DECEMBER 22, 2025

Welcome to the third annual ScentAdvice Awards!

In this lengthy article I take you through my 30 favorite new releases and my 20 favorite discoveries this year (that were released in previous years). And since a lot of you liked it last year, I added a little rant in between the two lists. For the die-hards, there’s a reflection on my top picks of 2023 and 2024 after this year’s ranking, to see if I still stand behind those picks. To finally wrap it up with the biggest giveaway of the year.

Before diving into the fragrances, I want to thank everyone who used or shared ScentAdvice in any capacity. It grew beyond my expectations and goals, with more than double the visitors of last year. The Instagram page, Reddit group and other socials saw similar growth. And a special thanks to those who use the Shop Page or other links on the site, as a stepping stone for their shopping. The commissions led to a steady revenue stream that ensures the independent nature and my time investment for the foreseeable future.

Which also means giving back: You can win 10 of the ranked fragrances! You can enter twice: 1 entry via Instagram and 10 entries by commenting your favorite perfume of 2025 in the comment section at the bottom of this article, where you will find all the details for this giveaway.

Looking back, this year was a change for me as a “fragrance reviewer”, due to the nature of ScentAdvice growing, becoming more of a business and being a news site first and foremost. A lot of my resources went into sampling newer and popular releases. At the same time, I stopped making social media content and ‘lost’ 90% of my incoming PR; which meant discovering less random, lesser known fragrances. This has affected this year’s awards. I think the New Releases list is of higher quality than last year due to the sheer volume of fragrances that I’ve tried. However, there are less obscure releases that made the cut; you will find more of those in the discoveries list. In 2026, I will likely review less fragrances and focus more on smaller brands that intrigue me personally.

Every year I highlight the best fragrances that I’ve tried, that were released in years prior. Mostly to do justice to the fragrances from previous years, that were deserving of a spot in the awards, had I smelled them in time.

Disclaimer: Fragrances are listed with [#AD] only to state that I received a bottle as part of PR previously. There has been zero involvement, influence or payments regarding the picks or ranking of the awards. You can read my initial reviews by clicking on the names.

20. Siam1928 RED JUNGLE (2023)
Nutt Wesshasartar
Siam1928 is a great brand to explore. While a lot of their fragrances feel surprisingly classical, French perfumery in style (my favorite being MEKHA ARANYA), the Thai Local Spirits collection that contains RED JUNGLE is a more fun and eccentric, with booze-themed scents. YODBEER is the most fun, but RED JUNGLE is worth a try as well.

19. Snif VOW FACTOR (2023)
With Snif still not being sold in Europe, I’ve only smelled two of them: HONEY SUITE being just okay, but VOW FACTOR was better than I expected. You can’t really go wrong with fig, and this is a well-exectuted crisp, green take on fig. Whereas other green figs can go aromatic, here it feels borderline fruity and there’s a welcome sweetness coming in later.

18. Lydeen HORSIKA BLUE [#AD] (2021)
A prime example of when PR works out, as I would’ve never blind bought or even smelled Horsika Blue otherwise. Essentially a powdery iris core with spices (cardamom) and a nutty vanillic sweetness towards the end. It stays rather clean and tame, making it versatile and classy.

17. Cartier OUD & SANTAL (2016)
Mathilde Laurent
The Cartier Les Heures Voyageuses collection is one of the ‘exclusive’ lines that I’m least familiar with. I believe this was my first time properly wearing one. It wasn’t quite as great as I hoped, but the quality is there. Spiced, but with a unexpected fruity touch; it reminded me of Serge Lutens Arabie at one point.

16. Clive Christian TOWN & COUNTRY (2023)
Vincent Ricord
This is one of the most enjoyable Clive Christian’s that I’ve worn. The reason I wouldn’t rank it higher, is that it leans rather far into (hybrid)clone territory. Creed AVENTUS is unmistakable in this and it gets more vanillic in the way that Electimuss IMPERIUM does. Not very original, but a nice wear.

15. Art Meets Art LIKE A VIRGIN UNPLUGGED [#AD] (2024)
Fabrice Pellegrin
I’m not the biggest fan of orange blossom, but LIKE A VIRGIN UNPLUGGED is up there with the best orange blossoms that I’ve come across. I praised it as a stand-out discovery during my last trip to Paris (after which the brand sent me a bottle). It borders on becoming a gourmand with how much vanilla and tonka take over and that blends well into a creamy, lactonic orange blossom.

14. Strangers Parfumerie ROSA RAIMUNDA (2024)
Prin Lomros
This one I bought on impulse and while I really enjoy it, I probably should’ve bought something else. It shows however, how nice of a first impression ROSA RAIMUNDA makes and the 30ml price point for these Strangers Parfumerie releases is inviting. A rose with all facets: Fizzy, fruity, red, green, minty, jammy, sweet. Not as sweet and more fruity than Ormonde Jayne INDUS, but that one is in the same ballpark.

13. Isabelle Larignon BANGLA YASAMAN (2023)
Isabelle Larignon
BANGLA YASAMAN is the star of this brand’s line-up for me. A healthy dose of daring indoles, which is a rare find these days. To be clear, this does not smell ‘fecal’, instead, it comes across bitter, almost like a vaccum, a void. Jasmine and osmanthus, with tones of hay, tobacco and leather, but also a surprising sweeter element. It’s an unusual mix, but it works.

12. Fragrance du Bois HERITAGE (2016)
Francois Merle-Baudoin
Years ago, I smelled pretty much everything in the Fragrance du Bois collection, but HERITAGE was one of a few that had always escaped me. This year, I finally put it to the test and I think it’s one of the biggest outliers in the brand’s line-up. It opens aldehydelic and traditional; reminding me of Guerlain SAMSARA at first. I’m not the biggest fan of how sweet the drydown is; it feels like a mismatch for its opening. Still, this is an underrated Fragrance du Bois, especially compared to anything the brand has released in more recent years.

11. Argos CHARON’S VAIL (2024)
Probably my favorite Argos to date, after falling out of love with TRIUMPH OF BACCHUS throughout the years (and the Triumph of Bacchus Extrait didn’t make the new releases list). CHARON’S VAIL is a mix of metallic rose and dark, sweet woodiness, reminding me of the excellent Maison Tahite COFFEE BOMB to some extent.

10. KMSKA EDP (2024)
Laura de Coninck
This fragrance is created exclusively for the lovely KMSKA museum in Antwerp. There’s a lot of cumin to my nose, but it’s not all that challenging, due to how fresh it is. It feels crisp, citrussy, soapy floral, but it has a hint of sweaty skin due to that cumin. This gives off strong luxury soap vibes. The closest reference that I can think of from memory would be L’Orchestre Parfum FLAMENCO NEROLI. Perhaps a bit of a near-homefield-advantage & Laura bias here, but it’s a fun one to try.

09. Prin BURMITE HONEY (2023)
Prin Lomros
BURMITE HONEY is a bit… much. I don’t know if I would wear it much, which is why I bought the aforementioned ROSA RAIMUNDA over it. That said, BURMITE HONEY is special. In the air, this is a sweet, cozy honey scent. Rich, lush, honey, like Hiram Green SLOWDIVE. Up close and in the drydown, it’s a lot more fiery, ambery, dry, almost like Roja PARFUM DE LA NUIT 1. Not for the faint of heart.

08. La Reverie SANTAL DE PARIS (2023)
Nathalie Feisthauer
One of the best out of the blue discoveries that I’ve had this year. This is not the ‘pure’, camphorous, papier-mache Mysore sandalwood or like the more subtle contemporaries, of which Christian Provenzano SANTAL INDIEN is my favorite. Instead, this is much sweeter, with a lot of vanilla and florals that remind me of banana blossom. Yet, it feels like a high quality, sandalwoody mix with vanilla being equally the star of the show. Much nicer than the vast majority of faux-sandalwood releases on the market in my opinion.

07. Gallivant NIDA (2024)
Soizic Beaucourt
Gallivant has several fragrances that I appreciate; BUKHARA being my favorite. In 2023, ACCRA ranked high on my awards list for being a truly unique, niche creation. NIDA is a tad less eccentric, but more wearable. Spicy, sparkling cola amber with cumin or cardamom, soft citrus, earthy iris. There’s a lot going on. To me it has a fizzy hops-like quality akin to Zoologist HARVEST MOUSE or Penhaligon’s THE OMNISCIENT MISTER THOMPSON.

06. Mariejeanne AU PIED DU ROSIER (2024)
Karine Vinchon-Spehner
Mariejeanne is one of the houses where the perceived quality of ingredients is top of the line. A brand deserving of more popularity. AU PIED DU ROSIER is an interesting one for them, but equally high quality and it ended up being my favorite on first impression. Rose, with a hint of a daring edge and saffron like Roja TAIF AOUD. It loses that edge and becomes sweeter, yet it retains a clean, musky edge as well. If you like the Louis Vuitton roses, like Matiere Noire, you probably will like this as well.

05. Krigler MANHATTAN ROSE 44 (1944)
For those that don’t know, Krigler’s legacy is essentially what Creed pretends theirs is. Unfortunately, the limited availablity and high price point keep the brand under the radar. They’re only available inside a couple of hotels (I visited the store inside the Peninsula Hotel in Paris). For as exclusive as they are, the collection is surprisingly versatile and accessible; it was one of my favorite sampling/in-store experiences. And frankly, not because they seemed of such high quality (I’d go as far as saying, they don’t feel all that special in that regards), but all felt like good compositions that are well-constructed. My favorites on first impression were ESTABLISHED COGNAC 66 and this MANHATTAN ROSE 44. A straight-forward, citrussy, bright rose. Tart and acidic, like it has a drop of white wine or vinegar. Simple, and aimed only at rose-purists, but great. It is similar to my #2 on this list however and ultimately, I think I’d pick that one over it.

04. Stephane Humber Lucas RUBY NAGA (2022)
HARRODS H MAMBA was already a great collaboration between Stephane Humbert Lucas and Harrods, but RUBY NAGA could be my favorite from the brand. Candied sweet, tart and powdery, but all done with restraint. I think the florals help to ground it and make it less cloying and less modern. It’s like a sweeter take on a retro acidic powdery floral (Grossmith DIAMOND JUBILEE BOUQUET comes to mind). I think it’s a bit of an outlier; not smelling as modern and youthful as I expected, and also not Middle Eastern styled the way a KHOL DE BAHREIN or several others from the brand are. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a bottle one day.

03. Acqua di Parma IL PROFUMO (2024)
Sometimes not much (new) is needed to be great. IL PROFUMO takes the familiar Acqua di Parma Colonia DNA; COLONIA ESSENZA in particular. Great, bitter, mature citrus, and it adds an extra dose of sandalwood along the way, making for a smoother, really luxurious feeling. Because it gets almost creamy woody, it feels a tad less outdated and aftershave-like (I always thought of a late grandpa of mine when smelling this style of scent before). On one hand, it’s nearly identical, on the other hand, I’ve long since given away my old bottle of Essenza, and smelling IL PROFUMO has landed it on my wishlist straight away. Acqua Di Parma seems to have a clear vision of what they’re doing with their brand and these small refinements on their existing DNA feel more natural and thoughtful than the ‘marketing flankers’ from a lot of other brands. Had I tried this in 2024, it would’ve been high on last year’s Awards list.

02. Henry Jacques ROSE SNOW DE HJ (2010)
Most of what I mentioned about the Krigler in #5 can be repeated here. Henry Jacques is exclusive, expensive, with an interesting legacy. And what is even more true here, is that my in-store experience was excellent. In fact, my visit to Henry Jacques (Paris boutique) is the single best experience I’ve ever had in any perfume store. An hour+ sitdown consultation with a drink, smelling dozens of fragrances, walking around, seeing and photographing their old bottles, with 0 pressure to buy anything. A lot of floral fragrances that shine in the Henry Jacques collection and the one that was right up my alley was the citrussy, bright ROSE SNOW. As most of the brand’s offerings, it’s not the most eccentric and definitely not a strong performer, but its ingredients shine and it wears lovely. I haven’t reviewed it, but it’s pretty self-explanatory as far as the scent goes. If money was no object, this would probably be the first fragrance I’d buy today.

01. One Day JEJU [#AD] (2024)
Would I pick ROSE SNOW DE HJ over JEJU when presented with both bottles… I think so. But given the much lower price and the fact that JEJU has been my most worn fragrance of 2025, it only made sense for me to hand over the #1 spot to it. One Day in general is one of the best brands that I’ve discovered in recent years; it rightfully won the Art & Olfaction Award for OOLONG TEA, which makes up my top 3 from the ones I’ve smelled so far, alongside SEOUL and this JEJU. Perhaps more surprisingly, it smells like tomato leaf to me and I never thought I’d fall in love with that. It’s not an uncommon combination; tomato leaf with a sparkling, citrussy cologne style scent (not far traditionally masculine leaning, but definitely with some retro cologne connotations), but this is the first time that I ‘get it’. It adds a specific type of tomato leaf, oregano-esque sweetness that works with citrus, in a way that sets it apart. This is as versatile as they come and I mostly wear it to the office. The only downside is availability; One Day is hard to get in most countries. I’m convinced that with more distribution and marketing, it’s one of the Asian brands that could and should succeed worldwide. As mentioned, this is the single most worn fragrance in my collection since I’ve acquired it and I was convinced it would become my favorite discovery after 1-2 wears. I might add, that when I first smelled it, it was with 4 friends and all of them were equally instantly charmed by it. So far, my excitement for it hasn’t faded one bit and I’m happy to be able to highlight it here again. A special shout-out to brand owner Michael Wong for sending over a bottle to include in the giveaway, as I couldn’t buy it anywhere myself.

MANY ONE-EYED KINGS

Perfumery is, and I’d argue, has always been, about marketing. Today, a big enough financial backing can launch a brand and put it in front of the eyes of ill-informed buyers. Then again, a lot of brands that are perceived as niche, including some well-established ones, are no different than dupe houses; just more expensive. A lot of marketing talk is smoke and mirrors: Lies about ingredients, costs, perfumers, originality, backstory… you name it.

If you ask me? Many in the perfume industry sense that their era is coming to an end, as more affordable perfumes, body mists, gourmands and TikTok trends are gaining ground. High-end stores are placing Rasasi next to Creed. Perfumers are doing Amouage & Lattafa briefs side-by-side. Distributors and exhibitions no longer shun (Middle Eastern) dupe houses. Influencers benefit more from French Avenue and getting flown to Dubai, than the brands that they used to push, so they start singing a different tune. We are in the Blockbuster vs. Streaming transition period when it comes to mass marketed perfumes and not everyone is going to survive the inevitable crash of the traditional market.

As a response, brands seem to throw everything at the wall, often completely losing their identity in the process, in the hope that something sticks. The amount of releases and overpricing is simply not sustainable (and then they wonder how most of their stock ends up for 60% off at discounters, but that’s a story for another day). All of this is perfectly logical of course, as niche and mainstream are by default antonyms; Niche brands that are mass marketed, push for mass appeal and follow trends are by definition, not niche.

My point is, don’t let yourself be fooled easily and don’t buy into this constant stream of marketing and fear of missing out. Which includes blindly following influencers and reviewers, who knowingly or unknowingly push the same false narratives. Stop idolizing infomercials. Use what you see and read, this article included, solely as a means of exploration. Smell fragrances yourself. Preferably, lots of fragrances. Buy a bottle less and buy samples instead or visit a store to find out what YOU like.

HONORABLE MENTIONS & EXCLUSIONS

Releases that were in earlier concepts of the list, but ultimately had to be left off: Yves Saint Laurent MUSE, In Astra VANANT, Maison Margiela NEVER-ENDING SUMMER, Dusita TONKA LATTE, Mercedes-Benz CLUB BLACK EDP, Ex Nihilo BLUE TALISMAN EXTRAIT & Thomas de Monaco JADE AMOUR.

My main goal with these awards is to show love and highlight things, so I’m more inclined to leave subsequent fragrances from the same brand out and mention them along with their top release of the year. Examples of that this year would be Tauer ROSE ABSOLUE, Premiere Peau DOPPEL DANCERS & Sultan Pasha IRISOIR. Bon Parfumeur 502- IRIS CARTAGENA EDP was left out despite being good, as the EXTRAIT won last year’s award and the EDP is simultaneously similar, yet significantly less to my taste.

A release that I didn’t test properly enough to include on the list with a clear conscience, is Angelos Creations Olfactives NARKISSOS; this was my favorite find at Paris Perfume Week earlier in 2025 and I’m sure it would make the cut. Another fragrance that I don’t include is Xerjoff IM-PERFETTO. I’d rank it above most Xerjoff releases of the year, however, it was never released and is likely never going to be released under this name & branding, so it doesn’t feel right to include here.

30. Nectar Olfactif CERANA
Julien Rasquinet
I’ve placed this at 30, as it’s my latest find and I didn’t test it thoroughly enough. I sprayed it on skin, but was at a perfume event not long after, so everything was mixed up. In general though, I wanted to give a shout-out to this brand Nectar Olfacif. It could be one of the better discoveries as of late for me. In-store CERANA stood out to me the most, but several of them seemed nice, with solid perfumers used and the branding is fun. In 2026, I’ll do a deeper dive into Nectar Olfactif.

29. Eight & Bob SERENITE EN BOURGOGNE
Eight & Bob had a rebranding and some new releases. My favorite amongst the newcomers was SERENITE EN BOURGOGNE. It’s cozy, sweet, soft and powdery with a subtle hint of fruitiness. I could pitch it as an Autumn or evening-aimed companion to a BOIS D’ARGENT or draw a lineage to Guerlain GOURMAND COQUIN/FEVE GOURMANDE. As with pretty much everything Eight & Bob, it’s not spectacular, but it’s very solid.

28. Atelier Materi VANILLE CARBONE
Natalie Gracia-Cetto
In years where generic, sugary sweet, gourmand vanillas come a dime a dozen Atelier Materi takes a spicier, woodier approach. Like Electimuss VANILLA EDESIA or Les Eaux Primordiales VANILLE SUPERMASSIVE before it, it’s a mature direction for vanilla that I can appreciate.

27. Sospiro IL PADRINO
Nathalie Templer & Salah Al Zarooni
The fruitiness in the opening is the star of the show here for me. I think it’s rightfully hyped this year, the way Scents of Wood PLUM IN COGNAC was prior; I view IL PADRINO as a fruitier take on that genre. It does have the louder, screechier styling (think Terenzi, Mancera, Montale) which keeps it from being a full-on love for me.

26. Essential Parfums THE MUSC EXTRAIT
Calice Becker
As with BOIS IMPERIAL EXTRAIT, this flanker is quite a deviation from the EDP, and I think it’s really solid. It reminds me of more retro, civet-animalic scents; a good nocturanal take on THE MUSC. Unfortunately, NICE BERGMOTE EXTRAIT was a hard miss for me, but THE MUSC EXTRAIT could potentially end up higher on this list after I get to know it better.

25. Guerlain SHALIMAR L’ESSENCE
Delphine Jelk
This is the most vanillic Shalimar so far and I prefer the woody-vanilla scent here, over the caramel-ish scent that crept in the Shalimar Vanilla PLANIFOLIA & Shalimar MILLESIME IRIS. What it lacks however, is the typical bergamot and brightness in the opening that should also be part of Shalimarin my book. Ideally with a hint of skankiness, but unfortunately, I think those days are long behind us when it comes to Shalimar. I also don’t think it’s as good as SPIRITUEUSE DOUBLE VANILLE or GOURMAND COQUIN for a fully sweet Guerlain. That said, as its own thing, and with the easy availability and affordability (especially with the 30ml option), it’s a thumbs up.

24. Sisley LE PARFUM
Here’s a sleeper pick. One of the simplest, utalitarian fragrances on this list, but sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. It has a lovely soft citrus-floral scent with sweetness that’s just tempered enough. The opening is one of the nicest in this genre, so I bought it on impulse after smelling it in-store.. This has been my go-to scent to wear to the gym and I’ll probably use it more than 95% of my collection in the coming year.

23. Parfum D’Empire MADAGASCAR LA BAUME VANILLE
Marc-Antoine Cortichiatto
This was one of the most anticipated releases of 2025 for me; a vanilla scent by one of the last remaining ‘true niche’ houses. It’s not a gourmand, but more of a very sweet spicy tobacco, which reminded me quite a lot of a drier, more managable Byredo Tobacco Mandarin. Really good, but not fully living up to my high expectations.

22. Byredo BOIS OBSCUR
Jerome Epinette
Sadly, Byredo discontinued the best ones in their Night Veils collection, TOBACCO MANDARIN & REINE DE NUIT. However, BOIS OBSCUR is a nice addition. It’s too common of a rose-oud-patchouli-saffron scent to rank higher, but it’s better than I thought it would be or gave it credit for after smelling it in-store. It reminds me of the darker roses from the Louis Vuitton collection and it has a brighter edge that keeps it from becoming tiresome to wear, the way this style sometimes gets on my skin.

21. Kilian ANGELS’ SHARE PARADIS
Benoist Lapouza
A rare case of a flanker living up to, if not exceeding, the popular original. ANGELS’ SHARE is good, but never was right for me. The newer ON THE ROCKS flanker even less so. But this PARADIS flanker is top-notch. The smoothness of the sweetness, its buttery texture, makes for an easier, nicer wear than the original. It gets a bit too sugary (like OLD FASHIONED) and I wish the lovely hit of raspberry was more prominent, but it’s the best Kilian has had to offer in years in my book.

20. Ex Nihilo SPIKY MUSE
Louise Turner
Not the most exciting release, but a really good one that feels like it targets a specific crowd, rather than chasing trends. Ex Nihilo does clean and precise fragrances well and I like the way SPIKY MUSE feels like an antithesis to the sweet, youthful wave of the Delinas and Guidances of the world. I get a ton of soapy rhubarb from it (like Hermes Eau de Rhubarbe), which is often a tricky note for me, but I wouldn’t mind adding this one to my collection as a casual, fresher wear..

19. Widian SAMAR
Philippine Courtiere
I tried Samar quite a while ago and it made a great first impression. I’ve been meaning to wear it again, but I haven’t come across it anymore (I’m surprised that none of the stores that I visited that sell Widian had Samar in stock). Frankly, this already felt abstract back when I wore it and I don’t exactly remember the way it smells now. It came across as a metallic-smoky floral (jasmine, tuberose) that had a contrasting blend of traditional masculine and feminine leaning sides. It probably deserves an even higher ranking.

18. Premiere Peau ROSE MONOTONE
Claire Liegent
My favorite from Premiere Peau; one of the more interesting brands to hit the market in 2025. I’m not sure if the scents all live up to my expectations or the outlandish notes and the awesome presentation they come in, but it’s one of the few new houses to keep an eye on. ROSE MONOTONE is a great one that recalled Majda Bekkali MON NOM EST ROUGE & to lesser extent the Amoauage EPIC WOMAN DNA for me. DOPPEL DANCERS was a close second pick from the collection for me.

17. Acqua di Parma BUONGIORNO
Acqua di Parma has been on top of their game in recent years, albeit in an understated manner. IL PROFUMO being my favorite recent one from the brand, but BUONGIORNO is another stand-out. This is a minty, fresh and versatile fragrance. It reminds me of a mintier Louis Vuitton PACIFIC CHILLl; with more character. Given that I’m not the biggest fan of mint, I’m not as excited about it and I’m happier with my more boring, generic PACIFIC CHILL. It’s hard to argue against Buongiorno having a lot to offer; If you are into mint in fragrances, I can only imagine Buongiorno being one of the absolute best picks of 2025.

16. Creed OUD ZARIAN
Cecile Zarokian
Do I love OUD ZARIAN? No. Was I positively surprised? Absolutely. In short; this is not a Creed. To me it has zero connection in style to anything that Creed has released prior. Instead it feels spot-on like a mix of several Amouage’s; opening as ROYAL TOBACCO, drying down to PURPOSE 50 or even GUIDANCE, with it’s sweet rose water. A fragrance that changes direction several times during a wear. Not all facets are to my taste, but I have to appreciate it for what it is, and credit Creed for offering something complex and different that at least makes an effort to match the marketing and higher price point that came with it.

15. Penhaligon’s DAPHNE BOUQUET
Antoine Maisondieu
I have never smelled a Daphne flower, but this was a truly nice surprise. I think this will be one of the more slept-on fragrances to come out this year. I get a citrussy tomato leaf-esque fresh scent here. A bit sharp and screechy as it dries down, but overall, an interesting one and easily my favorite Penhaligon’s in recent years (in my opinion miles better than The Cut, which came out not long after).

14. Ormaie 32°
Serge De Oliviera
There are several good Ormaie, my favorite has always been TABLEAU PARISIEN. Initially, I thought that L’IVREE NUIT was the one this year that may dethrone it, but to my surprise, 32° was the one to do it. I get a lot of tuberose, but it’s overtaken by a fruity-fresh-musky edge akin to the vibe I get from my #2 of 2025; that one being much nicer overall to me means that 32° has to settle for a midfield ranking.

13. Memoirs of a Perfume Collector LONDON
Jean Claude Delville
For a while, I had this in my top 10. I’ve tried several of the M.O.A.P.C. and liked them, but they never felt as sophisticated and high quality as LONDON does to me. FrankIy, I pegged it as a loud, ‘influencer’ type of brand, but the newer collection seems to be more traditional, with LONDON being the stand out for my taste. This reminds me of a lighter Roja TAIF AOUD, which is one of my absolute favorites (and the reason why I ended up ranking LONDON a tad lower). There’s also another bright rose fragrance in the top 10 & two of them in my discoveries top 10 that I would pick over it, so a lot of competition, but I was impressed nonetheless.

12. Xerjoff Torino25
Torino25 is in the same position as NEW NOTES AKIGALA MANDARINO was last year. Whereas that was a fruitier, brighter opening MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS GANYMEDE, this one wears like a fruitier citrussy opening MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS ENCELADE. It’s also lighter than Encelade, which in this case, is a positive, as that one may be the most overpowering fragrance I’ve ever owned. Points taken off for seemingly copying a very distinct style, but an amazing fragrance as is and a welcome return to form after TORINO24, TORINO23 & TORINO22 didn’t live up to the TORINO21 hype.

11. Boadicea The Victorious OPAL
Julie Lerendu
One of the better ones from Boadicea for me, but without the wow-factor of my absolute favorite, which is still BLUE SAPPHIRE. The price point makes it hard to rank OPAL higher; it would be in my top 10 if it was half the price. That being said, it’s right up my alley with it’s pulpy, mushy orris. I ranked Amouage LUSTRE at #2 of 2024, which was too high looking back, but it’s an indication of how much I enjoy it and the Boadicea is on par.

10. Sultan Pasha Perfumes THEBES
Sultan Pasha
One of the hardest parts of ranking this year was the placement of Sultan Pasha’s new sprayable perfumes. Quality-wise, they are miles ahead of many others on this list. I love IRISOIR and QUINTESSENTIALLY AMBER, but frankly, they are not nearly as eccentric or different from many an iris or a GRAND SOIR-esque amber as I wanted them to be (also not on the level of some of the Sultan Pasha attars that I’ve smelled). THEBES on the other hand, is a shapeshifter. Going from daring to surprisingly soft and uplifting; a sort of melancholic journey that ends on a positive note. I wouldn’t wear it as much as the iris or the amber… honestly, I’m not even sure if I like the scent… but viewing it as a work of art, it’s the one that delivered exactly what I was looking for in this collection. If we’re looking at what proper niche perfumery should bring to the table, THEBES is a textbook example.

09. Une Nuit Nomade CHEMIN D’AMANDE
Jerome di Marino
The best gourmand of 2025. Yes, it is a straight-forward gourmand, which offers nothing unique in that sense. However, it is arguably best in class. For me, it outshines Dusita TONKA LATTE, D’Orsay TONKA HYSTERIA, Regalien CHATELAIN 22 or Guerlain TONKA SARRAPIA EXTRAIT 75 for example. I liked it so much that I had it in the #4 spot for a while, but I don’t think it’s interesting enough to warrant such a ranking. It did love it enough to buy a 25ml for myself as one of the few fragrances I’ve added to my collection this year and I have a feeling I’ll upgrade to a full size bottle eventually.

08. Zoologist ORCHID MANTIS
Tomoo Inaba
Zoologist gets criticized frequently for not being as eccentric or daring as it once used to be, but I think it’s still one of the most fun brands to sample. In fairness, I own 0 Zoologist bottles and I don’t really feel the need to, but as an exploration, it’s a gem of a house. ORCHID MANTIS is probably my favorite of the house alongside Civet and the only one I feel an itch to one day acquire. It recalls vintage jasmine to me; a bit more sensual, dark and daring. It reminds me of the ‘bodily heat’ vibe that I get from my vintage Jean Patou JOY PARFUM.

07. Memo PORTOBELLO ROAD
Alienor Massenet
One of the bigger surprises of the year for me was PORTOBELLO ROAD. As is evident in this year’s awards, rose with a citrus edge has been my favorite thing in perfumery in recent years (Malle Rose Tonnere, Jazeel Ghala, Henry Jacques Rose Snow, Roja Taif Aoud etc.). Portobello Road is a tad green and I can see sense of the styling of Bisch’ work on ELDO EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS & HERMANN A MES COTES or even Diptyque LAZULIO in here with its rain accord. A more natural rose, with a sense of plasticy, vaccuum-seal soapiness. I need to wear it again and add it to my wishlist if my thoughts remain this positive. It’s almost certainly my favorite Memo fragrance.

06. Danner-Flemming IRIS ALTESSE
Antoine Lie
Iris has been my favorite note for years, so when I discovered Danner-Flemming, it instantly jumped to the top of the list of brands to try. Danner-Flemming launched this year, with 3 iris-centric fragrances, made by one of my favorite perfumers, Antoine Lie. The scents were surprising to me, in a sense that they don’t come across artisinal or indie, not eccentric, but rather like completely polished, well-rounded compositions, where iris as I know it, doesn’t jump out at you. This is perhaps most true for IRIS ALTESSE, which reminds me a bit of clean, floral and fruity Chanel’s, like their CHANCE line. But IRIS ALTESSE does it with such finesse and sophistication that it simply wears beautifully. It feels like the highest quality of a bordering-on-generic-designer style perfume as one can find these days. The downside being that you do have to pay handsomely for that quality.

05. Tauer Perfumes VANILLA ABSOLUE
Andy Tauer
I presume that there’s little difference between VANILLA ABSOLUE and 2015’s TAUERVILLE – VANILLA FLASH, which I haven’t smelled. What I can tell you, is that it is excellent. Contrary to my expectations, I prefer it over ROSE ABSOLUE, which was released alongside it. A moist sweet tobacco scent along with high quality vanilla. There’s a cola facet, akin to Roja ENIGMA POUR HOMME, with a more pronounced rose-geranium, before letting its namesake vanilla shine for the remainder of the wear. Not the most unique style, not as nice and sparkling as the Roja for my taste, but top of the line execution, with a good price point as a bonus.

04. Xerjoff LOUIS XV ROSÉ [#AD]
This is one of those instances, where I wonder if I will agree with this high a ranking, when I look back on it. And it’s because of the first impression LOUIS XV ROSE makes. It’s a relatively new release and the way it opens is nothing short of spectacular in my book. It has impressed me each time I wore it so far. The fruitiness is a perfect balance; mostly making me think of grape. It has a berry quality, with a tart, fruit-skin aspect to it and a watery quality, rather than a thick creamy one. It’s sweet from the get-go, but the initial fruitiness and brightness have a massive wow-factor to me. As it dries, it definitely gets more sugary sweet than I would ideally like to see it, but I’m so charmed by the opening, that I can look passed it easily. It’s a lot more interesting than the original LOUIS XV and it’s my favorite Xerjoff in an overall very strong year for the brand.

03. Diptyque LAZULIO
Quentin Bisch
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Quentin Bisch’s work, even if it tends to get repetitive at times and the GUIDANCE DNA taking over the perfume industry is getting on my nerves. I know some critics will find this take laughable, but I’ll double down on it: I think Bisch is without a doubt the most influential perfumer of this decade, especially taking into account his seemingly big influence on his Givaudan co-perfumers and some of the brands that he has worked with. GANYMEDE being the catalyst for a whole new wave of perfumery that is comparable to the impact of an ANGEL (1992), ACQUA DI GIO (1996), AVENTUS (2010) or BACCARAT ROUGE (2015). And LAZULIO feels like a (selfwritten) love-letter to Bisch’s work so far; an amalgamation of his greatest hits wrapped into one composition. Opening with ENCELADE cues, a lot of EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS/HERMANN A MES COTES vibes after, with a mineralic spiciness of GANYMEDE. Ending surprisingly vanillic, like some of the more recent Bisch creations such as DECISION AND TUBEREUSE ASTRALE. It goes from green, fruity, soapy, spicy to vanilla in one of the most eventful wears of 2025. I was surprised to find this one in the Diptyque range, which feels like a bit of a mismatch to me (although I have a feeling it will change the direction of the brand moving forward). Not my favorite scent, mainly due to the dank green, almost cannabis-esque opening, but an eccentric and therefore divisive one, which is what perfumery needs more of.

02. Puredistance DIVANCHE [#AD]
Nathalie Feisthauer
From the moment I smelled DIVANCHE, I knew it would be a contender for the title this year. And I may very well look back and think that I should’ve placed it at #1. Whereas PAPILIO was my clear favorite in 2023, DIVANCHE feels like less of a ‘star’. It shines in the way it wears, the quality it exudes, but it’s a more common, traditional theme. Slightly fruity, clean, soft florals and white musk. It’s a style that PureDistance excels in, with WHITE (no. 6) being another example. However, this one may be the absolute pinnacle of this style for me. It’s fruity and citrussy, but clean from start to finish. Which is rare… most clean fragrances grow sweet or harsh, but DIVANCHE has a cotton-like softness and bright peachy(?) touch throughout. At times I get a waft that reminds me of anise or very faint liquorice, but this isn’t always the case. Either way, it still smells like freshly washed clothes several hours in. It doesn’t feel as airy, synthetic or sharp as most clean musks, like the (solid) Maison Francis Kurkdjian direction for example; DIVANCHE feels like a rounder, more traditional style of perfumery. It takes a style that almost inherently smells synthetic and manages to elevate it. I think it wears significantly nicer than some of the best musky contemporaries like Marc-Antoine Barrois TILIA or Frederic Malle ACNE STUDIOS. Ultimately, it’s perhaps too safe and plain to give it the #1 spot, so I wrestled with that decision. For what it is, this is as good as it gets.

01. Maison Crivelli SAFRAN SECRET
Gael Montero
A lot of what I wrote about #3 LAZULIO above, rings true for SAFRAN SECRET. Made by Gael Montero in an ‘I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-butterBisch’ fashion, this one is all over the place in the best way possible. Including it may be somewhat controversial, since it is the same exact fragrance as 2022’s INGREDIENTS 07/2012, but I’d never smelled it before and in 2022 there were no ScentAdvice awards to highlight it anyway, so whether you view it as a new release or not is purely semantic; it deserves the spotlight in my opinion. As with the other Crivelli’s Extraits, this is a powerhouse, with a modern, loud styling that lasts all day, so I have to be in the mood to wear it; choosing to wear it feels like a commitment. Since the renaming to SAFRAN SECRET, more people have viewed this as a saffron-leather scent, but the fragrance that I relate it to closely is Tom Ford OUD WOOD (which was named more often as reference when it was called INGREDIENTS 07/2012). However, it’s like a herbal, more traditionally masculine OUD WOOD. It has a metallic showergel-spiciness that I also found in Gallivant ACCRA. The base is very sweet and earthy and its saffron-leather vibes are not the most prominent to my nose. The more I wear it, the more I find it to lean into the sweet earthiness. There are days that I wouldn’t want to wear it, but the moments that I’ve chosen to wear it, it impressed me each time, as if it was the first time that I smelled it. It’s a demanding wear, but with so many facets and development that it never gets tiresome. For several months, I’ve gone back and forth between DIVANCHE & SAFRAN SECRET to win this award and the two couldn’t be more different. The PureDistance is the easier wear and one that I will wear more often, but SAFRAN SECRET has an X-factor that DIVANCHE lacks. It’s sophistication versus boldness. Honestly, it could’ve gone either way for me, but this time I’m rewarding the bold, by crowning SAFRAN SECRET as my #1 release of 2025!

2023 NEW RELEASES

1. PureDistance PAPILIO
2. Amouage JUBILATION 40
3. Eris DELTA OF VENUS
While I like the 3 picks and Papilio is definitely my number 1 (possibly my overall number 1 fragrance at the moment), I ranked Roja Parfums TAIF AOUD at #5. I would now rank that as #2 as I grew to love it more and more. Jubilation 40 is one that I adore, but don’t wear as often, whereas Delta Of Venus is the opposite; I wear it frequently, but it doesn’t feel as special.

2023 FAV DISCOVERIES

1. Jazeel GHALA
2. Etat Libre D’Orange EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS
3. Les Abstraits BELLE AME
No comments here, I own, wear and love these 3 picks and rate them as highly after two years and the ranking feels right.

2024 NEW RELEASES

1. Bon Parfumeur 502 – IRIS CARTAGENA EXTRAIT
2. Amouage LUSTRE
3. Maison Crivelli TUBEREUSE ASTRALE
This was definitely a weaker year in my book, at least from what I’ve tried. I love Iris Cartagena Extrait, but I only own 2 of the other 23 new releases. I hadn’t tried One Day JEJU, which would’ve landed at #1 or #2. Acqua di Parma IL PROFUMO would’ve made the top 5.

2024 FAV DISCOVERIES

1. Creed JASMIN IMPERATRICE EUGENIE
2. Christian Provenzano SANTAL INDIEN EXTRAIT
3. Prissana MANDARAVA
I can stand behind these picks, although I would probably rank the Creed at #3 (I already felt that I had some recency and ‘surprise’ bias towards it when I posted last year’s awards). I could have either Mandarava or Santal Indien take the top spot instead.

TO ENTER

You can get 1 entry to the giveaway via this Instagram post and you can get 10 entries by commenting your favorite fragrance of 2025 in the comments below on this page.

The deadline is December 31. This giveaway is open to participants worldwide. The winner will be drawn randomly and publicly announced on December 31. The drawing will be visible in my Instagram stories and the winner will be announced on this page, as well as on the Instagram post, after which the winner will be contacted directly by me (please beware of scammers). By entering, all participants confirm that they are 13+ years of age.