The best fragrances of 2021

Every final text begins with a lament about how difficult it is to choose the best from a good selection. In 2021, there were even more good perfumes than usual, although the overall number of launches was 20 percent lower due to COVID-19 and the resulting logistical problems and the general economic downturn.

In the traditional luxury category, I'd recommend Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever men. Fresh, cheerful, with seaweed and grapefruit, and without a hint of toxic masculinity. I stumbled upon it in a store and froze in surprise. Good! Excellent, even!

Giorgio Armani Absolutely Stronger With You, with a hint of masculinity but also a healthy dose of humor, rum, and cola, is a touch of masculinity. These two inspire hope that men's fragrances can change someday.

In the women's luxury category, I'd praise the berry chypre Izia la nuit Sisley. I considered buying it for 15 seconds.

Cedar Violet Aerin is the embodiment of the idea of ​​comfortable fragrances.

Givenchy's beautiful red Rouge L'Interdit. It has the same lush orange blossom as the mainstay of L'Interdit, plus patchouli. A spectacular and stunning perfume in every sense. I wouldn't want to get stuck in an elevator with it.

Among the best women's fragrances, the almost unsweetened flanker Black Opium Extreme by Yves Saint Laurent, the tenacious powdery Narciso Rodriguez Grace, and the red slipper by Carolina Herrera with its lush roses and berries are also good flankers.

Now, it seems, is the time for flankers and collections. It's impossible to hold a customer's attention with just one fragrance. You have to clutter entire shelves with rows of bottles.

Sometimes there's no other way. The Rivieres de Cartier collection, dedicated to rivers, brings living water back to city dwellers. Splashes sparkling in the sun, a quiet swamp, and a lazily slithering river snake. All three fragrances in the collection are about the same thing, and all three are different.

We'll be talking about the Estée Lauder collection for a long time. It's the beginning of something big and important in the brand's history. Completely new fragrances, new ideas, new bottles, and practically no citations from the past.

Bulgari's Allegra collection, made up of eau de parfum and enhancing essences, could have been half the size. The idea of ​​mixing fragrances on the skin to enhance them isn't my cup of tea. We're unlikely to do better than Jacques Cavallier. But if you throw out a few things and overlook the whimsical bottles, the collection will exude an Italian spirit, wonderful Aperol, rose, and blackberry musk. Regarding other collections, one often feels compelled to say, "Let's not boil it."

The best in this niche in 2021 was divided into two poles. On the one hand, bold, truly unusual:

— mineral, sculpted from biscuit porcelain, cosmic Tubereuse Nue by Tom Ford,

— pure, unadulterated childhood happiness by Lost Alice by Masque Milano,

— slippery pirate devil and dead man's chest by Cypres by Pantelleria Armani,

— salt cave for bronchitis sufferers by Eden-Roc by Dior,

— green fairy of decomposition (c) L`Heure Verte by Kilian.

At the other extreme, true classics are returning to us in a new interpretation:

— a new life for vintage Diorissimo in Dusita's Cavatina Parfums,

— a hall of fame fragrance for Estée Lauder and the IFF perfume company, Synthetic Jungle by Frederic Malle,

— incense, pepper, and burnt wood like in the first niche perfume by Comme des Garcons, only more transparent in Tom Ford's Ebene Fume,

— turpentine and oleoresin, the essence of life, once celebrated by Fendi in Tom Ford's Costa Azzura,

— the fragile, living chrysanthemum from Estée Lauder's Private Collection, embodied in Evonimo Rubeus Milano.

Who said the vintage trend wouldn't survive?

In the mass market, I'd like to highlight Brocard's Lilac After Rain, Mary Kay's fresh, aquatic, and citrusy Infinite Glow, and Oriflame's innovative and bold collection, Swedish Experience, for this segment.

Memorable bottles: Ginza Shiseido, Loubiprince Christian Louboutin, Kadine Guerlain

Yes, Guerlain, which I had long since cursed, buried, and buried, was a surprise surprise. For many years, I hadn't brought money to their corners, but in 2021, I was able to order Shalimar Philtre de parfum, buy Nahema, Mitsouko, Apres L'Ondee, and L'Heure Bleue perfume from the legendary collection. It's almost entirely beautiful. Recent hits have found attractive bottles, while older ones have been carefully reimagined. In addition to the waters, incredibly beautiful perfumes have been released in their original bottles. Even the collection's boxes are reminiscent of a glorious past.

Liu Guerlain Parfum Vintage of the Year.

The year's anniversary wasn't the Chanel No. 5 centenary, which turned into some kind of circus circus, but the modest yet fiery launch of the red Habanita Molinard. Without much resources, the brand performed with restraint and grace.

OUR SHOP