases that I have long given up on trying them all. Well, many are not worth seeking out, needless to say.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Kaori, lucky you! :) I am teasing, but really, NYC subways can turn into torture chambers for me where a sugary vanilla scented woman gets on the train.

The new Chanel fragrances are definitely on a must-have list for me.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Maria, "poetry in motion" is a great way to describe this fragrance. It is one of Guerlain's best creations.

[BoisdeJasmin]

M, Happy New Year to you! May it bring lots of joy to you. As far as perfume releases are concerned, I am exciting about the new Armani Eclat de Jasmin and the new Chanel fragrances. I hope that we will have more interesting releases to anticipate.

I think that Mandarine-Mandarin will not quite please you. Among Lutens, I do not see it as a fragrance you would wear, but I might be wrong. It is much spicier than most of your favourites, but needless to say, you should seek out a sample.

[BoisdeJasmin]

March, L'Air de Rien is something! I cannot imagine wearing it, but what a feat! I am applauding that effort.

I cannot wait to read about L'Heure Bleue. Please write about it.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Risa, thank you! I knew that we might share a few favourites. I am wearing Mandarine-Mandarin right now, and it is quite a beautiful, unusual fragrance. It makes me think of Persian spice mixtures.

[BoisdeJasmin]

D, thank you very much for your kind words and your lovely compliment. Knowing this makes my day. I am glad that I helped you discover a few favourites, and I am thrilled about Black as well. Happy New Year to you! Hope that it will be wonderful in all respects.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Hautemommastuff, thank you! I cannot wait till February, but meanwhile I can enjoy my Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, No 19, No 5 and No 22. They are genius compositions.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Beautychick, if you like cardamom, I think that you will enjoy Comme des Garcons Jalsaimer, from Incense series. It is a beautiful incense + cardamom composition. I am glad that you liked my list. Happy New Year!

[Erika]

Thank you so much for your wonderful blogging in 2006 - I can't believe that it took me so long to find you! Sadly, I have missed so many fragrances that are on your list, but that only makes me more determined to explore them in 2007.

You might also be interested to know that my daughter, at the ripe old age of 2 1/2 is already an avid sniffer: upon meeting someone new she always asks 'what's that smell?' - and doesn't hesitate to tell them if she likes what they are wearing or not...at the moment she likes to choose for me, so I'm wearing a lot of Coco!

So,in the year to come may you have joy and peace - and may all your wine be Champagne!

[Catherine]

I love your blog and appreciate all the time and work that must go into it. Just to introduce myself, I'm an investment advisor by profession, but am spending more time on avocations lately, including sailing on historic tall ships, studying celestial navigation and other maritime stuff, knitting, spinning and, in the past few years, designing knitting patterns.

I think in another lifetime, or perhaps in the next one, I wanted to be a "nose" as the mystery and science of scent has probably always interested me and has become a fascination.

The fascination was further tweaked by a long article in the New Yorker magazine, sometime in 2006, about perfume-making and the new (in my humble opinion, lackluster) line Hermes is bringing out.

That article led me to much shopping around here in south Florida for a new scent to fall in love with. I haven't found one but do like Creed's Santal Originale, of which I bought a bottle to share with live-in boyfriend as he's a long-time fan of Creed's original Tabarone.

Is there anyone who has ANY idea of where one might find out more about the base notes and such in Celui by Jean Desses? My mother used to buy it at Bonwit Teller in New York city in the 60s and early 70s. I've not been able to find anyone familiar with it except for the owner of a tiny perfume store in Paris who had an empty bottle that still retained the, to me, haunting scent of Celui.

I'd appreciate any info on Celui as it still intrigues me.

Also, I'm delighted to find so many of us on the internet who are familiar with, and like, Chanel's Cuir de Russe (sp?) as I used to borrow my brother's bottle in high school but haven't seen it available here in years. Who sells it?

Sorry for a long-winded post!

Oh, I'll be in New York city in January and able to visit Aedes De Venustas. I'd appreciate recommendations for any other must-visit shops or ateliers.

Cheers,
Catherine

[Fleur.de.Lys]

You have created wonderful categories, like, "cutting edge," "tongue in cheek" and "fragrances to leave behind," and "fragrances to anticipate." These categories reflect true passion and do so with wit and aplomb. Keep exceeding our expectations, Victoria, the world needs this kind of objectivity and intelligence when it comes to fragrance.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Erika, thank you very much. I love the story of your daughter sniffing the people she meets. It seems that you have your own young perfume expert. And Coco--she is a natural, it seems. I adore this fragrance, and you have inspired me to wear it tonight.

Happy 2007! I look forward to sharing more perfume discoveries with you.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Catherine, I am very delighted to read your comment. Thank you for your kind words.

Celui by Jean Desses--I still see it on sale at some vintage perfume websites (just google it to find some sources). I will check my guides to see if there is any information on it. Perhaps, I might shed some light on it for you.

As for the places to shop for perfume in NYC, I would mention Takashimaya on 5th Avenue, Barneys and Bergdorf. Caron boutique used to be on Madison, not far from Barneys, but it has been partially converted to a hair product shop, so it is a sad sight. I would also recommend visiting the New London Pharmacy for a great selection of small European perfume and skincare lines.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Fleur de Lys, thank you! It is a pleasure to share one's passion with others who are equally in love with the subjectmatter. I feel fortunate to have this opportunity.

[melanie]

Yet another list with Hilary Duff with Love!!! I was blown away surprised with how great smelling this is. I received the candle in a swag bag in November and haven't looked back (my boyfriend even likes it)...I debated about putting it on my own list, but decided I best stay in the closet with it! haha :) great list, there are several more things I should try out!!! cheers to 2007!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Melanie, thank you! Happy 2007 to you too! With Love is worth trying, because it is just so unexpectedly good for a celebrity fragrance.